Greetings,
I mentioned this story before and was finally able to comb
thru it and change the tenses or at least all that I could find. If
anyone is a fan this story takes place during the very first episode of
Gargoyles. There are only three or four characters that were added by
me, so it won't seem too much out of place....I hope. This is more of a
behind the scenes type thing.
There is no prologue, there's just chapter 1, a very short
preview of chapter 2 is here too.
Will this turn into another one of my stories you have to
read over a few time to get the gist of it: This chapter shouldn't be
too hard. Will this feature any characters from the Rider fics: Yes,
but not in this chapter. One thing I will mention: Secoians with magic
talents are on Earth in 995 AD. (the people the Govt is trying to
silence ie people who are Forbidden and such) They _do not_ appear in
this first chapter. I know it sounds like I'm trying to get a point
across, I tried to make it one of those stories you don't need prior
knowledge of, but you can never have that now can you? ;)
Comments are welcomed.
Bentley4@ix.netcom.com or the ML, whichever.
Gargoyles: Children of the Night
Part 1
By. R. Bentley
Beta Version 0.002B
01-14-96
Author's Note: This is what I have so far. Part 1 takes place
during Awakenings. Part 2 is coming. All Gargoyles and characters are
copyrighted by Disney @ 1996. I would love some comments from anyone
please. :) any ideas. Email Me: bentley4@ix.netcom.com
Chapter 1. Over the River and through the woods to the Rookery we
go.....
The sun slowly rose up over the crests of the waves. Rays of
light bounced off them, cascading up the cliffs towards the stone
structure. The structure having been contruscted on the clifts many
years before. It was home to a people who were just and right towards
their kind. Although they were highly super sticious, they in turn
would learn to trust. Their guardians were not their own kind, their
ways were not theirs. But two nights before the Guardians had shown the
structure�s attackers the true meaning of being afraid of the dark.
Something that would burn into their memories and into books for years
to come. Now those people were slowly starting to wake to their morning
duties.
The warmth of the sun warmed the dew on the plants out on shelves
inside the castle parapets. The darkness of the night pulled back as
the night became day. Up on the parapets, up on the edge of roofs,
silent statues moved for one second more. They felt the heat, the rays,
the sound of birds beginning to wake as flesh became stone. They closed
their eyes as their skin is covered in stone. They began to fall asleep
and soon would dream of the night, to soar, to fight, to protect.
Silent, stone, statues in meanacing poses. Their wings outstretched,
arms wide. Their claws unsheathed, mouths hissing now stone teeth,
asleep...
Castle Wivern's occupants slowly rose from their sleep. Night
guards walked down the spiral stone stair cases to their soft warm
beds. Their relief; morning archers rose from their sleep. Donned their
clothes, bows in hand, arrows slung over their shoulders. Animals
started to wake as well, calling for breakfast from their masters. The
refugees, who resided down in the Castle's main court slowly rose from
their bed on the grassy earth. A few warmed themselves by the cinders
of the bon fires while others began to get washed up. The sun rose
fully above the crests of the waves. The animals began to be fed, the
archers got to their positions, on the ramparts, talking about the
attack the two nights previous.
One person had been up early. She had done her usual jog up,
around, over and through the castle. Two night before she had watched
the guardians of the castle soar around the parameter. All different
shapes, sizes and colors. She had caught up on the local gossip, talked
to most of the warriors and surfs as they did their daily work. She
resided up on one of the high turrets of the castle. One across from
her was the Grand Magus's room. He had been up late last night, she
noted as she fell asleep. She dried her hair off, using one of the
fluffy towels she had "borrowed" from the Princess. She pulled on a
long white robe, tying the rope belt around her lithe waist. She leaned
out of her window, looked around slowly as the now stone guardians
slept, she knew most of them, her alien eyes smiled looking from one to
the other. Her smile faded at the sight of two missing. Golia
th and his mentor. She squinted, making sure she had not mistaken one
for the other, noting that the three rowdy ones and their pet were
still down stairs. She turned on her heel and walked out into the
corridor.
She walked onto one of the many higher parapets, looked from one
stone Gargoyle to the next. One of the archers nodded at her look.
"They left last night to hunt down the Vikings and stop them once and
for all." His thick Scottish accent replied. "And your right they
should be back by now...."
She nodded and begun to turn to walk back to her room. Something
caught her eye. A gleam of white? What? She narrowed her eyes, getting
the sleep out of her eyes and blinked. Her mind reeled at the sight.
She opened her mouth and pointed. The archer blanched and screamed a
command, all the others began to move like bees.
Past the court of refugees, through the drawbridge, over the
mote, up and over the hills, figures moved! Figures with swords. Swords
and flaming arrows. Vikings with swords, flaming arrows and catapults!
Large amounts of people moving, all with different sorts of weapons,
chanting, growling, biting at the bit. They wait as the catapults are
loaded with giant stone boulders. The winches are turned counter clock
wise, bring the large spoon like weapon back until...
"_ATTACK!_" Hakon's voice bellowed across the land.
