Smith nodded. "I believe you, Miss Sedano. In fact, I have dealt with Vellath in the past, and have found him to be impossibly boorish at times. You are not crazy, but he has chosen you. You have the ability to... converse with him mentally through your bond."
The voice inside her head chuckled, Boorish? I've never been called that before. Leave it to James to choose that word for me. Tell Agent Smith I said, 'Hello.'
Hannah looked at her boss, "He's laughing. Inside my head. He said to say, 'Hello.'"
"Tell him to stop interrupting, Hannah. Tell him that it is impolite, and it does not befit him to act that way. That's why I called him a boor." Smith thought for a moment, "Just think it back at him. There is no need to speak verbally to him."
Hannah concentrated, and then thought at the sword, Stop talking for a moment. Not knowing what the limitations were, she put a lot of her effort and will into the thought.
The cry of anguish in her mind startled her, and she saw a brief mental image of the dragon in pain, with its front paws held tightly to the side of his head. The voice was a little shaky, I got it. You don't have to yell at me. You could have just asked. The voice pouted.
Hannah did not try as hard this time. Is this better? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I didn't know how hard I'd have to try.
The resonance of the voice shook slightly as Vellath tried to shake the loud thoughts. The dragon spoke again, Proximity correlates to strength. The closer we are physically, the necessary requirement of energy in your voice drops. You just yelled at me as if I was half a continent away. If I had ears, I might have actually been hurt.
I'm sorry. I didn't know.
My dear, how could you have known? The dragon sighed wistfully, I apologize as well. I keep forgetting that you are newly Called. You have to merely beckon, and I will be summoned. The voice seemed to fade away.
Hannah realized that Smith had begun talking again. She caught part of it, and said, "I'm sorry. I was talking with Vellath. Apparently I screamed at him the first time."
A smile touched Smith's lips. "Yes, he can be a bit touchy about loud voices. As I was saying, you will soon learn what fion-fhuil can do for you. I'm sure the dragon will teach you, as he has taught those who have wielded him in the past. And if he cannot, or will not, let me know. I will give you what insight I have."
Hannah nodded as she thought, then she asked, "So what does... 'fion-fhuil' mean? Sounds almost Latin, or possibly an older pagan dialect."
Smith opened his mouth, but Norbert answered first, his voice animated with excitement. "It means 'Uncorruptible' in old Celtic. Or was that Gaelic? I can never remember. It doesn't matter. It apparently decided its own name when it was created, and has so informed every one who has wielded it.
"Also, good ear on the dialect. It's not often someone can pick up those subtleties. Sounds like you have an ear for languages." Norbert looked around as those around him tried to hide grins or snickered into their own hands. He must have said something funny. He didn't know what it was, but he was used to that.
Agent Smith cleared his throat and waited for those present to stop talking. "I'm sure there is a lot to discuss, but I believe that there is a graduation planned for a little while from now, and that the soon-to-be graduate must prepare a few things.
"Norbert, I expect that you will care for the weapons on the tables?" Smith received a nod and continued, "Then I will see you ladies in a short while." He turned and left the observation room.
Hannah grasped the scabbard that was clearly visible to her. And held the sword in her hand as she walked down the hall toward her apartment. Boomer and Agent Watkins followed her out the door, leaving Norbert alone with a cart and a rapidly growing pile of objects.
7
BRIEFING
SECTION 28 HEADQUARTERS, LANGLEY, VIRGINIA
Team Knightmare gathered in the briefing room by 2:55pm. Agent Smith and Captaen O'Beirne were waiting for them, seated in the chairs by the lectern. Ghost spotted a small table with a tray of snacks and a couple pots of coffee, and he knew that this would be a long briefing.
As three o'clock rolled around, Smith stood and walked over to the door. Just before he closed it, Hannah Sedano hurried through the doorway, slowing down as she saw the questioning glances from Knightmare. Smith gently closed the door and reached over to turn on the "Do Not Disturb" light.
