by T S Paul
“Been there done that. I’ve even been to that Other place. This is Minerva’s garden. Big difference,” Fergus replied.
“Ok, if you say so.” Chuck looked down him and stopped walking. “Would you answer a question for me?”
Trotting in place for a moment, Fergus looked up at the WereCat. “Maybe?”
“Have you always been able to talk intelligently and do Magick? I only ask because you’ve done some pretty goofy stuff in the past,” Chuck said.
Cocking his head to the left, Fergus looked to one side for a moment before answering. He looked up. “Agatha told me a story once about the scorpion and the frog. Do you know it?”
Chuck pursed his lips and nodded. “I think so.”
Fergus bounced on Chuck’s hand like he was listening to music only he could hear. “Like the scorpion, it’s my nature. Young unicorns are mischievous and playful, or at least we’re supposed to be. I expected to be killed when I was young. I’ve told you I was the sacrifice. Other than Agatha, why should I trust humans or even you stinky Cat people?”
“You and I have hung out…” Chuck started to say before Fergus cut him off.
“We have. I trust you now, not then. After seeing my herd again and talking to the girls, I understand what I didn’t before and because of that, I decided to allow myself to grow up,” Fergus replied. Turning back to the garden he pointed with his front leg. “Go in that direction.”
Chuck looked in the direction Fergus was pointing and took a few steps. The entire team had speculated about the changes in Fergus. Why he’d allowed them to see his Magick and why he was talking more. Trying to act casual, he asked Fergus to elaborate. “What didn’t you understand before?”
Still bouncing as if listening to music, Fergus looked behind at Chuck. “Have you seen me lately? I’m shorter than I’m supposed to be. Unicorns are graceful and a lot bigger than me. Agatha is never going to be able to reverse that spell. I’m doomed to stay this way, forever! My herd won’t take me back, regardless of how much I help them. They said as much to me.”
Chuck agreed with him about the spellwork. Agatha’s spells were a bit...wonky, early on. She seemed to have a handle on things these days though, and he said as much. “Agatha is more focused now. Have you asked her to try?”
The little unicorn jumped up and in mid-air spun around to face Chuck. “Are you crazy? Do I look like something that would look good in purple? I don’t want to speak squirrel on purpose all the time. Screw that. I’ll just stay short.”
“You speak squirrel?” Chuck asked.
“Duh. Doesn’t everyone?” Fergus replied to him.
Chuck shook his head. “No. What do they say?”
Fergus waved his hoof and snorted. “All they care about is nuts and other food. They aren’t all that talkative to me except when planning assaults. We used to have the grandest plans.”
“Plans? What sort of plans?” Chuck asked him.
Fergus looked up at Chuck again. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. We’re here by the way, or at least mostly.”
Chuck looked around at the vegetables and herbs. He didn’t see anything all that interesting. “What am I missing?”
“Agatha and I used to come to play here. It’s the closest to the Garden you can get without actually going through the gate. The mouse kingdom lies just through the fence over there and maybe a hundred yards that away.” Fergus pointed with his right leg.
Chuck looked to where Fergus was pointing. A large hedge of what looked like rosemary was hiding a small castle, complete with tiny flags. “Is that a castle?”
“Outpost. According to Zeus they spread out this way a few years ago. Agatha and I, not knowing we weren’t supposed to, went through the fence and into their actual kingdom. There’s a whole city not all that far from here,” Fergus explained.
“Zeus would be the Greek God? I thought you were Canadian?” Chuck asked.
“Are you stupid or something? Zeus is a cat. He’s Marcella’s familiar. We might be enemies, but we still talk. Stop hanging out so much with the polar bear and use your brain,” Fergus replied.
Chuck shook his hand, making Fergus bounce around. “Leave Mongo out of this! He’s been nothing but cool to you. Why. Are. We. Here.”
“They broke the treaty. Minerva either doesn’t know or can’t do anything, so we decided to do it ourselves. With your help of course,” Fergus replied.
