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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Before anything else let me give all my loyal readers another major apology regarding the last Chapter. I seriously screwed up, not once but twice, in the publication. I am grateful to the people behind the scenes at Nifty for their kind assistance in resolving the issue.
The adventures of the Dover Brothers continue! Thanks to those of you who have sent encouraging comments. I love hearing from you! Shout out to DB (whoever that may be) for his several nice notes and I will do my best to accommodate your request. (It may take a while but I WILL try!) Questions, comments, suggestions and complaints are always welcome. Drop me a line at HonableRonable@gmail.com and I WILL respond!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Bloody Sun
CHARACTERS
Ben Dover, Age 46 -- our Hero
Lt. Benjamin Brazos "BB" Wolfe, Age 39 -- California Special Crimes Police
Cliff Dover, Age 38 -- Archdruid and Ben's younger brother
John-Thomas Bilodeau, Age 41 -- Druid and Cliff's boyfriend
Garethrokk Humanbane, Dark Elf Knight-Captain
Aethylbryk, Unseelie Lord of Elfhame Bloody Sun
Imratinya, Aethylbryk's Queen
The Wednesday before Labor Day Ben found himself back at Dedrich's Coffee. Lt. Benjamin Brazos Wolfe had asked to meet Ben, his brother Cliff and Cliff's live-in boyfriend John-Thomas Bilodeau for a confab; the other two men were busy with school duties so the big Texan waited by himself for the model-handsome Police Detective to show up. Ben heard an audible gasp from several young women; BB had arrived.
BB Wolfe was tall dark and handsome with an Alpha Male attractiveness that pervaded the air with testosterone. Today he wore a tight black tee and skinny jeans that showed off every rippling muscle in his 6'3" frame. Pale blue-gray eyes shone out of a darkly-tanned face with sculpted features and his short black hair had a gentle wave. BB was sex-on-a-stick, the world knew it and he didn't care. His casual masculinity never failed to make the big man's ass clench whenever he was around the dark and dangerous Wolfe. Today BB didn't look happy as he plopped down with his coffee.
"Bad day?" Ben asked.
"The worst!" the other man replied. "Somebody offed Aethylbryk's favorite daughter and now the Lord of Elfhame Bloody Sun is on the war path!"
"Bloody Sun--doesn't sound like a pleasant place..."
"It's the Unseelie counterpart to Misty Harbor," the Wolfe told him. "I've never had the pleasure myself but I'm sure the place isn't all sun, surf, sand and cool ocean breezes!"
"This--Aethylbryk, ya say, is pissed off?" the Texan asked. "What sort o' trouble has he been causin'?"
"So far it's just nuisance stuff," the Wolfe replied. "You know, like releasing a pack of Kobolds to wreak havoc Downtown, letting Gnomes go crazy at Pierside Park..."
"Shit!" Ben exclaimed. "I heard about th' trouble at th' Amusement Park on last night's news; the vandalism was in today's paper1! So that was Unseelie mischief? M' brother had t' defend against2 a `Wild Hunt' last night in th' grove"
"The `Wild Hunt' above ground?" the Wolfe said, giving the Texan an incredulous stare. "I hadn't heard about that..."
"We might not have either if it hadn't been f'r Catfish," Ben told him.
"Catfish?" The Special Crimes Cop looked confused. "What's that? Or is it a `who'...?"
"Caleb Calhoun, AKA `Catfish'," Ben told him. "He's a powerful Empath who came back completely fucked up from losin' most o' his unit in an ambush over in Afghanistan! John-Thomas has been helpin' him..." The man related how he and Catfish had met and what happened afterward.
"Wow, that's another one who slipped through the cracks!" the Wolfe said. "I guess it was good you were there to lend a hand! How's he doing?"
"Better," Ben replied, "at least until last night! We were just about t' hit th' sack when Catfish came unglued. He was screamin' bout someone bein' chased by Monsters! That alerted John-Thomas who keyed in on th' Wild Hunt an' led Cliff t' activate the Henge's defenses. We found this poor sap with silver antlers grafted t' his head an' Cliff barely managed t' get im safe b'fore th' Hunt showed up! Believe me--they were none too happy!"
