Chapter Text
Chapter 2: DREAMS OF FRIENDSHIP
July 6th, 1980
Early in the morning, at around 6:00am, Joshua was walking the halls of the castle to wake Jackie up. It is at this time that the Greybeard Eshu began thinking of the girl’s first few days as a Changeling. Things like how early on, the servants realized that Jackie would much rather get dressed herself, or that the girl is very much a night owl and HATES early mornings.
Or when she accidentally shape-shifted into a cat the first time. Now it’s almost impossible to make her go to sleep at a reasonable hour thanks to the stealth of her cat form.
Joshua also remembers the pain she suffered during the first couple of years, being unable to go home, and having to deal with the fact that as a Pooka, the honest girl was constantly forced to lie thanks to the nature of being a Pooka
He remembers her ups and downs. Her first cantrip, her seeing the stars without the light pollution for the first time. He remembers her first crush, and the stories that she told of her father. Her real one. The one he had unintentionally made sure she would never see again.
As Joshua approached Jackie’s door, he shook his head and banished those thoughts since today was meant to be a day of happiness for her. It was her birthday after all. Her twelfth, in-fact.
He nodded to Donald who has been standing by the door for hours. He then knocked and asked, “You awake, Jackie?” No response.
He opened the door and saw that the lights were on, Jackie’s desk was covered in art and sheet music, posters of cartoon characters on her walls, her mandolin in the corner, and an unmade bed. There was no Jackie.
“Oh where, oh where, could she have gone?” He said in a joking voice. He looked at the bed, “Could she have hidden under the bed as a cat?” He looked up at a vent in the walls. “Or in the vents?” He reached out and grabbed Jackie’s head, causing her to make a shocked noise. She had seemingly appeared out of thin air. “Or trying to trick me with my own tricks.” He said, smiling. Jackie had grown taller, now tall enough to reach his neck. Her wardrobe had gained a top hat, and in a bit of rebellion against the Duke (and with help from Donald and Joshua) got a piercing in her left ear. In it is silver star shaped ear ring that Joshua had enchanted to be a source of extra glamour if needed.
“How did you see me?” Jackie asked, dropping the cantrip.
Joshua let her go and said, “Well, I am a master of kenning. However, that Veiled Eyes cantrip was excellent! Though if you wish to hide from me, I’d be a little more careful and maybe use a greater bunk.”
“Dang it!” Jackie exclaimed. She went over to her desk and begin writing notes in a journal that Joshua had gotten her.
“I am curious though. What made you wake up this early? You’re normally fast asleep right now.” He asked, now noticing that she had dark circles under her eyes.
Jackie froze and laughed nervously. “I, uh, I may or may not have stayed up trying to learn Veiled Eyes.”
Joshua sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Of course you did. Let me guess, you crammed what was supposed to be another two weeks of practice into a single night?”
“Nah uh.” She said, nodding while looking having a guilty look on her face.
Joshua sighed and reached inside of his robe’s pocket and pulled out a vile. “We can’t have you tired and grumpy on your birthday so drink this. It’s from a friend of mine. Supposedly it’ll keep you awake until tonight.” He handed it to her.
She opened it and drank it in one gulp. She felt her hair and tail go straight as her entire body vibrates for a second. “Bleh! That tasted nasty! That was so weird!” Jackie said as Joshua notices that her eye bags are back to normal.
“Then don’t stay up so late. Growing kids such as yourself need sleep!” Joshua said as we walked up to the window. He opened the curtains to a world just after sunrise. “His grace is throwing you a birthday party tonight.”
“Do I have to go?” Jackie asks. “Those are always so boring!”
“Sadly yes. However, Donald and I will be taking you into town before that so you can have some actual fun.” Joshua says, turning to her with a smile before having the wind knocked out of him by the speeding childling as she hugs him tightly.
“Thank you!” Jackie says excitedly.
“You know that I would never let you have a boring birthday like that.” Joshua says, lightly hugging her. “Now than. Get ready because we’re leaving in a few hours. Don’t worry about morning court. The Duke will be to busy to hold it today.”
“Okay!” Jackie exclaims. “Thanks!” Jackie begins bouncing around the room excitedly.
Right as he’s about to leave, he looks back and says, “Don’t forget to practice your mandolin!”
As he closes the door, he hears an “okay!” He shakes his head. He knows that she’s not going to practice. During her lessons tomorrow, he’ll have to have her practice a few more scales than normal.
~
~Chamber of the Shadow Court~
“Lord Graysen. Give us your report.” The Chancellor said. The room had little lighting with sahdows that obscured the faces of five sidhe sitting at the end of the room, Irwin Graysen was kneeling on the ground in front of them. Graysen was a sidhe that was wearing a dragon leather coat and had a sheathed saber siting in front of him. All around the dark room, there were knights in armor and holding iron swords.
