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Chapter 164: Wherein a Perturbed Pup Persecutes His Peers

Faelen followed Geoff through the forest paths leading to the Markses', grateful the social aspect of today was over. Faelen was in a much better mood. He kept on watch, of course, but doom didn't seem to lurk within every object. A good portion of that could be due to the inescapable influences of two people closest to him: his boss and his boyfriend.

Geoff looked and smelt relaxed as his hindpaws softly padded over fallen leaves, pine needles, and drying fern leaves. His white tail swayed gently as the taller Wolf hopped over logs or dodged around obstacles on the trail, and his perked ears idly twitched around to catch the sounds of the arboreal inhabitants.

Liam, who appeared to be at Nathanial's, wasn't so closed off as he was at school. The Ancient One had been trying so hard to hide his anticipation of the trip to the Plane of Darkness -- and to keep the very restless Lowell at bay -- that he was extremely short with everyone, particularly those he wasn't keen of at the best of times, like Ahjeet Jhansi or Society Mages.

His boss leapt off a log and spun around to glance at Faelen. "Hey." He landed facing forward again, and spoke over his shoulder. "You get to see my plane, finally. Looking forward to it?"

It obviously wasn't Geoff's plane, it was closer to Nathanial's,_if anyone's, but Faelen didn't comment on that. "I've seen it before, sir, I just never _went there." One of those times he saw it drained enough life out of his paw that he thought he was going to lose it. Thankfully, Nathanial snatched the energy back before it was lost. That still affected his view of the place.

Geoff shot a dirty look over his shoulder. "You know what I mean."

"Yes, and I'm not really looking forward to it, sir. It's dangerous, and I'd rather you never went there. If you have to go, I'm glad I can tag along." Indistinct murmurs and snippets of cheerful singing drifted over his spiritual link with Liam; he was apparently doing something that caused Lowell to exert more influence. Faelen smothered a sigh. Maybe this evening was going to be more work than he thought.

Geoff jokingly muttered, "Cranky-pants fog-brain." More seriously, he added. "Not sir. Grandda is 'sir,' not me."

"Sorry." Faelen paused before querying, "Do you think there will be any trouble? Liam wound himself up trying to keep his excitement hidden, but...he's not the only one that smells tense today."

Geoff slowed down so he could glower at Faelen. "He's a fecking shite disturber. _'Tense'_doesn't cover his behaviour." The Elemental picked his pace back up. "But...trouble? Yeah, I do. I don't know why, though. The Mages poking around, maybe; they're always ready to piss on a parade." Geoff chuckled as he bopped his fist on the corner of the wall surrounding the Markses' place. "I loved seeing the look on their faces when Liam told them off, especially that Forest Cat, bloody old crone. Better yet was when that Fox slapped her." He pushed the ornate gate open, shaking his head in perverse delight.

Faelen followed Geoff into the Markses' yard and cocked his head in mild confusion. Micah was there, right in the middle and a short distance from the pines, with a shovel, Nathanial's roses, a watering can, some golf tees, some golf balls, and a rope. In his paw was a larger, wooden stake. Faelen had expected him to be out front working on his Halloween project.

Geoff trotted over. "Hey, Sprite. What are you doing?" Liam left the basement door with a bag of soil in one paw, and a backpack in the other; the excitement Faelen had felt slowly building in his boyfriend had markedly risen as the departure time drew visibly closer. It was a little troubling to see the corner of a leather-bound book -- like a journal -- in one of the pack's pockets; Lowell's contribution, probably.

Micah drove the stake into the ground and tied the rope to it. "Planting." That was a rather...concise answer for Micah, one he didn't manage to keep short for long as his eyes rose to meet them and his tail fanned the air with its usual zest. "Hi-hi! The-Dryad -- y'know-the-one-by-the-fairy-ring -- asked-me-to-plant-two-acorns-in-the-yard-and-I-owe-her-lots-for-all-the-acorns-she-gave-me-so-I-said-yes-and-Grandda-told-me-to-plant-them-in-a-circle-with-the-roses-with-the-oaks-to-the-true-north-and-south-and-the-roses-making-up-the-other-clock-spots-then-Nats-said-he'd-help-by-digging-the-holes-and-stuff-but-Sensei-said-no-'cause-this-is-paying-a-debt-and-helping-too-much-was-bad-so-they're -- Nats-and-Nick -- doing-work-out-front." Faelen felt like he was out of breath by the time Micah paused, and he wasn't the one _talking._Geoff's head was wobbling while trying to follow the insanely rapid patter; he even smelt like he was getting dizzy. "Sensei-is-marking-out-the-spots-with-me-making-sure-I-gots-them-all-right-then-letting-me-do-the-rest-alone." Micah unrolled the rope to its full length and pushed a golf tee in the ground and balanced a golf ball on it to make it easier to see -- or because Micah thought it was fun.