Chuck suddenly upended his hand, dropping the micro-Unicorn to the ground. Like a rubber ball you buy in a vending machine, the tiny Unicorn bounced several times before stopping.
“Ouch! What’d you do that for?” Fergus cried out.
“For you not telling me the truth! You said this was going to be fun,” Chuck explained. “And why are you working with Marcella’s familiar? You’ve been saying for years that you hate cats!”
Fergus wiggled for a moment and even did what looked like a dance step. Looking up at Chuck, he said, “Fine. Zeus and I made a deal with each other years ago. The mice aren’t allowed to move onto this side of the fence. They attack me whenever they see me and Zeus...he takes them out. I’d say I have no idea what your talking about, but you’d know I was lying when I say it. Zeus is as much my teacher as he is my attacker. We lived here, together, for more than three years, after all.”
“So why am I here, then?” Chuck asked.
“If it was just the cat and me, Minerva might not notice. We needed the mice to attack you as well,” Fergus replied.
Chuck looked around seeing only birds and plants. “How would they attack me?”
At that very moment, several large black crows dove out of the sky and attacked the large Werecat. Pecking at his face and exposed arms, they made him throw up his arms in defense and stumble backwards.
“Arrrgh! What the flaming hell?” Chuck batted at the birds even as he fell backwards over a large planter of herbs.
“Look out! They’re coming in again,” Fergus yelled.
True to Fergus’s words, the birds came at the now prone Werecat in almost military precision. Each bird swooped down to dive bomb Chuck with large stones and poop.
Clutching his head and cursing, Chuck jumped up. “That really hurt!” Wiping his hand across his face he scowled and cursed again. “It’s in my mouth.”
Hiding a chuckle, Fergus used his Magick to jump, landing on Chuck’s shoulder. “See, I told you it was an adventure.”
Chuck searched the sky for the birds, and spotted them forming up near the fence line. They were about a hundred yards away, near what Fergus had called an outpost. Looking for a weapon, he glanced at the herbs growing all around him. He reached down and pulled a tall clump of lavender from the ground, roots and all.
“When this is over we’re going to have a serious conversation about friendship and adventure,” Chuck told the unicorn.
“You forget that I can’t die. To me this IS fun,” Fergus replied.
Chuck shook the bush a bit to shake free some of the dirt. “I’m a scientist. Wanna bet I can think up all sorts of fun things to do with an undying unicorn? Don’t push it, Fergus!”
The squadron of birds dove out of the sun in a coordinated attack that would have put a modern fighter squadron to shame. With one bird aiming for Chuck’s eyes, the others maneuvered to hit from all sides. Relying on his faster-than-human reflexes, Chuck swung the bush and ducked at the same time. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the bird and its rider go flying in separate directions. Birds coming in near his knees made contact, striking him with sharpened sticks.
“Dammit! That freaking hurt,” Chuck yelled as he went down, clutching his knees. His healing factor started its work, but he could feel blood trickling down his legs. Yanking the sticks out, he could see they were tiny lances. Holding the things up, he yelled at Fergus again. “You’re a Wizard, do something!
“Why’d you think I teamed up with the cat? I’m not that sort of Wizard.” Fergus looked up at the sky. “Here they come
again.”
Chuck shook Fergus off his shoulder and dropped the bush in his hand on top of him as he stood back up. Raising his face to the sky, he yelled. His body began to shift even as the yell turned into a roar. Fur sprouted out of Chuck’s clothing as the shirt and pants tore and ripped. His casual clothes weren’t designed for a Were warrior form.
The mice squadron continued their dive and were oblivious to Chuck’s change until a gigantic clawed hand snatched two of them right out of the air. Scattering in all directions, the flock of birds along with their tiny knights squawked and screamed in panic.
Looking like a comic book hulk, Chuck stood in the herb garden holding a bird in each clawed hand. His words came out as mostly growls, but if you listened he was understandable. “Tiny warriors attacked the wrong person.”
“You got some! Dirty creatures,” Fergus pointed out.