*Hakon is crazy as he is stupid, twice in one week??* She
thought. She ran back into her room. She felt the boulder smashed into
the side of the castle and braced for the next. She closed her door and
grabbed picture frames as they began to fall from hooks. She knelt
down, tossed her diary and sketch pad onto her bed, the cloth under
them came next. A wood and metal chest stood there in front of her. The
cries of war around her, the vibrations of boulders making the chest's
pure gold siding shimmy in the light. Her eyes looked upon the seal on
the chest. A few bits of rust dotted the emblem, something she had made
when she first arrived. She calmed her breathing, listening to the
flaming arrows zip by outside. The smell of smoke drifted in along with
the cries. She gritted her teeth for a moment and pulled a key from her
busom. She let the sun light gleam off of it. Pure gold. She slid the
key into the lock and turned it to the left.
The edges around the seal glowed for a moment. The dust that had
been collecting on it for the last fifty years was sucked in, the line
between the chest and it's top now glowed as well. The key shimmied for
a moment and then turned black, melting onto the floor. She pushed open
the top of the chest, the light from inside engulfing all around
her.....
Two guards stood there.
Just two guards.
One man, one woman.
They were both suited up in their armor which gleamed in the
light, metal and mesh. Each of them about six feet four. Very unusual
knights. Both of their helmet visors were down, slits of black between
the visors, white pupils against the darkness. They stood in front of a
door.
A very large set of double wooden doors, metal hinges attached it
to the stone and mortar walls. The woman was on the left, the man on
the right. Woman with mace, the man with a sword. Both watched as
warrior and servant alike took up arms from down the hall, running
towards their capture and imprisonment. The man didn't have to say it,
the woman already knew. The time had come. And this time the castle was
going to fall.
A cloaked figure walked down the hallway. People pushed by the
figure, a cloak of blue gray. The figure watched for a moment as the
crowd of people slowly thinned out. The knights still stood there as
the figure continued it's slow pace down the stone corridor, a very
soft scraping against the stone cobbles as it did. The knights stood
like statues. The figure turned slightly as if looking over it shoulder
at something, a set of red eyes glow in the blackness like red hot
diamonds. The figure returned towards it's destination. The knights
moved slightly, as if acknowledging the precedence of the figure. They
both bowed and opened the door. The figure made a motion, pointing at
the man. He turned, clinking softly and walked into the darkness, the
figure followed suit. The woman now stood watch.
She ran. Down a set of stairs, nearly smacked head long into a
pair of paladins. She skidded to a stop, letting the shadows surround
her, shifting her weapon from her right to her left hand. The pair of
paladins barked a command to a few archers and together they run
towards the front of the castle. The rumble of something erupted around
her, then crashed onto the hard ground perked her ears. The drawbridge,
she cursed. A traitor. She made her way into the hallway, red hair
tucked underneath silver black armor strays as she begins to run once
more. Her feet bearly touch the ground as she sailed around the next
corner and down another set of stairs.
The man walked down the stone steps, the soft sound of dripping
echoes. The figure is in complete awe as they round the corner. A few
stalagmites and stalactites vibrated as the battle above them began.
The soft light imitating from the floor casts shadows all over the
cave. The figure walked past the knight and is somewhat shocked to see
three of the stone guardians and their pet near it's prize. The figure
stopped for a moment, letting the image of the Gargoyles seep into it's
mind. Then turning slowly, letting the prize seep into it's mind. The
large white and purple spotted eggs of the Gargoyles.
The knight stepped back, letting the figure pick up one of the
eggs, the rumble of war slowly fades, the cry though remains. And in
the shadows of the cave, the night awoke....
She slowed down, letting her feet touch the ground. She came to a
full stop and listened for a moment.
Utter silence.
She turned slowly, a full one hundred and eighty degrees. Ear
perked up listening, no one. Not one single person. Her green eyes
narrowed. She tugged at her weapon, it detached itself from her
shoulder. She walked into the middle of hallway, doors of rooms half
open, left over swords and shields litter the ground around her. The
smell of smoke is not too far behind her, she already knows. The battle
is not going well. She can hear Hakon blaring about how he wanted the
Princess alive and in his hands, surrender her or else. She walked down
the hallway, missing the weapons as though they were poison. She leaned
her head forward, looking left, noting the age of the stones.
This was the first section of the stone fortress they made, the
butting clifts edge out around the walls, the builder's beginning
thoughts. Trying to hide something. She put her back against the wall
and edged slowly towards the end. She reached it, as the cries of
Vikings filled the air. She gently leaned her head around the edge,
right eye wide open. Weapon shifted to her left, cocked and raised. She
sucked in her breath and leaned back fully against the wall.
The builder's beginning thoughts were solid. Build a castle
against the clifts. The builder had gone to bed one night inside his
little one room stone house, his materials all over the ground outside.
When he awoke the next morning, all the materials, all the stones were
arranged in a pile, some even mimicking his own little stone house.
He did not notice this until at least two weeks later when he was up
late working. The fire was going, he mind was spewing out images of
what his giant castle would be like. He turned to get a cup of tea and
in the light of the fire stood something. Something with wings. He
drops his tea, the chair he sits on topples. His eyes wide with fear
and amazement as more appear. Wings and claws. Wings, claws, eyes and a
voice.
She closed her eyes. She can see the woman knight trying to
discern weather or not she saw something. What stands behind the knight
is what the builder had built his little house in front of. Wivern had
built his house in front of the gaping mouth, leading to a Rookery of
Gargoyles!
The woman took a step forward. She squinted from behind the metal
visor and listened. What she heard was the reverberation from the
stones under her armored clad feet. The woman took off her helmet,
black hole colored hair flowed down to her waist. A few bangs drop in
front of her red colored pupils as they dilated.