BB gave his head a sad shake. "I hadn't heard about that," he admitted. "At least it gives me a pretext to ask the favor I need..."
"You want Cliff t' take ya t' Bloody Sun." Whether it was a moment of awen or just Cop instinct Ben didn't know. "I'll talk to `im an' make th' arrangements! We'll leave ASAP."
"This isn't going to be a walk in the park!" the Wolfe said. "I admire your good intentions and I don't mean to be disrespectful but we need people who are experienced! You have no idea what you'll be facing down there!"
"Frankly, neither do you!" Ben said flatly. This time he knew for certain the awen had taken him. "You NEED me! I'm goin'! End o' discussion!"
The Wolfe looked mulish for a second but then he got a glimpse of the other man's face. "I guess you're going!" he finally said. "How soon do you think your bro' will be ready to hit the trail?"
"I'll light a fire under `im!" the Texan promised.
Ben, BB and Cliff assembled in the center of the Henge waiting for John-Thomas to arrive. "Where's your boyfriend?" BB asked. Impending battle had the Cop keyed up and he was anxious to get started.
"John-Thomas is helping Nils finish something we'll need if we visit the Bloody Sun!" the Archdruid replied calmly. "Trust me Woofles--it'll be worth the wait!"
"Woofles?" BB looked scandalized.
"Would you prefer `Woofiekins?" John-Thomas arrived carrying a canvas-wrapped bundle with something heavy inside. "I brought backup!" The tall brown-haired Druid unwrapped the package which proved to be a pair of large iron swords, each painted with red-glowing runes. "Check these bad boys out! This ought to throw a scare into some Unseelie nasties!" I also brought along salt, wooden stakes and super-soakers filled with Holy Water and Lemon Juice! We don't know what sort of nasties we'll encounter down there."
"Ever'thin' else I get," Ben said, "but LEMON JUICE?"
"Every species of the Fey has a Sovereign Weakness," Cliff told his brother. "For Elves it's Cold Iron--which is iron that has been worked on by humans. Cold Iron also affects all the various Goblinoid species! For other sorts it's wood--usually some type of undead but salt affects them as well. The lemon juice is for fairy types--just in case we meet any of those..."
"We're shit-out-of-luck if we meet a Troll though," John-Thomas put in. "Their Sovereign Weakness is sunlight!"
A moment of awen took Ben. "I'll deal with th' Trolls," he told the other men but didn't explain how.
"So--how do we get there?" the Wolfe asked.
"Among other things the Henge acts as a Portal to other realms!" the Archdruid told him. "It may take a bit of doing but I can establish a bridge between this world and the Bloody Sun."
"Get to it then!" Ben told his brother.
Cliff got to work while John-Thomas passed out his supplies. "This is a mighty nice pig-sticker," the one-eyed Texan observed, "but I can't say I know how t' use one!"
"Me either," Wolfe admitted.
"That's why I involved Nils," John-Thomas told the two men. "He's a natural at Runic Magic--it's like he's born for it! With the Runes he painted on those swords you'll be able to fight like Conan!"
"That's a relief!" BB said even as the sky above the Henge turned an ashen gray and the light went from bright midafternoon coastal sun to a deep blood red. The ground smelled scorched and it seemed there was nothing but a forest of burned tree-skeletons surrounding the once-green Sequoia grove. "Well it looks like we've translocated!"
Ben pointed. "Through those stones!" the big man announced, directed by the *awen". "We've got t' follow th' sun--no matter what shows up t' block `r way! It's th' only way t' Aethylbryk's castle!"
"I sealed the Henge to outsiders!" Cliff told the group as he came up, shouldering his own backpack and holding a long wooden staff. "If we survive Aethylbryk and his `tender mercies' we'll be able to get home without bringing a boat-load of Unseelie nastiness with us!"
"The sooner we start th' sooner we'll git home!" Ben set off directly toward the setting blood-red sun on the horizon. No sooner did the big man step away from the shelter of the Henge then the ground became treacherous, filled with slippery rocks and sharp thorns. Nasty little biting insects that couldn't be seen in the dim reddish light filled the air. The path they were on wanted to twist and turn but Ben kept his eye on the fading yet never-setting sun until they came to a deep chasm spanned by a broad stone bridge under which several tall, thin and rubbery shapes waited for the unwary traveler.
