Day came to the small town of Houston the only thing good about it was the world's largest fly fishing rod. At one time people came from all over just to fight a steelhead trout. With the economy on the decline and the town with boarded-up shops and dirty streets, no one wanted to come anymore.
The motel diner was not the cleanest, and not a single employee wore a uniform, just black pants, and a black T-shirt. On the wall pictures of semi-famous people who passed through the town. Above the bathroom doors a small sign read, “We have run out of toilet paper, please use the spotted owl beak side down.”
Today Warren and his two companions would board the ferry to New Avalon in hopes Warren could gain better control of the eidolon. Plume trusted the spiritual beast as far as he could throw it. Since it’s an incorporeal form that made it impossible to throw, he did not trust it at all. Nerea and Warren regaled the plucky Seelie with the events of the previous night. As the story went on Plumes' expression grew dourer and dourer. He was about to speak when the conversation got interrupted by the waitress.
A plump middle-aged waitress came to take their order, she smiled at Nerea and Warren but blatantly forgot Plume. “Are you one of those mythic sympathizers?” The tone in her voice implied that Plume's presence was unwelcome.
The eidolon flashed warning bells, Warren nodded, “We are on our way to New Avalon. The magic got me bad. The Mythics as you call them, are supposed to help me get a handle on it.”
The waitress snorted and dug out her paper and pen, “More like turn you into one of them. It’d be worse than going Indian,” She made no move to apologize, “What’ll it be.” They made their order and waited until the waitress left voice range.
Plumes' displeased face cast a dark cloud over the breakfast table, and he spoke through clenched teeth, “Did it occur to either of you to stomp on the gas?”
“You saw the fog last night. If I put the pedal to the metal we could have crashed. We are not on the prairies anymore. The roads here have lots of twists and turns,” Nerea tersely passed the salt to Warren.
“I am supposed to believe the Eidolon offered to help out of the goodness of its heart, oh wait it doesn’t have one.” Plume almost threw his cup across the room. “Please never do that again without me. I am charged with making sure Warren makes it to New Avalon in one piece. Please wake me next time.”
Warren and Nerea shot him a winsome smile each, “The fog was affecting us. Nerea started to lose hope and almost turned the car around. The eidolon volunteered to help, in the interests of the trust, I went along with the plan. I don’t know how you do it on New Avalon, but our way worked.”
Nerea held Plume’s hand and smiled, “We will explain what happened to the queen should anyone kick up a fuss over it.” Plume’s demeanor turned soft at Nerea’s touch. “I suppose bringing Warren possessed by angry souls would’ve been counterproductive to our goals.”
The waitress brought their breakfast, she lowered her head, and whispered, “You best eat quick. Some of the boys in the back are blaming you mystics for the state of things.”
“They do know a human cast the spell, right? The Seelie people are victims in this situation too. We didn’t ask to be here, yet here we are.” Plume sank out of sight and began to nibble on his French toast.
Warren studied the Waitress and looked at the back of the restaurant, no one was there. The scene confused him. Why would the waitress make a threat? He pushed his eggs and bacon back to the waitress. “I wanted my eggs scrambled. Could you take it back?” Warren no longer felt hungry.
The waitress sneered and took the plate into her semi-flabby arms, “How about you and your friends leave. We have real people here paying hard-earned money, we don’t need you.” She held out the bill and expected payment.
Nerea held it together long enough to pay, plus tip, and leave without a word passing from her lips. Her entire body shook with rage and her breath became shallow and distended. She motioned for Plume and Warren to follow her.
The fresh morning air and the silence of the parking lot were torn asunder by a string of Spanish curses. “If it’s not the Africans, it’s the Arabs or some other foreign culture. The facts were laid bare on national television, a human-caused everything.”
“Who cares,” Warren held the seat forward for Plume to sit in the back, “I expected people to act like that. They refuse to accept the truth, even if it’s biting them in the ass. All I can do is try and make the world a better place with my actions.”
Plume gave Warren an affectionate pat on the back, “It’s nice to know humanity still strives for change.” He chuckled, “I remember when they announced Seelie and Unseelie would merge into the Seelie as one people. It was unthinkable, but the truth was the Seelie were guilty of many bad acts, and the Unseelie often committed random acts of kindness.”
“When did things get better?”
“Phineas Fudrucker, a simple transient goblin. He walked all across Avalon noting changes in the people after the ceremony. He found villages that welcomed their new brothers and sisters, prospered far better than those that fought against the change. Anyway, five years later he handed the report to queen Elphame.”
Nerea leaned against the driver’s door, “How did she respond?”
Plume laughed, “She made copies and distributed them. Pretty soon everyone was reading it. The account of his journey was fair and honest. He admitted to his misgivings as well. My point is change begins with one person. I am fortunate to have found two people with acceptance in their hearts.”
Nerea nodded and hopped in the driver’s seat, “Next stop, Prince Rupert.”