The woman raised her mace slowly and stepped forward. She
quietly, or at least as quietly as she can wearing a suit of armor
walked down the corridor. Her pulse began to beat, the sounds of war
slowly coming to an end and the sound of her feet on the floor echoed.
She reached the junction of the corridor and whirred left. Mace hitting
the wall, chunks of stone and mortar flew. She raised the mace,
turning, eyes open, pulse pounded. She came back to where she started,
mace an extension of her outstretched arms, the chunks of stone and
mortar meet the ground. Her mouth opened, ready to shout a battle cry,
eyes slits.
Nothing.....
She didn�t move. She waited and counted to ten and slowly moved
back. She turned around, once she is halfway back towards the door she
was supposed to guard. Once she saw the door she turned again. She
walked backwards, eyes darted from corner to corner. The smell of smoke
is now more prominent. The sound of heavy footsteps bound down
corridors above her, the cries and pleas from the helpless and wounded.
Her mind though is not on what is above or below her, it is what is in
the corridor with her. She knows she saw something. She knows it saw
her, and she knows it still here, watching, waiting, thinking.....
The cloaked figure smiled from behind the hood. Perfect, the
figure thinks, absolutely perfect. The figure counted the eggs once
again and nods. The count is correct, the thoughts of the time now come
into mind and what the stone warriors flanking them do if they are
caught in the act. The dripping becomes louder. The figure turned to
the knight.
Nothing.
The figure turned once more, left arm outstretched glowing with
magic, she began to chant in Latin. The shadows in the Rookery pulled
back as the light is pointed in their direction. The dripping becomes
multiple, drip drip...drip drip drip....drip drip drip drip. The light
revealed nothing about the knight, the figure walked around the Rookery
itself, looking up towards the door, then back down in the pit.
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
The figure bent down to pick up one of the eggs. With or without
the knight's help, carrying the eggs will not be a problem. Gloved
hands pick up one of the nestled eggs, knees bent, back ready, one, two
three.. The figure picked up the eggs, the ground underneath the feet
became slick with liquid, the feet slipped due to no friction and arms
flailed. The egg dropped back into it's nest and the figure fell flat
onto the hard slippery ground.
The figure moaned loudly, slowly got up. A sash of brown hair
fell into the light, the hood is yanked back and the face of a lovely
woman is illuminated. The woman rubbed her back and rose. She looked
down at the slippery ground.
Drip...
Drip...
Dr.........
She watched a little droplet fall onto her cloak and thus
instantly soaked in. She frowned and craned her head up. A droplet this
time fell on her face, just under her eyes and ran down her chin. A
streak of red. She aimed her arm up. The ceiling is illuminated
instantly, parts of the darkness stay though. The body of the knight
hung from the ceiling by an arm encased in darkness. The hand attached
to that arm lets go. The body toppled from the high ceiling and onto
the woman!
She bearly lets out a scream as something disrupted the straw
next to her. The straw from the nest of eggs floats up and lands in the
pool of blood while some settle on something not seen. The woman is too
busy getting the knight off her. She doesn't see her come down the
stairs slowly, weapon outreached. She doesn't see the darkness fall
from the ceiling and land next to her. She does not see one of the
eggs....
As it begins to hatch.....
Outside the stragglers are rounded up in the court yard. Most if
not all of the archers, knights and other defenders of the castle are
shackled and pushed into groups. The women and children are treated
just like everyone else. The smoke bellowing from the castle windows is
not a good sign and the losers know it too. All the weapons are piled
up, food and supplies are taken, at least enough to last a few days.
The animals, those who weren't scared off during the initial attack are
like their masters tied up in groups and waited to be led back to the
camp the Vikings have been living out of for the last several weeks.
Hakon watched approvingly from his vantage point. The Captain of the
Guard waited next to him too, a disapproving look on his face. He
didn't want it to end this way, that is the look the Princess received
when she looked up at him as she and the Magus is herded into a group
of Castle workers.
"There's more food here Hakon we should come back tomorrow and
search some more....."
"We should keep this book for the time being, the spells in
it..."
"The King will pay handsomely for the safe return of his
niece...."
Various other mindless chatter from the victors pass by Hakon as
he turns, a smile forming on his face. The palm of his hand on the butt
of his mace. The stone Gargoyle next to him his next conquest.....
The woman pushed off the knight. She turned him over. She
scampered back, hand covering her mouth. The look on his face, eyes
opened wide, mouth wide open, skin color turned to that of the moon.
His metal chain mail and armor now rusted through and through. She only
looked at his body once more and turns away. She coughed once or twice
and took a deep breath. Her heart raced, she edged away from the knight
and backs into the back corner of the Rookery. Knees against her chin,
arms wrapped around legs as they begin to shake. This can't be, she
keeps thinking. How can this happen? Wasn't supposed to happen like
this... She closed her eyes and started to cry.
A medium sized egg rolled onto the rocky floor. As it rolled,
bits and pieces started to drop in it's wake as cracking noise began to
throb from the egg. The egg rolled. It slowed down and comes to a stop,
against a warm object. The warm object rocked the egg back and forth
until it's right side up. The layers upon layers of the egg brakes
away, until.