“We’ve successfully infiltrated Duke Edric’s freehold. He’s holding a party tonight where most of the nobles from across the Kingdom of the Burning Sun will be attending. The perfect time to strike.” Irwin said.
“Excellent.” On of the sidhe said.
“Thank you, m’lady.” Irwin says in response. “We just have two concerns: The Bard Joshua and the Knight Sir Donald.”
“Why a mere bard and a singular knight?” The Chancellor asked with genuine curiosity.
“Joshua hides it well, but we have determined him to have as much glamour as a changeling can possess and appears to have a great amount of knowledge about magic, being able to match Edric’s court sorcerer. Sir Donald is someone who I’ve fought alongside with during my infiltration. He cleaved the head off of a Black Spiral Dancer in one blow.” He responded.
Silence. The five shadowy sidhe whispered to each other before saying, “To deal with Joshua, we will call in a favor that a Lasombra owes us. To deal with Sir Donald, we’ll grant you three of our knights armed with Iron.” The Chancellor declared.
“Thank you, my lord.”
~
~A park somewhere in Denver~
“Go away, Redcap!” A young sidhe named Selina yelled at an eight-year-old Redcap named Colm. Colm is a short but stocky kid who has red hair, white pale skin, sharp pointed teeth, and a leather jacket, with small wings coming out of his back. At least that’s what his faerie self looks like. His mortal seeming looks like an average eight-year-old.
“But why?” Colm asked. “We’re friends!”
“As if! We don’t want to get eaten!” A young satyr yells.
“Why are you saying this!?” Colm asks, on the edge of tears, stepping towards them.
A young troll walks up to him and pushes him onto the ground. “They said leave, you dishonorable Redcap!”
Colm sat against a tree, hugging himself as we watched his former friends play with each other. Hate seething within him. Given a few days, he’d probably turn Unseelie.
“Are you okay?” Jackie asks, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and giving poor Colm a fright.
“Aah!” Colm yelps and quickly turns to look at her. “Who’re you?! And where’d you come from?!”
“I’m Jackie. You?” She asks curiously.
“Uh, I’m Colm. Are you a Pooka?” Colm asked.
“Why I am not!” Jackie said impulsively. She internally cursed herself by letting her Pooka nature take control briefly. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Colm said, getting back into his earlier position.
“Like I asked, are you okay?” Jackie asked. She sat down next to him, trust practically radiating off her.
“My friends abandoned me.” He said.
“Now why would they go and do something like that?” Jackie asked, to no response. “I don’t have many friends either.” Jackie said, taking off her hat and bringing her knees to her chest. “Everyone thinks that I am a thief or a liar at first glance thanks to these.” She pointed at her cat ears. They watched as the regular mortals went past, unable to see the childlings fae mien. “Not even giving me a chance.”
“They’re crazy. My mentor was a Pooka. He didn’t steal once. It was also easy to tell when he was lying usually.” Colm said. He points at his former friends. “They abandoned me because I was ‘scary’ and ‘dishonorable’ and because I can eat anything. I was the butt of many ‘jokes’.” He says bitterly. “I just wish that I didn’t have this - this constant hunger. I wish I wasn’t a Redcap. That way I would still have friends.”
“I wish that I didn’t have to lie constantly.” Jackie said. “You know, I think you’re better off without Selina. She’s a real fancypants.”
Colm snorted and began laughing. “She is! You know her?”
“Oh yeah! She’s the heir to Duke Edric, the noble that ‘took’ me in.” Jackie said. “I actually used to have a crush on her. Turns out she led me on to get something she wanted.”
Colm winces and says, “Yeah, that sounds like her. Sorry she did that.”
“Don’t apologize. Besides, it’s fine.” Jackie said. “Anyways, my mentor and knight brought me out to town for my birthday. Want to join us?”
“Uh, sure.” Colm said, not really knowing was else he would do anyways.
“Oh look. The thief and the Redcap are hanging out.” The two heard Selina say. They both looked up and saw her posse approaching.
Jackie saw Colm shrink into himself and put herself between Colm and Selina’s posse. “What do you want, Selina?” Jackie asked.
“Oh, I just saw the court thief hanging out with the monster and decided to check it out.” Selina said.
“Just leave us alone, Selina.” Jackie told her.
“Or what?” Selina asked. “You gonna turn into a kitty cat and paw us to death?” She mocked.
Jackie looked down, embarrassed. She actually couldn't do anything since Selina was the Duke’s heir. This filled Colm with rage, but he couldn’t do anything with that troll standing next to Selina. He looked up and saw a couple of crows on the branches, watching them. He then remembered Willow Whisper, the cantrip his mentor taught him.
“What? The little kitten need her catnip?” The Satyr asks, causing Jackie to shrink in on herself.
Colm focused on his glamour and grabbed stick. He snapped it and looked up at the birds to say “They’re mean. Help.” The cantrip was cast. Willow Whisper allows the caster to speak to plants and animals. Crows and other corvids, fun fact, don’t like people who are mean.