Faelen nodded to Liam and crouched beside a rose bush. "Beautiful." He caressed a petal with his index pad. They were all still satiny-black with tiny droplets of silver inside the flower. The green-black stems smelt full of sap, fresh and lively, while the leaves were starting to uncurl in the waning sunlight, exposing hints of the silvery-green tops. Why did Fellwedyr want them planted so precisely? Two oaks due north-south and ten magic rose bushes in a perfect ring? The Dryad mother wasn't just a Dryad, either; she was the guardian of a passage to Faerie. This smacked of some damned powerful Fey magic, a true Gate, perhaps? The Society wouldn't like that.

Faelen looked up at Liam. "What's the difference between a Gate, capital 'G,' and a fairy ring? I've heard about Hellgates, but the Fey can have their own, right?"

Liam arched his eyebrow. "Yes. A fairy ring, that circle of mushrooms commonly in the shadow of a sacred tree, tree of power, or whatever such term you wish to use, is a temporary passage from one fixed location on Earth to another fixed location in Faerie. The ring may or may not be permanent, but the passageway never is; it can open at set intervals, randomly, or merely facilitates the opening of a passage by a caster. It is also limited by the number of people that may pass through in any given time period. A planar gateway is different. It is a permanent structure, has no restrictions on travellers, and can be created to open to multiple destinations within the targeted planes. A Hellgate only opens into a single plane of the Hells; a Faerie Arch only opens to Faerie." Liam looked over at Micah, who was still marking out the ring, with a contemplative frown. "I agree, this does speak of some sort of Fey magic. It may be protective, however, such as a warded area far more powerful than the wards in the basement. Furthemore, rosewood is key for potent healing rituals, particularly in matters dealing with the soul. It is also tied to charm magics. The oak is also an extremely potent symbol of healing, longevity, and endurance. The healing is of the body rather than the soul, and it is yang to the rose's yin." That made it sound like this was more for curing Nick than a Gate. Liam continued, "In any case -- Arch, ward, or healing -- these twelve plants are insufficient. A central set of plants or stones would be required and would determine what the primary purpose of this endeavour is. Regardless, it is only to the Markses' benefit, so I shall not oppose it."

Faelen noted Geoff was staring at Liam in surprise; Faelen felt much the same way. It wasn't that Liam wouldn't oppose the construction of the ring -- Micah's maternal grandfather wouldn't harm the Markses -- but more trying to grasp how powerful a Fey healing ring could be. Their magic already left all other entities' healers in the dust without constructing something like this...and that included a healer like Liam.

"Sounds like it would help a lot with healing Nick." The Mist Spirit thought of something, though. "But this is a request from the Dryad, not his grandfather. Why does she want her seeds planted here, and would she actually care about healing anyone but Micah?"

"Fair question. It is most peculiar for this request to be made. Planting her seeds in this shackled land?" Liam shook his head. "I cannot fathom why, outside of an order from the Seelie Court. Therefore, the Court must have great reason to require it, and unless Nick will be of sufficient use to them when healed, or it is Micah they are investing in through his attachments to Nick, I would argue it is most likely to be an Arch and it is being built to combat a forecasted Demon invasion."

That would make the Markses ground zero for a Wild Hunt. Fuck. So much for Micah's grandfather not hurting the Markses, if he had any say in the matter to begin with.

Geoff smelt a bit ill; his thoughts obviously ran down the same track Faelen's had. "Why did you say this was a 'shackled land'?"

Liam walked over to the circle Micah had almost finished plotting before carefully lowering his burdens to the ground. The Rottie gestured around them. "And what do you see that is growing free? This grass is not even endemic to Nova Scotia. Only those pines," he pointed to the small copse left standing, "remain from the forest that covered this property a little less than a decade ago. Even they are not growing as they will. Nature is bound to the whims of the mortals who live in these houses, shackled and perverted into mockeries of what she would be."