She watched from the stairs. Head cocked to the right and a
slight smile forming. Curious about this scene. The birth of another of
her kind is something she has never witnessed. Even though she has
heard about it. What is about to take place first hand is always much
more for filling as hearing it second hand. She watched the woman
sobbing. *Your lover?* She wondered walking down a few more steps,
three more till the bottom. She looked at the knight and throws a
disapproving glance into the darkness. A slight snort echoes around the
room. Roughly translated: Hey you said protect the eggs. The darkness
flanked the knight and then walked over to the eggs. It counted the
number and then looked over it's shoulder. In the direction of the only
thing left in the room giving off sounds.
It walked over to the only thing left in the room. The sobbing
woman. It cocked it head slightly, eyes emitting a harsh red light. It
the leans to the left and finds where the straggler is. The egg it
seeks lies next to the woman's thigh. The warmth she is giving off
seems to have attracted the egg. The top of the eggs crumbles and small
head pops up from the eggs. Chunks of shell dot it's liquid covered
face as it lets out a yelp.
The darkness looked over at it's companion. It's cloak shifted
changing colors, soft chanting erupted and then. It pulled out a cigar
and tossed it to it's companion. She caught it. She shook her head and
stepped onto the floor of the Rookery.
"Well it seems your a mother?"
The sobbing woman jumped! She looked up startled. "Who?" She
first sees the darkness, a pure black silhouette of a person, with
glowing red eyes and smile on it face. She screamed and turned. She
covers her mouth at the sight of the darkness� companion. She tried to
move back against the wall. The yelping of baby Gargoyle adding to the
world as it becomes a swirl of light and darkness.
The darkness turned, eyes narrowed. The legs began to take shape,
getting into a battle stance. The arms and head, fingers, toes began to
take on detail. From the newly textured mouth a growl begans to form.
Roughly translated: We have a problem. She looked over her shoulder. A
shaft of light. Echoing of metal clad feet on old rock steps.
She mouthed a swear. She silently picks up the baby gargoyle
and....
The woman waited.
She waited until corridor is completely empty. She put her helmet
back on, slid the oiled visor down. She picked up a sword from the
ground and turned towards the door. The fact that she wasn't attacked
leads her to believe the suit she wears has some sort of magic
properties. The poor soul who had left it out when she and her brother
had raided the small house a few miles away must be steaming by now.
Since none of the Vikings seemed to have noticed her or her brother she
believed that no one can see her.
Except the one in the cloak.
Yes her, she's been thinking that one over a little. Her brother
had been courting some farm hand a few leagues from their home. Perhaps
he had not mentioned part of this plan to her? He had been ranting and
raving about the rumors of Gargoyles and Magic users. But Carolyn to
see one of them up close, Nat had said one night over dinner in their
parents home. The most common place, he said that both of them would be
there would be a castle and guess what the closest castle was.
Yep you guessed it. Wivern.
But the woman she had seen around the corner. Yes her. Now she
was a different matter entirely. Carolyn could sniff her coming down
the adjacent hallway. She was good. Carolyn and Nat had stayed in
Wivern for a few months. Nat had seen what had happened two nights and
was awe struck at what the Gargoyles could do, Carolyn was of course
intent with the magic Magus and his book of spells. As well as some
other types of magic.
Carolyn had first met up with her adversary before they had even
hit Wivern. They met at cross roads, she was heading back towards
Wivern and Carolyn was heading into town. Then later on she had met
Carolyn at the gates of Wivern with Nat already in awe with what stone
creatures. Why was it she seemed to be everywhere?
And now she seemed to have gotten past Carolyn. How? Another
magic user? Or perhaps something different? The perhaps something
different crossed her mind as she placed her hand on the old wooden
door and pushed. *Great time to think of these Carol, really great
timing*, she thought as the door open fully into darkness.
She glanced out the window and gauged the time. Since she didn't
bring a torch with her she would have to pray for some lights down
there. She started to walk down the stairs and into the darkness. She
got about one fourth the way down the stairs when the door behind her
slams shut. She whirred and nearly tripped down the rest of the flight
of stairs. She took off her helmet and tossed it into the darkness. She
counts how many times it hits the stairs, about half a dozen to a
dozen. *Great*, she thought. She took one step at a time and finally
came to another set of doors. She frowned in the darkness. "Another
one?" She muttered and felt around. She found a torch which when
touched automatically burns like the sun. She covered her face with her
arm and looked around.
Before her stood the inner door to the Rookery. The area around
her, very much a landing of sorts has other smaller entrances. The
openings are only about three feet in diameter and seem to be giving
out illumination by themselves? Carolyn spotted her helmet and placed
it next to the inner door. She quickly looked in all of the entrances,
five in all, compass directions as well. This is really weird, her
thoughts are interrupted by a scream. A familiar muffled scream. She
turned, weapon still in hand. She pushed open the inner doors to the
Gargoyles Rookery, the light from the flaring torches basks down the
last few remaining steps.
Carolyn walked down the stairs, both weapons now raised. The
rooms illumination is much softer then the torches. She watched her
step on the stone steps and quickly spotted what she heard. In a heap
against the far wall, Casi. Carolyn got onto the floor of the Rookery
and quickly ran over to Casi.
"What happened?" Carolyn asked. She touched the quivering mass
that used to be her brother's lover. Casi's sobbing made Carolyn turn
away, her line of sight falls upon her knighted brother. She got to her
feet and knelt next to his corpse. Her anger began to grow. "Why did we
have to come here? Just to see some monsters..." her teeth grind
together. She passed her hand over Nat's eyes, closing them.