Him snapping the stick and saying that caught the attention of the bullies. Selina looked at him, not noticing the crows in the branches, and before thinking, says, “What? Have something to say, crooked teeth?” Then the crows launch from the branches and begin dive-bombing the bullies. Selina and the Satyr both try to hide behind the troll while he tries fighting back. Problem is, Crows aren’t Fae in nature and there are mortals around. So they pass right through his larger Fae Mein and it’s great strength and hit his mortal seeming.
As Jackie begins laughing at their misfortune, Colm looks at his hands, not believing that worked. The bullies run screaming away from the crows and Jackie turns to Colm, wiping tears of laughter from her face. “That was awsome! How’d you do that?” Jackie asks, excited.
“Um, it was the Willow Whisper cantrip.” Colm said. “My mentor taught it to me.”
“Cool. I’ll have to ask Joshua if I can learn it later.” Jackie says to herself. “Anyways, let’s find Joshua and Sir Donald.”
“What?” Colm asks.
“I said you could join us, didn’t I?” Jackie asks. Colm looks at her, trying to find any deception, yet finds nothing.
“Oh really now?” Jackie hears Donald say right before he practically appears out of thin air next to the two, scaring ever loving god out of them. “Don’t you think you should’ve talked to us first?” He says, eyebrow raised at them.
“Um, well, you see, um…” Jackie begins stuttering while Colm looks warily at Donald.
Donald then laughs a bit and says, “Don’t worry, either of ya.” He looks at Colm and says, “What ya did with the Crows, that was clever. Ah just don’t recommend doing that again.” Donald says, leveling a warning gaze at Colm, then Jackie.
“So, uh, where’s Joshua?” Jackie asks, changing the subject.
“Talking the crows down.” Donald said, pointing to where Joshua was standing at a picnic table, with the crows on one end and Selina’s group on the other. “C’mon you two. Josh said he’d meet us at the theatre.”
“The movie theater?” Colm asked as Donald led the two kids to a movie theater.
“Nope! We’re seeing Empire Strikes Back!” Jackie said, internally wincing at the lie.
“Really!? That’s still in theaters?” He said, happy that he’ll be able to see it.
When they arrived, they saw Joshua standing there, holding four tickets, having somehow gotten there before everyone else. “How are you here first?!” Jackie asked, completely confused.
“I have my ways.” Joshua says mysteriously.
~
~Duke Edric’s Freehold~
At around noon, Baron Graysen arrived. His party, which had traveled the Silver Path through the Dreaming, dismounted their Chimerical Horses at the path’s end. Once they exited the Dreaming, they were welcomed by an elaborate room that had all manner of furniture that cost more than a house, not even including their chimerical properties. At the room’s exits are two guards each.
Graysen’s party included three knights whose faces were covered by their helmets and a woman wearing a dark red dress and a black cloak. It covered her entire body with it’s hood covering her face in shadows.
Standing in the center of the room is Duke Edric, smiling at his perceived friend. “Welcome, my friends! I apologize for the lackluster welcome.”
“It’s fine, your grace.” Graysen says before he and his party bowed, except for the woman who just curtsied.
Edric looked at Greysen’s courtiers and saw her. “Who’s this?” He asked, noticing the severe lack of Glamour. “Did you enchant a mortal?”
Greysen and his knights stand up. “She is not a mortal. May I present Bishop Nellina Trastamara of the Sabbat.” Greysen states. All the guards in the room immediately tensed up, as they know what the Sabbat is: a faction of Vampires that wish for everyone to be their cattle.
“Well then. I apologize for not having a grander welcome. It is an honor to welcome you.” Edric said, lightly bowing, thinking about where he might be able to find blood brew in time for tonight. He hates hosting vampires. Especially ones as reckless as Sabbat members, who have no desire to keep things quiet.
~
“What were you thinking!?” Esmeralda hears her dad yell downstairs. Her parents have been fighting since they got back from church. She was a twelve-year-old girl of average height with black hair, tan skin, and brown eyes. She was wearing a blue dress and a necklace with a cross. She stared at her art book, trying to get the shading on a drawing just right before her focus was disrupted by the yelling.
She opens the drawer in her desk and pulls out a Walkman and a pair of headphones. She grabs a cassette, Highway to Hell by AC/DC, and put on the headphones, letting the music drown out the argument happening downstairs. She began drawing in an old notebook, distracting herself.
She had thought about running away before but decided against it. After all, where would she go? Wasn’t like there was some magical fairy land she could run to. She doesn’t know her grandparents, she doesn’t have any Aunts or Uncles to run to, she has absolutely nowhere to go. So she just escaped to her imagination. Imagined knights slaying dragons, magic and wizards, fairies and monsters.