"Thin and rubbery, loathsome Trolls are able to regenerate!" John-Thomas said, quoting the old D&D Monster Manual.
The tall, broad Texan stepped out onto the bridge. "Trolls!" he bellowed. "I know y'all r there! Grant us safe passage an' y'all ll live t' see another group o' unwary travelers! Attack us an' y'r gonna die!"
"Foolish Mortal!" one of the creatures growled. "We have no fear of puny Druid Magic and your Runic Swords have no power over us!"
"Maybe!" Ben replied, "but I'm God-touched an' I know th' secret o' this place!" The Texan took several steps out onto the bridge but a long skinny gray-skinned arm reached out to grab his ankle. The big man grimaced in pain and stood stock still while the other Trolls, skinny hideous creatures that look like hairless humans made of partially-melted wax climbed onto the stone bridge and began rushing toward the man. "Ah well," he said, "t' quote th' immortal J.R.R. Tolkien--DAWN COME UP AND TO STONE WITH YOU!" Suddenly the ashen sky turned the blue of summer and the red sun burned white and hot! It wasn't long until every Troll was turned to stone and the way was clear for them to pass.
"How did you DO that?" the Wolfe asked.
"Underhill is just one gigantic `Mind Garden', ol' Son," the Texan replied. "This place is formed by Aethylbryk's will! But anyone with a strong-enough mind c'n shape the stuff of Chaos as they wish! That's what I just did!"
"You got the Dark Lord's attention!" John-Thomas observed, "that much is certain!"
"At least we won't hafta worry bout th' little nasties," Ben told him. "We each have a test t' pass--this n was mine! Getting' us here was Cliff's! Now John-Thomas--you n BB are gonna hafta deal with somethin' blockin' r way. If y' both win through we'll be granted audience with Aethylbryk! Fail--we all die where we stand!"
"I suspect he's right!" John-Thomas said. "Let's go see what the two final tests might be!" The next obstacle proved to be a Manticore blocking their path. The creature had the body of a heavily-muscled lion that was as red as blood, added to this were leathery bat wings and a curling scorpion's tail. The thing had a gigantic, snarling human head surrounded by a tangled lion's mane; the creature was roaring as it dug up the path with saber-like claws. "This is my test!" the Druid announced.
John-Thomas stepped into the creature's line-of-sight. "Hello friend!" he said softly. The creature roared and snapped at the Druid. "Yes, yes, I know you're hurting--I can help you! Which paw hurts?" The Manticore stopped roaring and gave the man a curious look. "Will you let me examine it?" he asked the creature.
The Monster blocking their path raised its right front paw. "Oh yes, I can see you have a thorn!" the Druid told the Manticore. "I can remove it for you and give you a bit of healing magic--if you will let my friends and I pass?"
"Why--you--do--that...?" The creature's voice was the deepest of deep basses. "Why--you--help ...?"
"Because my friend you're hurt!" the tall Druid told the creature. "That's what I do! Once your paw is fixed then if you must eat me, I suppose I'll have to deal with you--but I don't think you're going to do that! What's your name friend?"
"Name? What--is--name?"
"Me, a name, I call myself!" the slim brown-haired man sang. "Mine is John-Thomas! What's your name?"
"Don't--have--name..." The creature looked confused as he pondered the Druid's question. John-Thomas approached the Manticore, pulled out a set of tweezers and extracted the long, sharp thorn buried deeply in its paw.
"All better!" John-Thomas said after chanting a small healing spell he called "kiss a boo-boo." "Now--do you want to eat me?"
"No!" the creature rumbled. "You--friend! Not--eat--friend--or friends--of--friend..."
"Thank you for that!" John-Thomas said as he sketched a deep bow. "Have you thought of a name for yourself?"
"No..." The creature looked confused.
"Then I shall call you `Murry'!" John-Thomas intoned. "You look like a Murry!"