The wind whipped Warren's hair around as the massive boat carried them onward toward a group of islands off the coast of Vancouver. White shoals crashed into the boat, a pod of killer whales put a show for the handful of people watching from the deck above. They oohed and ahhed as the black and white mammals played in the waves. “Are you Warren Vandal? I can barely tell you, humans, apart, you all look the same to me.” A female voice asked. “There’s no need to make that face, it’s just a question.” Nerea and plume were off talking in the passenger area. She had questions for Plume about New Avalon. At this point, Warren welcomed someone else to talk to, “I’m Warren Vandal,” he said as he raised his hand. &
Warren found it hard to believe New Avalon was new in any fashion. Fully formed buildings made of wood and stone stretched to the heavens, paved roads and primitive street lamps dotted the sidewalks. Seelie people of all shapes colors and descriptions carried on their day. The sight of the Dodge Charger got more than a few finger points and astonished looks. Warren waved to the people outside the vehicle, “How is this possible? New Avalon was just formed the other day.” Vasilia laced her fingers in Warrens, and gave them an enthusiastic squeeze, “Time moves slower where we are from. We had time to prepare for the big change. It’s the reason why humans had to be careful how long they spent in our realm.” “Yeah one guy came to a wedding, it lasted a week, he returned to the earth realm, and thirty years passed, he returned to our realm and lived
The eidolon took to the queen almost immediately. Images of a knight kneeling danced across his mind. “I get it already,” Warren said under his breath. He knelt before the queen, “A pleasure to meet you, my queen.” Elphame touched him lightly on the forehead, “Please rise. You flattered me with your actions,” She scowled at Vasilia, “I thought we agreed the choice was his Vasilia. You walk a thin line, Daughter.” “I only wanted to make sure he didn’t get lost on the way to you,” Vasilia replied with a smirk. Vasilias' words fell on deaf ears. Elphame saw Nerea and motioned her forward, “Please don’t kneel. I get enough of that from my people.” She clasped both of Nereas hands in hers, “Welcome, I wish more parents would come to see their children off.” It started with narrowed eyes and ended with Nerea pulling her hands free, “I intend to remain
One would expect many things if they were to visit the land of Seelie. Winged people, strange hairstyles, odd skin coloring, and of course magic. One would not expect to see a fully loaded armored personnel carrier in the middle of a Seelie castle, and yet in front of warren, sat a fully loaded armored personnel carrier. Queen Elphame flourished her hand, “Project Scald Crow is our response to human fear,” she said proudly. “The Arcane Seekers will help solve magical problems all over the continent, thus raising our profile with the United Nations, we were denied entrance into those sacred halls.” Warren marveled at the sleek design and the crow's head painted on the hall with large glowing red eyes, “What does this have to do with me?” Nerea once again protectively stood in front of Warren, “Yes please explain it to us in English, and slowl
The events of the day weighed heavily on the mind of Warren Vandal. He wasn’t ready to make adult choices. He always pictured his adulthood somewhere in the nebulous future. A future where he played in the NHL and signed autographs for his fans after the games. He never dreamed of dealing with beings like Archon, or meeting Seelie queens, and armored personnel carriers. Nerea backed off and let him think things over. The queen graciously allowed them to dine alone to talk things over. The beeswax candles lit the elaborate table. Warren couldn’t help but look at the empty chair and wished his mom filled it. He’d give up all the magic in the world just to get her back. It was but a dream, because Seelie had tried to put things back, but failed. Great tension ruled the dinner table. The sounds of Cutlery on wooden plates and the crackle of the fire kept the maddening silence at bay. Nerea poured a glass of
Sleep didn’t come to Warren the previous night. His mind put a laser focus on the choice he had to make. During the night he tossed and turned, making a choice and then unmaking it. Archon remained silent and allowed him to choose the witching hour, Warren came up empty. “Archon, what should I do?” Warren asked. A picture of a man voting and a person shaking their head, and then his picture, with a checkmark. He manifested at the foot of the bed and laid down. If Archon had been real, Warren would’ve been squashed beneath Archon’s form. “Do you think Theria is the right choice? I mean you are older than me, so your opinion matters.” Archon sat up straight and conveyed his message while flourishing his talons. The pictures flashed and Warren took it as a fatherly speech about mating, and how important it was for the
The first day of school, a pivotal moment in our lives. We compare the first day of a job to it, especially if we don't know anyone. The same can be said of Warren Vandal when he first met the crew of the Scald Crow, an armored personnel carrier modified by the Seelie. The Seelie came to earth from an alternate dimension of Tir Na Nog, following a botched spell that fused the realities. Theria smiled and adjusted his clothes, “Now, they aren't going to be crazy about you, Warren. You represent the race that broke our reality. Remember to take it in stride and prove you are here for the team and nothing else.” She kissed him on the cheek and he felt a little silly, “If all else fails at least you have me.” “I'm so nervous. The game we are playing isn't for lun
An amber screen stood in front of the table. The queen paced back and forth in front of the table. Nerea was present at the request of the queen. Something about the way Elphame looked at Nerea, told Warren the queen's interest in his caretaker went beyond business. A slight smile creased his thin lips, Nerea had earned the right to be happy. His companion, Theria, hadn't said a word since the Queen called the briefing. The young Seelie girl usually talked endlessly. Warren gently touched her shoulder, “Is everything okay? It's okay to be scared, I am.” Theria closed her eyes and stared at the floor before she responded, “I never went into battle. I don't want to kill anything.”