Flash Fiction # 660 -- More Neko Adventures/8

 

They had followed a wagon path; well-worn wheel tracks knifed into the sightly muddy dirt.

"Bringing firewood to the castle," Colin said, and Dorian nodded.

Neko wanted to ask what castle, but he, Shosha, and even Reggie were already in silent mode. Reggie was a hawk for the duration of their visit. As long as Neko stayed close to him and Dorian, the spirit animal was fine. If Neko wandered off, so would Reggie.

They emerged from the wilderness into a sloping valley lined with groups of buildings at varying levels. Their wagon path became lined with well-worked stone, although it was not often used. Newly grown spring weeds vied for space with saplings and piles of last year's autumn leaves. Most of the buildings looked abandoned, and only a few people walked the stairways and winding paths.

Their entrance had not gone unnoticed. People peeked out of darkened doorways, and children froze in mid-play in yards. The sight of the young ones made Neko realize that this was not a fae settlement. There would never be so many children if the fae lived here.  They rarely raised any young. These appeared to be human.

He hadn't realized it at first because there was a touch of magic in the air.  Neko sniffed at it, fearing this was the work of human power. Humans with such magic were most often troublesome.  The power felt diffused, though, and rarely used. Neko thought it might be nothing more than a protection spell.  Apparently, they did not trigger it as a danger.

Their road crested one last hill and then led straight down a steep slope to a wide stone bridge over a river and then to the castle gate.

The imposing castle stood four stories high, with several square towers rising an additional two floors above the curtain wall. The building's stonework  appeared to be a uniform white and gold marble, glittering in the sunlight. The inner keep rose even taller, graced with several glazed round windows.  Neko had seen nothing like it, even in all the books he'd studied.

They didn't slow.  Dorian and Colin said nothing, so the rest of them kept quiet, although Neko had questions.  Very many questions.  He could sense magic nowhere but at the castle, and that was not fae power. Few humans had attained this powerful of magic.

Neko wondered why they hadn't asked Luna about any upcoming trouble.  Probably because they had no choice.  Besides, the few times they had asked her, it had led to complex and ultimately useless plans. If she offered advice, though, it worked out well for them.

Neko glanced her way in hope.  She said nothing.  They walked on in silence.    

"A lot of activity at the gate," Colin said softly as they reached the bridge.  "But no banner is flying.  The Lord of the castle is not in residence."

 "That may be a blessing," Dorian replied and didn't miss a step.

"You know where we are?" Colin asked, a frown growing.

"I fear I do."

There was no time to ask more.  Luna even frowned, and Shosha tried to find a pocket to hide in.  Neko just walked along, only glancing at Reggie-hawk, who was holding onto Dorian's shoulder. He looked down and nodded as if they shared a common understanding.

Neko was starting to get annoyed.

The guards escorted them through the gate, a corridor that led through the curtain wall, and out into a remarkably well-maintained inner courtyard.

A man in fine robes strode across the courtyard to meet them.  If this was not the lord of the keep himself, then the place must be very rich to afford such clothing for an underling.

Neko realized the guards were well-dressed and carried excellent short swords as well.  Despite a decline in population in the surrounding village, this wasn't a backwater border settlement.

"Greetings," the man said when he reached them. "I am the castellan, Tamaran.  I fear we did not expect guests and are unprepared for such an unusual group."

He looked at each of them in turn, and Neko had the oddest feeling that he could judge them well. Tamaran looked bothered, but not worried.

Then he gave a quick look upward, as though he expected trouble to fall out of the sky. "Let us go inside and speak," he said.  

Luna emphatically nodded in agreement. No one else spoke.

Tamaran took us straight inside, waving aside questions from several anxious servants and guards.  He finally stopped by a door and looked at the people still milling around.

"There is no news.  These travelers have come on a different matter."

Neko saw many of the people turn away with apparent regret. He realized something else was going on here, and he feared they were soon going to be drawn into it.

