The Children of Kishar - 3. Chapter 3

As the wind blew the snow around them the three young men walked through the streets of Newcastle, and after walking four blocks, Jeremy pointed to a taxi that was parked on the end of a street, seemingly waiting for them, though his words were lost as the wind picked up.

His twin, Andrew only nodded, and Ry followed the two into the Taxi.
When the three practically dove into the car, Ry seemingly the only one effected by the cold despite the fact he had fur and the other two did not, and was shivering.

The driver whom looked like a forty year old businessman and not someone whom should be driving a taxi turned towards them. “I see you two young men found what yee were lookin fer.” the Taxi man eyed Ry up and down briefly, “Aye and an interesting specimen he is too, I’d say.”

Ry looked back into the man’s eyes with a glare, then suddenly realized what the mans eyes were that of a much older man then a forty year old, he then noticed that the man had pointy ears too, but his were jagged and not straight like the two boys.

Jeremy took charge of the situation, “De Kamp, could you take us to the Old Rose in Edinburgh?”

De Kamp looked at the green-eyed elf and smiled his teeth jagged and almost shark like, “I take it you two had trouble and need to recharge.”

Jeremy seemed the shift uncomfortably, “not your business, just take us there…”

De Kamp frowned sourly, “Fine, House Danu’s gold is as good as any other, I’ll ask no more questions of yee.” with that he started up the taxi and gunned the vehicle down the street, taking off at a pace that would be insane in the snow storm.

Andrew looked at Jeremy with concern, “you’re not thinking of staying the night in the Old Rose are you…”

Jeremy looked back at his twin with a frown, “this storm is getting worse, and I had hoped that the Frost demon’s flight would have helped a bit, but obviously it hasn’t.”

Ry spoke up suddenly but lowly, “the driver…. isn’t human…. Is he?”

Andrew just smiled briefly, but Jeremy spoke with a frown, “no he is a goblin, if you look at his hair, you’ll notice how fake it is, he’s really bald, all goblins are, they’re also dangerous and feed off of bad emotions…among other things…probably why he’s a taxi driver…”

Ry frowned more then a little nervous, especially with the way the goblin was driving, “if he’s dangerous, why are we in a taxi with him?”

Jeremy grinned evilly, “because unlike some goblins he values money, especially the money of the Houses of the Faerie, besides he wouldn’t dare do anything to us because he has a thing for our grandmother…”

Ry blinked, thinking how old the goblin’s eyes looked “how old is your grandmother…?”

De Kamp growled, “never talk about a lady’s age boy…but lets just say she and I were around during the London Blitz of World War Two…ah good times, haven’t had those kind of negative feelings since…” the goblin smiled his shark toothed smile through the mirror, licking his lips “ah…good times…”

All three young men shuddered visibly.

Andrew looked at his brother with a frown, “you’re not thinking of contacting the council are you brother…?”

Ry looked at Andrew, “Council, what Council?”

Andrew didn’t speak just looking at his brother with a frown, and Jeremy once again spoke, “the Mage Council of Britain, those whom maintain the laws and codes the mages within the British Isle live by,” and he looked pointedly at De Kamp, “and Magical beings such as goblins…as well.”

Andrew continued to frown, looking at his brother nervously, “you know we’re American, and therefore have no say here.”

Jeremy frowned “yes but the Lords of Britain should know what’s going on, and perhaps how to stop this storm and…” he looked meaningfully at the young lion-man next to him.

Ry looked at them “what, you’re turning me over to them or something?”

Jeremy laughed, “oh I think not, that would probably be dangerous for you and us, no I am thinking of your family, the Mage council can provide protection for them, this is their jurisdiction, and such a magical attack would certainly warrant their protection.”

Ry looked Jeremy alarmed, “wait you said my family would be safe if I left?!”

Jeremy looked at Ry with a frown, “no I said if you didn’t leave they’d die, I did not say that they would be safe, after all you have means of contacting them correct, I‘d assume with that laptop you decided to bring with you…?”

Ry frowned, “err yes…?”

