The other ogres spread out around the opening to the building. Neko could sense them out there, sullen and unhappy in the weather. He didn't like to have that kind of emotional overload anywhere near him.
"I don't understand why they're hanging around here," Colin admitted. "It isn't me that they are after. It can't be your stockpile of magic, either. It would be of absolutely no use to ogres. I think the storm might have something to do with the Veil. There seems to be an awful lot of Fae magic wrapped up in it."
Neko only nodded. He had read a great deal about Fae and a few would passed through the shop during the last century. However, he really didn't know much except about them. Talking with Colin had been the only time he ever spent the presence of a Fae. They seemed more human than he had expected. He supposed that humans wouldn't feel that way because they would sense the magic, but with those powers had always been a part of Neko's life and he didn't find anything extraordinary about it.
What he did find unsettling were the ogres and the storm – – and the fact that no one on either side seem to be worried about humans coming out and finding them.
"Did you put everyone to sleep?" Neko asked and almost dreaded the answer.
"Someone did," Colin replied. "I am just taking advantage of it. I don't think the other side actually expected me to be here."
"Then what is this all about?"
Colin stopped and looked back at Neko. For the first time the cat had the idea that this Fae was worried. "I don't know what's going on here. I would think my presence was just chance, since I came looking for your horde of magic. However, I think it might have been a little nudge that got me to come right now."
As interesting as the conversation started to be, the sudden growling of ogres at the windows and doors made it impossible to continue. Neko also sensed something else going on where a strange building a force out in the middle of the street although everything looked dark in that direction.
Colin had noticed as well. "Oh, this isn't good. I think were about to get a Fae made portal opening up out there. I don't know what would draw one straight to this area, though."
"Maybe they are looking for the well," Neko suggested.
"Well?"
"It was out there when Maude trapped me in this dismal little building. It was what had drawn us here in the first place. The locals knew that it had magic and they always had to trap in place. I don't really know what happened to it, but sometimes I think I can still feel the hint of the magic out there. I suspect locals must have covered it over a century or so ago. The location was always outside of my view."
Colin looked as though there was something he was going to ask. However, lightning struck in the street outside – – not just struck, but stayed in a flash of light that held too long and even paniced the ogres. It wasn't until the light started to fade that Neko realized there were more people outside. Not more ogres but rather humans.
No, not humans. He could tell as they came closer to the door. This was three more Fae in a place that had not had any magic creatures since well before the turn-of-the-century. Neko was only beginning to realize that there was something very strange going on and it had all his attention now.
Colin opened the door, which surprised Neko. Fae were not all good friends and there were a lot of clan wars going on out there, at least last he had heard.
The three standing out in the rain rushed forward and threw themselves into the building. Colin shut the door closed and put the shield up over it again just as the ogre rushed back once more.
"A bookstore?" One of the Fae said he sounded pleased. "I have certainly found worse ports in the storm."
"And you are?" the woman on the right asked, and with a unhappy tone Neko had expected.
"Colin Emerald McFaeland," Colin said with the proper fae bow so that they could see the rings on his hand. "And you, who are so pleased with this port, must be Darion Saphire Wilding."
The woman relaxed and even gave a smile. Everyone relaxed and appeared pleased.
"No one has explained what's going on yet," Neko pointed out.
The three newcomers all jumped and hands rose, magic at the fingertips.
"Ack!"
Neko threw himself off the back of the counter and darted to better cover.
"Sorry," Colin said. Neko didn't come back out. "The cat came with the bookstore."
"Bookstore and talking cat? Does it get any better than that? Does kitty have a name?"
"Neko," the cat replied and decided to be daring. And inquisitive, of course. He wanted to know what was going on. "I was the familiar of a human witch. Things went badly and I'm stuck. Now you know my tale. What is yours?"
"These two are my cousins from Sapphire Clan, Clara and Eric. We're trying to help deal with an unexpected outflow through several nexus points of the Veil."
"Damn," Colin mumbled.
"It sounds bad, but I have no idea what it means," Neko admitted.
"It means magic -- and worse, magical creatures -- are flowing into this mostly non-magical world," Darion said. "The world will change if we can't stop it."
No comments:
Post a Comment