Liam got off the bus with Micah outside the kwoon where he usually trained. "I am not sure why you wished to accompany me, Marks-kun. I train here after school and then go home. I have nothing I wish to do here until I train."
Micah looked around with interest. "I've never been down here before. I want to see what it's like. Mom and Dad never take me anywhere, and Nats never has a reason to come down here. He almost never leaves the house unless he has to. Why do you call me 'Marks-kun'?"
Liam slowly walked down the street with him, drawing some looks from passers-by since he was wearing traditional Chinese clothing and his Mi'kmaq necklace. He always felt more comfortable wearing them while training. He also had his sword in his book bag, though the hilt stuck out of the bag over his shoulder; he was planning on training with it today. "It is something your brother started. I do not like being addressed informally by those I do not know, and I do not address them informally in return. It is also the same in traditional Japanese culture, which is used in those manga Nathanial-san reads. Thus he started addressing me as Smith-san. 'Kun' is an honorific used for younger males. I use it to differentiate you from Nicholas Marks."
His phone beeped, and then again once he had found it and pulled it out. "It is unusual for me to get texts. One from McDougal and one from Nathanial-san." He read them. "We are close to downtown, Marks-kun. It appears we are to go shopping."
"Goody!" Micah had started to skip ahead happily when he stopped and tilted his head to the side. "Why?"
"McDougal wishes to take kung fu, and his birthday is next week, so Nathanial-san wants me to pick up a gift for him: clothing like I am wearing. McDougal wishes me to buy a bat. Let us move a bit quicker, if you do not mind. We will take a route through the Public Gardens; you may find them pleasant."
Liam showed Micah a few of the tourist spots that were en-route to their destinations, and managed to place an order for the clothes for McDougal, as well as find a plush bat for Nathanial. He was quite surprised at how hard it was to locate. He found lots of plush viruses and bacteria, but a simple bat was difficult to come by.
They were just passing by J.W.D. Books, a large secondpaw bookstore that also dealt with antique and rare books, when Micah grabbed his paw. "Oh! This is it! Let's go in! Please!?"
Liam was quite surprised to have his paw grabbed like that, and even more surprised by the request. "I could understand Nathanial-san making this request, but why do you wish to? It is full of old books."
Micah rolled his eyes. "I wish to because it's full of old books, you ninny."
Liam felt a little taken aback. He had never been called a 'ninny' before.
Micah leaned in and whispered, "Nats said Dad wants to sell the grimoire, and there is a broker around here who deals in that stuff. This place screams 'secret magic bookshop,' so I want to see if I can get one that'd like Nats more."
Liam's voice was a little dry. "If it looks like a magic store it probably is not. But I wish to see how you will handle this. We may enter, but please call me 'George' when we are inside. I do not wish to use my real name."
The bell over the door jingled as they entered. It was two floors of bookshelves crammed into every available space, with books overflowing from them to form stacks wherever possible. Small paths were made between the books and presumably wound through the store. There was little in the way of line of sight; dead ends and blind corners were the norm.
Liam held out a paw. "Lead on."
Micah strode in and began wandering around. Liam saw a sign at the front counter: 'No bags please,' so he walked up to the counter. An elderly Walrus sat behind it, his glasses perched precariously on the edge of his nose as he read a book.
"Your pardon, sir. I wish to leave my bag here, if I may. However, I request permission to carry my sword in the store."
The Walrus looked down at him curiously. "You can leave the bag here, but why do you have a sword?"
"I am going to my kung fu class after here. The sword is an heirloom, and I will not relinquish it." He pulled the sword out of the bag.
The Walrus's eyes grew as large as they could. "Goodness! That-That's incredible! May I please see it?" The Walrus's stubby fingers twitched. "I have never seen a jian of such quality."
"You are familiar with Chinese swords? I am reluctant to allow others to hold the sword, but feel free to look. Allow me to draw it for you." He carefully drew the sword from its scabbard and hung the scabbard over his shoulder. He held the sword flat on both paws.
The proprietor pulled out some jeweller's glasses and switched out his reading glasses. He leaned over the sword in obvious excitement, taking in the details of the blade and hilt. "Do you--? Of course you realize what this is, how silly. I-I am astounded by the quality! How old is it? I realize the sword itself is old, probably mid-seventeenth century, but what of the rest? The enchantment? Both are remarkable works of art."
"It was forged in 1682 by Song Xun. I believe my companion's instincts were astoundingly accurate. I wish to see your 'special' books, if you please. As does the little Akita I came in with."