“While the demon and his employer probably knows by now that your not there, why would you think they’d hesitate to use your family to get to you…”

Ry began to panic, “we should go back then!”

Andrew looked around Jeremy at Ry with a pained look, and Jeremy frowned, “no let the Mage-lords of Britain handle this…”

“But, they’ll die…”

Jeremy continued frowning as he looked at Ry, “no they’ll be alright, I will make sure of it…on my honor as a member of the Order of the Emerald Dragon…” with that a ring on his finger that Ry had not noticed before seemed to glimmer and shine slightly.

The ring looked like a large silver ring with a rectangular emerald gem, and a silver dragon mounted on the top of the gem.

Ry’s eyes could not stay away from the ring as he asked, “the Order of the Emerald Dragon?”

Jeremy was about to open his mouth to comment when Andrew punched him lightly on the shoulder giving him a disapproving glare, Jeremy sighed, “sorry, you’re right.” Jeremy shuddered as if a great burden had just been placed upon his shoulders with the promise he made to Ry, as he looked at De Kamp with an arched eyebrow, whom looked back with his shark toothed smile, and Jeremy shuddered again, this time for different reasons.

The group road north along A1 reaching Edinburgh in around an Hours travel, going through the darkening cloistered streets entering the old city. The Taxi parked roughly in front of a very old looking establishment with the name Old Rose, having on the sign, the picture of two Roses crossing over each other, one blue and the other red.

De Kamp smirked giving them a menacing grin, “The Old Rose, now if you boys no longer need me, I hear there’s all sorts of trouble brewin in London, protests against education or some such, good place to stir trouble and feed…”

Jeremy just shuddered, “come on you two…before I become anymore disturbed.” The three walked into an interior that was in dramatic contrast to the old beat up exterior of the building, a large restaurant and foyer, filled with fine furniture and décor.

A man in a bright red business suit stepped forward. He was as unnerving in his way as the goblin was in its. He looked like a human, but he, unlike Jeremy and Andrew did not cover his pointy ears. His skin was really pale, and the irises of his eyes were blood red. “Hello boys…. And your rather unique pet homunculus, I am Kenneth Mac Ailpín, owner of this establishment, how may I help you?”

Ry looked at Jeremy and Andrew, “what the hell’s a homunculus?”

Jeremy frowned, pulling out a letter with an item made of strange material from a pocket in his coat and handing it to Kenneth, “something you are not.”

The man in red tore the seal on the letter and read it briefly looking back and forth between it and the twins, “the grandsons of Rietta the Wanderer are always welcome here…are you just dinning in, or planning to stay the night?”

Jeremy frowned, “the night actually…and we’ll probably need the full use of the facilities the Old Rose has to offer.”

The Kenneth nodded, “sign name to take credit from your account” with that he handed Jeremy a feather pen that looked hollow in the center.

Jeremy sighed in reluctance putting his fingers on the pen causing the center to started filling with a red liquid. He quickly signed his name and titles onto the same strange tablet that he had given to the man in red before. Returning the tablet and the pen to Kenneth.

The man in red looked at it for a moment oddly “I see, I will have this returned to you promptly milord.” with that he bowed formally, and turned leaving them.

Jeremy whom was frowning from the moment he signed his name and titles, quickly placed his thumb in his mouth, “I hate those pens…”

From the moment that Kenneth bowed, those other customers whom were in the Old Rose immediately began staring at the three boys, and talking among themselves.

Andrew grimaced looking around nervously, “I don’t like crowds Jeremy, and we’re getting much too much attention.”

Jeremy nodded sadly, “I know Andrew, don’t worry, and try to ignore them.”

Ry looked at Jeremy, guessing by now that Andrew wouldn’t answer anything he asked, “ok what is that guy, and why did he call me a what ever it was…?”

Jeremy frowned growling, “not here and now Ry, I’ll tell you in our room.”

The man in red returned a few minutes later carrying the tablet, “it seems your papers and accounts are in order my lord…I have set you up with the east suite, sorry we only have a single one bedroom suite available milord, I hope you understand, your ‘retainer’ and your toy will have to sleep in the living area…I assume you will be wanting a full mage meal, would you like to eat it in our dinning area or shall it be taken up to your room?” Kenneth said as he handed Jeremy back the tablet.