Ouch. That was probably the harshest criticism Faelen had heard Liam levy against yards or gardens. Faelen closed his eyes for a moment so he could focus. '...Romans invading our lands, stamping their will onto Nature as well as Eire's people! Look around--' Faelen shook his head to knock the voice loose; Conor Quinn, the old Druid, was stirring in Liam's soul.

Before he could get Liam to centre himself, the Rottie closed his eyes and focused. Faelen _thought_he was suppressing Quinn's echo. "Boy, move the circle this way." Or maybe not. Liam walked twenty-odd paces away from the pines. "Roots lie deep and spread far. There be a ley-line deep underground, too, deep enough that a small shift willnae make a large difference at most times, but..." Quinn shaded his eyes with a paw and looked to the west, before he momentarily fell silent. "There'll be a pulse travelling along it when the sun's disc falls 'neath the world's edge. The planting must be done before then." The tan paws flickered for a second, fast enough that Faelen almost missed seeing two small steel throwing knives drop out of his sleeves before flying out. As far as he could see, they landed the same distance away, one due north and the other south, to start the new circle. A third Quinn dropped between his hindpaws.

Shaking his head, Geoff began uprooting the golf tees in the ground while Micah tugged a few times on the stake he'd driven into the ground. It eventually came loose, causing the small Dog to stagger back a step. Geoff shoved the pawful of golf balls into his coat pocket. "There isn't much time, then, not if Micah needs to do most of it alone."

Quinn trotted to the 'north' knife. He shrugged. "Then we help. The elder children would prefer catching the earth-pulse." He knelt on the grass, muttered something Faelen couldn't catch, and moved his paw in a small counter clockwise circle. The grass withered away, leaving bare soil behind.

Faelen frowned. This might help Micah a bit, but Liam couldn't afford to squander his chi like this, if that took chi. Was it a druidic ability, or one of Hades'? "Liam, do you need to meditate before we go?"

Liam looked over with surprise painted openly on his face. "Hn? What're ye...?" He held his paws together near his diaphragm and took a few deep breaths with his eyes closed. Faelen felt a faint headache form when Quinn retreated back into his wing of Liam's 'library.'

Geoff looked up and around while Liam centred himself. The sun hid itself behind a bank of clouds on the horizon, plunging the yard into deeper twilight. The Elemental suddenly smelt wary. Nervous. "You're right; there's a lot of tension today." The white Wolf reached out and squeezed his index and thumb together as if pinching the air. "You, Nathanial, those Mages and paparazzi, then the cops, students... Everything seems wound up tight, even the shadows. I just don't know what could be causing it."

Liam opened an eye. "That is surprisingly perceptive. The chi I sensed in school _did_indicate such stress, and I highly doubt it is due to approaching midterms." Shit. With everything going on, Faelen had been ignoring those. "My mother has been incessantly informing me of all the dire news both here and abroad, including the 'rumours' her boyfriend has been telling her about the Wolves plotting armed insurrection. I sense the God of War's hand in things"

Faelen pulled his head back in surprise, Geoff's jaw dropped, and Micah stopped hammering the stake in the middle of the new circle. "What, what, what?" The Changeling dashed over to Liam. "Fighting? But isn't it the Hunters_planning to blow stuff up? _They're_the ones with all the boomies in the hangar. Nats showed it _all when he saved Avery."

"As if Gary would say as such to my mother. It is most likely a plot to keep her from coming over to our house, and perhaps a ruse to have her exert more effort to separate me from my love. And Geoff, I suppose." Another dig at Geoff, but he didn't seem to care; at least, that's what his scent indicated. Faelen was certain that Geoff thought he should be an afterthought compared to a lover.

Geoff perked up -- Nathanial must have sent him a message. "If the roses need to be planted by sunset, should he help?" 'He' being Nathanial, though Geoff left that unsaid, again forgetting Minor Telepathy only affected one person.

Liam waved Micah away. "Yes. I shall mark the places for the roses, and Nathanial can dig them out. Micah, ignore the stake and plant the acorn, please." He pointed down at the patch of bare earth.

After two minutes of digging, plotting, and rearranging, Nathanial rounded the corner of the house shortly followed by a slightly breathless Nick. Faelen saw Geoff almost drop a rose bush he was lowering into a freshly opened hollow to go greet his boyfriend, but the besotted Wolf kept himself under control. The nearly traumatised rose safely made it into its new home, where Faelen shifted soil around the rootball.