Tamaran unlocked the door beside him, pushed it open, and waved the others in ahead of him. Neko was last in line and paused at the threshold, his ears folding back --

 Tamaran looked him in the face.  "You are a cat.  The curiosity would have you yelling at the door if I locked you out."

He was right, of course.  So Neko walked in with no more show.  Tamaran followed and locked the door behind him. He looked relieved, and Neko wondered if it had been the servants and guards who worried him so much or something else.  He supposed they would soon find out.

Everyone found seats.  Neko settled at Colin's feet like a friendly, polite, and normal cat, but he had the feeling none of it fooled Tamaran.  He took his place behind the desk.  Neko suddenly thought he looked too young for this kind of power.

"I am curious what brought two fae and their unusual companions to Lord Myrddin's realm, especially at this time of trouble."

Neko thought his heart stopped and then raced to catch up again.  He twitched, but so did all of his companions.

Myrddin.  Merlin.
 

Flash Fiction #659 --More Neko Adventures/7

 

"Colin!" Luna yelled.

"Penguin to the rescue!" Reggie shouted and leaped into the storm.

Neko made a sound that might have been disbelief or rage. He started to move, but Shosha caught hold of him with a wail of despair. He almost tried to shake free of her, but she might have fallen out of the boat as well.  Neko didn't want to go flying after her.

Neko had to trust his spirit animal to save their fae friend.

He wanted to pound his head against something.

It wasn't necessary, though.  The storm started pounding him with hail.  Shosha hissed. After a moment's hesitation, Neko did as well. Maybe the storm listened to them.  The wind eased, and the boat settled into a much gentler rocking motion.

Neko dared to dash across to where Luna leaned over the side. He almost leaped on her shoulder, but suddenly, Reggie hopped up over the railing with Colin hanging over his shoulder. He unceremoniously dropped the fae and then fell on his back.
"I flew," Reggie said, looking Neko in the face.  "I am the first penguin ever to have flown.

"And?" Neko asked, watching as Luna helped a still-dazed Colin sit up.

"I enjoy having my feet on a solid surface," Reggie answered.

That sounded wise to Neko.  He almost said so, but Colin turned his attention to Neko, who felt a rush of embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Colin," he said, bowing his head.

"You were right. I was so focused on the feel of Maude that I lost track of the actual storm.  We were heading for serious trouble. I think she might have put us on that path. She could have slipped the thought in and kept me watching where she wanted."

"Instead of where?" Shosha asked.

Now, there was a good question.  All of them looked around with a start, and gradually, they all focused on the northeast corner of the storm. Flashes of sullen red light defined those clouds as they swirled and drew closer.

"Time to leave," Colin said.  "Everyone, hold on.  Dorian?"

"Ready." His voice seemed to come from every direction.

That was all the warning they had.  Neko glanced toward the clouds in time to see a giant hand reaching for them. He didn't have time to give a warning.

And didn't need to.  A gale-force wind rushed over and around them, the sails flapping in all directions and sending them skittering along the edge of the clouds. Neko held on to Shosha, who seemed to bounce higher than the rest of them. Neko thought it was her fur.

The wind struck the clouds and tore them to shreds amid bright flashes of lightning and deafening thunder. Sunlight broke through in a dozen spots, leaving Neko half-blinded.

His instincts said to move.  He caught Shosha on a bounce and bounded halfway across the craft to where Luna and Reggie still had hold of Colin. Lightning struck so close behind that Neko felt it burn his tail as the boat shattered.

He hardly had time to panic before Dorian swept them all up into a magical net. Maude screamed with rage and fear as she fell past them.

"Dorian," Colin gasped.  He held to the glowing magic.  "We need help."

"Yes, my friend, we do.  Hold on.  We are going through The Veil."

Neko wondered if he should feel worry or delight.  Going through the Veil meant they were leaving the human world and going to the fae realm.

Unless they went to some other realm entirely.  Neko had read about a few, and he knew they could be dangerous, although when measured against an enraged witch like Maude, they were probably delightful vacation spots.

