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.”
With some rather impressive diplomatic finesse on Elphames' part, The Scald Crow and its crew would be transported by military helicopter once they reached the mainland. While they were on the ferry the team was treated to their new equipment. The Queen gave each member a set of combat armor. Everyone enjoyed cool weapons including Theria. A pair of gauntlets were given to Warren. “Use them wisely,” Elphame said. “To avoid splinters in my fingers?” Warren stared at the leather and metal, “No offense your majesty, the gloves are underwhelming.” “Warren, do you think the queen would give you junk?” Nerea scolded, “Maybe if you asked what they did.” &
Fort Vermillion is a small town near the Northwest Territories. The latest numbers show the tiny town has one hundred residents even. It's easy to forget that it exists. People will remember Fort Vermillion now. The residents are besieged by cannibal dog people called Adlets. They blew into town with their flesh golems called Tupilaq and mounted ferocious wolf /bear hybrids called Waheela. The untested crew of the Scald Crow is on their way to meet them. Swarms of butterflies tickled Warrens's stomach. Fear refused to visit him. Instead, the desire to test the eidolons' limits ruled him. The eidolon stalked back and forth across Warren's mind. Every fiber of Archons being sat on the edge, ready to show the visceral majesty of griffins. Warren did his best to ignore the spiritual creature, and drew a pistol blade, and admired the quality.
The northern lights came to oversee the mission from the night sky, with aid of the full moon. If one stared into the aether long enough, they could see a winged woman, hovering in the air, a fairy to be exact, although they preferred to be called Seelie. Night vision goggles covered her eyes, and a Bluetooth headset covered her ears. “How does it look from up there?” Warren asked. He and the remaining members of the Arcane Seekers trudged through the ankle-deep snow, spring may have come to Alberta, but Fort Vermillion didn't get the memo. Not that it matters with the town under siege by ravenous dog people called Adlets. Which brought the Scald Crow to a remote location. “We're clear. How are you doing?” air rushed against Therias microphone as she floated through the air. It didn
Certain quotes stick with people. A penny saved is a penny earned, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. For Warren Vandal, the immortal words of Coach Macintosh play themselves over and over, as he prepares to go into battle for the second time in his life. “You can practice until the cows come home, but it won't mean a thing until you apply it in real life,” While he'd only released the eidolon twice up until this point. He felt confident, Archon would show him the ropes. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Grace O'hara, captain and leader of the Arcane Seekers. The fiery-haired pirate queen Looks over at Warren with her pistol, excitement in the air, “Are you ready boy? All we have to do is ho
The humans were justifiably terrified of the Scald Crow and the crew. One group of invaders often looked like the other in the eyes of those caught in the crossfire. Warren could see them on the second floor with their eyes pointed down. He allowed a small part of Archon to sharpen his vision, he didn't feel a strain. The crunch of snow under thick boots came from behind him. “Do you think they feel chatty,” She pointed up to the assembled group at the second-story window. “They don't look happy to see us.” “Where are Jack and Herne?” Warren asked as he peered at the outside wall. It was made from brick and mortar. He wondered if he could summon Archon's clutch of talons to scale the building.
The creature defied all explanation, instead of a solid body, the arms, legs, and hands were stitched to the torso. The eyes glowed with a sickly purple hue and it went with the malevolent wolf head attached to the twisted form. Warren expected the creature to be awkward in movement, but fate saw him wrong again. It started to jog at a brisk pace toward Warren and his two companions. “Maybe we should get going?” Jack played with the dice bag around his neck and the rattle of hard plastic kept silence at bay. “I have a feeling this creature is a cut above the rest.” Grace shook her head, “We are running out of time, and we made a promise to those people trapped in the school.” She pulled out a night scope and peered through it, “Oh goody, he brought frie
Grace and Jack Returned with a cube van. It was less than they expected. The mission was simple, get the people of Fort Vermillion out before the dog-like adlets slaughtered them all. Not to mention the incoming airstrike, to destroy the canine threats. Both Jack and Grace were impressed with Warren's Victory over the strange golem. Warren explained the creature could reattach limbs and its ability to ignore wounds. Grace shook her head, “Do the Adlets have a written language?” her face was filled with thought, and suspicion. Jack squinted and the burnt husk of the super golem, “I don't see how that matters right now.” At first, Warren thought so too, but then Archon flashed a picture o
The plan was a daring one and all of it hinged on Theria, a true Seelie with the power of song. One would ask, how much damage can a song do? Most people would say a whole lot of nothing. Those who live tyranny and oppression would disagree. Music is more than just notes arranged to please the ear. It shows us the depth of our humanity and brings hope to the frightened masses who believe things can get better with effort. As a teenager from the earth, Warren's life is intrinsically tied to the music of his generation. He believes the young Seelie maiden is capable of the feat. As is Jack O'kent, the man who beat the devil. It came as no surprise the compulsive gambler favored the plan. Warren checked on Theria who was hidden behind the armored tra