Micah chirped musically as he waved his paw over the bush, conjuring a small rain cloud. He laughed. "Rain, rain, come todaaay~!"

How much time was Micah spending, past or present, in Faerie to learn so many different spells? Nathanial seemed to just do magic without learning it -- or remembering how he did it afterwards -- but Micah wasn't the same at all. What would Nathanial be capable of if he had Micah's variety and kept his raw power, not to mention his ability to multitask? As if in answer, large clumps of earth rose up from each marked point, and the waiting rose bushes floated over into the holes.

Faelen glanced at Nathanial, who had picked up his pace to greet Geoff -- not that Geoff was waiting in place.

Nick trotted past the smooching couple, smacking Nathanial's arse on his way by. The white and red paw lingered momentarily before slipping away. "Later, Nats. Work first."

Nathanial sheepishly smiled. "I am." He pointed at the soil filling in the area around the root balls. "See?" A small pout wafted over his face. "But you're right. Come on, Geoff." The pout may have -- err, definitely did -- stoke Geoff's desires, but he followed Nathanial docilely.

Everyone focused on their tasks for the next short while, barely managing to beat the deadline.

Micah stood in the centre of the circle, facing south. "Nats, can you put some dark over the roses?" Faelen looked around the circle before Nathanial could hide the flowers. The leaves on each plant were fully unfurled, exposing the lighter surfaces to the blue-black sky. The wind sighed through the forest and soon crossed the lawn. A faint noise, almost like a piping shorebird, came from Micah, followed by a few more notes nearly hidden in the breeze. A light similar to sun dapples in a dense forest shone on the earth over the acorns.

The Changeling began dancing and sang louder. The dance didn't look like the normal Micah-having-fun sort, either, but more ritualized. It was very precise, covered the ground within the circle, and didn't have that same 'wild' feeling that usually accompanied Micah's magic.

Faelen noticed Nathanial glancing skyward a few times, and the Mage looked back a little sheepishly after the fourth set of glances. "He's almost triggered the detection grid a few times. I had to tweak it a bit. I doubt Nahanni will notice -- um, she shouldn't unless she runs a diagnostic." The Akita grimaced. "We'll soon see if I'm wrong, since I bet I'm suspect number one for non-Demonic modifications to the grid."

Liam knelt in the middle of the circle and began his own ritual. He placed his paws on the ground, digging his claws into the cold soil, and began chanting in a quiet voice. To Faelen's untrained ears, it sounded similar to Fey, but more sibilant. Micah's ears twitched toward Liam many times, and the pup faltered in his steps once almost to the point of breaking the dance. Whatever Liam was doing must've been very interesting to Micah.

Then, the dance became even more energetic and Liam's chants louder. Twelve acorns rose out of Micah's pouch and floated over the plants. Next to Faelen, Geoff stiffened up and his eyes widened. "What in the hells?" Nick looked incredulous that Geoff dared mention those planes while his brother performed a Fey ritual.

Less than a second later, Faelen felt a huge rush of energy move through Liam, completely unlike anything he'd felt from the Ancient One before. The charged acorns exploded into luminous green dust that covered the roses and the bare earth around the planted acorns. Faelen could suddenly hear everything start to grow. The magic released by Micah and channelled through Liam made the moisture in the air feel...alive. The Mist Spirit felt like he could do _anything_right now.

Nathanial grimaced. "No way to hide that. We'll probably have company shortly." He cocked his head to one side. "An earth-pulse, eh? I could feel something beneath my hindpaws, but apparently Geoff is more sensitive to it than I am."

Geoff shrugged. "I... I don't really know. I could just tell something, uh--" He scratched the back of his neck in discomfort. "--well, huge and very powerful was heading this way. It zoomed by us, really deep underground, and headed northish. Liam pulled a bit of it off and fed it to the plants."

Liam staggered to his hindpaws, and cautiously made his way around the still dancing Micah. "Diverted. I do not have the power to force the energy of Gaia to do my whims. The chant--"

He broke off when Nathanial waved his paw. "Jay?" The Akita looked at a couple of spots around the yard. The last time Nathanial did this was when he saw an Agent spying spell appear, and somehow, Nathanial could recognise the 'spellcraft' of individual Mages; presumably, one of the spells belonged to Jay. "Mages incoming." A few seconds later, Jay and Mr. Doull appeared a couple paces away from their cluster of people. Faelen noted that Geoff_was the farthest one away from them, and the Mages were in _his full sight. That was a nice gesture on Mr. Doull's part. Faelen still made sure he moved within easy reach of Geoff, and he gripped one of Nathanial's fog bombs inside his coat pocket. No one appeared at the other locations, but they were probably still watching.