No one asked his opinion. They reached the edge of the veil and were going through the swirling rainbow colors before he could form a logical protest. Passing through the veil made his skin itch.  He wasn't sure if it was the veil or his worries about where --

They came out into a storm.  Of course, there was a storm. They had no dry days.  This one at least felt normal.  They drifted downward in a spiral that threatened to make Neko dizzy. The combination of rain and movement also made it impossible to get a feel for the world.  Was this the fae's home world?  Was it somewhere more human?  Did Colin know?

They settled onto a small boat sitting in a stream.  The current tugged the craft away from the veil.  Dorian, not using magic, leaped from the bank into the stern and gave a friendly nod, acting as if this madness was all part of a well-scripted plan. He signaled for silence.

Reggie moved closer to Neko and Shosha.  Neko watched the landscape of bright flowers and birds.  Scattered trees blocked some of the sunlight, helping to keep the temperature moderate.  This was the most pleasant place they had been in a while.

They kept silent for at least five miles.  Neko thought he heard a shout of frustration once and felt a touch of dark magic, but it seemed as though the land neutralized it.

This was a fae place, then.  He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"There will be a welcoming dinner when we get there," Dorian said.  The idea of food got Neko's attention, even asleep.  "But the council wants to talk to us, so don't expect too much formality."

"There is something to be grateful for," Colin replied.  He sounded exhausted.  "Bringing us to the outer realms was brilliant, as long as they don't hold any trouble against us.  So, a few rules this time, my friends.  Take any insult with a smile, but do not counter it.  If someone is rude and shoves you aside, bow and let them pass.  Neko and Shosha should remain silent until Dorian or I ask you a question.  Don't let them know you can speak and understand."

Neko realized that made them perfect spies.

Flash Fiction # 658 -- More Neko Adventures/6

 

The storm blotted out the sunlight, but Maude still glowed with a hellish orange and red light.  Ghostly lightning played across her face.  She had changed, and not for the better.

Colin put more power into their protective wall. Neko felt a hint of desperation in the act- and perhaps that was exactly what he was seeing.  This was an act for the megalomaniac Maude, who would never consider the true power of a fae.

Now, he didn't know what to expect. Neko supposed this wasn't any different from the rest of the trip. He moved up to Reggie, who gave a grim nod.  Did the penguin understand any better than Maude?

Maude came close enough that Neko could see the look of glee on her face. With a sweep of her arms, a flash of light struck the barrier. A spiderweb design spread out in all directions.

So appropriate.

Maude grinned with fiendish delight- and other over-the-top descriptions- as she raised her arms. Colin moved faster, clapping his hands once and throwing blinding power at his own shield.

Neko blinked several times before he could clearly see what had happened. The shield had moved and contracted into a bubble around Maude. Her face had gone from ghostly white to fire red. She must have been screaming, but the sound didn't escape the bubble.

"We go now," Colin ordered and swayed slightly. Neko rushed to him and rubbed magic against his legs.  Colin nodded his thanks.  Then he looked at the Kachinas.  "I wouldn't want to be around here if I were you.  The magic won't hold her for long."

They scattered, except for one that Neko recognized as the first that had talked to them.

He stood his ground.  "We never-"

"She didn't lie, you didn't lie, we didn't lie," Colin interrupted. "And yet here we are.  Go.  We are leaving your lands."

The Kachina turned and walked away, disappearing into the still stormy night. Neko feared he could hear Maude's screams of rage. Colin led them quickly away, but Neko wondered and worried about why he wasn't using magic.

They had rushed away for at least twenty minutes, and Neko couldn't imagine that Maude would remain trapped for much longer. They went up one small berm  that led around the edge of a rock formation --

And there sat the car!

Colin waved some magic at it.  "Go!"

The car roared to life and took off in a miniature sandstorm, racing across the desert.

Without them.

"Colin!"  Luna yelped while Shosha cried in despair.