The Walrus looked at him in disbelief. "Song Xun? There are only a dozen or so surviving swords that have been proven to be forged by him, but many fakes. Almost all authentic swords are held as National Treasures by the Chinese government. There's no way they would knowingly allow you to have one."
Liam pointed at a small mark on the blade by the hilt. "Look at this mark. You will see it is genuine, and your glasses will confirm the enchantment."
The Walrus fiddled with his glasses as he peered at the mark. He suddenly sat back, glasses falling off his nose to dangle by their chain.
"May I see your other room, please?" Liam asked as he sheathed his sword.
The Walrus stumbled off of his chair and fumbled his way around the counter. "Wis thay, um... Th-This way, please. I'm John WD, J being my... I mean, I am JWD, if you were unaware. John is my first name, sir." He appeared to be in a state of shock. Once he stubbed his toe on a stack of books he came back to his senses. "I, um, believe you're A-Akita has found the hidden room but doesn't know how to enter it, which is good; d-don't think I could handle another surprise like that." He led Liam down a winding path to the centre of the store to where Micah was poking at a bookcase. "What are you doing, pup?"
Micah jumped into the air and spun around to face the Walrus, panting in surprise. "Oh! Hi. I was wondering how to get into the room through here."
"Why do you think there's a room there?" Liam could tell J.W.D. wasn't angry; he was quite curious.
"'Cause there is. There's a big empty space in the middle of the store, and the room doesn't fit together right." He pointed at some lines on the wall, behind the bookcase. "And the lines here show that the bookcase should move. I just can't figure out how it does."
"You're lucky the Rottie you're with has cleared you for entry. Otherwise, I'd be very angry. I'm still surprised that the enchantments on the store haven't tricked you. They're supposed to prevent anyone from suspecting there might be a hidden room here. What are your names, please?"
Micah piped up, "I like Charms and stuff. I'm Micah. This is George."
J.W.D. frowned as he muttered some words and waved his flipper over the bookcase. The bookcase split in half and slid silently to either side, and he waved them in. "I don't know any Mages with children who match those names or your descriptions." The bookcase resolidified behind them. "Micah, if you were older I'd think you were Nathanial or Nicholas Marks, even if your fur is off-colour. There aren't any other Akita Mages in the province other than Garret Marks."
For some reason, Micah looked a little scared and confused. "He's my dad, and Nats and Nick are my older brothers."
"I thought he only had two boys. Ah, it doesn't matter. He's rarely in, anyway. I must be behind in my news." The expression on John's face indicated he was certain that he wasn't behind on the news. "Is he still married to Lily, then?"
Micah still looked a little upset, but nodded. "Yup, though they're usually out." Micah looked around. "Wow! Nats would love this!"
The room was much tidier and cleaner than the rest of the store. It was only about six metres squared but had several bookcases full of books. They primarily seemed to be books of arcane lore, magical theory, and the Hidden World in general. There were three display cases in the middle of the room. One was full of trinkets, presumably enchanted. The second was empty except for some cards stating what was for sale, many of which seemed to be for clothing or large objects that would take up too much space. The third had a single book in it; it was obviously a grimoire. It looked to be made out of bark and leaves.
Micah was looking down at it in interest, and John moved up beside him. The pup pointed in glee. "A grimoire? Cool! That's what I'm looking for. Dad seems to be thinking of selling our Succubus Grimoire, so I wanted to pick up a different one for Nathanial. The Succubus one doesn't like us much anyway. What's this one? Can I buy it?"
John's bushy moustache twitched. "A Succubus Grimoire? Those are dangerous and rare. I could get him a good price for it. That one's much tamer; it's a Dryad Grimoire, emphasis on Plant and Charm magic. It isn't all that rare, so it's only twenty thousand dollars." John looked amused as he said the price.
Micah fell backward on his rump, dejected. "Aw. I only have two thousand. Can I do anything for you to cover the difference?" He stood and put his paw on the Walrus's arm and looked up with puppy dog eyes. He moved his rump to one side, tail curled up and out of the way. "Anything at all?"
John looked angry. "I don't know exactly what you are inferring pup, but no. Cash and only cash." He looked over at Liam. "Or, maybe, a sword."
Liam maintained a calm exterior, despite the obvious attempt at dishonest trading. A most revolting act on this merchant's part. "No. I could buy a hundred of those with this sword. Or more. It is not for sale or trade under any circumstances. Besides, Nathanial is not suited for Charm magics. This book would only be marginally better than the one he currently has. If one could make the book, how would you go about getting the spells to write in it?"