"He didn't have to die you know...."
"We just came here to see them, it was his idea to steal the
eggs." Carolyn retorted. "I came to learn some magic and that's it."
"And why were you going to steal the eggs?"
Casi slowly looked up from where she is and started to move
towards the stairs, eyes wide.
"They don't belong to you."
"So what.." Carolyn snorted. "What's theirs is mine, I deserve
it!"
"You do?"
Casi stood and backed away. She started up the stairs. Her sanity
slowly started to piece together.
"Just as the armor is? You have no idea what your dealing with."
Carolyn whirred around! Eyes gleaming a deep red. "I know what
I'm dealing with! I know what is at stake here! How about you!" She
froze. She just caught Cassi's feet as they walked back up the stairs,
the door closes behind her. Carolyn blinked. And it starts to set it.
Her eyes looked over everything that is in Rookery. "Where are you?"
She whispered.
"Where do you think?" The voice replied.
"Come out into the light where I can see you."
A snort from *somewhere* made Carolyn turn looking for what she
saught. The snort made a chill run down her spine. She _knows_ what
*that* came from. What it's capable of, she knows it can cut her down
within seconds. Slice her up into little pieces and possibly eat her
all up. She's heard stories about what is in this stone coffin with
her, the eggs and her dead brother. Stories to freeze the soul. So why
is she still down here? She wants to go, her mind has been telling her
legs to get out since she pushed open the inner doors. Why can't she
move?
"So where did you get the armor anyway? Hmmm?" The voice asks.
Something moved in the shadows, Carolyn can see that. Just out of her
line of sight, silhouettes of people moving. She growled and gets into
a defensive stance. "Show yourselves!"
"I don't think so. My friend wants to tear you or that armor off
like a can opener. I for one would to have little talk with your
friend. Her use of magic is quite interesting."
"That little farm wench won't get two leagues from here, I'll
hunt her down-"
"Ah yes....._you_."
Carolyn hesitated.
Drip.....
Drip....
Drip....
"Just who are you anyway? Hrmms?"
Carolyn's mouth was tight and stayed closed. Her mind though
screamed out the name. The force controlling her mind drains more power
from the magic source and reasserts control over the weakling.
"What did he offer you? Hrm? What did he promise in return?" The
shadows moved now, both in opposite directions. One jumped at a
forty-five degree angle, defining gravity. It looked over it's shoulder
and pushed off, clawed onto the ceiling. It hissed quietly and looked
down on the adversary, tactical thoughts rush through the brain as one
option comes up. That little warrior of darkness scamperedinto
nothingness. The other stays on the ground. She slid in behind the
stone Gargoyles, feet bearly making a sound as they touch the ground.
Her armor shifts back into place while she concentrates, letting the
light back into herself. She opened her eyes and let out a soft sigh.
She pets the baby gargoyles against her breast. It's been
suckling on her since Carolyn came down the steps. She hadn't had time
to check weather it be male or female. She's had more important things
on her mind. Like what to do with her little magic controlled dolly.
The armor, she thinks. The way her mind reacts, the fact that she's
waiting for us to attack her is another sigh. The waves her companion
is putting out she should have been out the door and into the Vikings
hands by now. *This is not going to be fun, tough magic. Not one of
your better jobs, old friend, not by far.*
She looked for her colleague and partner. She blinked and looks
around. Where'd it go? She squinted while the baby gargoyle finished
it's suckling and burped. It stretched it's little red wings and
decided to shake off all the remaining bits of the egg. It opened it's
eyes, blinking once or twice and looked up at it's mother. It smiles
and gives mom's breast a hug. She knelt there for a moment, a little
warmth from somewhere inside her beat. She would expect another cigar
from her partner if she knew where it was. She looked up once more and
saw him. She nearly dropped the baby gargoyle....
Caroyln turned slowly at the sound of the burp. She smiled,
bearly making out the silhouette of the person. A surge of angry runs
through her, images of people and places flash though mind in a second.
And in the middle of all of it, is her. The one that got away. She
raised her mace, an evil look in her eye and began to walk over to her
prey. She stepped over the body of her brother, walked past the eggs as
they lay there. Voices and sounds echoed through Caroyln as she does,
memories of a time long ago. Of a people dying, of a family at the
hands of a murderer crying for mercy. She is the one. She takes a deep
breath as her heart began to beat faster. She licked her lip at the
thought of Gargoyle blood, the sight of the body all mangled and
twisted. She now handled the mace in both hands.
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
She neared her prey and.....
*_Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhisssssssssssss_*
She stopped.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end. Behind her, on
the floor, the remains of the egg shell.....
*__Craaaaaacccccccccccck!__*
She closed her eyes as the hairs on the back of her neck are
heated by a gust of warm air.
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
When she opened her eyes, she can see the other silhouette, the
same person she has seen over these many months in Wivern. The same one
in the dreams, in the memories, the one she must destroy. Wearing some
sort of silver black metal armor. Arms, shoulders, lower legs and chest
encased in metal. The rest clothed in some kind of material. Her
features look to have been chiseled in stone. High cheek bones, low
nose, deep set eyes and tattoos on her angel shaped face. A baby
gargoyle hugged her breast affectingly. A surge of anger ran through
Carolyn's mind and her arm raised the mace....