She looked down at her art book. She was drawing a girl with brown hair, cat ears, a tail, and wearing a ringmaster’s outfit. The girl was sitting next to a kid with wings on his back. He was wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and had sharp jagged teeth. She based it off of something she saw out of the corner of her eye in the park earlier. When she looked, it was just a normal girl and a little boy sitting under a tree. It did give her the inspiration to draw this though. She saw that the shading still wasn’t quite right and took a breath to ease her frustration. She would get this right.
The a loud shattering sound from the hallway shocked her out of her focus, causing her to take her headphones off and stuff the Walkman and headphones into her drawer. She closed her art book and also put it in there and closed the drawer. She really didn’t want her step father to see her listening to “The Devil’s Music” and drawing “Inhuman monsters.”
“I don’t care what David said! That Smith girl is gone and has been for YEARS! Probably sold off To some rich Criminal boss in the Caribbean! So I don’t want you helping his sorry ass find her! Helping him is beyond idiotic!” she heard her step dad, Michael, yell. “Now clean this mess up!” Esmeralda hears footsteps approach her door. Michael opens the door and says, “Help your mother clean up the mess out here.” Michael is a tall man with an average face and white skin.
“Yes sir.” She said. She rushed passed him into the hallway where she saw her mom grabbing a broom. On the floor was a flower pot that held a tulip. She hands Esmeralda the dust pan and the two get to work cleaning the mess-up. Her mom has the same skin tone as Esmeralda and is wearing a dress.
Then, “Esmeralda!” Michael steps out into the hall from her room, holding her Walkman and art book. A pit formed in her stomach as he held those. “Why were you listening to the devil’s music? And drawing demons?” He opened her art book to the page she had been drawing. Esmeralda looked to her mom for help, but she just stayed silent.
“I’m sorry, father. Won’t happen again.” She said. Esmeralda immediately began praying that he wouldn’t destroy them.
“It better not. Now put them in the trash, outside.” He said, handing the book and Walkman to her. The two went outside where he opened the trashcan. Esmeralda, with shaky hands, placed them in the can. Michael closed the lid and said, “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t care about you. I just want what’s best for you.” He said before walking inside.
Esmeralda looked at the can before heading inside. Once she got to her room, she broke down crying. Those were gifts from her real dad before he passed. She didn’t care where she ended up, she didn’t want to stay here anymore.
~
~Outside the Movie Theatre~
“That was awesome!” Jackie exclaims.
“Especially the fight with Vader and Luke!” Colm said. “With the whoosh whoosh whoosh and then Luke loosing his hand and Vader saying,”
“‘I am you’re father.’” The two kids said at once. The kept talking like that while Joshua and Donald walked behind them, smiling at the fact the kids enjoyed themselves.
“I will never understand the appeal.” Donald said to Joshua. “The fights were way too drawn out and everyone there was leaving themselves open to being hit or sliced. Luke is lucky all he lost was his hand.”
“I don’t happen to mind to fights, myself. It’s a very entertaining story, Donald.” Joshua responded. “Jackie! We have to go home and prepare for tonight!” Joshua said.
Jackie deflated almost immediately. She looked at Colm and said, “I have to go. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.” Colm said. “Next time you’re going to show me your magic! Got it?”
“Got it.” Jackie said.
Jackie, Joshua, and Donald would then head back to the Duke’s freehold.
When Jackie entered her room, a mass of fur pounced on her and pushed to the ground before slicking her face. “Toto! Get off !” Jackie exclaimed while laughing. Toto stopped and took a couple steps back before Jackie hugged him. “You’re back! Was the dreaming exciting? Was it? Was it?” Jackie said while petting him. He even got on his back so that she could rub his belly.
After a minute or two, the dog got up and grabbed a wrapped box from Jackie’s bed. He dropped it into her hands. “I see Toto found your present.” Joshua said with a chuckle, entering the room.
“Thanks for the present.” Jackie said before tearing the wrapping paper off. In it was The Sword of Conan, a book that she’d been looking for. “Thank you!” This was the one that her dad read to her when she was little.
“You’re welcome, little one.” Joshua said. “Get ready for the party. I’ll try my best to choose an exciting story for tonight.” He would then turn and leave the room.
Joshua would head to the ballroom where he saw the Duke directing servants around, looking quite stressed. He then saw Joshua and said, “Oh, thank the Dreaming. Joshua, we have an unexpected guest.”
“Oh? And who could that possibly be?” Joshua asked. He could’ve sworn that every noble within the Kingdom of the Burning Sun had been invited, even if not all of them are attending.
“That would be me.” Nellina said, entering the room, causing Joshua to whip around to look at her, and his eyes narrowed.
“Ah, Nellina Trastamara. What a… pleasure to see you again after all these years.” Joshua said in a less than pleased voice.
“It’s Bishop now, dear Joshua. Now I hope that this will be a night to be remembered if you’re here.” She said with a dangerous smile, before walking off.
“...Your Grace, what is a Leech doing here?” Joshua asked.
“She’s the plus one of Baron Graysen. Do you two happen to know each other?” The Duke asked.