John laughed. "Only Artificers can craft a grimoire. And only an Artificer can scribe the spells into one. That's why they're so rare and expensive, not just because they're made from materials that are problematic to obtain. The spells are the easy part. I have dozens of books here that have spells in them; it's just without the magic of the grimoire you can't learn them. It just doesn't work."
"Very well. I have read the works of Amadeus Thotz, and I found his theories very interesting but incomplete. Do you have any works by later theorists that expand upon his studies?"
John and Liam discussed the books for a while, both of them keeping an eye on Micah. He stared in the cases for a while, playing with an acorn, before wandering around looking at the books.
Liam tapped his chin and nodded as he came to a decision. "I will purchase these books, plus I think Micah will like to buy a book on the nature of the Elemental Plane of Darkness." He thought for a moment. "I will also buy some of your most comprehensive books containing Dark- or Shadow-based magic, Scrying, spells to block Scrying, and -- Oh! -- Conjuration/Summoning."
John's eyebrows rose again, but he grabbed the appropriate books. At the till Micah paid for his book plus some of Liam's as thanks for helping him.
Liam still flinched inwardly at the price. 'I may have to sell some paintings, or increase the workload at my office.' He sighed. "Let us be going, Marks-kun."
Liam and a panting Micah stopped at the door to the kwoon. Liam had pushed the pace to make it back on time. It was a newer building that had been built on a lot in the same neighbourhood as Liam's office. It was built in a traditional Chinese style, with white walls, a large wooden door, and clay tiles on the roof. Inside it had wooden floors and a large rug to wipe hindpaws on before entering. Most of the writing was in Chinese and English.
An elderly Panda was near the entrance. He stood stooped over and barely taller than Liam, having withered in his old age, but he still carried himself with the dignity and grace earned through a life time of training. Liam bowed. Micah attempted to mimic him, and almost got the bow correct.
Liam said, "Bao, this is Micah Marks, brother to Nathanial Marks, the Akita I had to treat yesterday. Marks-kun, this is Si Tai Gung Cheng Bao. His title is 'Si Tai Gung,' or 'Great Grandmaster.' His family name is Cheng. I would speak to him for a moment, if you do not mind."
Micah nodded and began poking around.
Liam spoke to his old friend Bao in the Wu dialect of Chinese. <You look well, my old friend. You still have ample ointment for your arthritis?>
Bao spoke with his customary warmth and respect. <Yes, thank you, Honoured Teacher. It's good to see you again. I'm pleased to see you in the company of others; I've always thought that you need to spend less time alone or working. Do you think Nathanial Marks may become one of your friends?>
Liam thought of the troubled young Mage fondly. <Perhaps. In some ways he reminds me, physically, of one I knew before, and his personality is similar to the Otter I spoke to you about -- Kaoru. I find myself quite drawn to him, despite his attraction to another.>
The Panda looked subdued for a moment, but then smiled teasingly. <I don't need to warn you about the potential dangers of a love triangle, do I?>
<Hardly. I don't plan on forming any relationships. Besides, both Faelen and the middle Marks are of interest as well. Now, I should start teaching soon; let me fill you in on the occurrences of the last few days. It is something the other Monks should be made aware of.>
Liam quickly filled him in on some of the events of the past two days. Liam still had his sword over his shoulder and handed the heavy book bag to Micah before turning back to Bao. "I will be in attendance for only an hour, in courtesy to my guest. Are there others who are training today?"
"Yes, Liam. Three Si Gung, and a few of my Si Fu. 'Si Gung' are 'Grandmasters,' and 'Si Fu' are 'Masters,' young Micah."
Micah's gold eyes were sparkling with excitement in his white mask; Liam often thought he looked like a reversed raccoon. "Si Tai Gung, what's Liam's title? A super Tai Gung? Or is he a Si Gung or Si Fu, too?"
Liam met Bao's eyes for a moment. "I will be using my sword in training today, Bao." Much was said in that look before he herded the youngest Marks pup toward the training area. "Let us go, Marks-kun. I need to get started. There is plenty for you to read here, if you get bored." Liam was pretty sure Micah knew he was avoiding the question; the pup seemed to be pouting a little. He led Micah down the hall to the main exercise hall.