"Hurry! Climb in!"
Neko wanted to point out that the car was already a few miles away, but he stopped when he saw something lift into the air from where the car had been.  It took him a moment to make out the sleek, dark shape of a boat.  Colin waved for us to get in, and no one argued.

I
Neko took a running leap and cleared the side as it approached his level. The others were all joining him, with Colin last. Neko landed on some lovely fluffy pillows, which he found amusing. Leave it to the Fae to ensure that even a dangerous escape was comfortable.

Colin was working with the sails, which were as dark as the rest of the boat. They were already moving.

"I am going closer to the storm," Colin explained. "We don't want to be out there in the midst of nowhere with all this magic to draw her attention. The car is heading straight for Dorian, and he has a surprise for her. We just need to stay out of the way."

Neko thought that sounded more promising than he had expected.  Flying wasn't as bad as he expected, either.  Shosha didn't appear to feel the same way.  She made so much noise that Colin used a little sleep spell to get her through the trip.

He looked at Neko.

"I am fine," he said and looked around.  Reggie stood at the helm with the wind in his face. Neko would have thought him a real penguin who had always wanted to fly. Maybe that was part of being a familiar.  Maybe they took on the aspects of the creatures they represented.  

Thinking about Reggie took his mind off of Maude until a gust of wind nearly tipped them on the side.  Colin got the craft under control and must have felt they were close enough to the storm.  He fought the sails around without the use of magic.  Luna placed Shosha by Neko and went to help.

Neko  wanted to help, but he stayed and held onto Shosha instead.  Neko knew he was small, and the only way he could help would be to use magic, which would make matters worse.

The storm grew worse.  Neko feared they had not tricked Maude. The surrounding magic grew stronger - but no.  That was not Maude's magic. It might be something far worse.

Neko almost attempted to cross the boat to warn Colin, but the craft still wasn't under control. Even if he thought he could make it, it was too difficult for Shosha to cross and too dangerous to leave her behind. He believed this was not Maude's work, so there was only one other answer.

Most humans never realized that magic was far more common in their world than they would have believed. All of nature held magic, and it did not like to play with other forms of power, including the magic of the Fae. Colin knew this, of course.  However, he was focused on stopping Maude and the storm. Neko couldn't get to him, but he could send something by magic. He created a tiny ball and shoved just one word into it, and with all the power he could manage, the little cat threw the message to his companion.

Colin never saw it coming. The ball hit him in the middle of the forehead, and he fell backwards out of the boat.

Flash Fiction #657 -- More Neko Adventures/5

Neko decided it was best to turn the car over to Colin or Luna since it took too much of his attention. He wanted to know what they might be up against.

Colin drove in silence for a few miles. Then, he took an off-ramp and parked at a deserted truck stop.

"Reggie, tell us everything you remember about the storm and the trouble you felt."

"When I left you, I headed for the mountains where I sensed some sort of power link to the land.  What I found was nothing I'd ever seen before.  At first, the link seemed to dance with the lightning, but I soon felt something beneath my feet. I sensed it did not like the unnatural storm.  It felt Maude's presence and disliked her -- it was an old hatred.  I thought I was with her, but my thoughts convinced them otherwise.  Somehow, we worked together."

"Do you have any idea what they were?" Neko asked.  "I remember nothing like this while Maude held me."

He had been catching more than the words Reggie spoke. There was a sense of ... things coming together to deal with Maude --

"Kachinas," Neko said.  "They are figurines representing items in the real world, or ancestors and gods. She studied them once, but we never got to this area. This is not a surprise, but she wanted to find a way to subdue them and drain their power."

The ground shook.

"Someone is listening," Luna said as she stared out the window.  "Is it her or them?"

"Both," Neko and Reggie chorused.

Colin started to drive away, but they hadn't even reached the on-ramp before another storm was upon them. This one was unlike the others in the storm and the magic that drew it together. The thunder beat like drums, and when the hail came, it sounded like tiny feet on the car's roof.