“Yes, we do indeed have history. She killed a very good friend of mine.” Joshua said, filled with rage, though one would only think him annoyed if you looked at him. “That dumbass is going to expose Changelings if he’s acting that chummy with her.”
“Well, please hold off on revenge. Last thing we need to upset the Sabbat.” The Duke said. “She wants to hear what Changelings think the origins of Vampires are. So please tell the story of Caine the Redcap, please.” The Duke would then busy himself with something else without hearing a response.
All Joshua could think was She’s merely a Bishop. The Sabbat wouldn’t even notice her death.
~Later that Night~
~Edric’s Ballroom~
This. Is. So. Boring! Jackie thought as she was forced to look and act proper at this “party.” She had zoned out while nodding at whatever the young sidhe in front of her was saying. She was honestly waiting for a moment that would let her sneak away.
Then Joshua walked to the center of the room. With a touch of magic, all attention quickly fell to him. In a booming voice he stated, “I welcome you all, tonight! I am Joshua the Storyteller. Bard of this court. Tonight, I shall tell you the story of Cain, the Recap. I would like my apprentice, Jackie Smith, who is training to be a Troubadour, and the one who this night is to honor, to join me.” Jackie was shocked that Joshua wanted her up there. She was wondering why before Joshua pulled her mandolin from his bag. She then realized that tonight, he wanted her to play music while he told his story.
So Jackie, wanting to mess with the boring nobles, cast veiled eyes on herself and snuck up next to Joshua.
He then said, “Hm. I can’t seem to find her. Where could she be?” He then subtly winked at Jackie, telling her that he knew where she was. He then made a show of looking around the room, trying to find her. She then dropped her cantrip, giving multiple people a jump scare, while Joshua jumped in “fear” in a comically exaggerated way. Anyone who knew the man would be able to see that. It did get people to laugh though. “Ah, there you are!” He then handed her her mandolin and whispered, “Play ‘The Redcap’s lullaby.’” A song that while it has lyrics, it sounds just as good as an instrumental piece.
Jackie nodded, and on his signal, played it.
He then began the story. “Once upon a time, in the long, long ago, lived a mighty fae, an Unseelie of the redcap kith. Now this redcap did battle with a puissant sidhe knight in the great wars that reddened the world’s dawning. Back and forth the redcap and the knight fought, neither able to gain the measure of the other. As the day lengthened, and the duel grew more heated, soldiers from both sides stopped their fighting to witness the warriors’ prowess.” He summoned an illusion that showed a knight and redcap in medieval armor fighting. “But as the afternoon’s shadows lengthened to evening, the duelists’ enmity was overshadowed by respect, and finally both threw down their arms and embraced the other. And after that day, so close they became that Seelie and Unseelie alike called them brothers. And brothers they became in truth, for the knight and the redcap mingled the blood each had spilled in the battle and swore a great oath of brotherhood
to the Dreaming itself.” The illusion shifted to show the two hugging.
Now, the oath of brotherhood is one of the most powerful oaths. It’s better known as the Oath of Clasped Hands. It is not one you break lightly as it is stating that you are great friends, even family, and one does not harm family.
“Now it came to pass that the lands were menaced by a frightful dragon. Across the lands the High King issued a call for heroes to vanquish the beast. The knight and the redcap set out to meet the challenge, and soon they came upon the dragon’s minions, a terrible field of man-eating flowers grown from seeds of Nightmare.
“The redcap and the knight hacked their way through the evil jungle, but it seemed to the redcap as though his brother hung back ever so slightly, leaving the redcap to suffer the sting of the creatures’ fangs.” The illusion shifted again, showing the two fighting through a jungle. “Soon enough they came to the dragon’s lair, and called the beast to battle. It rushed upon them with a whir of wing and a roar of flame, and the doughty warriors found themselves hard put upon. The knight stumbled upon a stone, and the dragon whipped its neck about and, opening wide its maw, prepared to bite the knight in twain. At this, the redcap charged forward, bedeviling the beast with a flurry of blows. As the dragon turned, the knight rose and, gripping his blade tight, hacked the head from the monster.”
The illusion again shifted to show the fight as it was described, and the dragon head landed in front of Bishop Nellina, who Jackie swore was looking at Joshua and her like a predator planning an attack.
“So the beast was dead, and the knight and the redcap went before the High King, bearing trophies. The redcap went before the High King, presenting the remains of the dragon’s flower demons, and the High King smiled thinly. “Well done,” quoth the High King. And other words of praise were spoken, but coldly, and it seemed to the redcap as though the King’s favor was but little. Then the knight came forward, bearing the head of the dragon, and laid it before the High King, to the delight of the court. And quoth he, “My liege, for thee and thee alone did I smite off this marauder’s head.” And no mention was made of the redcap’s valor. And the High King spread wide his arms, and bestowed upon the knight half of all his lands, and other favors besides.”