The hall was decorated with several paintings and a number of weapons, all of which Micah seemed fascinated by. The exercise hall was smooth wood, carefully sanded to prevent splinters; two of the walls were lined with mirrors, one was windows overlooking the garden in back, and the last was wood with several heavy bags hanging by it.
There were seven other Furs waiting in the room, and they bowed when Liam walked in. He returned the bow and tapped his sword. They all ran and grabbed training swords from the closet behind the heavy bags and lined up facing Liam. Bao joined them with a training sword as well.
Liam turned to face the mirrors and began to lead them through some of the forms he wished to practice. He could see Micah was fascinated by the graceful movements. Liam allowed himself to get lost in the forms and relax, letting the tension of yesterday flow out of him.
-----
Nathanial and Nicholas were on the couch in the McDougals' basement, clothed, with Nicholas flipping through the channels on TV. Nathanial could feel the magic coming from behind the locked door next to the gym. It was annoying him, like the buzzing of a swarm of mosquitoes. He stood up, walked to the door, and placed his paw on it.
Nicholas said without looking up, "I don't think they want you poking around like that."
"I'm not going in. I can feel the magic and it's driving me crazy. I think if I can just understand it a bit better I can ignore it." He focused on trying to decipher what he was feeling.
It felt like three different things. First, some sort of protective field, to scramble and suppress the magic aura. The second was harder to pin down; it was behind the first magic and hard to read. He thought it was some sort of long range magic, either communication or movement. He doubted it was a magic telephone, so he figured it was a teleporter. The third was really subtle and barely detectable at all. It was the one that was annoying him the most; it didn't seem to fit at all. But unless he went into the room he doubted he'd be able to get a good feel for what it was. He went back to studying the second magic. It was quite complicated, but he thought he'd be able to do it if he could get a grimoire to study it properly. He might be able to mimic it if he even just got a good look at it.
He grabbed a pencil and two pieces of paper and began to sketch out the thoughts in his head. He was just getting into it when he paused. "Nick." Nicholas looked over and grunted. "Dad might be selling the grimoire, and even if he doesn't he said he was taking it away until we're older."
Nicholas looked shocked, angry, and relieved. "You talked to him last night?"
Nathanial nodded and told him the whole story, including what he said about Micah.
"Why do Mom and Dad hate Micah so much? Why is he treated so differently than us? It can't be his age." Nicholas sounded resentful; he was as protective of Micah as Nathanial was. "He's only four and a half years younger than I am. They can't resent a third child that much, even if he wasn't planned."
"I-I think he isn't theirs, or at least both of theirs." Nathanial walked over and flopped back onto the couch, feeling depressed. "Like he's our half-brother or something. I'm not sure, but it makes sense. I think he feels it too, because he really hates those stories about Changelings."
"Is he? A Changeling?" Nicholas sounded doubtful.
Nathanial leaned his head back on the couch, an arm draped over his eyes. "I don't care. He's Micah, my baby brother."
"So you think he is." Nicholas's voice was almost angry.
Nathanial snapped, "He used Fey magic! No Mage can use Fey magic like that! No more than a Mage can use Demon magic!"
Nicholas looked away and started shaking. "I did. I used Demon magic on Micah and against you guys." He started to get up, but Nathanial pulled him down and into his chest, hugging him.
He gave Nicholas a lick on the ear. "Is that what's been eating you so much? I love you, Nick. You're my brother, too. So, okay, maybe using Fey magic isn't proof Micah's a Changeling. It doesn't matter one way or the other to me. He's Micah." Nicholas rolled over and hugged Nathanial, crying softly. "Hey, Nick. I forgive you, if that's what you need to hear. I love you. But I'm curious, how did you use Demon magic?"
Nicholas told him about the Succubus's throne and how he drew in the magic.
"Huh. Maybe that's how Micah is using Fey magic; he has those acorns and a bag made by the Fey." Nathanial paused a moment to let Nick comment, but his brother stayed quiet. Nathanial continued, but changed the subject. "Dad's going to be home tomorrow, or so he said on the phone, and the Society is supposed to be calling me to look at the basement. We should go home as soon as Micah is back and tidy up. I don't know what to do about the acid burns, though." He pulled out his phone to check the time. "It's a little after four. Geoff and them should be back soon. Micah should be back in a half-hour or so, from what Liam says. We can go home, then, and I'll start supper while you two work on cleaning. What do you want for supper?"
