Magic and Mayhem

A Nearly Foiled Plan

Tristan returned, as promised, later that night; Absidae was quite relieved by this, which was evident in the way she had stood from the lounge, pulled a plate from the oven where it was being kept warm, and set it on the table without a word. Her movements were so fluid, and Tristan was always captivated when he watched her. As soon as she was there, however, Sid was gone, back up to their tower to work on whatever little project she had designed for herself. Tristan had learned quickly to assign her tasks, and then let her go off on a bit of a tangent; it made her feel better to learn something, practice it several times, and then come to him with the first finished product, the one in the middle, and the last one, which was the one she had thought she had perfected.

“Did you find what you needed?” Sinclair asked, breaking the young warlock out of his thoughts. Tristan nodded, taking a bite of the dish that was set in front of him. “You’re supposed to be doing practical evaluations tomorrow. I think Sid is a little nervous; it’s a group evaluation to see how our magic works against each other, and if that ends in a stalemate, we’re supposed to fight to see who wins.”

Tristan looked up from his plate. “I’m aware of what Paris has left me to do, Sinclair.” Sinclair looked up, gesturing to the alchemy tower. “I’ll talk to her, don’t worry. If she is still uncomfortable with physical combat, I will put her up against Cedar. That would be a fair match. As it stands, however, you are supposed to fight Absidae, and Cedar is supposed to fight Orion,” the master apprentice stated matter-of-factly. "I really should have you fight Orion, however. It would be interesting to see how his Wind and Weather took on your Bugs and Beasts. The unfair part," he paused, drinking from the glass of water that Absidae had set with his plate, "is that we do not even know if Absidae has a magical ability capable of fighting. Her Persuasion and Vision is great in an up-close situation, but in a fight, it's unlikely an opponent would make eye contact."

Sinclair nodded, chewing his lip thoughtfully. "If they did, though, Sid could make them feel like they were being beaten up, even if she never laid a finger or spell on them." Tristan nodded in agreement. "Has she done it to you yet?"

Tristan thought for a moment, then shook his head. "She's never even looked me in the eyes," he admitted, feeling rather foolish that he could have such strong feelings for a woman when she would not even meet his gaze. "I think, after what she did to Cedar, she's too afraid to." Tristan shrugged, finishing the last bit of food on his plate. "Who cooked tonight?" He asked nonchalantly as he washed up his dishes.

"Absidae," Sinclair informed him. "She said it wasn't fair that we all had been taking our turns, but no one had put her in the rotation. She's also making breakfast tomorrow," the yellow eyed apprentice smirked as he noted his friends face; it had turned from calm and nonchalant to intrigued and impressed. "Goddess above, Tristan, you like her!" Sinclair bellowed, laughing wholeheartedly. "Do you really have a crush on sweet, shy Absidae?"

The green haired warlock flushed, pushing his young friend playfully. "You've seen her! She is gorgeous. I know Orion has noticed, there's no way you haven't."

"I have," Sinclair confirmed, smiling broadly, "but I only have eyes for Jitterbug," he teased, sighing fancifully while pretending to fan his face with his hand, Jitterbug hissing playfully from her perch on his shoulder. "I jest, of course. In all seriousness, I have not fancied a girl since Cedar, and she shut me down because she did not want to ruin our friendship. I didn't exactly like it at first, but I agree with her now." Sinclair shrugged. When Tristan gave no response, the younger shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with admitting you might like her. How we live, in such close quarters; it is no shock that crushes happen. I'm shocked-" Sinclair was cut off by a scream, radiating down from the alchemy tower.

The two young men raced up the stairs, and they reached the top at nearly the same moment. What met them in the tower was beyond what any of them could comprehend; two men had climbed through the window, which Tristan and Absidae left open to allow the fairies to bring them herbs, roots, and general necessary items, it also helped vent some of the fumes from the potions boiling and bubbling. Absidae had already attacked one of them; her small herb knife was sticking out of his forearm. The second, however, was trying to pull Absidae from the tower.

Tristan and Sinclair jumped into action, Jitterbug slithering from her perch on her companions’ shoulder, and began curling herself around the injured man’s torso and upper arm. Sinclair landed a solid right hook on the jaw of the man trying to drag Absidae out of the window. His concentration momentarily broken, Sid was able to twist violently, her whole body flushed pink from anger. She met his eyes, and a sudden silence fell over everyone. An intangible wind seemed to whip around the young woman.

“Who are you?” She hissed, her usually soft eyes glowing with a fierce, angry light. Her voice sent a chill through everyone in the room, and even Jitterbug retreated to the safety of her companion.

