by HDA Roberts
"Oh, I like her," Cassandra said when the evil woman was out of earshot.
"Of course you do," I said, scratching my scars self-consciously.
She chuckled again, and patted my shoulder, "Don't worry, girls who like men think you're cute in a damaged sort of way."
"Was that supposed to be helpful?"
"Mostly it was supposed to amuse me."
And then she walked off and just left it like that!
Well, the joke was on her, she’d sacrificed her breakfast for the sake of a good exit, so I was just going to take my time and enjoy mine so she couldn’t come back for a good long while.
I thought that would be more or less the end of it. I figured Tethys would grow aggravated with Ross’ acerbic personality and give her the boot in short order... but she didn’t.
To make things worse, if didn’t appear as if Ross had anywhere else she needed to be, either. Whenever I saw Tethys, Ross wasn’t far behind, and she wasn't like Tethys' usual girlfriends. They were generally sweet, clean and cute, but not this one, oh no.
She was a full on, belching, tattooed (discovered that one in the worst way possible), mean-spirited creature who liked nothing more than to embarrass me, flaunt her relationship with my best friend, and simply get in the way of my relaxing under my own roof.
And when she wasn’t around, Tethys was talking about her. If I didn’t know Tethys better, I’d have thought she was smitten. I suppose it wasn’t without reason; Ross was an interesting woman. Her story was much like my own, actually; she’d been born into a Pureborn family, as I had, but she hadn’t been anywhere near as lucky as I’d been in the parent department.
Hers was a very traditional, very conservative family. The idea of same-sex relationships had revolted them, and if you bear that in mind, then you can probably imagine how they’d reacted to the idea of their daughter having Magic. Her father, especially, had been... cruel. She'd really had a rough go of it growing up.
After that start in life, I could understand why she had a bit of trouble with men in general and authority figures in particular. Seeing as how I was both (and clearly attached to her girlfriend), her antipathy towards me was somewhat justifiable, even if it wasn’t especially fair.
She'd taught herself Magic, which was impressive. As soon as she could, she’d used her nascent Portal Magic to leave home and never looked back. She’d used her powers to see the world, but hadn’t developed them much beyond her Affinity, which was a shame.
It was nice to have a little context, but that didn’t mean I was able to tolerate her any better. By the time the Conclave meeting came around, I was rather approaching my wits-end with Tethys’ house guest. Even Burglar peeing in her shoes hadn’t helped. Apart from anything else, I wasn’t entirely sure she’d noticed... which was just horrifying. Being a good friend meant that you tolerated your friends’ significant others, but I honestly didn’t know how long it was going to be before I simply had to abandon the house as a lost cause!
I showed up to the Conclave in a dark suit and tie. My shoes were polished and my robe, with its white hood, was freshly pressed. I met the others in the Archons' anteroom, where they were chatting with Myrddin and one another. Each had their own Wardens with them, generally only one or two. Since I was simply going to the Conclave building and then back home again, Cassandra had decided that I could go alone (she hated politics almost as much as I did).
Myrddin's two Wardens were dressed in full plate armour, shining and brilliant, with the familiar sky blue and white tabards over the front. They carried sheathed long-swords at their waists and had shields strapped to their left arms, bearing their personal heraldry. Their equipment practically shimmered to my Magical senses even without my having to cast Mage Sight.
"Ah, Lord Mathew!" Myrddin said brightly as he saw me, coming over to shake my hand warmly. "Thank you for coming."
"My pleasure, Lord Ambrosias," I replied with a smile.
"Ambrose, please!”
"Only if you call me Mathew."
"Fair enough,” he said with a warm smile, “Vanessa tells me that you wanted to see me. Perhaps we can meet after this?"
"If you have the time, it would be greatly appreciated.”
He nodded, "After this, then."
"How are you liking the twenty-first century?" I asked, noting that we still had some time to kill before the meeting started.
"It's loud, it's polluted, it's over-crowded... and it's absolutely magnificent," he said, grinning like a kid. "Bart showed me around a bit, introduced me to some of this technology of yours, and it's fantastic. I can get news from all over the globe without casting a single Spell, I love it!"
Oh dear, he'd discovered TV...
"Seen anything interesting?"
"Too much," he said, the smile fading a little. "Mankind's capacity for murder and depravity has increased along with his numbers. I don't know what to make of it all, much less how I might fix it."
"There's no changing human nature," I agreed.
He nodded. "But that doesn't mean we can't try!" he said, his smile back in place.
One of the Councillors came in and told Kron that they were ready for us, cutting our conversation short. I followed the others out, with Myrddin behind me.
The Conclave Chamber fell into silence as we arrived, and everyone got to their feet. Since their return from exile, the other Archons hadn’t spent much time at the Stonebridge Conclave. Each had their own area of responsibility and their own preferred Conclaves. Killian haunted the one in Cairo, Kron preferred Shanghai, Palmyra was generally found in Brazil (though she preferred Paris) and Hopkins in the States, which left Europe to me (lucky Europe).