"I assumed we were eating here, but you're right, we need to clean up the basement. I'm sorry for that. Um, stir fry chicken and that spicy sauce you make." Nicholas rolled onto his back, with his head on Nathanial's lap, and poked Nathanial in the belly as he spoke. "So, have you and Geoff had sex yet? Is his dick too big for you to take? Does it really hurt the first time? Faelen looked like he'd be huge when he's hard, so I bet Geoff is, too."
Nathanial was so shocked he was having trouble talking; that, and his stomach was ticklish. "Nick! Ahh! Nick, stop!" He grabbed Nicholas's paws. "Stop that! No, we haven't, and it's none of your business how big he is! I don't know if it hurts or not, but I don't care. Now, let me get back to this stuff here." He waved at the notes he was jotting down.
Nicholas took his freed paw and started twirling it around one of Nathanial's nipples. "Aw, c'mon, Nats. Brothers shouldn't have secrets."
Nathanial could tell Nick really enjoyed teasing him today. His middle brother must be feeling a lot better. He felt his sheath twitch and his nipple get hard, so he grabbed Nick's paw again.
Nicholas grinned impishly. "Something wrong?"
Nathanial smiled down at him, then leaned over and licked his brother's black nose. "I'm glad you're feeling better, but please stop." He lifted Nicholas's head off his lap and licked his ears. "I'm glad you're you again."
Nicholas blushed, smiling ruefully, and grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels again, his head resting on Nathanial's shoulder and his tail wagging gently.
Nathanial delved back into his work on the magic behind the portal, and felt he was making progress when he felt Geoff's presence moving closer. He sat up straight, dislodging Nicholas, and focused slightly. He figured Geoff was halfway here, but he couldn't sense any of the other people. 'Six blocks? Wow, that's incredibly far! But why can I sense Geoff but not Faelen or the adults?'
He went back to his puzzle as he said, "They seem to be half way here, Nicholas. I'll start grabbing our stuff from the downstairs washroom in a minute or so. You have anything upstairs to get?" Nicholas shook his head and leaned back into his brother.
Nathanial began to feel Faelen's presence when they were approaching the two block distance, so he dropped his pencil and poked Nicholas in the side.
His brother jumped slightly and sat up, grumbling. He licked Nathanial's ear. "They're near?"
Nathanial nodded and went to gather his stuff.
"It's so weird how you can feel magic -- and now people -- so easily, without any spells. I can't even feel my magic like that. Though, I could feel the magic in the throne of Beriatana, that Succubus we encountered. And the Demon portals too, now that I think about it. Odd." He stood up and groaned as he stretched.
Nathanial walked into the washroom and grabbed their toothbrushes and the overnight bag. When he came out he saw Nick making small balls of flame in his paws, then extinguishing them by closing his paw into a fist. He wasn't saying any spells or making gestures, and Nathanial had to focus to feel the magic. It felt...wrong.
"Is that Demon magic?" Nicholas jumped and nodded guiltily. "I have to focus to even get a sense of it. You must be using very little power or I just can't detect it as easily. Be careful, it may be dangerous to use."
"It takes almost nothing to make this fire. It's even easier than the candle lighting spell. But you're right, everything about Demons is dangerous. There's probably a catch or hidden cost to the magic, somewhere." He turned his attention back to the TV.
Nathanial went upstairs to meet Geoff. He got to the door to the garage just as Geoff walked in. His Wolf was a little sweaty from the tryouts, but Nathanial was surprised to find he liked the smell. He could see Geoff was excited, so Nathanial pulled him into a quick but passionate kiss. Geoff grabbed him around the waist, lifting him off the ground as he spun him around in a hug and kiss.
Faelen tapped Geoff on the shoulder, and Geoff let the kiss go. "Oh, sorry guys." Geoff carried Nathanial out of the doorway, making way for Faelen and the two adults. "I made the team!" He kissed Nathanial again. "This is great! Ms. Paul is the girl's coach and she watched the tryouts, and so did Principal Davis. They thought Faelen and I did a smashing job. Mr. Harper is our coach, though. I think he hates us for some reason -- probably that stupid rumour Betty started. Dad made a complaint about the way he treated you the other day, and I think Mrs. Davis was upset. She's bringing the matter to the Board to discuss. Ms. Paul is really happy about that. She seems to hate him." He kissed Nathanial again, a really deep and passionate kiss.
Nathanial was really enjoying it, but he was surprised at how giddy and horny Geoff seemed just by making the team. Faelen seemed really blasé about it.
