Legacy
Chapter 5
by Lark
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Travis closed the young girl's lifeless brown eyes, listening to the
sounds of battle behind him.

"I'm sorry kid, I tried."  He heard the wail of a baby nearby. 
"I'll take care of her I promise."

Alice had been thrown into the crib, knocking it
over.  The baby--Lark--seemed to have somehow survived none
the worse for wear. She was maybe five or six months old, and had
her mother's dark blond curls and brown eyes.  She was a skinny
little thing.

Now for how to get the two of them outhe spotted a chair and sent
it through the window.  Holding the baby gingerly,
he carefully went through it, avoiding the broken glass.

People had gathered in front of the building--including the police. 
Well that was just great.  At least he had come
through the side near the back of the building and no one could see
him.

He glanced back towards the building.

"Good luck, whoever you are."  A strange smell
reached him and he lifted the baby to his face.  Wonderful.  Just
wonderful.  On top of everything else, Lark's diaper needed
changing.

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The guardian folded his great wings across his
chest.  Any who saw him from the front and knew not his nature would
have thought that he wore a cloak.

He dreaded this meeting.  He would prefer to soar
the skies of Avalon.  However, Lord Oberon had commanded his
presence, and when the Lord of the Sidhe commanded, what could he do
but obey?

He bowed his great form low before the throne

"You requested my presence, Great Lord?"
"Hmm?  Ah, yes, the Guardian.  I need one of your
people to journey to the land they call America."
"ToEarth?"
"Yes, Erath."
"My Lord, you would not those whohave experience
with humans be better suited to your task?  Lady Ashlynn and her
husband perhaps."
"She will do what she can, as will he.  However,
both will be consumed by other tasks shortly."
"Lord Myrddin"
"Is engaged elsewhere."
"The boy, Alasdair"
"Is already involved.  And may have already lost
his life in the process."  While he certainly held no love for
the Traitorson, it nearly chilled him that Oberon could speak of his
grandson's death in so blase a manner.  But then, Alasdair was far
different than any other of his offspring Oberon had encountered,
and the centuries had hardened the Lord of the Sidhe to loss.  He
searched his mind for any other possibilities.
"Puck?"  The look he received would have sent
titans scurrying for cover.  "Was there a specific guardian you
wished to send, my lord?"
"You."
"ME!?!?!?!"
"Yes.  You have some experience with them, do you
not?"
"I have had very little contact, my lord."
"Oh?  I thought you befriended one during the
attack of the Fomor."
"We fought alongside each other.  That is all."
"Ah, I see.  What was his name?"
"Tanner, my lord."
"Oh?  How very interesting."
"How so, my lord?"
Oberon smiled.  "The child in need of protection
is named Tanner."

The child?

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Liz set the plate down in front of Chris, but he
didn't look up from the newspaper.
"Food's here."  He still didn't look up.  "Did I
mention the price went up?  That's $15."  Nothing.  "Hey, did I
tell you about my new boyfriend?  Nice guy.  Just got out of jail. 
He wasn't in there for anything major, just assault and batt--"

He finally put the paper down and looked up at her.

"Ye-es?"
"Oh good, you're alive."
"Brilliant observation Liz."
"Thank you."  She sat down across from him.  "So,
what's wrong?"
"What makes you think that something's wrong?"
"I've known you for twenty-one years."
"Let's back track to Mr. Assault and Battery, shall we?"
She grinned.  "What Mr. Assault and Battery?" 
She asked as innocently as she could.

"Wilmington!!"  She winced at the shout from behind the counter.
"Family emergency!" She called.
"Go back to work, Liz."
"Nuh-uh.  Little sister rule book.  Can't leave until I know what's
bothering you.  However, should it begin with a 'T' or an 'L', I'll
be forced to slap you upside the head so hard you'll be seeing stars
for a month.  Unless, of course, the L is for love, in which case
you must tell all or suffer the consequences."

He glanced at his watch.  "Love to kiddo.  Really, I would.  But I
can't.  My breaks over.' 
"What about your food?"
"Well, I would have eaten it if someone had let me." He stood up.
"Yeah, sure, blame me."  She handed him his bill. "Don't get out of
here without paying though.'
He kissed the top of her head and grabbed the hamburger.  "I
wouldn't dream of trying."

Liz picked up the plate and bit into a fry.  Who said cops only ate
donuts?  Oh well.

Liz was halfway to the bar when the first shout rang out.

She ducked under the nearest table, pulling it's occupant down
beside her.

She heard several more shots above the tumult that almost instantly
filled the café.  But there was only one thing that she heard well.