Chuck looked down at the unicorn. He was covered in dirt and leaves from having the plant fall on him. “You’re one to talk,” Chuck growled.
Closing his eyes and concentrating a moment, Chuck’s body started to shrink. The fur on his body sloughed off as he regained his normal human form. Unlike Catherine, Chuck wasn’t an Alpha; his change wasn’t as instantaneous, and it was painful. Through it all, he didn’t drop the birds, even squeezing them tighter as his hands changed shape, losing his claws in the process.
“You mentioned a treaty before they attacked,” Chuck commented.
“Yes, they aren’t supposed to be here, but nobody back there will listen to us about it. Zeus doesn’t talk to Marcella like I do Agatha. He helps her with Magick but he’s just a big house cat,” Fergus explained.
Chuck gave the birds a little shake as he peered at them. They were crows, but fitted with saddles and riders. The mice were almost cartoonish in their armor and tiny swords. “If the cat can’t speak, how do you know all this?”
Fergus jumped again, landing this time on Chuck’s other shoulder. “Humans can’t understand him but I can. How do you think I talk to the squirrels and the tree?”
Chuck frowned and looked at the tiny unicorn. “You can talk to the tree in the living room? Does Agatha know this?”
“Uh, oops. I wasn’t supposed to say that. Forget about it.” Fergus’s hooves took on a slight glow.
Shaking his head, Chuck looked at the knights in his hands and back over at the now glowing unicorn. “It won’t work this time.”
“No idea what you’re saying right now,” Fergus replied. The glow of his hooves moved to encompass his entire body now.
“We each took one of Agatha’s amulets when we joined the unit. Remember? They became a part of us and protect us from direct Magick use and other stuff. No way I’m forgetting the things we talk about now. You won’t be getting away with what you did a third or fourth time,” Chuck grunted. “I promise you I can make your life a living hell on the bus or at home.”
“Fine, whatever. Stupid Magick,” Fergus replied. The glow faded away to nothing as he cancelled the spell.
“The truce?” Chuck asked Fergus again.
“According to Zeus, the mice made a deal with the family. They wouldn’t cross the fence and the family wouldn’t actively try to destroy them. But they have a new king over there and he’s a bit nuts. Zeus has been catching their scouts for a few years and I get chased almost every time I come out here. They don’t like me all that much,” Fergus explained.
Chuck waved his hands with the tiny captives. “And these?”
“We thought if we got you involved, they might believe us about the mice. Agatha and I went to their town once, but we didn’t know about the Garden and what can happen to you in there. It was pretty dumb at the time, but she was five and I…I didn’t care about anything in those days,” Fergus admitted.
“I can’t hold these folks forever. What are we doing with them?” Chuck asked.
“Take them up to the house. Marcella and Minerva should believe me now,” Fergus replied.
“Marcella will believe what? You two better have a really good explanation for tearing up Min’s prized herb garden like this. I won’t turn you into a frog, but she might,” Marcella stated from behind the duo.
Chuck looked over his shoulder to see Agatha’s grandmother and Anastasia, his boss, standing not ten feet away. “Some Were I am. People get right up on me and I don’t even hear or smell them.”
Ana snorted, “You do know I’m way faster than you? Quieter too. I can sneak up on just about anything if I put my mind to it.”
Sighing, Chuck looked at the Witch. “Sorry about the garden. Fergus led me out here on an adventure. What he didn’t tell me was that I was the bait for this little escapade.”
“Bait? What were you hunting?” Ana asked him.
Chuck held up his hands and the captives he had clutched in them. “Mice riding crows, if you can believe it.”
Marcella looked up from her inspection of the destroyed plants. With anger in her voice, she spoke. “Mice? Those rats are in violation of the treaty!”
Fergus jumped again, this time landing on top of a nearby clump of edible flowers. Before taking a large bite, he yelled out, “See, I told you so.”
“Anyplace I can put them? My hands are getting tired and this one here keeps trying to stab me with his little sword,” Chuck said as he waved his left hand.
“Bring them inside. We’ve dealt with their kind before,” Marcella commented. Pointing at Fergus, she demanded an explanation. “Start talking right now.”