A hand clamped onto the mace in mid-stroke. The quick whiff of
smoke and brimstone blew the back of Carolyn's hair. The owner of the
hand snorted once more and pulled the mace out of Carolyn's frozen
hand.
The mace dropped onto the floor and rolled away.
Carolyn's prey looked up, fumbling the gargoyle almost. She placed it
on the ground for the moment and swallowed. Caroyln turned her head
slightly to the right. Then her legs begin to turn. She turned all the
way around and sucked in a breath of air. She felt a force around her
neck and is pulled off her feet. Her legs dangled like a puppet with
it's strings cut. The force around her neck is the darkness� hand. It
looked into her eyes as it's other hand began to feel around the clasps
of the armor. It's eyes began to glow red, slits of red. The hand began
to take shape, arms, legs, body. Carolyn gagged, arms flailed as her
legs begin to spasm. It narrowed it's search and finds what it has been
looking for. Carolyn's own eyes begin to emit an eerie light and kicked
the darkness. That motion breaks her leg. She screamed in pain as the
free hand of the darkness began to shiver, the fingers nails grow, like
claws.
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
Carolyn hissed. "Let me go monster! I command it!"
The darkness hissed back. "Not on your best day," it's voice like
hot coals. It's claws pulled the connectors of the armor within a few
seconds. The two on the left and right side as well as the one on the
rear of the armor. Carolyn screamed more as the connectors are broken,
mists of green smoke and liquid began to pour down the sides of her
body. The liquid hits the floor and sparks, producing more smoke. The
stone floor under her begins to melt away.
"Let her go!"
The darkness' partner looked over her shoulder and sucked in her
breath.
Casi had made it past the Vikings in one piece and back up to the
her room, before they had ransacked it. Out of all the things she had
brought with her to Wivern, the book of spells was the only thing that
would be spared the Vikings wrath. And that leather bound book was the
one that rest in her left hand while her right emitted a harsh white
light in the room.
*Uh-oh*, she thought. *Pray that isn't what I think it is.*
The darkness began to chant as it slowly pulled the armor off
Carolyn's back. There is a murmur of voices, a language that is quite
familiar to Carolyn or at least Carolyn's master, who is at the moment
recovering from the broken leg he just received. There is slight spark
of light, shadows dance over the walls as the temperature begins to
rise.
"I said let _her_ *GO*!" Casi reached the floor, book in one
hand, the other hand blazing with magic energy. The farm hand turned
magic apprentice, even with her limited knowledge was producing so much
power. The book was not what she feared it to be, the Gemorem. "She
hasn't done anything to you!"
She turned around, cracking her knuckles. "Just put the book down
and you won't get hurt. We aren't here for you." She turned her back on
her companion facing Casi now. She has one of two options, one: settle
this peacefully and scram before dark. The second option, at this time
and place is not an option. She takes a step forward, both hands held
up. "We didn't mean for this to happen, just put the book down."
"Make me!" Casi as well took a step forward, leg and body
beginning to tremble.
She dipped her head, cocking an eyebrow. She took a deep breath
and let it out. She waited for a moment. "I'm unarmed, your the one
with the-"
"Shut up! Just shut up! You killed my love!"
"He's only part dead. I can still-
Casi pointed her hand at her, teeth clenched and eyes tearing.
"Why did you do it? Tell me!"
The chanting got louder now. The lights around the Rookery
pulsated, throwing shadows and light everywhere. The baby gargoyle
watched the light show from behind his stone brothers and ogled at the
sound while at the epicenter one human and something battle for
control. Carolyn screamed as the rest of armor hit the floor and
smashed into small fragments, her sword crumbled into nothingness along
with the mace. She shook violently as the darkness encases her body.
The chanting and lights hit her one at a time piercing her very soul.
"Fight him!" The darkness yelled, it began to emit a black light too,
against the white strobes that exploded around it. It concentrated on
it's prey, it felt it's mind pierce Carolyn's. It's all a jumble as it
dove and ascends through her brain looking for one thing in particular.
The dark magic screamed in pain as the remains of the armor faded away
and Carolyn's body goes limp.
"I didn't do it, I didn't do anything. I'm here to make sure the
eggs make it out in one piece," she doesn't move. She wished she could
watch the event happening behind her, but the on the verge of
tears/pre-pubescent/jilted lover her companion killed partially is
about to make a very large mistake. "You don't want to use that on me,
it won't work."
Casi looked at her for a second. Then down at the page then back
up at her, then down at the page once more. She still began the spell.
She gritted her teeth. O.K. option two. She concentrated, closed her
eyes, silenced the sound around her as something within her stirs.
Within her soul, the balance of light and dark merge. The darkness
began to seep out, from her closed eyes first. She can feel the build
up of energy as her armor shivered. She felt a gust of cold air run
through her as the darkness ran through her body. Her armor began to
shift, parts of it moving down, while other parts move left to right,
the fabric underneath her armor moved too. As the parts of her body not
covered emit a harsh white light.
Casi covered her eyes with one hand and still continued.
The darkness finds what it is looking for and battled it out of the
girl's system. Carolyn's system rejected the magic and as soon as it
had come it vanished! The darkness lowered her onto the ground. It sets
to work to heal her wounds. It bearly noticed that it's companion is no
longer there......