The illusion shifted to the two presenting their gifts to the High King. Then when it showed the Knight taking the credit, the Redcap began shaking in Rage.
“And so the redcap’s rage rose in him like a great storm, and gripping his brother’s head, he bit it from his body in the manner of the dragon. And at this act, the renunciation of the oath the brothers had sworn, the very Dreaming roiled and flashed with terrible lightning.” The illusion showed the death of the knight, where then lightning began forming all around the Redcap. “The redcap was sore afraid, and he cried out to the High King and the Dreaming, calling witness to his brother’s crime and the injustice of the sacrifice. But in breaking the oath of blood, the redcap had committed a sin a hundredfold greater.
“And the Dreaming cursed the redcap thus: Nevermore would he know the splendor of the Dreaming. The light of the High King’s court would ever be poison to his eyes. Only the lands of death would he know — death and red, red blood. Blood was his crime, blood was his legacy, and so blood would be the root of his power. And all who sprang from the redcap would bear the seed of his crime, until the end of days.” The illusion shifted, showing the redcap transform, have his glamour stripped away and the sun hurt him, and then show him drinking blood. Then finally it dispersed right as Jackie finished playing the song. Joshua looked around the room and said, “Whatever the truth of this tale is, one fact is undeniable. His children stalk the night, looking for prey,” Illusions of cheesy movie vampires appear and begin stalking through the crowd. At any opportunity, they jump scare people. “The vampires will be here until the end of day, where they will die and turn to ash, returning to the earth.” The illusions turn to ash before disappearing, leaving an audience that is quiet for a few seconds before they clap.
Though both Jackie and Joshua can feel the hate and anger coming from Nellina for the rather rude ending to that tale. After the tale ends, everyone at the party splits back off into different groups, with Duke Edric and Baron Graysen heading into a separate room to discuss something a great concern.
Then, Jackie sees Nellina put her hands in the air before bringing them down. Then darkness. Deep, nightmarish darkness. Jackie suddenly can’t hear or see. Her sense of smell fails her. She’s left in the darkness. Seemingly alone as her breathing rapidly speeds up.
The darkness was suffocating and she felt helpless while in its grasp. Helpless as the darkness pressed down upon her.
Then someone grabbed her, causing Jackie to yelp. Suddenly, coming from the direction of the person who grabbed her arm, a bright light shined through, eating away at the all the darkness in the room.
Once the light was gone, the room was back to it’s normal lighting. She looked up and saw that it was Joshua who had grabbed her arm. Around her, people, now able to see, saw that many of the servants were about to attack them with iron weapons. So, they began fighting back. Magic of all sorts began flying as both guest and guard fought the attackers. Jackie even say Donald fighting three heavily armored knights that also were wielding iron. Now, for those who don’t know, iron is poisonous to those of fae nature. It can even PERMANENTLY destroy a Changeling’s faerie soul, breaking them away from the cycle of reincarnation.
And Sir Donald was facing down three of them. In fact, in brief few seconds that Jackie was processing what happened, Donald had already slain one via champagne bottle to the head, which will break what it’s hitting before it itself will break. Jackie also saw Nellina looking at Joshua with astonishment and anger… before he pointed his finger at her and slammed his staff on the ground, where she was then engulfed in fire.
“Jackie! Stay behind me!” Joshua yelled. But she didn’t hear. All the sights and sounds and violence and the shadowy tendrils that just appeared appeared around Nellina’s fiery form had caused her to go into fight or flight mode. She ran.
She ran as fast as her legs could take her. Then when that wasn’t enough, she turned into the cat and kept running, the only thoughts in her head being “Anywhere but here. Anywhere but here. Anywhere but here!”
From behind her, Joshua yelled “Jackie, wait!” as she fled the room.
Before he could give chase, he heard Nellina yell, while she was still on fire, “Joshua! I will kill you and your pathetic brat!” He turned to her as the tendrils around her lashed out at him.
“You dare threaten my charge?!” Joshua yells, casting the Illuminate cantrip, the one he used to dispel the darkness, and destroyed the tendrils.
She charged him, her feet cracking the ground as she did so. So Joshua focused, and cast the Dance of the Five Kings cantrip. He slammed his staff into the ground, and the air moved rapidly, slicing her to bits that began turning to ash before they hit the ground.
At the same time, Donald, who had been dodging his enemies’ sword swings, decided enough was enough and quickly got up close and personal. Using the Tripping the Ire cantrip he cast earlier when the fight started, he grabbed both his enemies’ heads and slammed them together hard enough to kill them. They slumped down to the ground since their brains had just been liquefied from the force.
Joshua made his way to Donald, dispatching multiple enemies on the way, and said, “Donald, Jackie ran away in a panic!”
“Shit!” Donald cursed. “You search the freehold. I’ll look outside!”
They nodded at each other and immediately began searching.