Mr. Doull wore heavy, mid-calf boots on his feet with the cuffs of his dark-grey pants tucked in; those pants were of a durable material, as was his buttoned, coal-black shirt which lay visible under an open, black, leather coat. The Walrus's jeweller's glasses dangled on their chain, but Faelen noticed a clear crystal was attached to their rim. He, like Liam, also had a bag crammed with...stuff, but Mr. Doull's was a duffle bag rather than a backpack.

Jay's clothing matched Mr. Doull's, all dark colours and durable materials, and he carried a hiking pack on his back. A crystal sat on the right arm of his agent's glasses. Both Mages barely nodded to the teens before staring at Micah as the dance wound down. In that short amount of time, the new oak trees stood a little over a metre high, with fresh leaves gleaming under the magic sunlight. Faelen couldn't see the roses under their domes of darkness, but they smelt a lot fuller than before, and the height of the rustling sounds of growing leaves led him to believe they were a bit shorter, if bushier, than the oaks.

Mr. Doull flipped some of the lenses on his glasses a few times as he looked at the various places around the circle. "Jay? Your thoughts?" A spot of light appeared on one of his fingers. Nathanial glanced at the same spots he'd noted prior to Jay's appearance with satisfaction; the light must've been a signal for the other Mages to indicate there were no problems.

Liam huffed as he waved a paw dismissively. "My thoughts are that this is none of your business. Let us go."

The Walrus sighed. "We aren't going through this again, are we? I thought we came to an understanding."

"I understand you almost hit me with your car."

Faelen almost winced; Councillor Doull did. 'Sheesh, Liam, that wasn't fair. You told me you deliberately jumped in front of his car. Invisible or not, you knew it was there.'

Agent Jay stared at the former councillor in surprise. Mr. Doull shook his flippers as if trying to fan his guilt away. "That was an accident! I didn't expect you to suddenly change your direction and jump onto the road!"

"Dude, you ran over a healer?! What were you doing?!" Jay shook his head in disbelief before a thought obviously struck him. "Sensei?" He asked Liam, "Why would you jump in front of a car? I can't believe you were that careless."

Liam grabbed his pack and hoisted it onto his back. "Councillor Doull was driving along a school route in, what is it called, stealth mode?"

Jay gave Councillor Doull an extremely dirty look. "Dude. Not cool. Not cool at all."

Faelen knew what Liam was doing, distracting the Mages from a scene he didn't want studied, and he bet Geoff did, too, but his boss still smelt annoyed. Geoff likely felt Liam was being very unfair and a dick. Then again, Faelen noticed Geoff was testy for much of the day because he couldn't spend most of it with Nathanial; his boss and his boyfriend often bickered on good days, even if it was good natured ribbing...generally. Faelen tried to pre-empt a tiff. "It's a school night; we should be starting right away. We don't know how long it will take to make Nathanial's ward mobile, if it can even be done in one session to begin with."

Geoff frowned at Liam. "Yeah, let's try to avoid picking more fights today...even if some people like pissing off everyone they can."

Nathanial practically jumped in between Geoff and Liam he moved so quickly. "Y-Yes! N-No n-need to fight." The Akita's eyes were wide open and he visibly shivered, to say nothing of the scent of stress and anxiety rolling off of him.

Nathanial turned to say something to Nick and Micah, but Nick spoke first. "We've got it under control here, Na--Nathanial." Faelen bet Nick was about to say 'Nats,' but wanted to sound more mature in front of Jay and Councillor Doull. "We'll finish here, tidy up, and head back out front to do some more work. With you guys gone, we shouldn't have more strange Mages teleporting in."

Liam peered at Nathanial. "Is there something concerning you? Oft times, such minor spats do not distress you unduly."

Geoff's frown deepened into a scowl. "Oft times you aren't such a prick and pick fights with Jay and Mr. Doull."