She stood there and took a death breath, letting it out slowly.
She can feel her heart beating, her brain sends signals to her eyes and
they opened. She flexed her arms in her shoulder sockets and dips her
head, narrowing her eye sight at Casi. She then opens her wings
completely and lets out a gut wrenching roar! Her skin is an off white,
her wings are a mixture of white, peach and silver. Her hair remains a
red with a purple tint. She stood there for a moment, both sets of
wings wide open for the full affect while her human and Gargoyle
heritage calm down and merge. Casi fell back onto the first step of the
stairs, eyes wide.
She bared her claws, leaving her wings open fully, stretching
them. Her multi colored wings shining in the light, she took a step
forward and looked down at Casi. Her eyes glow a fiery white in the
darkness. Casi stammered, shaking more then she had when she found her
part dead lover.
"Now," she says. "What were *you* going to do?"
"Whatareyou?"
The now seven foot five female Gargoyle/Human looked down at her
and smiled. "You can call me, Eryne." She looked over her should at the
darkness. "Is she done?"
It nods, blinking slightly at what stands before it.
Carolyn stirred quietly moaning.
Eryne smiled, folding her wings in. "It's time to go."
"Your leaving?" Caroyln sleepishly muttered, looking up. Her eyes
opened wide at the Eryne. "What about us? What will we do?"
Eryne turned, wings flapping like a cloak. She knelt and looked
into Carolyn's eyes. "You *will* leaving here and never return. But
before you do, you will answer a few of my questions."
Carolyn nodded slowly, shaking her head, trying to get the
ringing out her ears. "Thank you for saving my life." She turned to
look at her brother. "We'll have to bury him."
"He's only part dead." Eryne replied. She pivoted and glanced at
Casi. "You'll be coming with us. I'll need you help to revive him."
"You always give people orders?" Caroyln asked, she slowly got to
her feet, with the help of the darkness. She leaned on it's shoulder,
favoring her leg. It laughed.
"Get used to it," it retorted. It felt a pair of hands on it's
leg and looked down. The baby Gargoyle attached itself on it's leg and
hugged it. "We bring that too?"
Eryne smiled and gently pulled the baby Gargoyle off and cuddled
it. "We'll bring," she checked. "We'll him along with us. They can live
with out one."
"They?" Casi finally spoke. "Whose they? And why do you need me?"
Eryne sighed. "You have a special gift. It needs to be harnessed
and sharpened, just as Carolyn does. We'll need it."
"For what?" Casi got up off the stairs and grabbed her book.
Eryne let that question go. She instructed her companion to carry
Nat for her while she carried the baby. She turned and looked at the
eggs. She knelt down and ran a hand over some of them. "I wish I could
take you all away," she murmured. "But you'll be safe soon." Her gaze
fell upon the stone Gargoyles and their pet. *And what of you?* She
thought quietly as Nat's body started to rise up and hove about seven
feet off the ground. She heard a grunt. Roughly translated: Well I'm
done.
"Time to go." Eryne said with her back to them, a small tear fell
onto the ground.
Casi helped Carolyn up the stairs with the darkness and Nat in
the middle while Eryne bringing up the rear. She started up the stairs,
only turning once to look down back down at the Rookery. Memories flood
her mind, time of happiness and sadness. The time she learned to fly,
to love, to trust. And the first time she saw a human named Wivern. She
turned and closed the door.
They hid and waited till the Gargoyles awakened. Goliath's Angel
is bearly seen, at least to Carolyn to Casi. Eryne and the darkness
watched as she fled and as Goliath erupted with a blood curling howl,
falling to his knees, the remains of his Angel in front of him. Eryne
watched as he gathers the Gargoyles up, heading off in search of the
Vikings and in search of vengeance.
They emerged from their hiding place and view the damage first
hand. Weapons and remains of stone gargoyles everywhere, bon fires
blazing. The smell of smoke and defeat drifted into the night air as
the small group vanished into the forest.
Carolyn turned to Eryne as they rode in the horse driven
carriage. Casi and the darkness resided in the back with Nat while
Eryne and Casi sat in front. "What did you mean, we were going to be
needed?"
Eryne kept her eyes on the dirt road, making out holes in the
road via the moon light. She could hear the screams of the Vikings in
the distance. She stared off into the night and heard a laughter, an
evil one. "The wolves are running," she replied.
Carolyn stared at her while they rode into the night and into
time......
End Chapter One
Gargoyles: Children of the Night
Chapter Two:
"According to the map, there's a tavern," Casi ran a finger over
the less then detailed map. She looked at the key and then gauged the
sun�s location in the sky above them. "It�s about three leagues from
here."
"There any way we can use another path?" Caroyln asked. "I still
think this road is a little too much in the open."
"This is the fastest road, the rest of the country side is too
rocky for the horse," the darkness replied from the back of the wagon.
Nat�s body rested behind it with a blanket over it. Eryne slept quietly
under a cloak with the hood pulled up. None of them knew that she had
turned to stone at sunrise. She slept peacefully, half stone, half
flesh and half metal.
It stood up for a moment to get a better look at the area around
them. The horses were trotting along at a leisure pace, they had all
rested the previous night and gotten a good meal in before starting off
towards.....wherever they were going. The cool air and warm sun
refreshed them as the wagon traveled on the only road in or out of
Wivern. Or at least what was left of Wivern. The road was large enough
for two wagons side by side, although parts of it were filled with
rocks and pot holes most of the road was still flat and level. High
trees with dark green levels sat on both sides of the road, a few stone
fences would pop up every so often along with some vacant surf houses.