The intruder shuddered, his voice coming out in broken stutters. “I’m Romulus. Romulus Aurgian!” He was nearly writhing in pain, his entire body twitching under Absidae’s power.

The young woman flinched, though it was barely detectable by those surrounding her. “Why are you here?” She hissed, the wind around her becoming more violent. “What do you want!” Sid screamed, her voice losing the last hint of it is usual, sing-song nature as it transformed to pure anger. The man who had identified himself as Romulus was shaking in fear; whatever images Absidae was transferring to his mind must have been truly terrifying.

“My…father…sent me and…my brother…Cygnus…to…collect you!” He groaned, breathing heavily; it seemed as if every word that he uttered was a fight against his own mind. Sid was truly pulling this information from him, and he was completely unwilling to give it. However, he had no choice.

Absidae growled, her body tense, her eyes like those of a feral cat, her body poised so her eyes never left his. “What does he want with me!” Her voice boomed, echoing around the tower. The wind whipped from her and knocked the intruder on his back; he had passed out from the amount of magical energy flowing through him. The young woman went to turn herself towards the remaining intruder, Cygnus. However, before she could get her eyes locked on him, her body waivered; she had used so much magic that she was now weak.

Noticing the momentary lapse in her abilities, Tristan sprang into action. He grabbed her, and immediately locked his = eyes on her inflamed, amber ones. “You’re safe.” He uttered, stern and calm. “You’re safe, Absidae. Sinclair and I can handle it from here.” He murmured, softer this time. Tristan then gathered the young woman in his arms, where she collapsed, sobbing, into his chest. The green-haired warlock turned to Sinclair. “Go get Orion,” he instructed. “I’m sure he’d like to know what, exactly, his brothers have been up to.”

Too stunned to talk, Sinclair merely nodded, stroking Jitterbugs head lovingly, as he descended from the tower. Tristan lifted Absidae into his arms, carrying her over to his desk, and sitting her on his lap; her face was still buried in his chest, her body still shaking with sobs.

“It’s all over, Absidae. You are okay now. I’ve got you, I’m here now,” he murmured into her ear, his hand stroking her auburn hair. “Nothing can hurt you now,” he wrapped his other arm firmly around her torso. Her sobs subsided, and she reached a hand up to dry her eyes. Her eyes dried, Absidae lifted her chin, and for only the second time in the nearly five months Tristan had been teaching her, their eyes met. “I promise, here and now, I will not let anyone, or anything, harm you, Sid. I will do everything I can to keep you safe.” Tristan felt her body relax, and the young woman let out a sigh as her body seemed to melt into him.

“Councilman Aurgian has been after me for a while,” She admitted sheepishly. “I thought…well I thought being this close to Orion would change that. I thought being here with Paris would change that…I had so much hope he would leave me alone if I came here.” Sid sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest as she curled closer to her green-haired teacher. “I don’t know how to stop all of this.” Her voice was laced with fear as she admitted this.

Before Tristan could respond, the sound of footsteps on the stairs caused them to separate, and within seconds Orion and Sinclair had joined them in the Alchemy Tower. Orion looked at his brothers; one passed out, and one sitting with an herb knife in his forearm. Sinclair cleared his throat, breaking the tension in the room. “Cedar is talking to the fairies, in case any of them saw how these two got in.” He stated, kicking Romulus in the chest. He barely responded, as he was still out cold. “I can’t believe you’re related to these jerks,” Sinclair rolled his eyes, looking towards his friend.

“Neither can I,” Orion growled, looking towards Tristan, his face a mask of mournful disgust. “Will you allow me a moment to speak with Cygnus before the authorities are summoned?” Their green-haired teacher looked at Absidae, and then Sinclair. A silent nod of agreement passed between them all. Sinclair and Tristan escorted Absidae to her room, while Orion looked at Cygnus, a look of hatred in his eyes.

* *

“i***t!” Orion muttered, his face melting from the mask of hatred and disgust to a look of aggravation. “I had this under control, Cygnus! I told Father to give me until the Autumn Festival. I could have gained her trust by now. You have not seen her powers; you do not know how they work! I do. I was making headway with her. She trusted me! What do you think is going to happen now, you fool?” He paced; his irritation palpable in the tower.

Cygnus growled, standing up slowly. He removed the herb knife from his arm, wincing slightly. Even with Orion being six feet tall, his triplet still towered over him. “Father doesn’t want to wait another five months! He has plans. He needs her, now. There is not a way to wait. There are rumors of a plan for the Autumn Festival; the rogues are planning attack.” He stated informatively.