"Stop!" Nathanial raised his paws to his two squabbling friends before covering his ears and crouching down. Micah instantly dashed over and cuddled into his eldest brother, staring at his face in worry. Nick, too, went to Nathanial, glaring venomously at Geoff; the Wolf scratched the back of his neck nervously and fidgeted. "I-It's just all these paparazzi everywhere, and then those Mages popping in wherever they want. With this trip getting out, I kind of expected it, but what if they're actually here to take Micah, or are working with Gordon? I can't_be here all the time. Demons, Demon Mages, Knights, Hunters, and Mages wanting magic materials _-- Micah -- i-it's too much, too many people want to kill us."

Councillor Doull hemmed and hawed for a moment in the silence following Nathanial's outburst; there really wasn't much anyone could say to that. Even if Geoff and Faelen convinced Conor to move them over here, that wouldn't solve everything, and might even make the Markses a larger target, if possible. The Agents were _supposed_to be protecting the family, but they were overworked as it was and never seemed to show up when the shite hit the fan, and until Agent Hugh was cleared for duty, Commander Cecil was more likely to harm them than help. A pawful of seconds ticked by before the ex-councillor spoke. "Wards would be the best option. They can't stop everything, but something is better than nothing." The Walrus looked meaningfully at the Rottie while still seeming to talk to Nathanial. "I was thinking of giving you the plans for the wards on the basement, so you can place them on the wall around the property, but you'd need an Artificer to cover such a large area." Nathanial looked up hopefully.

Liam's lips twitched downward. "Not just an Artificer. The materials would be prohibitively expensive, and difficult to obtain, even for me. Time and energy would also be a factor. Working alone, I would require a year to complete such a task, even if funds were not an issue." Glancing at Nathanial, he added, "Removing transport time, and the concerns surrounding that, would cut it in half if we were lucky. However, finding the materials I expect are required would still remain problematic."

Councillor Doull hefted his duffle bag. "Let's continue this discussion elsewhere." Hmm. He must have been prepared to offer help that wasn't entirely legal.

Nathanial hopped up, knocking Micah onto his rump. "Yes!" He reached down to take Micah's paw to pull him back up. "Sorry, Sprite."

Micah sprang up, fastening his arms around Nathanial's neck and legs around his waist. "No problems!" Nathanial staggered, to the point of almost falling down, but managed to straighten upright with the heavy load fastened to his torso. The smaller pup rubbed his cheek against his brother's. "I glad you're happier, now. Nick and I can help lots, too. After the Hallow-Samhain stuff is done, we'll have tons of building experience!"

Nick glowered at Geoff. "Now if we could keep people from yelling at each other..."

Geoff pointed at Liam. "He started it!"

Nick snorted. "What are you, five?" He switched to an impersonation of a young Geoff, complete with accent. "He started it! Da, he's poking me! I'm telling Mum!" He wasn't half bad, and Faelen had heard Geoff say those things on occasion...way back when.

Geoff began to inflate prior to an explosion. Faelen loudly sighed. "Cut it out. Nick, you aren't helping. Geoff, you have been out of sorts today. Yes, Liam was stirring up trouble, but only to prevent bigger problems, and you know it, sir."

His boss groused, "Not sir," but he said nothing else and left the ring of plants.

Councillor Doull still smelt guilty from Liam's reminders, flustered by Nathanial's fear, and...concerned?...by his offer of not-quite-legal help, but some unease was added to the muddled mess of scents. "Nathanial, please open the portal outside; every recording we have, other than what are likely your first castings, are either going into or out of a warded site." Faelen hadn't been present every time Nathanial interacted with the Society, not by a long shot, but he'd _heard_about most -- or all -- of them. The only instance Agent Jay would've seen, that he could think of, was when the pup dropped Agent Ella through a portal inside the basement to show he could create one. That was the night Lily was killed and Nathanial dumped the bodies of the Hunters into Halifax Harbour. That...would certainly be a small sample size.

Nathanial cocked his head to one side. "Eh? U-Um...sure? Why do you want to record that?"

Jay brought his gear outside of the circle, too, followed by everyone else, and carefully strapped it on his back. He double-checked the buckles and fasteners as he answered. "Your version is unique, bro. It's a chimera of different styles of non-displacement travel, but the core seems to be the Demons' transplanar rifts. These do a lot of damage to the Veil -- well, any spell that rips holes in it does -- but they fizzle within a plane. Spells that mess with the Veil as a part of zapping around a plane don't go through to the other side, they travel in it. Easier spellcasting, more damage, but the damage heals quicker."