"Murry..." The newly-named Manticore allowed the four men to pass as he pondered the mystery that was his name. "Murry--Murry--Murry..."
"That w's neatly done!" Ben said as they left the creature behind.
"I don't think Aethylbryk thought we'd do something like that!" the Druid said with a sly smile. "But, you know, I LIKE Murry--and, who knows? Maybe we'll meet him again one day!"
"Keep your eyes and ears open!" BB cautioned. "I know I have a test ahead of me but there are still lots of nasty little surprises living here!"
"We'll meet th' final test near th' Castle," Ben opined. The big man pointed toward a black hulking structure on the horizon. "We're headed there!"
"Knees! Knees! Knees!" A horde of little nasties burst out of the thickly-grown bushes on either side of the road. They were short, squatty humanoid things with heads that seemed to be mostly large eyes and big sharp teeth!"
"Kobolds!" BB shouted as he drew his iron sword. The runes painted on the blade burned brighter than the red sun in the sky. "This is an enchanted iron blade!" the Wolfe told the crowd. "Leave us to our journey and you won't have to die!"
"Keel dem!" ordered a creature at the back of the pack. "He was the same general shape and color as the Kobolds but he was somewhat larger and clearly was stronger. He wore a cap red as blood on his dirty-tressed head. "Keel dem all!"
Ben drew his sword which caused the Kobolds to draw back while Cliff and John-Thomas lit up their wooden staves with Druidic magic. "Redcap! You want us dead?" Ben growled, "then come `n' strike th' first blow!"
The crowd of Kobolds cleared a path to allow their leader to rush forward; Ben struck off the creature's head with one blow of the enchanted blade he carried. "Listen up!" the big Texan bellowed. "I just bested y'r leader with ONE cut! Try n' fight us here an' y'all r' dead! Leave us alone an' you'll be fine! Make y'r choice an' make it now!" Seeing an opportunity to fight another day the Kobolds faded back into the bushes as quickly as they appeared.
"You think that was the test?" John-Thomas asked.
"Nope!" BB said decisively. "The Redcap went for Ben not me! They were just a `random monster encounter' or they were sent by the individual I'll be fighting to soften us up a bit!"
"Wasn't much of a softening-up!" John-Thomas opined.
"Which likely means it was just a random encounter--in D&D terms," Cliff said. "Either way it forced us to use Magic that's going to take time to recharge. That may have been the whole point!"
"I've got to fight that dude!" BB informed the group. Approaching the four men on the now-smooth and broad open road was a figure in black metal armor with a large shield in red bearing the likeness of a human run through with a heavy sword. The knight was mounted on a black horse with flaming eyes and red-hot hoofs that sparked each time they touched the rough cobbles.
"That's a Hellhorse!" Cliff told BB. "They breathe fire and those hooves are as hot as they look. The good news, if there's any in this fight, is that Hellhorses are affected by Cold Iron!"
BB stepped up. "Sir Knight--I presume you are here to prevent us from reaching yonder Castle?"
"I am Garethrokk Humanbane!" the rider announced. "You will not pass!"
"Let's do this right then..." the Wolfe said. "Since you have a Hellhorse mount that means my Druid friends can use their Magic to level the playing field! Dismount and instruct your conveyance to stay out of the fight and we'll do battle as equals!"
"So! You wish me to discard my armor and shield as well human?" the Dark Elf Knight sneered. "We will then be truly equal!"
"No, Sir Garethrokk," BB replied with deadly calmness. "Keep your armor and shield for all the good they'll do you!"
"What do you mean vermin?" The Dark Knight was genuinely confused.
"I mean..." the Wolfe drawled, "that heavy plate you are wearing is more of a hinderance than a help against me! My blade gives me all the advantage I need to take you down!"
"As you have said it, so mote it be!" the Knight said. He jumped down from his mount and rushed BB while the creature stepped back near the watching men. Something told Ben that if any of his friends tried to interfere with the battle they'd have to deal with a pissed-off Hellhorse!