Meanwhile, in the side room that the Duke and Graysen had snuck off to in order to discuss something in private, Graysen was on the ground, with Duke Edric’s boot on his back. A foot in front of him was his sword.
“What in the Dreaming made you think that you could fight me?” The Duke said. “I am the Duke of High Mountains. We have regularly fight of Nunnehi, Wendigo Werewolves, and Black Spiral Dancers! That’s not even including the Fomori! Damn near anything else you could possibly throw at us would be trounced by my men who punch out of their weight class on a regular fucking basis!” He then plunged his scimitar down into the hand of Graysen who was reaching for his sword. “So tell me? What possible reason would you do something this suicidal?!”
Graysen couldn’t tell him that the Shadow Court gave him orders to. That would expose things before they were ready. But he could lie. He wasn’t a Pooka afterward. “For the people!” He declared.
The Duke sighed in disappointment and pulled his sword out of Graysen’s hand. He then lifted his book and turned around, taking a few steps away. “You know, you Baron’s are all the same. You’re arrogant fools that fashion yourselves as warriors for the people and think that all those above you are nothing but corrupt fools.” Graysen, with his good hand, grabbed his sword and stood up. “Yet you benefit from the system you claim is corrupt, angry that you don’t have more power.” Graysen charged Duke Edric, thinking this was his chance.
The duke spun around and sliced off Graysen’s hand, sending his sword and hand tumbling to the ground. Graysen screamed in pain and fell to his knees.
“Your Freehold has always been a little uppity for my liking. Maybe it’s time I pay a visit and remind them who is in charge!” He said, right before decapitating Graysen. He slumped to the floor as his Fae Mein disappeared, leaving a man in a fancy but rumpled business suit. “A pity. I always liked him.” He grabs the iron sword, touches it without a problem, and heads into the ballroom to help deal with the attackers.
~
Jackie, in cat form, ran and ran. Even as Toto saw her and began running after her. She ran out of the Freehold and into the forest surrounding it. She ran and ran until she could no longer run. By then, she had no idea where she was. She was already scared out of her mind from earlier, now she was alone again, in a dark forest, scared out of her mind.
Memories of her first night as a changeling running through a forest, being chased by nightmares, began running through her head. She leaned back against the tree and slid down until she was sitting.
The darkness of the forest was almost suffocating to her. Toto curled around her in an attempt to comfort her. The primary reason for a great amount of this fear was Nellina’s shadow magic, Obteneration. Most of it’s abilities are designed to magically instill fear into those who view it. That and she had just witnessed quite that brutal scene, seeing a person burning alive, as well as others around her die.
So her breath quickened, the world seemed less real then it already was to a Changeling, and she cried.
~
Esmeralda sneaked downstairs while her mom and step father her sleeping. She silently cursed every creek of the stairs. Every creek of a floor board, but by some minor miracle, she managed to get downstairs without waking anyone up. She was wearing a jacket, a pink t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. She had a backpack that had a change of clothes and a book in it.
She made her way to the kitchen wear she took any non perishable food that she could fit into her bag plus a can opener. She also grabbed Granola bars and a fork. She then began thinking about what else she would need. She then saw a pocket knife and a bowl of money that was meant to help pay for a vacation or groceries. From the money bowl, she took $50 from it and took the pocket knife that Michael probably left out.
Then she grabbed a piece of paper and paused. Did she want to do this? Did she want to run and leave her mom to the emotional and verbal abuse of Michael? She thought of everything her step father had done over the last few years and ultimately decided that it’d be worth it. She wouldn’t have Michael telling her what was right. She would be free. Maybe she would finally make use of those skills she learned in girl scouts when she was briefly there.
In the end, she wrote: Sorry, Mom. I can no longer stay here. Please don’t look for me.”
She put the paper on the table and snuck out the front door. She grabbed her bike from the yard and rolled it down to where the trashcans were waiting by the street. She opened on of them up and fished out her Walkman, headphones, and her art book. She put the Walkman in her jacket’s pocket, put the headphones on and pressed play, while her art book was stuffed into her over stuffed bag.
She then mounted her bike and rode off. While she was riding away, she could swear that she felt something watching her…
~
After maybe an hour Jackie’s breathing had returned to normal. Then Toto got up and began growling at something in the shadows, causing Jackie to immediately get up, her hat, which somehow hadn’t fallen off yet, falling off her head.
“Well now. I think you’d make an excellent Gallain.” A raspy voice said. Coming out of a shadows was… something. It’s head and legs were that of a wolf… kinda. The teeth and eyes too big, snout too flat, legs bent the wrong way, and there was no hair. The arms had muscle with skin traveling between the arms and torso. It’s hands were massive with six webbed fingers on each hand. Traveling down it’s back were spikes of bone, and three tails poked out from behind. “Nice and young, perfect to break.”
