The soft hum of the car’s engine vibrated through the gear stick as he shifted it up into fourth and brought the BMW around the corner and into the residential zone. The man in the car beside him glanced at him.
“You sure this is the right place?”
“It has to be,” the driver drawled.
“It doesn’t look like what it should look like.”
“Nothing looks like what it should look like, Achilles, that’s why it’s reality.”
“Oh so we’re reverting to old talk are we? Fine! I’m going to go out ‘n knock on the door.”
“You do that, if you get shot, at least I’ll know it was for a good cause.”
Before Achilles could open the door however, the front door opened. The tall woman in red who stepped out was unmistakable.
“I told you this was the right place.”
“Stop dawdling, this child is starting to get on my nerves!”
“You heard the lady,” Achilles muttered and lifted his duffle-bag from the backseat.
Moments later the two of them were sitting on the sofa, facing a fascinated little girl and her comatose Cat-Goddess. The girl stared at them with eyes wide as moons.
“Amy, stop staring, these are Hector and Achilles,” Medea commanded, coming into the room in a cloud of smoke, “now you two boys… tell me how you plan to protect this girl while I attempt the impossible and move Elysium and Reveille to bring Morpheus out of the clutches – ”
Achilles waved a hand dismissively.
“We are the best, my witchy lady,” he told her dismissively.
“Of all the warlords Zeus had to allow down here, it had to be you two,” Medea muttered in disgust, “and you’re lovers too. Irony amuses me.”
Hector laughed and Achilles winked at her.
“Saw it coming?”
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
XXXVIII: Curiosity
Amy frowned at Bast, petting her frantically while she tried to drip blood into the cat’s mouth with Medea’s impatient aid.
“Are you sure this is going to help, Miss Medea?”
“You are a Dreamer, the blood and flesh of a Dreamer are like…glue, they strengthen the Deity,” the woman explained, and not for the first time.
Amy pursed her lips. It wasn’t that she was trying to be difficult, but it was all so very confusing. Bast had explained the ‘Dreamer’ thing to her before, but it had never been all that clear. Alyxa was the real Dreamer, she knew what it meant, her father had been a Dreamer before her, and her Grandmother. Amy knew because Alyxa had told her; Amy didn’t know anything about what it meant to be a Dreamer.
“So why am I in danger?” she asked.
“Because you are,” Miss Medea snapped, and Amy ducked her head, momentarily scared into silence.
For a moment neither said anything, Amy out of silent terror and Medea for whatever reasons drove her to make such decisions. After several minutes in which each tick the clock in the kitchen made seemed to set the entire house into vibrations, however, Amy could not leave it any longer.
“Are you going to protect me?” she wanted to know, her voice as small as she could make it.
Medea’s eyes flickered for a moment.
“Yes.”
“But….” Amy took a breath and decided to just let loose and ask all the questions at once, “what about rescuing the others? Aren’t you going to do that too? How can you keep me safe and save the others? I’m sure you’re a very smart lady, Miss Medea, but are you really that powerful?”
Again the ominous flicker of the eyes.
“I will have help.”
“Are you sure this is going to help, Miss Medea?”
“You are a Dreamer, the blood and flesh of a Dreamer are like…glue, they strengthen the Deity,” the woman explained, and not for the first time.
Amy pursed her lips. It wasn’t that she was trying to be difficult, but it was all so very confusing. Bast had explained the ‘Dreamer’ thing to her before, but it had never been all that clear. Alyxa was the real Dreamer, she knew what it meant, her father had been a Dreamer before her, and her Grandmother. Amy knew because Alyxa had told her; Amy didn’t know anything about what it meant to be a Dreamer.
“So why am I in danger?” she asked.
“Because you are,” Miss Medea snapped, and Amy ducked her head, momentarily scared into silence.
For a moment neither said anything, Amy out of silent terror and Medea for whatever reasons drove her to make such decisions. After several minutes in which each tick the clock in the kitchen made seemed to set the entire house into vibrations, however, Amy could not leave it any longer.
“Are you going to protect me?” she wanted to know, her voice as small as she could make it.
Medea’s eyes flickered for a moment.
“Yes.”
“But….” Amy took a breath and decided to just let loose and ask all the questions at once, “what about rescuing the others? Aren’t you going to do that too? How can you keep me safe and save the others? I’m sure you’re a very smart lady, Miss Medea, but are you really that powerful?”
Again the ominous flicker of the eyes.
“I will have help.”
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
XXXVII: Rattled
-Ares?- Medea sent the thought racing out, like an arrow, -Ares! Burn your Dice and your Game, pay attention!-
There was a thunder strike in the otherwise clear evening sky.
-Don’t rattle the heavens with Zeus’ thunder, Ares, this is important!-
The amulet hummed against her throat for a moment.
-Oh fine, spoil my fun, witch, what was it you wanted?-
-It’s about Bast. The Dreamer child says the Cat-Goddess is not in her corporeal shape.-
There was a moment of silence, followed by another stream of curses. The amulet grew warm and then burned softly, Medea hissed for Ares to tone it down.
-Can you verify what the Dreamer child said?-
-She’s the Dreamer, not I,- Medea muttered darkly.
Another thunder clap.