I'd shown up a few times at various Conclaves in Italy, Spain, France and Belgium, mostly when they asked me to. Generally I’d been thoroughly bored, but since nobody tried to kill me or imprison me, I saw no reason not to humour them. I had to admit that it was educational (and they provided some pretty good snacks afterwards, which made things a little more worthwhile and kept Cassandra from chewing on the furnishings).
The Archons took our seats, which meant everyone else could as well. I was on the end in my usual spot, with Myrddin standing beside us. Once everyone was seated, Kron called the room to order and stood to speak.
"Councillors, guests, ladies and gentlemen. Today marks a great occasion. Fourteen hundred years ago, the Magical world lost one of our guiding lights, a great brotherhood of Magicians who fought to preserve life and peace."
She paused, looking around her at the rows upon rows of seats, stretching up towards the domed ceiling nearly four stories above our heads. Most were full, with every Councillor in attendance; even the observation galleries were full.
"I speak, of course, of the Primals. We thought them destroyed by their enemies; taken from us one by one until they were all gone, lost to time and myth until only stories of them remained."
Another long pause. She was terrific at milking an audience.
"But we were wrong, honoured Councillors. The Primals are not gone, they were not wiped out," she waved and Myrddin walked forward. He pulled down his hood.
There were gasps and the occasional half-scream.
"Many of you know the old stories, the legends of that dark time. You know who this is, even if you’ve never seen his face. This is Ambrosias Myrddin. The last of the Primals, known to some as the Druidan, greatest of the Magicians of Old Albion. He has returned."
The talking started immediately, but Kron raised her hands for quiet and everyone obeyed (she had that effect). The crowd was filled with an electric energy. The politicians looked a little covetous and some seemed worried, most likely that their power was about to be diluted again. But most of them were in awe, staring in open wonder at Myrddin as he stood there, smiling gently back at them.
"Too long has the world been deprived of the influence and wisdom of our Primals. Too long have we languished without that essential line of defence against evil and
darkness. Today, we begin to repair that oversight. When our brother left us, this Conclave was in its infancy, this city little more than a modest trading town. Things are different now, more complicated; better in some ways, darker in others. Today we take a step towards the world that we were always meant to have. It is my great pleasure to reintroduce Ambrosias Myrddin," she said, stepping aside with a flourish, breaking into applause.
The whole chamber joined her, most standing for their ovation, and the rest joining in soon after.
Since everyone else was standing and clapping like a seal, I figured I should join in (especially seeing as how I needed Myrddin’s help, and didn't want to appear rude).
He moved to the front and bowed first to us and then to the Conclave. Then he stood up straight, lifting his hands for quiet.
"Brothers and Sisters," he began once everyone had retaken their seats, his voice even and soothing. "The role of the Primal has always been to serve the cause of humanity, whether that means Magician or Pureborn."
He looked around the chamber, smiling paternally.
"As I look around this brand new world, and compare it to the time in which I was born, I find myself humbled. I see faces amongst you that would have caused nothing but fear and ridicule in my own time. Faces of different colour, women standing side by side with men, a fair society the likes of which young Arthur and our brave warriors fought for; died for. You managed it all on your own, Brothers and Sisters. What could I possibly tell you after that accomplishment?"
The assembly looked proud and trusting, even Arianna Hellstrom, as doubting a woman as it was possible to find outside of the Flat Earth Society.
"I am not here to command anyone. I have been away for a long time, so I am here to learn and help where I may. There will be those amongst you who fear a quest for power. Fear not, I am not a ruler, nor have I ever been. I am a simple servant of the people and the world in which we live. I can't claim that I won't act to prevent what I perceive to be evil acts, for that is the role of the Primal. But I promise you that I will never shirk from questions, never lie to you. If you have a question for me, then summon me and I shall come; I shall answer."
He was so humble, so smooth and confident. Even the ones that had looked worried were eating out of the palm of his hand. It was quite the contrast with my own attempts at public speaking. People generally did what I asked because they were afraid of me; the exact opposite was true of Myrddin. They respected him and almost immediately trusted him, one could tell just by looking at them.
"I ask nothing of you except your patience as I learn the ways of this world. I will stumble, as all who learn must, but I hope that you will be there to help me rise up again."
Nods and shouts of agreement.
"May God bless you, one and all. Let us advance together in the cause of justice, and of peace."
He bowed and the applause was thunderous, the cheering conveying a wave of emotion that washed over the room and nearly knocked Palmyra and I over with the force of it (we were the most sensitive Empaths in the place).
Myrddin exited the Chamber, and we followed, our part in the business of the day concluded (thank goodness). Several of the high ranking Councillors followed us out, including the new Primus, a woman practically falling over herself to start sucking up to the new power in the United Kingdom.
Mrs Talia Bradley was a mousy woman, wearing thick spectacles, plump and happy-looking... until you saw her eyes. There was a depth of ice-cold ambition there that worried me considerably. She also tended to look at me like I was an obstacle (not that she was the only one to look at me like that, but most people had the good grace to at least pretend otherwise).
As you might guess, she wasn’t my biggest fan, but neither was I hers.