“And if she doesn’t trust me, she’ll never help us.” Orion explained; he had always had the brains between the three brothers. That was not to say Cygnus was stupid; that was Romulus. However, Cygnus tended to act first, and think later.

Once Cygnus had a few moments to think it over, he nodded in agreement. “I suppose Father hadn’t thought of that, Draoidheachd,” Orion winced upon hearing his brother state his clan name. Cygnus began pacing next to Orion, thinking through what they should do next. “The authorities can have Romulus; Father will bail him out soon enough, anyway. However,” he looked down at his smaller triplet. “I’ll have to make it look like you fought me when I tried to escape. You understand, don’t you, Draoidheachd?”

Bracing himself for the incoming blows, Orion nodded. While he landed a few himself, just to make his hands and knuckles look like he had fought back, he was truly no match for the much-larger Cygnus. Before long, the latter had beaten his brother into submission, and the former blacked out, a smirk playing across his lips. As Cygnus left the way he came, he had to be careful to avoid the pretty, dark-skinned apprentice who was in the garden, speaking to the fairies. Father will be pleased with you, Draoidheachd, Cygnus thought to himself as he slowly slipped through the shadows.

* *

Sinclair had been the one to leave the safety of their home to get the authorities, as Absidae had asked Tristan to stay with her for a while. Sinclair had not been offended; he and Sid were friends, to be sure, but their relationship was still rocky after he had revealed her ability to Paris. With Sinclair gone, Tristan sat with the shaken young lady in her room; the crystal in the corner glowed a somber, dark blue, and Julius matched the color, sulking in his terrarium. Absidae was entirely spent from the amount of magic she had expended, and she leaned into Tristan, and he stroked her hair.

“I just don’t understand what he wants from me,” Sid muttered, turning her face into Tristan’s chest. “He used to work closely with my mother; I remember seeing him at our house. He always scared me. They were writing new legislation on inter-species breeding. I know there was a lot of negativity in the press, and I know a lot of people were unhappy with the new laws…but I was only seven. What could I do to help with that now? I don’t even agree with it!” Her thoughts spewed from her mouth, and she sighed in aggravation. “I just don’t see how it’s fair that Mortals and Warlocks can marry, but if you’re a Wear-Being, or a Vampire, you can’t love a Mortal.”

Tristan sighed thoughtfully, his hand pausing on her hair. “I’m not sure, Sid. I guess he must think your ability could be used to change some minds…maybe help him get the laws passed?” He mused, wrapping his arms around her ample frame. “All I know is this; you’re safe here, with me.” Tristan stated confidently. When she shrugged, unsure if she believed what he was saying, the green-haired warlock lifted her chin gently, and met her eyes. “Everyone here cares about you.” They both felt a warmth flood over their bodies as his deep, soothing voice sounded through her room. “Everyone here wants you here. All of us, we all want to see you safe; we want you to feel at home. We’re a family here, and you’re just as important as anyone else.” His voice grew softer, and yet, somehow, more sincere. “I never want to see you hurt again…” The young man trailed off, words failing him. Their faces began to drift closer, and their eyes closed.

Just before their lips met, a pattern of knocks on the door broke the spell lingering between them, and Absidae stood. Tristan took a place just behind her as she opened the door. Sinclair smiled, and Sid returned the gesture, happy to see her friend, and feeling for the first time that everyone there truly cared for her. “The authorities are here, and we all need to be in the tower with them,” he looked beyond his two friends, and noticed that both the crystal, and Julius, had taken on a warm, almost romantic, purple glow. Sinclair raised his eyebrow and smirked at Tristan, who would not quite meet his eyes.

He pushed past the yellow-eyed apprentice and headed down the wrought iron stairs to speak with the authorities. Sinclair reached his hand out towards Absidae, who graciously took it. When her feet faltered beneath her, he met her gaze for a moment. “I’ve got you, and the authorities are here to help.” He smiled again, and Absidae noticed how astonishingly perfect his teeth were. “Don’t worry,” he assured her. Sid was grateful for his bubbly, happy nature. “We’re all friends, and friends keep each other safe!” Sinclair nodded confidently.

Absidae chewed her bottom lip for a moment, and then nodded also. Sinclair then draped his arm over her shoulders, and gently lead her towards the stairs, walking side by side with the young woman he was happy to call his friend. “Will you thank Jitterbug for her help tonight?” Sid asked tentatively. “I think I judged her too quickly, just because she has fangs. I should not have done that. I should have known you’d never let a dangerous animal you couldn’t communicate with near any of us,” She smiled shyly.