-Ares, I – -
-Yes, I know, enough with the thunder. This really pisses me off. To say the least. If she’s not there, then she’s there, which means the Prince has another Dreamer. This is precisely what I wanted to avoid!- Ares growled.
Medea blew out a swirl of smoke, using a finger to manipulate its shape, working it into the shape of a throne.
-Do you think we should contact the Arcs? This is more their department than it is ours, I don’t want to have them asking questions later,- she asked.
-Leave them for the moment, the Arcs are scattered miserably since the Prince slew the Messiah’s last Incarnate,- Ares replied sourly, -I’ve sent the other two to your address already. They should be there in a day or two.-
-And if the Prince comes looking?-
-Do you honestly believe that he is going to leave his fortress while he’s got another caged Goddess? Come now, Medea, stay with the youngling and please try to remember your maternal instinct a little, eh?-
The connection ended.
There was a thunder strike in the otherwise clear evening sky.
-Don’t rattle the heavens with Zeus’ thunder, Ares, this is important!-
The amulet hummed against her throat for a moment.
-Oh fine, spoil my fun, witch, what was it you wanted?-
-It’s about Bast. The Dreamer child says the Cat-Goddess is not in her corporeal shape.-
There was a moment of silence, followed by another stream of curses. The amulet grew warm and then burned softly, Medea hissed for Ares to tone it down.
-Can you verify what the Dreamer child said?-
-She’s the Dreamer, not I,- Medea muttered darkly.
Another thunder clap.
-Ares, I – -
-Yes, I know, enough with the thunder. This really pisses me off. To say the least. If she’s not there, then she’s there, which means the Prince has another Dreamer. This is precisely what I wanted to avoid!- Ares growled.
Medea blew out a swirl of smoke, using a finger to manipulate its shape, working it into the shape of a throne.
-Do you think we should contact the Arcs? This is more their department than it is ours, I don’t want to have them asking questions later,- she asked.
-Leave them for the moment, the Arcs are scattered miserably since the Prince slew the Messiah’s last Incarnate,- Ares replied sourly, -I’ve sent the other two to your address already. They should be there in a day or two.-
-And if the Prince comes looking?-
-Do you honestly believe that he is going to leave his fortress while he’s got another caged Goddess? Come now, Medea, stay with the youngling and please try to remember your maternal instinct a little, eh?-
The connection ended.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
XXXVI: Comatose
“Is she dead?” Amy whispered.
It had taken only one line and one look to chase off the men that had stood on the porch, and all Medea had had to do was show Amy Bast’s comatose body. They were seated on the sofa, Bast on the seat between them.
“Can you not tell?” Medea asked her, taking Amy’s hand and pressing it gently to the Cat-Goddess’ flank.
Amy pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as deep as she could manage. For a moment there was nothing, and then Amy yanked her hand back.
“What is it, child?”
“She’s not there,” Amy whispered, “it’s all empty inside.”
Medea’s eyes narrowed. This was not something she had expected. Bast was not bound to Zeus’ Ban, the law set down after Troy, or even hampered by the Rift; with her followers, she could go where she wanted. If Bast was not in her physical form there was only one place she could be, and it was that very place that Medea had spent her many centuries avoiding.
“Miss Medea, where is she?”
“I’m not sure,” the Witch lied, an easy thing, especially to the child.
She made to light her cigarette, glanced at her companion and got to her feet.
“I’m going to go smoke and think on this, girl, stay here, maybe feed her a little blood.”
“Blood?”
Amy pulled a face.
“Yes, blood. You are a Dreamer, it might help her,” Medea said, slipping the cigarette into the filter and tapping her lighter impatiently.
“Oh.”
“Don’t go crazy though, child, just a prick to your finger. I can do it for you if you like, after I have had time to think….and smoke.”
“Smoking is bad for you,” Amy said softly, a little worried.
“So they keep telling me.”
It had taken only one line and one look to chase off the men that had stood on the porch, and all Medea had had to do was show Amy Bast’s comatose body. They were seated on the sofa, Bast on the seat between them.
“Can you not tell?” Medea asked her, taking Amy’s hand and pressing it gently to the Cat-Goddess’ flank.
Amy pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as deep as she could manage. For a moment there was nothing, and then Amy yanked her hand back.
“What is it, child?”
“She’s not there,” Amy whispered, “it’s all empty inside.”
Medea’s eyes narrowed. This was not something she had expected. Bast was not bound to Zeus’ Ban, the law set down after Troy, or even hampered by the Rift; with her followers, she could go where she wanted. If Bast was not in her physical form there was only one place she could be, and it was that very place that Medea had spent her many centuries avoiding.
“Miss Medea, where is she?”
“I’m not sure,” the Witch lied, an easy thing, especially to the child.
She made to light her cigarette, glanced at her companion and got to her feet.
“I’m going to go smoke and think on this, girl, stay here, maybe feed her a little blood.”
“Blood?”
Amy pulled a face.
“Yes, blood. You are a Dreamer, it might help her,” Medea said, slipping the cigarette into the filter and tapping her lighter impatiently.
“Oh.”
“Don’t go crazy though, child, just a prick to your finger. I can do it for you if you like, after I have had time to think….and smoke.”
“Smoking is bad for you,” Amy said softly, a little worried.
“So they keep telling me.”
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