"Hey--someone shot that cop!"

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Eli wrapped the towel around his waist as he stepped out of the
shower.  He was still stiff, he would be for several days.   But he
could move without pain now for the most part, and he was alive.

What had Tanner said?  That he was acquiring some clothes, and had
to contact some people.  And something about the consequences,
should he not be present upon the other man's return. 
That, however, wasn't something Eli was overly concerned about.

But he had time to think.  The man who had tried to kill themhis
eyesEli had heard of it, but had never seen it. But there was no
mistaking it for anything but what it was. The man had seen a death. 
A death more horribly than anything he would have been able to
imagine.  His own death.

Onlywho?  Who would use humans for carrying out executions?  Seven
executions.  Seven names forever connected.  Who?

He knew the answer.  Brion.  But BrionBrion wouldn't do that.  Not
on his own.  Not without

He sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the telephone.  He
dialed nine.  And hung up the phone.

"Gods."  He muttered.  What to do, what to do. 
He knew what to do. The smart thing.  The sane thing.

"My young lord!"  
"Hmm?"  He looked up and saw a small, humanoid creature with wings,
no taller than six inches near his face.

"Ailena?"
"My young lord, I've found you!"
"What are you doing here?"
"The Traitorsons.  The Traitorsons.  Theythey"
"Calm down, Ailena.  And tell me what is wrong."

The little sprite is trying to tell you that the Traitorsons do
battle."  He looked to his left and saw a tall, willowy woman with
long black hair and sensual purple eyes sitting on the bed beside
him, wearing a shimmery, almost translucent tunic that
hid very little.

"Keely?"

Ailena  flew into the woman's face.  "What are you doing here?  My
Lady forbade you to ever come near him again."
"No, she did not.  She told me not to come near him until he was of
an age and maturity to properly deal with me."
"And when did she say that would be?"
"Oh, I can't recall.  Thirty, I believe.  And he
is past that."
"Oh? I thought it was three hundred."
"Thirty?  Three hundred?  What's the difference?"
Ailena opened her mouth again, but Eli's hand closed over her as he
stood up from the bed.

That's enough, both of you.  What do you mean, the Traitorsons do
battle?"
"We mean they do battle.  Incidentally, I absolutely adore the
outfit
Eli."  Eli suddenly remembered that all he was wearing was a towel. 
Normally, it would be ok.  But in front of KeelyGods, she would be
worse than ever.

Keely stretched out on the bed.  "I must say, humans have never been
very good at luxury, but this bed is truly quite nice.  Would you
care to join me, young lord?"

"Humph!"
"Hush, Ailena.  Keely, stop that and tell me what you mean."

"Oh, all right."  Keely stood up from the bed and
readjusted her tunic, which hadn't needed readjusting in the
first place.  "I mean that they're fighting.  Trying to kill each
other and all that."
"Why?"
"Think about it.  What two things could make them battle?  By Annwn,
what to things could make them even come within a hundred miles of
each other?  Only their mother and the Pendragon."
"Bryannah is gone.  Forever."
"Is she now?  Haven't you been paying attention? 
Haven't you bothered to stop and look at the magic of this land of
late?  It's in chaos, all of it.  The barrier to Chaos was broken. 
And something came out." 
"Now, who would break the barrier of Chaos to
bring something out ofit?  There are only two things there worth
taking out.  The Chaos Stones, and Bryannah.  And it was opened from
Earth.  Not Avalon, Earth.  Even your little sprite there could
figure it out, and she hasn't the brains of a fly."

"Why you--"
"Ailena! Why are you telling me this?"  She pulled him down for a
kiss and didn't let go until he was on the verge of
collapsing onto the floor.
"Because, young lord, I wish to live."  And with
that, she was gone as suddenly as she had come.

"Humph!!  I remember what my lady said, and it
was three hundred years, not thirty.  I also remember what she said
she would do to that particularfemale."
"Ailena, I need you to go to my mother."
"To tell her what she just did?"
"No!  Tell her what was revealed.  Tell her that
her sister may be free, and the line of the Pendragon in danger."
"Yes, my lord."
"Wait!"
"Yes?"
"Should you mention Keelyplease, do not tell her
anydetails."
"Oh, very well."  She waited.  "Can I at least
tell her how Keely was dressed?"
"No, the point is to keep Keely alive."
"Oh, I suppose.  Although I like it not, keeping
things from my lady."

He waited until the sprite was gone, then sat
back down on the bed,burying his face in his hands.  Gods, why
couldn't it ever be easy?





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