A Kachina slid down from the roof to the windshield and pounded on the glass. Luna tried to wave it away, but it gave a shout of defiance, and a dozen more joined it.  They pounded against the glass with fists and weapons made mostly of wood.  The glass still cracked despite all the magic Colin had put into the car.

"Stop that!" Luna ordered, sounding not at all like herself. Even Shosha looked startled. "If you keep that up, you will just draw her attention!"

The original Kachina came through the window without breaking the glass. Shosha and Neko both hissed, but the tiny figure stood up to them.

"You cannot order me!" he shouted, his voice reverberating through the car. He pointed to the cats. "These creatures are linked to her. You cannot fool me."

"Her magic trapped us," Neko answered.  "Would the fae stay with us if we were her helpers? She forced you into this battle, didn't she?  Why are you helping her now?"

That caught the Kachina by surprise. Neko realized this was one of those magical creatures that knew the truth when he heard it. That would make it easier to deal with them, but it also raised a question.

"How did Maude lie to you to get your help?" Neko asked.

"She never lied. She told us exactly what she would do to the land and the people if we did not help. We had no choice but to believe her. Your penguin companion saved us all."

"You can see him?" Colin asked.

"He is part of our world, not yours."

"What do we do now?" Colin asked.

"I fear that by interfering with your journey, we have drawn Maude's attention back to you."

"She is getting closer," Reggie agreed.  "And in no better of a mood."

"She has never been happy," Shosha replied.  No one argued. "What do we do now?"

Colin threw open the car door.  "Everyone out.  I am sending the car off on its own.  That should keep her busy."

"We will go with the car," the Kachina added.  Others of his kind seemed to like this idea from how they leaped and shouted.  "That will confuse her as well."

Neko didn't like the idea of heading off into the desert on foot.  Again. Reggie had said little during the first hour of the walk, and Neko wondered what the penguin thought.

"Is there a problem, Reggie?" Neko asked.

"A question that nags at me," he said and frowned up at the sky.  "He didn't say what Maude had told them, only that they believed her. We were quick to assume that she threatened them.  Kachinas are often tricksters.  It is possible that was what we were meant to believe."
They had all slowed down, but Neko was the first to stop and look back.
"The storm is still there," he said.  "It is not moving very fast, but it is still heading our way, I fear."
The others stopped and looked back as well.  Neko could see looks of resignation on all their faces, including Reggie's.   They stared long enough to confirm what Neko had guessed and to note that it was picking up speed.

"They are sometimes tricksters," Reggie mumbled to himself.  "You just can't trust tricksters, especially when they are being helpful."

"We can't outrun it," Luna added while Shosha tried to burrow into her jacket.  "And I have the feeling that now that we noticed, we aren't going to  have much time to prepare."

Wind whipped dust up around them and Neko swore he could hear the echo of Maude's laugh. He spun and would have run if Reggie hadn't gotten in his way.  Colin swept him up and protected them all with a wall of air that blocked the sand, dust, and debris that flew straight at them.

Neko could tell that Colin couldn't hold it for long.  He hoped that Dorian had sensed that they were already in trouble.  The power of the wind doubled and the wall was not holding back everything.

He saw Maude walking toward them.



 

Flash Fiction # 656 -- More Neko Adventures/4

 

The fae didn't drop the invisibility shield until we were all in the room.

By then, it was too late.

Someone- or something- stood by the window.  The shape moved aside, and a corner of a curtain fell back into place, covering the storm.

"You did an excellent job," Dorian said.

"Reginald," I said, jumped onto the bed, and leaped closer to my spirit animal.  "I should have realized that you had powerful magic."

"Friends," he said and blinked as the light came on.  He looked ruffled and unsteady. "I wish I'd had a chance to talk to you about it first."

"You did the right thing. None of us could have used magic against her," Dorian replied.  He went to the window and stared out between the curtains. "We are lucky in our choice of refuge.   I see several restaurants within a few blocks."