He turned and strode over to the lectern, motioning Hannah to join him on the dais. The seventeen-year-old stood just over five feet tall. Her training and background in dance kept her fit, and Boomer could see that she was developing into a beautiful young woman. Her dark tan complexion and slightly round face told of her Latina heritage, and her long, raven-black hair was pulled back in a short ponytail that spoke of her youth.
Hannah had been attending the summer camp where Scout worked as the archery instructor just a few short months ago when a master vampire and a mad scientist under his control had infected almost the entire camp. If Boomer had not found her, she would have been devoured alongside all the other non-vampire campers. When she rode back to Section 28 with the team, Agent Smith had given her a two options: She could either join Section 28, changing her identity and officially becoming a casualty of the horror, or she could go back to her adopted parents, swearing to never speak of the incident again, under penalty of treason. Hannah had chosen to follow her new hero, Boomer, and learn to fight the monsters that had screwed up her life.
Smith cleared his throat and began speaking to the team, "I believe all of you already know Hannah. As of today, Hannah has passed her trials, officially becoming a full agent of Section 28."
A round of applause and cheering broke out, with Heavy's bass rumble vying for volume with Boomer's raucous whoops. Smith waited a few seconds for the cheers to die down, and continued, "As I was saying, Miss Sedano passed her trials, and was taken through the rite of Final Choosing. There, my suspicions were confirmed as one of our most powerful, and most... selective artifacts chose to reveal itself to her."
Smith pushed on over the rising murmurs from the team, "It is for reasons I will discuss later that Miss Sedano will be temporarily joining Knightmare for this mission. While she will move to a permanent role on Knightfall, she will accompany you on this current mission. So I present, Special Agent Hannah Sedano, call sign 'Dancer.'"
More applause and whistles followed a blushing Dancer to her seat. Once the noise had died down, again, he cleared his throat. "Now that we have settled Miss Sedano's presence, we can begin the mission briefing. As usual, ask questions when you have them."
Smith clicked two small buttons recessed into the top of the lectern. The first button dimmed the lights to a pre-set value. The second button activated a projector with the mission briefing already loaded. Then the supervising agent began.
"As we talked about this morning, you are being sent to represent humanity while attending the Seelie court. You will be directly working with the Her Majesty Lishe ta Merunaré, the Queen of the Seelie." He pushed another button, and the screen showed a picture of what had to be an elf.
Spooky was mesmerized. It looked like the creature on the screen was even more ethereal than the elves in The Lord of the Rings movie adaptations. Her long golden hair was bound up in an intricate pattern that wove in and out of the small white-gold tiara perched on her head and did nothing to hide her delicately elongated and pointed ears. Her features were thin, without being sharp, and beautiful. She had piercing purple eyes and a pale, unblemished skin. Spooky would have believed that this was an artist's rendering, except that Agent Smith was standing across from her, bowing slightly at the waist and holding a small case outstretched toward her.
Now that he had all of their attention, Smith continued, "Her Majesty is of the Lo'a, or the Light Elves." Smith pronounced the name of the elves "low-HAAA" and then moved on with the briefing. "As we previously talked about, the Seelie court is typically considered the 'light' court. This generally means that they will
not actively plot to trick or harm humans or humanity. Usually. However, they will defend their honor according to their laws and traditions, and this means that insults may be challenged with lethal combat. By ancient law and long tradition, Her Majesty is married to the King of the Unseelie court."
Smith again advanced the slide and a new picture of a different looking elf appeared on the screen. The man on the screen was very handsome and his strong, angled features complimented his dark, almost black complexion. His black hair was scattered with a distinguished gray and styled in a perfect mane fit for a Fortune 500 executive that fit his perfectly groomed van dyke-style beard. His piercing green eyes seemed to stare at the photographer. The only real distinguishing feature that set him apart from an executive on Wall Street was his rather tall, sharp pointed ears.
Smith motioned to the screen, "This is His Majesty Arkanai t'Nakaót. His Majesty is of the Draukh, or the Dark Elves." Smith carefully pronounced this word "droe-ka" and continued. "The Draukh hold the Unseelie court. In history and legend, the Unseelie are considered the 'dark' fae, and are typically blamed for all kinds of misfortune. The Unseelie traditionally work against the Seelie court in a contest for power and thus oppose most of humanity. As among the Seelie, honor is taken very seriously among His Majesty's court, and any real or perceived slight can demand satisfaction."