She practically barged me out of the way to get to Myrddin, which effectively prevented me getting a word in. I shrugged and thought about making a break for it. Before too long, the noses of certain sycophants would be too brown for me not to point it out, which could only cause problems, as I was trying to avoid alienating people (most of the time... alright, some of the time).
But before I had the chance to blink, Myrddin spoke up, "I do apologise, but I must speak with Lord Shadow. He was the one who freed me, and I still owe him thanks."
"He freed you?" Bradley said. If ever there was a woman who deserved the descriptor 'shrew', it was her. Everything she said in even my general direction sounded distinctly shrewish.
"Indeed. I hope you'll excuse me for the moment?"
"Of course, Lord Primal," Bradley said with a deep bow.
That was interesting. She never bowed like that to the Archons. But then, I'd been doing some reading up on Primals, and while Archons were revered and respected, it was the Primals who were adored. They were the people's champions, the ones who you came to with your problems. It truly was a sad day when they'd been taken away from us, especially if Myrddin was anything to go by.
Myrddin came over to me, "Shall we go somewhere a bit more casual, Mathew?" he suggested, his eyes practically begging.
I smiled and opened a Portal to Blackhold, which he followed me through. The others said goodbye as we went, as they were also looking to scarper. They didn’t enjoy the fake-fawning any more than I did.
We appeared on my front lawn and I led the way inside, to one of the drawing rooms on the ground floor where I did most of my entertaining. It was a comfortable space designed to make visitors feel welcome, filled with soft seats and soothing artwork.
I caught a passing valet and asked him to send someone with an afternoon tea service before closing the door behind us and taking a seat across from Myrddin.
"Thanks for taking the time," I said.
"It's nothing. And I meant it when I said that I owed you. Your problems are my problems. What can I do for you?"
I laid out my dilemma with the Fairy Realms for him, though I tweaked a few details and didn't mention my own connections to the Fae. I'd learned the hard way to keep as many secrets as I could from people I didn't know, even those I thought I could trust on first impression.
The tea service came as I was about half way through, a tray covered with a variety of hot and cold drinks, snacks and other foods. Myrddin practically launched himself at it (after fourteen hundred years of gruel, you couldn't really blame him).
Finally, I was done, and he munched thoughtfully on a scone as he considered my problem.
"Getting into Unseelie isn't easy, my friend, but I'm told that it is doable, assuming you can persuade one of the residents to lend you aid. The issue you face is the Dimensional Lock.
"The Locks are made with the power to cut off both of their planets from Dimensional Gates. The Spell even prevents the Sidhe from using their Portal Magic in their realms. Getting through a Spell powerful enough to cut off a whole planet is... tricky. Raw power alone won't do it, it'll require finesse, and skill that I don't possess. I'll need to do some research. It will take time, and... and it's likely that we'll need the Knife. It's the only thing I can think of powerful enough to get through the barrier."
"The knife can do that?"
"Maybe. If we can find a way to get the knife to the barrier, and to protect us from the backlash. Remember that the knife works by taking the power of the victim into the user. Have you had any luck with that, by the way?"
I grimaced. "Some ugly luck. We might be able to overcome the knife with Black Magic and force it to take those powers out of you, but that would require me to actually use the Black, and I think that we can all agree that would be bad for everyone."
He laughed, which made me smile.
Mira had come up with that potential solution a couple of days ago, but it wasn't really a path I could take, and any other Black Magician we could get to cast the Spell would just take the power of the knife for himself.
"Agreed."
"I haven't given up. If there's one way, there will be others."
He waved it off. "Take your time on th
at. I may not want this power, but nor do I want to give up my life to get rid of it!"
I smiled again and refilled his coffee mug for him.
"Now, how about you tell me a little of yourself, Mathew? I've seen some of your story over the years, but not all of it. I would know the man who gave me back my life."
"There's not much to tell," I said self-consciously.
"Rubbish! Every man has a story, and it's always interesting. Why not start small, tell me about your family?"
And so I did. Myrddin was surprisingly easy to talk to. He drew my story (for what it was worth) out of me. I told him how Des had gotten sick and my attempts to cure him. I spoke about my family and how my powers had caused a distance between us. He particularly liked the stories of my various battles and even applauded at the end.
He told me that stories were like the TV of the Middle Ages. I could believe it; the way he listened to me reminded me of how Kandi devoured Grey's Anatomy.
He reciprocated with stories of his own life, telling me of sixth century England (not that there even was an England back then); its warring tribes and bands of heroes fighting it out over land, love and power. I heard a dozen tales of heroism, treachery, war and honour from a period of history that has been so greatly obscured by time and darkness.
He spoke of his castle, of how he'd spent a year with the Earth Primal shifting thousands and thousands of tons of rock to build it. He talked about Arthur, how the brave young man slew monsters and horrors up and down the island. He told me about his dreams of a united land, and how it crushed him that he was banished before he could fulfil them.
It was a good afternoon. I felt a real kindred spirit for Myrddin. I’d never got on that well with strangers (or even many of the people I'd known for years, if I'm honest), so this was a nice change for me.
When night came along, and he'd polished off half my pantry, he said his goodbyes and left, promising that he would help with my problems.
He'd said that in a strange way, not that I'd noticed at the time.