The Knight was fiercely strong and had any of his blows connected with the fast-moving Wolfe it would have ended quickly and decisively. Unarmored, BB was able to avoid blows from the Knight's heavy blade; he was also able to slide past the massive shield and inflict a series of blows that cut his foe's armor as though it were tissue paper. "Yield!" BB growled. "This ends one way and you know it--with you dead at my feet!"
"Never!" the Knight bellowed but his rage only seemed to make him more erratic. Blades rang and sparks flew as weapons clashed together or the Wolfe's sword connected with the Knight's shield; still it was a foregone conclusion. Garethrokk Humanbane was losing to an unarmored human and everyone watching knew it. BB finally succeeded in breaking the Knight's grip on his sword by slashing his wrist. The big black blade fell from nerveless fingers allowing BB to rush in and sweep the armored behemoth off his feet.
The Wolfe brought his blade to the Knight's throat. "Kill me human!" the Knight begged. "Kill me now! I cannot endure the shame!"
"Sorry no," the man replied. "I won't murder an unarmed foe just to ease his pride! You are unarmed and bleeding to death--I won't deprive King Aethylbryk of his Chief Knight! Somehow you're going to have to learn to live with that ignominy!"
"Ignominy! Now that's a word..." Ben observed as the four humans made their way to the hulking dark castle on the hill, leaving the wounded Knight alone in the road. There was no further trouble for them as they made their way up to the Castle gates where they were promptly ushered inside by unhappy-looking Guards who conducted them with ill grace to the Throne Room.
Sitting atop the intricately-carved, uncomfortable-looking thrones were a pair of Elves. The male looked like a young Frank Lengella playing a thoroughly pissed off Vulcan (and the heavy, ridiculously ornate black crown perched uncomfortably on his head didn't help in the slightest.) The female looked like an anorexic Angelina Jolie with expressive pointed ears and green cats-eyes playing Morticia Addams. "This ragtag bunch won through all your tests my darling?" she drawled after taking a sip of something thick and red the men were fairly sure wasn't wine. "We must be growing lax!"
"Never judge a book by its cover Queen Imratinya," Cliff commented.
"Why have you invaded my realm Humans?" the Dark Elf Lord spat. "And how dare you presume to alter the landscape to your own desires?"
"We only did what w's necessary y'r Majesty..." Ben rumbled. "As f'r alterin' th' landscape--I put it back!"
The Elf Lord growled. "What do you want HUMANS?"
"We know y'r daughter was murdered," Ben said. "Havin' lost m' wife, son n unborn daughter I c'n only imagine how much worse y'r pain ud be since, from what I understand, it's hard f'r th' Fey t' conceive!"
"Lournu was a foolish child!" the Queen opined.
"It's th' nature o' children y'r Majesty..." Ben locked eyes with the Queen and she was first to break contact. "We all did foolish things in r youth--even though f'r some of us that was a lot longer n others... Princess Lournu didn't deserve t' die b'cause of a childish mistake!"
The Dark Elf Lord's expression softened just the tiniest bit. "I doubted a human could understand..." he finally replied, "and surely you comprehend my need for revenge!"
"I do y'r Majesty!" Ben said bluntly, "but I also understand th' responsibility ya have as ruler of' Elfhame Bloody Sun!"
"You speak prettily--for a human!" the Queen smirked. "Are you, perhaps, a Bard?"
"I c'n sing a bit Ma'am..." Ben purposefully left the `your Majesty' out of his address knowing it would annoy the Queen. "The Norse God Odin gave me a bit o' Wisdom an' some other minor gifts in exchange f'r m' right eye! That's why we undertook this journey--we came t' plead with y'r husband!"
Imratinya laughed. "Plead? Why should his Majesty entertain ANY request a pack of ragtag humans brings before him?"
"Because, MY LADY..." Again, Ben left off the title to heighten the effect, "Aethylbryk IS King an' as such he knows, if he choses t' think with his head rather `n his balls, that I speak Truth!
"Speak your Truth human!" the King bellowed, cutting off the rising hubbub in the Throne Room. "I will listen. You have earned that much..."