"Luck?" Colin asked.  "When Luna made the choice of where we stay?"

"I did foresee food," Luna admitted with a laugh.

Luna and Dorian went out to find food and other supplies. Neko tried not to worry.  He paced for a little while, then curled up on one bed and slept.

Neko ignored that there had only been one bed and the room had been smaller when they arrived.  No one had used strong magic to make the changes, but he still worried that Maude would sense it.  Was the storm worse?

Shosha climbed up on the bed and snuggled in next to Neko as though she'd always slept that way.  Neko almost protested, but she was warm and soft.

The food arrived somewhat later. They had managed a good selection of types, including sushi for Reginald.

"I hope it is suitable for you, Reggie," Dorian said.  "Can I call you that?"

"The food is quite wonderful. You must ask Neko about the name, though."

Neko swallowed a bite of baked fish.  He shook his head. "You can decide-"

"Actually, I can't.  Once we meet, everything that affects your impression of me has to be your choice. That includes name, voice --"

"Shape?" Neko asked.

"Oh yes.  I am a penguin because I assumed such a creature wouldn't be out of place on a beach. I have learned quite a bit about penguins since I arrived.  Luna has been considerable help."

"So you could be anything I want?"

"There might be limitations, but I don't know them," he said.  "What is your preference?"

"Let me consider it.  Since others can't see you, it won't matter if you are unusual."

"Humans don't see me under most circumstances. I don't know if I would take a chance at being a dragon, though it might be interesting."

I saw Colin looking at me with a shake of his head.  "Don't get into trouble."

Neko shook his head.  He would have thought Colin would know better by now.  A line like that was a challenge to a cat. Although thinking about it, he got along so well with Colin because of the fae's cat-like attitude toward life.

They ate almost everything, and even the fae, who rarely slept, settled on their beds to rest. Neko woke often expecting disaster, but they made it through the night with no trouble.  The storm faded away before midnight, and it looked like a calm, normal day by dawn.

None of them trusted it.

"We can't stay here any longer," Colin admitted with a sigh.  "She is bound to be looking for us, and we'll be easy to find if our magic accumulates anymore."

"We would get bored anyway," Neko offered, though he burrowed farther into the blankets.  

Shosha, who had been under the covers, peeked her head out. "Maude tried to find us through my dreams," she said. Don't worry. Dorian kept by me the whole time, and together, we sent the witch into the Amazon basin.  She'll be lost for a while."

"What can we do with this time?" Luna asked.

"Go for a ride," Colin answered.  "We still don't want to stay too long."

"I am going to Faeland and see what I can learn," Dorian added.  "She has been kicking up too much trouble and using too much magic to go unnoticed, but we've had remarkably little help from there."

"Move carefully," Colin advised.  "It is hard to guess what they might be thinking there.  Fae can be remarkably blind to human trouble.  We might get lucky, though.  They were already interested in Maude."

Dorian nodded.  "All of you, be careful.  I still have a thread linked to the group, so I should know if you run into trouble."

He turned and walked toward the door but disappeared before he got that far. The others were already packing up and preparing to leave. They said very little. The morning had brought the reality that nothing had changed.

Neko, Luna, and Shosha went out the side door and waited for Colin. He arrived in a fancy sports car, which cheered Neko, especially when Colin arranged the front seat so that Neko could stand and work the steering wheel while Colin took care of the gas and brake pedals.

Neko had never had so much fun.  He swerved in and out of traffic on the freeway while the others talked around him.

"Why are we heading back into the desert again?" Neko finally asked.

"Maude had more power here than she should have held," Colin explained.  He slowed the car as they started around a semi. "Our job is to find places she's linked to and cut the threads.  It is not going to be easy.  Besides, the desert is between us and getting home.  We'd have to face it sometime."

"From what I could feel," Reginald began, "I thought I could sense an ancient force that was feeding the storm.  It felt like something akin to the land, a power that belonged here -- and was not happy about waking up."

"Wonderful," Colin said.