The Castle called Wivern seemed to be leagues away along with the
events of the previous night.
The darkness looked down the straight away and narrow it�s
vision. Image of the road that lay a head flashed in front of it�s
eyes. It�s ears and others senses panned out along the lush country
side and listened for any followers, whoever�s side they were on.
"No one?" Caroyln was getting a little better at gauging what
that thing�s shifting ment, sometimes the silhouette would shift colors
other times just shades. The shadow of the canopy of tree branches and
the sun�s rays bounced off it like a pond. "Funny I thought you said
this was the only way to the Castle."
"Gossip must travel fast," Casi replied. She too looked around
now, listening to the birds chirping and the animals around them eat
and played. "Either that or they know a faster way out of town then we
do." She watched the darkness as it acted as a look out for the group.
She kinda poked the darkness and watched it�s skin ripple like someone
had thrown a rock into a pond. It rippled all over until it came to a
stop at it�s at which point it looked down on her and somewhat glared.
"Having fun?" It asked.
"Sorry," Casi cringed.
"What are you anyway?" Caroyln asked. "Magic beast? Mage�s pet?"
"Forbidden," it replied.
Casi and Caroyln looked at each other. "Uh-huh," they replied in
unison. "When we stop at this tavern," she looked down at the map and
eyed the scrawl. "Alizerin's Den to eat, can you hide yourself or
something? I don�t think anyone is going to like seeing something they
don�t understand." Casi commented.
"You mean I can�t walk in and asked for a spirits and belch with
everyone else? The darkness asked, dead pan.
Casi laughed quietly. "I�d say he�s better then a Doomsday cloak,
eh?"
Caroyln cracked a smile. "What did you kill Nat with, magic or
your own hands?"
That killed the conversation real quick.
"Magic at first to stun him but your master had other plans," the
darkness replied, it took it�s eyes off the road and sat back down. It
leaned forward between to the two ladies. "It was my plan to revive him
afterwards but the armor that you were wearing a few days ago was
dormant. Your master could have awakened both yours and his."
"And killed everyone else," Casi finished. "Who are we dealing
with here? Is he going to come after us?"
The darkness leaned back and sat with his back to them. "Right
now he�s probably trying to find more subjects. Black Arts and the
Illuminati do not go together."
"Black Arts?" Carolyn eased the horses over to the right, missing
a rather large pot hole and brought the horse back to the center of the
road. "That�s what your practicing, right kiddo?"
Casi shut her mouth and bit her lip. "For a little while anyway,
the spells for too hard to remember."
"And you aren�t Illuminati by any chance?" The darkness seemed
more interested now.
Casi gave a quick side glance to Carolyn. "She was kicked out."
The darkness turned around, a smirk started to form on it�s
featureless face. "You were kicked out?"
Casi didn�t meet Carolyn�s glare. "I think I�ll keep my mouth
shut from now on."
End of Preview
Bentley4@ix.netcom.com
Spoilers below!!!!
(whew)
Spoilers...
O.k. we have the Gargoyles, a race of winged people who in the day
change from flesh to stone, at night they break the stone shell and
basically walk about and such till sun rise. At the beginning of
chapter 2 there are only seven Gargs left, six and Wivern who were
placed under a spell by the Magus to sleep till the castle rose above
the clouds. The seventh Garg, Demona is so much of a spoiler you'd have
to check the web page for Gargs about her. The six Gargs will be
awakened in 1995 by David Xanthos who will turn out to be a bad guy.
*characters!*
Who is Eryne? A human/Garg/alien hybrid. I do like hybrids, on a
dark note some may think it's a crutch since some of the stories I've
written have many hybrids in them. The alien part of her would be
Secoian. I don't plan on touch on that until later chapters. Like any
Garg she sleeps in the day and lives during the night. _IF_ she is in
her human/Secoian form then rule does not apply. She's 1/3 human, 1/3
Garg and 1/3 Secoian. The Garg side is very powerfull, so 3 days
human/Secoian 3 days Garg and 1 the hybrid. She will be the leader of
this little group.
Nat, Caroyln and Casi: Normal people. Casi is apprentice (sp?) in
magic. Nat and Carolyn would be knighted sooner or later. The armor in
chapter one was evil (duh) and course the master was able to control
them. He control Casi with a spell as well.
The darkness.....like I really need to tell you??? Another crutch,
I like using Huntsman in stories. So far Gargs and Robotech would be
the only fanfic universes I've used this type of alien in. The same
would go for the Riders. In this universe they will be more of a UPS
service/Sneakers group. Basicaly in this universe they have saved Seco
and returned home in a year.
What's up next?
The group makes it to Alizerin's Den (I like the name so sue me.
:))) After a near bar fight they cross path with the Riders, no techo
stuff, swords and stuff. The story will jump a head to 1996, we meet
the Gargs from the TV show and hopefully see some Illuminati plot go
sour. That's what I have planned. Mind you I have only seen the Illums
on Gargs and no where else so if anyone is a fan of the Illums and
would like to give me points be my guest.
I think that's it. Comments are welcome.
Bentley4@ix.netcom.com