Jeremy smiled, stuffing the tablet back in his pocket, “We’ll take it in our room…”

Kenneth smiled, “very good milord, Lucas, our bellhop will show you to your room, here’s the key.” with that the man in red handed Jeremy a key that looked like it belonged in the Middle Ages.

With that he walked away and a very strange looking young man seemed to pop out of nowhere. He wore the traditional bellhop clothing that one wore in the old fancy Hotels. But was strange is that his ears were extremely pointed, well beyond that of Jeremy and Andrew. He had a pair of small horns pointing out of his head, and his legs looked like they would be better fitted on a deer then a human, from behind him there was a long tail with a long tuft of hair on the end going almost half way across the tail. “Hello milord how may I help you, do you have any baggage that I can carry for you?” the young person looked around the three young men, excitedly looking for baggage, “I guess not, ok I’ll show you up to your room!” and he bound off towards the staircase. “Come on! Come on!” Waving them over excitedly

Jeremy sighed, following Lucas “that is a homunculus…”

Ry frowned “really, he looks nothing like me?”

Jeremy frowned “That’s because he is nothing like you for one, a homunculus is an artificially created being made through magic and the flesh of it’s creator. A homunculus has it’s own intelligence and personality, but only so much as that which the creator wants. The second reason is that a homunculus’s form is what the creator willed it at it’s creation to be, Lucas over there is actually supposed to look like a Satyr of some kind.”

Ry growled, “So he thought I wasn’t a real being…that I was some kind of pet?” A glass shattered in a dinner guest’s hands, half way across the room.

Andrew sighed, grabbing Ry turning the lion-man and looking at the teenager strait in his cat-like eyes. The blue eyed young man spoke to him for the first time “don’t listen to what others think of you, you are you no mater what you look like.”

Ry blinked a couple times shock of the event hitting him, Jeremy laughed though “Andrew is warming up to you, consider your self lucky.”

The three young men and the artificial walked up the staircase to the second floor, and Lucas showed them to their room and allowed them in with his own key. He had a cheerful look on his face as he showed them excitedly around the room. “This is the bathroom and the bedroom and the main room…we have everything a the mage needs here, is there anything I can get you right now?”

Jeremy and Andrew came up to the boy acting very much like the twins they were, and smiled at Lucas, each placing a hand on one shoulder, Jeremy spoke, “no but we would like dinner in an hour, if you will be pleased to deliver it here…” then both of them placed what looked like a mint in the satyr-like being’s hand.

Lucas whom never received anything from anyone since he’s role was servant and humans rarely came to the Old Rose, looked at them with big eyes then hugged them, “thank you, you two are nice! I’ll be outside the door all night if you need me!” with that he ran across the room and closed the door, leaving them, with a smile plastered on his face.

Ry looked at them, “ok what did you give him and why, he isn’t even human…or even real.”

Andrew growled at him, and walked out of the room yelling, “I am taking a shower Jeremy, you might want to talk to the Council now.” with that the blue eyed twin slammed the door to the bathroom.

Jeremy gave his twin a pained look then looked at Ry, “just because he is artificial does not mean he doesn’t have a soul in fact mages whom create Homunculus take great pains to do so, nor does he deserve to be treated like a slave which is how most mages treat him, he isn’t just some robot whom has just the facsimile of life.” he looked at Ry sadly, “do you understand?”

Ry frowned nodding, “I am sorry I didn’t understand.” he sighed asking about something that was bothering him, “why does Andrew have you talking for him all the time, I see these looks he gives people like he wants to talk to them, but he never does, except to you…why”

Jeremy looked sad, “his and my sins, so lets put it this way if he doesn’t know you he won’t talk to you, because he doesn’t trust anyone whom he doesn’t know, it is ingrained deep in his core, whether he wants to say something or not, he won’t unless he knows you well enough to trust you. Consider yourself lucky that he has started speaking to you, you have become one of the lucky few. He smiled disarmingly, “don’t worry about him being mad over the Lucas issue he will get over it, he knows you didn’t realize.” The Green-eyed twin adjusted his glasses, and sighed, “ok I am going to talk to the council and you are coming with me.”