Conor cleared his throat and tapped Geoff on the shoulder. "Lover boy, first I catch you in the gym, and now this? Cut it out, would you?" Geoff was abashed and let Nathanial go, but Nathanial could see the twinkle in Conor's eyes. He seemed pleased at how happy Geoff was. "I probably should be thankful Geoff's in a gay relationship, or I'd be a grandfather in nine months at this rate."
Mr. McDougal's expression turned to concern as he searched Nathanial's face. "How are you and Nicholas feeling, Son?"
Dirk chuckled as he went upstairs, loosening his tie, and Faelen smiled, pulling off his sweaty shirt. The younger O'Conall waited at the top of the stairs for Nathanial's answer, his fur clinging to his body and showing off his large muscles and broad torso.
Nathanial smiled at Conor. "Good, Daddy. We're waiting for Micah to get back before going home. We need to clean up the basement and get ready for school tomorrow. I'm feeling good enough to go back, and I think Nick is, too. I'll decide in the morning, after I see how our nights go. I just hope we don't have nightmares like we did last night." He involuntarily shivered, the sound of cracking bones echoing in his ears.
Geoff pulled him into a hug; he seemed to be coming down from his emotional high.
"I'm sorry, Geoff. I don't mean to be raining on your parade. I think it's great you made the team. I know how much you love--" He smiled. "--football." He unconsciously sniffed at Geoff's shirt. His head was near Geoff's armpit, and the musk was heady.
Faelen called as he went downstairs, "I'm hopping in the shower. Oh, hey Nicholas. You're looking better."
Nathanial could tell Nicholas was staring at Faelen's bare chest. Nathanial pulled himself back to the kitchen and noticed that Geoff and Conor were engaged in a silent conversation. He found it interesting at how much they could say by just looking at each other.
Conor was the first to speak. "No, Geoff." Geoff was about to say something in response, but Conor shook his head. "It's Nathanial's call. You're still grounded. I do agree that it may be advisable to monitor them for another night. Nathanial, I don't -- we don't like the idea of you and Nicholas going home before making sure you're both alright. I would like for you to spend another night. Geoff wants to go spend it at your home, but he is still grounded. I'm tempted to make him go and help you clean..." He stopped talking, obviously deep in thought.
Nathanial and Geoff waited for him to continue silently, as if any noise could tip the scales weighing out the options in Conor's mind. Nathanial was getting a little excited at the prospect of spending another night with Geoff, and he could tell Geoff was excited, too.
Conor finally sighed. "You can go, Geoff." Geoff and Nathanial started to hug, their tails wagging wildly, but stopped when Conor continued, sternly. "With some conditions."
Geoff's tail still wagged slowly as he asked, cautiously, "What conditions?"
"First, go through the woods." He nodded at the Akita. "Nathanial, I want you to make mist to cover you once you're out of sight. Faelen should be able to use it to interfere with your scents -- which means you," He jabbed his finger at his son for emphasis, "need to shower, Geoff -- and anyone attempting to Scry. Stay under cover and in the trees until you get home. From now on, I want you guys to be very careful when going between our homes. Take a different route whenever possible. I think the Hunters will still be around. The death of that Priest is likely to arouse more trouble than before. Second, make sure the basement is clean and homework is done before anything else. You have a missed day to make up for. Third, sleep. I know you're all hot and bothered pups, but it's a school night. Don't stay up late, and get to school on time. Fourth, if the Society pays a visit tonight, I want Geoff and Faelen back here immediately. Avoid them at all costs." Conor sounded concerned as he asked the Mage pup, "Have you heard from them, Nathanial? Or your father?"
Nathanial shook his head, then looked up into Geoff's eyes before looking back to Conor with a smile. "No, Daddy." He turned serious. "I was expecting a call from one or the other. A Demon attack should be a high priority, and having the son of a paying member get attacked by Hunters is something else that should be immediately followed up on. I'm kinda disturbed by the silence. But yes, I think I need to be at home tonight. The basement is warded, and I don't want to draw any more attention here. I'm dangerous, and I don't want to draw you into it. Spending another night here is tempting the Fates too much."
He looked down at his pocket; the papers he'd been sketching on were stuffed into it. "The teleporter by the gym--" He stopped as he felt Geoff jump and saw Conor's eyes narrow. "I didn't open the door. I could read the magic. There is a third spell in there; I don't like it or understand it. It doesn't fit with the other two. I can mostly understand the protective magic and the actual teleporting device, but there doesn't need to be anything else."