Spooky raised his hand from the back of the room. "Is it me, or do they kind of look like a dark elf race from a certain roleplaying game? I mean, add more silver hair and he could be a dead ringer for..."
Smith broke in, "Yes, Mister Smith. The resemblance is not accidental. An unsubstantiated rumor tells of that game's creator coming face to face with the Draukh. We've not been able to prove or disprove the rumor, but the resemblance lends credence to the rumor. Can we continue?
"The Seelie and the Unseelie courts are the fae courts you will be dealing with. We will provide a full briefing on the fae in your data packets before mission departure, but there is one other faction of fae you must be aware of." Smith clicked the controls again and a third picture showed on the screen, this one blurred as if from a hidden camera.
On the screen was the Queen of the Seelie and two other creatures. The two other creatures were both very short, likely around four feet tall, from the photo. Both looked to be humanoid, one male and one female. Both creatures had intricately designed tattoos running from the crown of their head down their necks. The one on the left had voluminous flowing robes that hung to the floor and a sash over his shoulder with an unfamiliar script on it. That particular being had a very round face and a large, bulbous nose. The eyes were squinted too tight to see through the large bushy eyebrows, and a long, full mustache and beard flowed down the creature's chest.
The being on the right had a long top-knot rising from the center of the tattoos on her head, with a slightly thinner and more muscular build. She was wearing a dark padded sleeveless vest that looked like modern armor, and a matching pair of pants and black boots. The extensive tattooing extended all the way down her arms. Strapped to the waist of the fae was a pair of short swords, both of them resting in sheaths next to each other. Slung over the back of the creature was a modern military-style rifle, either an M4 or the civilian equivalent.
After giving the team some time to study the picture, Smith went on, "The two shorter beings are dwarves. Yes, Spooky, just like those dwarves. The dwarves form the third court of the fae, called the Seanachaidh court." Smith pronounced this as "se-a-na-kaig."
He continued with the explanation, "Seanachaidh is the Celtic word for Keeper. This signifies that the dwarves are both the keepers of the libraries of the law volumes and the police officers making sure that the law is followed. They intervene in fae machinations whenever there is any challenge or suspicion of breaking fae law. The dwarf with the beard is Oracle Telacus Sturmwargh, and he is the Oracle, or leader, of the 'Keepers of Law' faction. The other dwarf is Praetorian Urteghat Dhorjachen. She is the Praetorian, or leader, of the 'Keepers of Peace' faction. The Keepers have almost unlimited power when they intervene. Do not make the mistake of underestimating the dwarves."
Ghost raised his hand to catch Smith's attention, "So, if these... dwarves are supposed to keep everything in check, why are we going out?"
Smith motioned for Captaen O'Beirne to join him. As the Irish spec ops warrior was standing, Smith answered, "According to the E'Tuatha Accords, if either the Seelie or Unseelie courts are attacked by humanity, they have the right to call for an accounting by the host country where the attack happened. Those who go to the accounting will officially represent humanity before the courts and sue for peace."
O'Beirne broke in, "According to the treaty, if the attack is from an outside, non-official group that the signatories have no control over, the courts are free to exact their revenge to reclaim their honor. Unfortunately, the representatives of humanity must prove that it was not an officially sanctioned act."
Doc spoke up, raising her hand belatedly, "And if it actually was a sanctioned attack from an Accord signatory?"
O'Beirne's face grew somber as he answered. "Then the representatives from humanity will have to sue for peace. If the courts do not accept, humanity goes to war with the fae. None of the signatories want that to happen. The last time the faeries got involved in a human war, the Unseelie made a deal with the Japanese. An entire regiment of chikaran orcs was forming in Nagasaki before being integrated on the front lines. Regardless of what the history books say, this is why the city was targeted for the Fat Man bomb. And no, the bombardier did not actually miss his target, as the history books record. The bomb landed exactly where it needed to land. It neutralized the orcs and closed the gate, sending backwash throughout out Alfheimr, the realm of the fae."