Jackie didn’t wait for this… thing to do something. Without a bunk, she cast Veiled Eyes on her and Toto, and booked it as fast as possible. Sadly, this thing seems to be just as fast. It took a deep breath through it’s nose and chased in her direction. Her fear and adrenaline now hitting her full force again, she willed herself to run as fast as possible. And then some.
She barely had any glamour left, even including her earring, and the veiled eyes cantrip was sloppily cast and wouldn’t last. Behind her, she heard, “Come out come out wherever you are!” paired alongside loud and fast stomps into the ground. She glanced behind her and saw that it was rapidly gaining on her and didn’t appear to be fooled by the cantrip.
She saw that she was approaching a tree and last second, turned, kicking up some dirt. She barely made the turn while the monster didn’t. She heard a loud crack, then yell. With Toto next to her, she kept running, and running, and running. Even when the monster got back up and went back to chasing her through scent.
In order to get some more distance, she then cast Hopscotch on both her and Toto. It carried them farther then she expected, damn near a mile. She looses balance mid air and doesn’t land on her feet. Or the ground. She crashes right into someone riding a bike.
~
Esmeralda groaned in pain as she grabbed whatever it was that hit her and pushed it off. She had been riding on and off for the last hour, just trying to put distance between her and home. Then she got hit HARD by something that fell on her out of no where. She grabbed her headphones, which fell on the ground and put them on her neck while she sat up and looked at what hit her. She saw a girl that was wearing a denim jacket, black shirt, and jeans. Thanks to the street light, she was also able to see that this was the same girl that had been sitting in the park.
Quite confused as to why this girl had slammed into her like a canon ball, Esmeralda tried to get up, but pain shot up her leg. When she looked, she had a myriad of bruises and cuts on her left arm and leg. She’d probably be fine after a minute or two. She looked back up and saw a golden retriever walking over to the girl, who was now getting up in a panic. It looked like she had a fair amount of bruising herself. Then her leg gave out and she fell back down.
“Are you okay?!” Esmeralda asked.
“It’s still chasing! Gotta get out out of here!” The girl said in a panic. She even began pulling herself along with her hands.
Esmeralda put her hand on the girl and says, “There’s nothing there! Calm down!”
That combined with the dog licking the girl, seemed to knock her out of her delirious state.
She looked around, saw Esmeralda and asked, “Who are you?”
“I’m Esmeralda. Now why did you slam into me?” Esmeralda asked.
The girl noticed Esmeralda’s bike, her injuries as well as her own injuries and immediately began apologizing. “I’m so sorry! There wasn’t this big monster that was chasing me and I panicked and jumped not quite far enough!”
Esmeralda took a second to process that statement before deciding that this girl was just scatterbrained from panic. “So, there was a ‘monster’ chasing you so you jumped and accidentally hit me while I was riding my bike?” Esmeralda asked. The girl shook her head. “So you weren’t being chased by a ‘monster’?
“I was!” The girl said. Esmeralda just stared at the girl in confusion before getting up, pushing through the now mild pain.
“Whatever. What’s your name?” she asks the girl making sure her bike doesn’t have any damages.
“I’m Jackie.” Jackie said, getting up. “You’re bike damaged?” She asked as Esmeralda picked the bike up from it’s side.
“Doesn’t look like it.” She responded. Jackie then looked at the back wheel and touched it without thinking. She pulled her hand back with a yelp and acted as if she was burned. “Are you okay?!” Esmeralda asked.
Jackie immediately hid her hand behind her back. “It’s nothing. I’m totally fine!” She said in a not so convincing tone as her dog has nosing the hand behind her back. For a brief moment, she saw Jackie wearing a circus ringmaster’s suit, a top hat, and cat ears before blinking and seeing Jackie’s normal appearance again.
Before any further conversation could happen, the monster that was chasing Jackie through the forest landed about ten feet away. Esmeralda had no idea where it came from but she had a sudden feeling of primal fear wash through her. Jackie’s eyes widened in fear as she began backing up and her dog began growling.
“You really thought you could escape me, brat?!” the monster said. Esmeralda immediately mounted her bike and began riding as fast as she could. Jackie tried running but at inhuman speeds, the monster grabbed her and batted the dog trying to bite it, sending the dog tumbling across the street. Jackie began yelling for help as Esmeralda was peddling away. Then something jumped out and grabbed her right off her bike.
It began cackling. It had two eyes that held nightmares in them, it’s legs were too long, and growing out of it’s right elbow was another arm. Out of it’s mouth was a tongue that when it touched Esmeralda’s arm, it burned like hot iron, causing the girl to scream.
“You’ll make a perfect bane vessel!” it said.
~In the Woods~
Donald roamed the woods. He scoured them for hours. He eventually found Jackie’s hat and the paw prints of a Black Spiral Dancer. It sent a wave of panic through him. He followed the tracks and eventually came out to a street that only had a turned over bicycle on it. He then heard whining and saw Toto on the ground in pain. Using Willow Whisper, he asked "Toto! What happened?!"
"Bad monster took Jackie and friend."