Conor kept staring at Nathanial with narrowed eyes until both Nathanial and Geoff began to fidget nervously. "If you got a better look, would you be able to 'read' it better?" Nathanial shrugged, then nodded. Geoff's father started to tap his chin in thought. "I hope it's benign. I'd hate to think I can't trust anyone in the Society. This Mage has a good reputation, but if he betrayed me..." He face twisted into a snarl, and Nathanial felt himself cringe slightly.
Geoff cuddled him a bit. "Hey, Da, calm down, please. You're scaring my boyfriend." Geoff's tail wagged a little, and the white Wolf licked his ears.
Conor relaxed and smiled in apology. "You two really can't keep your paws to yourselves, can you? Sorry, Nathanial. Let's go take a look at it, shall we?" He led them downstairs; Faelen was just starting his shower. "Geoff, go talk to Faelen about tonight, and then shower. You'll only distract Nathanial." Geoff let go of Nathanial and walked toward the washroom as Mr. McDougal's ears flicked toward Nicholas, who was watching some brightly colored cartoon involving talking feral ponies. "Hi, Nicholas. Feeling better?" Nicholas nodded distractedly without looking away from the TV.
Nathanial's stern voice snapped like a whip, making everyone in the room jump, including Conor. "Nicholas Arthur Marks!" He met Nicholas's eyes when his younger brother peeked nervously over the back of the couch. Nothing below his brother's gold eyes was visible, but that didn't matter. "I believe our very generous and kind host was speaking to you. I suggest you answer him, politely and promptly."
Conor spoke before Nick could compose himself enough to answer coherently. The older Wolf spoke soothingly, trying to head off any trouble. "It's all right, Nathanial. Geoff is just as bad when a football match is on, I'm..." He trailed off when Nathanial turned that basilisk glare on him. Conor turned his head away and muttered, "Um, sorry."
Nicholas nodded in emphatic agreement with the Water Elemental. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry, Nats. Really, I am. Um." He paused, obviously scrambling to remember what Conor asked. "I-I am feeling quite well, Mr. McDougal, thank you for asking. How are you today, if I may enquire? Are your wife and children in good health, too?" The completely rattled Akita jumped up as soon as he finished talking, paw extended as he started to run over to shake Conor's paw. He froze in confusion when Nathanial snorted in an attempt to stop from laughing.
Nathanial waved at Nick. "I just wanted a verbal answer and for you to at least look over at Conor. I didn't mean for you to go into a whole formal greeting. Go back to your show."
Conor relaxed and quickly smiled at Nicholas while Nathanial was still facing the pup. He went and unlocked the door to the teleporter, before turning to motion Nathanial in side as he opened it.
Nathanial felt like Conor had opened the door into a concert hall containing a dozen warring rock bands all playing at full volume. The sheer quantity of information in the powerful magics contained in that room caused him to fall to his knees, paws pressed to his temples
Geoff ran back, looking scared. Conor closed the door immediately. "What happened? Are you alright?"
Nathanial stood a little unsteadily. "Yeah. It was just really loud. It took me by surprise. Could you open the door a little slower?" Nicholas's tail twitched nervously as he watched his brother. "I'm okay, Nick." Nicholas just nodded but kept watching.
Conor slowly opened the door, watching Nathanial's face. Nathanial knew what to expect and managed to dampen the sensation. Once the door was fully open he pulled out the paper he was working on and floated the pencil over to him from the coffee table. Without the first set of spells interfering he could easily read the teleporter magic, but the third spell was still muffled.
The room was, maybe, three metres squared and must have been custom built for this. In the back-left corner was a short dais that occupied a quarter of the room. It was wooden, but the surface was covered in marble tile that was painted with runes in gold leaf, leaving a blank circle in the middle. Those runes were part of the second spell set, the teleporting spell. The walls had runes painted just above the baseboard encircling the room; these were red and were the first spells, the warding ones. The third spell set was hidden. It seemed to be written inside the dais, underneath the wood the marble was laid on. He tried to fine tune his senses to pierce through the noise of the second spell. He was mostly successful, but these patterns didn't match any he'd seen before. He struggled to figure out the best way to transcribe the alien concepts they seemed to describe.
He made as many notes as possible, then stepped out of the room.
He looked over and saw Liam and Micah sitting on the couch next to Nicholas. "Hi. When did you two get here?"
"Greetings, Nathanial-san. We have been here for almost fifteen minutes. What did you find?"