Sinclair perked up even more (if possible) and smiled the broadest smile Absidae had ever seen. “Of course! She’s such a good snake…” He mused, humming to himself as they descended the spiral stairs in unison.

* *

Sinclair had asked Cedar to speak to the fairies before he left to get the authorities, and of course she had obliged. Absidae was her friend, and anyone who attempted to hurt her deserved the worst. Cedar had never met a kinder, more genuine person than her new companion. She would have liked to have checked on Sid first, but Sinclair had said that Tristan had that under control, and Cedar was okay with that. The young woman trusted Tristan: she had known him for most of her life. Being Paris’ niece, she had been visiting his home since she was small, and Tristan had been with her uncle since he was fifteen; he would be twenty-five just before the Autumn Festival. Besides, the fairies trusted Cedar, and they were comfortable talking to her. She really was the best choice to go and ask if they had seen anything.

Cedar scanned the garden; oddly, there were no fairies about. However, she saw Diena sitting woefully on one of the flowers of a Moon’s Coneflower bush they had been attempting to bring back from the brink of extinction in Ceokia. It was right under the Alchemy Tower window, and it was badly crushed. “Diena?” Cedar asked gently, kneeling so she was at eye level with the tiny water fairie. “Diena, is it okay if I ask you a few questions?”

“It’s ruined, ruined, ruined! It is broken! It’s trampled!” Diena sobbed, water flowing from everywhere on her body. “It’s going to be dead again!” Cedar reached out her thumb and stroked the fairies hair gently. “Yes, Garden Friend, you can ask me anything…” She muttered after she had calmed down a bit.

Cedar smiled softly. The gangly young woman pushed her chocolate-and-golden curls out of her face. “Did you see a pair of werebears going up into the Alchemy Tower?” She questioned gently.

The pale blue fairie shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. “They were just bears when I saw them; they looked a bit like Magic Bear, only darker…and bigger. I did not think it was strange…we see animals all the time that are not were-beings. The garden attracts them…” Diena paused, obviously shaken. “Is the Shy One okay?” Her voice was full of genuine concern, her amethyst eyes wide with fear.

Cedar nodded reassuringly. “She’s shaken, and Sinclair said she used a lot of magic. I think she’ll be perfectly fine after some sleep; that’s what always helps me when I use too much magic.” Diena nodded solemnly. “Did you see them transform, Diena?” Cedar asked calmly, not wanting to push the fairie too far after her ordeal.

The water fairie shook her head, her lavender hair fluttering in the wind. “Bad Bears started climbing before they transformed, that’s why my Moon’s Coneflowers are so…so…RUINED!” She yelled in rage, water flying wildly from her hands. “Noc maybe saw them transform, though. Most of us scrambled back to Home Tree when they started climbing, they scared us good. Noc was the last fairie to come back to Home Tree.”

Cedar thanked her small, fair friend for her information and moved on to find Diena’s much more excitable twin, the fire fairie, Noc. He was not very hard to find, as he had placed himself on the far side of the garden; it seemed he was going to try to guard the whole place, by himself if he had to. “Bad Bears want to mess with Noc friends? Bad Bears think they can come trample Noc sister special plant! Bad Bears going to see fire!” Noc shot a small, burning ball from the palm of his hands. It landed beyond the barrier of the garden and fizzled out on the damp, Spring grass.

The young warlock lifted the small fairie onto the palm of her hand; her skin somehow seemed darker against the red-and-orange of Noc the fire fairies coloring. “No one would dare mess with us, not while you’re guarding us! If they have any brains at all, they’ll know to avoid the wrath of a fire fairie.” She praised, attempting to calm her fair friend.

“Saw those Bad Bears turn into a pair of Magic Bear look alike halfway up the wall of the Tower.” He seemed to ignore everything Cedar had just said. “They finished climbing the Easknower Vines, right up to the Cocky Green One’s tower, as people. That’s all I saw before Diena made me go back to Home Tree.” He sighed. “I’ll make Bad Bears pay!” He hisses, fire seeming to come off his tongue.

“It’s okay, Noc. The authorities are here to take care of it now,” the young woman reassured as she twirled one of her more golden ringlets around her finger. “Thank you, Noc.” The fire fairie ignored her, but she set him back down on the barrier of the garden to cool off. After setting him down, she looked around the garden. Besides the Moon’s Coneflower bush, nothing was damaged. With enough hard work, Cedar was sure she could convince the bush to come back to life. It would take a lot, but she was prepared for that. The fairies Home Tree looked fine; it is buds still starting to bloom in the early spring. Cedar sighed, wondering how Orion could be so wonderful, while his brothers would break in and try to hurt Absidae. As she pondered that, she turned and joined the others, and the authorities, in the lounge.