Ry looked at him strangely, “but we just got here…and why do you need me?”

Jeremy smirked, “oh we’re not going anywhere, and because you’re going to be my second, or my retainer as Kenneth called Andrew.”

Ry growled, “I am not your servant, besides they’ll think I am a toy like that Kenneth creature called me, what is he anyway?”

Jeremy laughed, “a mage like Andrew and me, but his direction was different then we are, he sought to lengthen his life indefinitely by seeking the help of darker powers, he is what you call a vampire.”

Ry looked positively frightened, “aren’t you afraid he’ll come in here and turn us into his vampire children, or kill us in our sleep.”

Jeremy smirked saying simply “you watch too many movies…” He sighed, “to the retainer issue, Andrew is no retainer, but he serves as my second if I go to such occasions as I am about to go, as my retainer as others have been known to call it, contrary to most I have no retainers bound to me…”

Ry looked uncertain about both issues, “I guess…what do I have to do?”

Jeremy smiled, “not much, mostly likely all you’ll have to do is stand silently behind me while I talk to the Mage Council of Britain, and hold onto this.” he pulled a strange crest with a blue bird on it from his pocket, on the back of it were several words in glowing silver written in another language, and handed it to Ry, “now come on, there should be a circle here somewhere.”

The two walked to a dais in the living area, and there was a silver Celtic knot on the floor, “here we are, now stand in the center with me…”

Ry did as he was told, and Jeremy spoke some words softly. The silver knot shimmered and began to shine, suddenly the room seemed to shift and the two of them were pulled away seemingly across the city to Edinburgh Castle, flying down into it, deeper into places that no human has ever gone before. The two flew seemingly into a huge chamber upon which around which were five thrones sat upon a huge dais.

Ry started coughing feeling sick as soon as he was stabilized in movement.

Jeremy whispered “sorry, first time soular transference sucks, but we have no time to worry about that, he looked at the five thrones.”

Upon each sat a different lord of Britain, 3 females and 2 males, one for each of the five kingdoms, Whales, Ireland, England, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

An elderly woman on the end spoke up, “Jeremy of the House Danu, The Blue Phoenix of the West, and a member of the Order of the Emerald Dragon, speak why have you come before the Council of Britain, we were just about to close business for the day.”

Jeremy sighed, “please do not call me by my mage lord title, my lady Elizabeth of House Agrona Grey Mantle, Mage Lord of Whales, and forgive my intrusion in your kingdoms. I have come before you due to recent events that have been taking place in Britain.”

A middle aged man in a strange black business suit, looking more fitting to a Goth party then on a human, with red eyes spoke up, “what events, we here know of no unusual events that should concern you, a foreign mage lord of the petty mages of America.”

Jeremy sighed, “Lord Eric of the house La Fey, Firewalker, Lord of England, The Weather for one you five surely can tell that something unusual has been meddling with it?”

Eric frowned giving Jeremy a cold look, “that does not concern you, princeling, but since you asked the matter is well in hand, and we are taking steps to deal with it.”

Suddenly a young woman whom looked very much like Jeremy so much so that one would wonder if they were related spoke up, “Lord Jeremy why is it you do not wish us to use your mage lord title, your grandmother gave it to you for a reason, Blue Phoenix surely you do not intend to discard the title of mage-lord such a thing is just not done, even in America, it would be an insult to your ancestors and your house.”

Jeremy sighed, “Lady Morrigan of House Danu, the Crow, thirty third of the Line of the Name of the Crow, Queen of the Mages of Ireland.” He smiled, “and cousin, I have no intention of giving up my title, I just don’t like using it milady.”

Morrigan smiled, “as you wish Jeremy.”

Jeremy smiled at her roguishly, “Besides my lords, though I also wish to pay my respects to the Great House Lords of Britain, by the Sun never set on your Islands.” He bowed formally motioning Ry to do the same, “I wish to inform your exalted lords of an event that occurred today concerning an attack on humans within the jurisdiction of your exalted selves.”