Geoff and Faelen were clothed when they walked out of Geoff's room. Both were still slightly damp from their shower and had their book bags. Faelen also had a duffel bag. Geoff walked up to Nathanial, a paw behind his back. "Hey, pup. I, um, asked Smith-sensei to pick this up for me while he was out." He handed Nathanial a small plush bat; it had black wings, a spherical dark grey body, and small white fangs on it. Geoff was looking down at his hindpaws and blushing.
Nicholas snickered and said, "Aw. So cute! The bat looks silly, though." He smiled at Geoff to show he was just teasing.
Nathanial stuck his tongue out at his brother and hugged Geoff. "Thanks. I like it. It'll remind me of the one you made." He smiled up at Geoff in thanks for the stuffed toy, and then frowned down at the notes in his paw. "I can't figure out what that third spell is. I need to find some books on magical theory to try to figure it out. I like it even less now than I did earlier. It's too suspicious."
Liam said, "May I see your notes?" Nathanial felt puzzled at his request, but handed them over. "Remarkable. These are very clear and well thought out, even without proper training. I bought some books today to study; I will lend them to you when I am done. If I find that one of the books seems to relate to this I will lend it to you immediately. It seems, from what I know, that it is a tracking spell. It seems tied to a specific energy wavelength or some such. I would suspect that whoever put this spell in place is interested in keeping track of where one or more people are. Whether they are on this side of the portal or the other, at least. This portion of Nathanial's notes, I cannot decipher."
Nathanial looked at where Liam was pointing. "Oh, that. That bit of magic ties the third spell to here--" He pointed to a different part of the page. "--on the second spell, a critical band in the structure of the activation magic. I don't know what it's for, but if I was overly suspicious it could be bad. If you think of it like a detonator or something, when triggered it'd cause the teleporter to stop working, possibly self-destruct. I don't read any 'boomy'-type magic, so I think it'd just unravel the whole thing, leaving little to no trace of what it was. Or it may just be a counter, keeping track of how often the device is activated. That would match what you were saying, Sensei. If Geoff was the trigger it would keep track of whenever he activated it. Where did you buy books on magic, Liam-sensei?"
Liam pointed to Micah, who bounced up and down on the couch. "I found it! It was in a bookstore! J.W.D. Books, downtown. It was this old bookstore that was crammed with books from top to bottom and screamed magic! I went in and found the secret room, but couldn't open it, and -- and Sensei came up with this old Walrus guy Mage who made a bookcase go whoosh!" Micah was talking faster and faster as he became more excited, dashing around with large paw gestures. "The-room-was-right-there-where-I-thought-it'd-be-and-it-had-stuff-and-things-and-whatsits-too!-There-was-even-this-grimoire-in-the-case-that-was-all-green-and-leafy!" Micah stopped, his ears drooping. "It was a Dryad Grimoire. It seemed sad. But I couldn't buy it. It was twenty thousand dollars, and I don't have that much. So I bought you this, instead." He handed Nathanial a book. "It's about Geoff, so Sensei and I thought you'd like it. And -- And then Sensei was all swish and slash and bangy!"
Nicholas grabbed Micah before he could get going again and held him on his lap. He nibbled on Micah's scruff and ears, making the pup giggle.
Nathanial dipped his head shyly to Conor. "Thank you very much for letting us stay, Mr. McDougal. I really appreciate it." Nathanial held up the bat and book and looked to his friends. "And thanks, you guys. But we need to get going. Are you coming over too, Liam-sensei?"
Liam shook his head. "No, Nathanial-san. My father is expecting me for supper, and my schedule requires some attention. It will take some time to get back on track. Thank you for the offer. I will see you tomorrow, Nathanial-san, Faelen, McDougal." Liam bowed to each in turn. "Good day, everyone." He turned toward the stairs and left.
Nathanial picked up his bag, which had all of their overnight gear stuffed in it. "Let's go." He led the way upstairs and outside.
The Markses and Liam had spent the night at Geoff's house. While Liam's sleep was interrupted with a very pleasant hiatus, Nathanial's sleep was plagued by nightmares. Due to all the stress and excitement, none of the pups went to school that day.
Conor went to the school later that afternoon to ensure Geoff and Faelen could go to soccer try-outs and to lodge a formal complaint about the way Joseph Harper treated Nathanial and Geoff, as well as inquire about the rumours that said Geoff raped Nathanial.
At the same time Micah accompanied Liam as the Rottweiler went to his kung fu kwoon to practice his martial arts...
Lycanthromancer**