* *

The authorities were intimidating; one was a mortal who was muscular and bald, the other was a born vampire who was lanky and had red hair. Upon seeing the vampire, Absidae hid herself behind Tristan and Sinclair; Cedar was standing next to her and grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and a kind smile. “I am Agent Caine, and this is Agent Eckhart. We are here to bring the intruders in to the Operation’s Base of the Authorities of the West Quarter of Ceokia.” The mortal stated plainly. “Please lead us to where they are being held.”

Tristan gestured towards the stone stairs that lead to the Alchemy Tower, allowing Agent Eckhart to walk in front of everyone, as his mere presence was making Absidae uncomfortable. Tristan was concerned for her; her anxiety was palpable. When they reached the tower, Absidae and Cedar both gasped at seeing Orion passed out on the floor next to Romulus, who was only just starting to stir. “I thought you said there were two intruders?” Agent Eckhart questioned, turning to Sinclair.

Cedar and Absidae were both trying to revive Orion, whose face was dark with bruises, his knuckles swollen and red from fighting. “Cygnus must have fought Orion,” Romulus muttered, his eyes staying downcast. “Cygnus doesn’t lose fights.”

The agents looked at each other, then took Romulus out of the tower. They would have to go to the capital to get a statement from the other of the brothers. While Absidae was moving swiftly around the tower, Cedar stayed with Orion, who was still out cold. Tristan watched the young woman move; she was still slightly unsteady on her feet, but her confidence about the ingredients she was grabbing exuded from her like someone who had been studying much longer than she had been. Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground as she glided here and there, moving swiftly, with a purpose, to revive her friend.

As she applied ointments, salves, and creams to Orion, she handed Cedar a small vile. “Let him breathe this in, but do not allow it to touch his skin or get in his mouth.” She instructed, working on Orion’s inflamed, red hands. Cedar gingerly held the vile under Orion’s nose, but away from his skin. “It’s a combination of Filyord Moss, Crimson Brilltebrush, and Shadow Bloom,” she informed, and Cedar looked at the vile is fear. “It won’t hurt him if he just breathes it in; it will merely revive him. That’s why I told you not to let it touch his skin.” Tristan was impressed; normally, plain smelling salts would do, but Absidae had come up with her own concoction. If she combined it with water and boiled it to a potion, it would be an extremely deadly poison. However, the young lady was confident in the powers it had to revive.

Orion began stirring, his eyes flickering. “My nose is burning,” he muttered, and Absidae swiftly put the cork back into the glass vile that held her poisonous concoction. The young werebear coughed, wincing. “Ribs…” he muttered, and Sid swiftly lifted his shirt. His right side was badly bruised, and she touched it gently. Orion winced again, and Sid apologized quietly. She stood again, moving around once more. She went over to her cauldron, which was bubbling softly with something she and Tristan had been developing.

Grabbing a small glass, she poured her newest creation. “Tristan?” She asked quietly. The green haired warlock looked at the purple liquid and sighed. “It’s Brildover and Aixidert, with the root from the Sogthedil flower.” Tristan nodded; it would stop any internal bleeding (if there was any) and heal the tissue from the inside. Sid moved over to Orion again and held the cup under his lips. He looked at her reluctantly. “I wouldn’t poison you,” she teased halfheartedly, smiling softly. “I promise you; it will help you feel better.”

“I know you wouldn’t poison me,” Orion stated flatly; he was trying to play off that he was thrown off by the arrival of his brothers. “I just don’t think it smells very good.” He smiled weakly.

Sid laughed as he drank it. “It’s medicine, it’s not supposed to be good!” Orion made a face but finished the drink. “It’ll take a while for you to start feeling better, but you should be okay now. Also, your hand was not broken, but I did make sure the swelling would go down; the bruises on your face have already started going down, also. Tomorrow, or the day after, you should be as good as new.” Absidae stated confidently.

“I’ll be pushing back the Practical Evaluations until Orion is back at one-hundred percent,” Tristan smiled at his young student. “You’ve done really well today. I’m extremely impressed.” He turned toward Cedar, Orion, and Sinclair. “You’ve all done exceptionally, dealing with this situation. I am extremely astonished at how well you handled yourself. Now, everyone go get some sleep. I’ll prepare dinner and bring it to your rooms.” Tristan sent them on their way and began straightening up the Alchemy tower.