Fergus launched into the entire story, expertly leaving out the fact that he could speak to Zeus. Chuck held his tongue about Fergus trying to use his Magick, but planned a reckoning.
The family household sans Agatha and Cat sat around the kitchen table staring at two mouse knights and their steeds. Chuck put the offensive creatures in a large fish tank Minerva popped in from somewhere. The mice were well-outfitted with classic medieval style period armor.
Looking at her cook and constant companion, Marcella asked a question. “You or me?”
“I guess me. That spell really takes it out of you and if this means what we think it means you’ll need your power to take action,” Minerva replied.
Chuck held up his hand, waving it at the two older Witches. “What do you plan?”
Marcella leaned back in her chair and gave him a tired look. “The spell required to speak to animals is very draining. As you know from working with my granddaughter, Magick used on living creatures is much more taxing than that of inanimate objects. Meaning we can enchant a table but not a cat or frog. Agatha’s act of changing Fergus not once but twice broke all the rules of Magick that we thought we understood. It’s one reason so many in the Coven were scared of her.”
“Why cast the spell at all, then?” Chuck asked her.
“Because the treaty is important. I made the deal myself with these rodents. It was more than a century ago, but is still valid. They are not to cross the fence. Period. I’d much rather talk first before blasting them from the Garden. My mother or even my grandmother wouldn’t have been as lenient as I have been so far,” Marcella explained.
Chuck waved his hands in a stopping or calming motion. “No. I meant why cast a spell at all. Fergus told me he could speak to them.”
Both Minerva and Marcella jerked their heads around so fast you would swear they were on swivels. Their collective glare stopped the escaping unicorn in his tracks. He’d just about made it to the edge of the table.
“You can speak mouse?” Minerva asked him.
Fergus shot Chuck a glare but answered anyway. “Maybe.”
Marcella snatched him off the table, bouncing him in her hand. “The local academy can always use badminton birdies. Don’t make me repeat that experience, Fergus. Talk!”
Fergus shuddered at the memory of that particular adventure from his youth. “Alright. I speak animal.”
“And tree,” Chuck added.
“That too,” Fergus agreed.
�
��How long have you been able to do this?” Minerva asked him.
Looking away from her and staring left in a classic liars pose the unicorn muttered, “Forever. It’s something I could always do.”
“And you never thought to mention this to us?” Marcella asked him. “So much time wasted. We could’ve been talking to so many things.”
“Unicorn here. Do I look like a guinea pig to you? I’ve seen those dissection shows on the tv. No way you’re cutting me up,” Fergus cried out.
Minerva’s eyes narrowed for a moment as she looked at the tiny unicorn. “Just what have you been watching?”
“It was on late one night. I liked it until they chopped that guy up. I think it was called Percy or something. Agatha told me about how the government used to cut up paranormals,” Fergus replied.
“You’re thinking of Quincy and they haven’t cut up any of our people since the 1920s and that was only for like a minute. We stopped that pretty quick. I’d like to think you could’ve trusted us by now, Fergus,” Minerva told him.
“Whatever. Zeus and I noticed the outpost a few years ago. They would sneak in and build it during the night, using the crows and knights to drive us off and protect the place. We had a nice little war with them for a long time, but then I went to Virginia,” Fergus explained. “Zeus couldn’t keep up with them. We both did try to tell you.”
Marcella pursed her lips as she tapped a finger against them. After a brief moment she shook her head. “Telling me that crows were chasing you in the garden isn’t the same thing as a mouse incursion. Next time speak up more fluently.”
“I’m not going to blast them just yet. Agatha is technically the Guardian of the Garden, so for this I need her permission. They’ve been there for a while already. They can wait just a bit longer,” Marcella continued.
“Where are Agatha and Cat anyway? I thought for sure they’d have noticed all the growling I was doing,” Chuck said.
“Training. The Coven’s primary instructor wanted to teach her about being a Guardian, so we set up a surprise for the girls,” Marcella explained.