At this statement there were several whispers and annoyed glares, then Eric spoke up, “such a thing though rare happens, why bring it before us, at the here and now.”

“Because your lordship the humans lived through it, and it isn’t just a matter of cleaning up the mess made, but I believe that whom ever attacked these people will come again, and I wish to ask that your exalted selves place the family under your protections.” with the last several words he looked strait at Morrigan as if exchanging secret knowledge with her, or at least a wish.

The fourth lord spoke up, a very ancient looking man with a long beard and glowing energy floating around his head, which he seemed to poke at every so often. “Why would this human family warrant repeated attacks by these assailants you speak of young Lordling?” the mans voice seeming as ancient as the stones around them.

“I believe, Lord Gael, lord of Scotland, and High Lord of the Council, the Black Stag, that it would be to get to a young mage that I have since taken under my wing, the young man shows much potential whether he knows it or not.”

A woman whom looked very much like a shrew, short with a long nose, wearing a pair of round glasses, her hair bound up in a bun behind her. “Though whether you take an apprentice even at your young age or not Lord Jeremy is your business, but pray tell where is this boys family, and where did this attack occur?”

“Lady Bridget, the Black Owl, Mage Queen of the Isle of Man it is in the city of Newcastle upon the Tyne, in England.”

Lord Eric Frowned his voice sounding half annoyed, “I take it then you are in Edinburgh, staying probably at the Old Rose.”

Jeremy frowned arching an eyebrow, “yes I am here.”

Lord Gael frowned, “then why are yee not here in person, and instead sending a soular image of yourself and your pet and secondly why is your pet your retainer and not doing things servants should be doing.”

Ry whom was silent from the power radiating from these five people, and at Jeremy’s instructions, gave a low growl.

Jeremy brought his hand back to Ry’s arm and pinching him roughly, whispering “choose your battles” he smiled a fake smile at lord Gael “for one I would not have been able to get here in time if I had come in person, this is a large city after all, and I just got here less the twenty minutes ago.” then his voice became cold, and his eyes once more began to glow green, “secondly my lords, what I do with my retainers, and servants is not the concern of this council”

The council talked among themselves for several moments, then came to some kind of agreement, Lord Gael spoke, “we will take your apprentice’s families needs under advisement I assume you left a mark on their house so that we will be able to find the house.”

Jeremy frowned his eyes showing annoyance but his voice remained calm, “yes I did, and if this is the council’s wish, then I will abide it and take my leave.” he bowed and grabbed Ry, whom was boiling in anger, forcing him to bow as well.

Immediately upon Jeremy bowing the room twisted and they were pulled back to their bodies in the Old Rose.

Jeremy immediately started cursing, “what a bunch of arrogant old has-beens.”

Ry started cursing as well, “you told me the council would protect my family, I know enough about politics to know that that was not what you called protection! You are a lying Twat!”

Ry started walking away from Jeremy when they both heard a zing, and two of the Lords of Britain appeared in the Silver circle, Lady Morrigan, and Lady Bridget, it was Lady Morrigan whom spoke, “Lady Bridget and I wish to ask for your forgiveness Lord Jeremy, my cousin. She spoke her eyes sparkled, “My grandmother Margaret, the Badb told me about Rietta the Wanderer, your grandmother, whom kept in contact with the main house and my grandmother for many years until her death and I became the New Queen of Ireland. I will send two of my best Fiana to the mage’s parent’s house,” she winked at Ry as if saying I know that you are the apprentice Jeremy spoke of.

The old Queen of the Isle of Man spoke then as well, “as will I young Lord, I feel that you were treated shamelessly by the other council members, and there is something deeper going on then just the movement in a political game, though I have the feeling you and your…friend here are part of it, perhaps you will tell me one day if we both survive.”

With that the two mage-queens bowed and faded from the silver knot.

Jeremy grinned roguishly at Ry, “I told you I’d make sure that your family was safe. Now it’s almost time to eat and I am sure that Andrew is nearly ready to join us.”