"I understand y'r anger n grief y'r Majesty," the big Texan said. "In y'r place I'd be just as angry! But, know this Sire, those responsible for the murder of y'r daughter want nothin' more than t' expose th' Fey! They want a Holy War b'tween Humans an' th' Fey--ALL th' Fey! They don't care whether y'r Seelie r Unseelie--they want y'r blood t' flow!"
"If it is War, they wish then war they shall HAVE!" the King thundered.
Ben raised his hand. "Sire--doin' that plays right into your Enemy's hands!" he said loud enough to cut through the fresh avalanche of conversation. "Th' Fey live Underhill f'r a reason!" he went on. "Humans outnumber ya hundreds o' thousands if not millions t' one! Worse--all you Fey, no matter which Court ya claim, have a Sovereign Weakness which makes ya easy t' kill! Yes, y'all r' powerful an', yes, y'all have strong Magic! But c'n ya withstand a nuke? Do ya want t' take that chance? It ain't a good bet, y'r Majesty! In th' end there will be major deaths on both sides but th' Fey r' bound t' lose! Please Sire--I beg you! Don't play into th' Sons of Purity's hands!"
"What do you propose then--Paladin?"
Paladin! That gave Ben the answer he needed. "Let ME give Justice to y'r daughter! If a human acts in th' human world th' Fey won't be exposed an' the Sons will lose the leverage they sought t' gain by murderin' y'r Lournu!"
"Very well, "the Dark Lord replied, "YOU may go! These others will stay behind as hostages to your Honor!"
"No!" Ben abandoned all pretense at pretty speech. "If a Paladin's Honor Bond isn't good enough f'r ya then on your own head be the Doom ya bring down on your House!"
"How DARE you?" the King thundered.
"I dare because its necessary!" the big Texan replied calmly. "You set a Team Challenge f'r us t' gain audience with ya Sire! It took all of us t' git here an' it'll take all of us workin' t'gether to get Justice f'r y'r daughter! Think logically Sire! Y' know I speak Truth!"
"Sire--are you going to let him talk to you this way?" the Queen asked in her most wheedling tone.
"Maybe ya sh'd be asking y'r Queen how y'r daughter an' Heir by another woman got t' the surface world without guards `r attendants!" Ben snapped.
The Queen looked furious. "Guards!" she ordered. "Kill the humans! Kill them NOW!"
"HOLD!" Aethylbryk's thundered words brought everything in the Throne Room to an abrupt halt. "My Queen?" The Dark Elf's words were loaded with import and a heavy sense of doom.
"Sire!" the Queen pleaded. "Don't listen to the lying words of the human trash! He seeks to drive a wedge between us?"
"Does he now my darling Imratinya?" the King queried. Then he turned his attention back to the four humans. "It is clear I have a nest of vipers here in my own Castle!" he told them. You have my leave to pursue human justice for those who murdered my daughter! Meanwhile I shall pursue my own `justice' for those who assisted her visit to the surface world!"
Ben saw the Queen quaking in fear as all of Elfhame Bloody Sun seemed to fold itself until it was all corners then shove itself up its own oubliette! Eventually the four men found themselves exhausted and sweating on the greensward near the main alter of the Henge. John-Thomas rolled over onto his belly and promptly vomited his breakfast and lunch. "I don't EVER want to travel by Tesseract again!" he finally managed.
"Is that what that was?" Ben said.
"I--think so..." Cliff replied, "but I wouldn't count on that 100%!"
"I'll tell you what I wouldn't want..." the Wolfe said as he sat up woozily. "I wouldn't want to be Queen Imratinya right now!"
"Do you really think she's somehow responsible for Princess Lournu's death?" John-Thomas asked after a bit.
The Texan nodded. "Lournu was th' Heir leavin'' the current Queen's progeny without a shot at th' throne! Th' girl was young n foolish so no doubt Imratinya surely knew th' young Princess ud get herself in trouble--even if she didn't count on th' girl's murder!"
"So how do we go about finding the murderer or murderers?" Cliff wondered. "And worse--how do we prove it?"
"That," replied Ben, "is one o' th' two $64,000 questions!"
"What's the other one?" BB wanted to know.
"How long King Aethylbryk will give us b'fore he takes matters into his own hands!"
END CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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