Ghost thought for a moment and then asked, "So if it wasn't us, who was it? Who is top of the list for suspects?"
Smith answered the team leader, "If it truly was humans, there are a couple options, and you probably know a couple of them, Mister Vanhof. There are several private organizations in America, and a few more scattered around the world, that also hunt 'monsters'. While most of them have little, or no, resources, there are always a couple that find the backing of a major patron, and have a few key members who can actually hunt. Most of them are dedicated to fighting whatever pet non-human type their patron doesn't particularly like, and they gather like-minded individuals.
"At the top of that list for this mission would be The Society for the Preservation of Humanity. Formed in the early 1900s by a rather eccentric millionaire, the SPH has the resources and knowledge to make this attack. They also operate heavily in the Midwest, and their headquarters is in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This attack would be very unusual for them, however, as they normally concentrate on elder god cultists and are more investigative in nature. There are a couple other groups, but the SPH should be at the top of your list."
Ghost was grim, "And if it was the SPH, or another human group?"
Smith looked just as grim, "Let the Seelie settle the accounts."
"You'd just let the fae kill humans?" Doc's anger was plain on her face and in her rising voice.
"Believe me, Doctor Sorenson. I do not relish letting the fae take any human lives. But the E'Tuatha Accords protect humanity and fae alike. It is their right, according to the treaty. And if we interfere, we jeopardize all of humanity." Smith paused for a moment. "You will need to be present to make sure that the retribution does not fall outside the Accords."
"What if the perps aren't human? Who could it be?" Boomer's voice covered Doc's not-so-quiet fuming.
Smith was grateful to deflect away from the previous train of thought, "If it was not a human organization, then you may be asked by the Seelie to stand with them and help settle their accounts. As for who it might be? The primary suspects would always be the Unseelie. This may be a power play, trying to separate the Seelie and humanity as allies."
The DHS supervisor looked at the Irishman next to him,
"Then again, it may be Captaen O'Beirne's leprechauns. It's been a while since they messed with people, as only hopped up brownies snorting gold dust would."
O'Beirne chuckled, "Ah. You're right. It's been a while since those buggers have messed around with an elf. They'd think it's a grand sport."
Smith waited for the chuckles to die down. "You will have your briefing uploaded to your data packets for study, as well as dossiers and background on as many of the fae as we know about. Knightmare flies out tomorrow morning at oh-eight-hundred for Grand Rapids. You will not take the War Wagon with you as the oversized tank may give the wrong impression to the courts."
Seeing the crestfallen look on Boomer's face, Smith continued, "Don't worry Miss Callahan, Norbert and Russel have been specially modifying a new vehicle for you, with input from your Mister Smith, of course. This new truck will make the trip with you. Eat your dinner, then make any final requests from Logistics. The C-17 will be loaded and waiting for you on the airstrip. Special Agent Stephen Lewis, the DHS Regional SAC, will meet you on the ground.
"He knows that you are coming to the area, and that your mission is classified well above his clearance. I have never personally met Agent Lewis, as he is a recent promotion from another office in Michigan. As always, if you have issues with the local authorities, Gretchen should be able to handle it, or have them call Timothy or myself. He knows that he is to provide full support at your whim.
"Captaen O'Beirne will accompany you as Observer and Advisor for dealing with the fae courts." Smith's lips curved into a small smile, "As I said earlier, Miss Sedano will also accompany you. Any further questions?"
Smith looked around the room and saw shaking heads. He said, "Ok. I'll see you in the morning before departure. Be ready by oh-seven-fifty. Dismissed."
As the team got up, Smith looked at Boomer and Dancer, motioning to them. "Miss Callahan and Miss Sedano. Would you stay for a few minutes?"
When the two women stood in front of him, Smith considered them thoughtfully. "Miss Callahan, I will be brutally frank with you. Are you ready for this mission? Your teammates' lives will depend on your control over the beast within you. If you need more time to train that's perfectly acceptable. I can hold you off of this mission if you need it. We just need to know before you get into the field."
INCURSION: Faeblade (Knight's Bane Trilogy Book 2) Page 6