Councillor Doull tugged at one side of his moustache. "Your spell cuts -- almost surgically -- through the Veil, rather than ripping it, so it does less damage than a rift, but it works within the plane. The multiple cuts for longer travel..." He hemmed and hawed for a moment. "We think it does a bit less damage than teleportation through the Veil, but it doesn't seem to heal as quickly." He hastened to add, "We just don't know for sure; we don't have enough clear, highly detailed, and basic data to examine. There are too many variables that could creep up from wards."

Liam waved a paw, the delays causing his impatience to nearly boil over. "To truly limit variables in this case, you would need the impossible. From a controlled location to several controlled locations, with consistent distances, times of the moon-cycle, planetary alignments, solar activity, ethereal variation, and far more. It is also irrelevant to the agreed upon matter -- wards within the Elemental Plane of Darkness."

Agent Jay looked at Liam weirdly and Geoff was close to exploding again. "Sensei...is it your time of the month, or what? You're way pissy today."

Nick frowned. "That sounds sexist."

"Nah, man. Guys swing, too, just not as much." The Jackal eyed Liam. "Most don't, anyway. Same deal with girls; some you can't tell, and others..." He exhaled with a 'psshhh' sound. "The Hells steer clear of them for safety, like _maman."_If Faelen remembered correctly, that would be 'mother' in French.

Liam stared down his muzzle at Agent Jay haughtily. "I am not experiencing hormonal fluctuations, Agent; I am merely reminding those of the Arcane Society to stay focused with agreed upon matters and not pry into affairs of others." By all the hells. If they didn't go soon, Liam might _really_blow a gasket.

Nathanial shrunk in on himself. "L-Liam, please stop. They're f-friends." He looked at the Mages as if afraid they'd contradict him, and when it appeared safe, a faint scent Faelen associated with happy memories rose. "Mr. Doull used to read to me. I trust him."

Nick side-eyed the surprised -- and rather pleased -- Walrus and muttered, "I still think that's creepy." Neither Society Mage appeared to have heard it, but the others did. Nick spoke a little louder. "That isn't a reason to trust someone, Nathanial. Some people like reading to pups, or consider it a gods-given task, y'know, to instill a love of books and learning." Councillor Doull seemed a bit surprised; possibly due to how close Nick got or that Nathanial hadn't told Nick it was due to Hecate's request.

Micah's eyes drifted toward the front of the house. "We gots lots to do, Nats. You should go." He glared, paws planted on hips, at Liam and Geoff. "You two behave yourselves or you'll hear from me. Understand?"

"'We have a lot to do,'" Nathanial automatically corrected his baby brother before either of the scolded teens could respond. "Yes, we're going now, Micah. Be careful of any strange people lurking around; too many Mages know I won't be here this evening."

Councillor Doull twitched his moustache. "Hmph. It seems the Healer's poor impression of Mages is even shared by some other Mages." He held his flippers up to forestall Liam's argument. "Yes, there are a few bad apples, but most of us wouldn't attack a child, even a non-Mage child."

Nathanial stared at the ground. "That applies only if a Changeling is considered 'a child' then, doesn't it? Or are they...?" He glanced at a visibly upset Micah and trailed off.

The Walrus and Jackal exchanged unhappy, and slightly guilty, glances before Councillor Doull sighed. He inhaled deeply and then gestured quickly while chanting the longest spell Faelen had ever heard -- not that Faelen considered himself an expert on spells. The Markses, Nathanial in particular, seemed to shorten or skip most of the chants. Nick's spellwork in his duel with Geoff was the most verbose he'd experienced prior to now. Going by Jay's expression, and the growing curiosity on Nathanial's face, Faelen gathered the Councillor was casting something far more complicated than the duration indicated.

When it was done Nathanial exclaimed, "That was incredible!_This-is-the-most-complicated-ward-I've-seen-without-material-anchors! What-grimoire-is-it-in? How-long-is-the-full-chant? Were-those-gestures-modified? It-seals-the-entire-grounds-when-the-gate-is-closed-but-will-that-stop-birds-from-flying-over-or-is-it-only-sentient-creatures? Can-it-be-made-permanent?" Geoff's head was once again wobbling in dizziness while trying to follow the insanely rapid patter. Yeah, Nathanial was definitely Micah's brother. "There-are-gaps-pertaining-to-planar-travel; is-that-so-my-portal-to-the-Plane-of-Darkness-is-kept-'more-pure'-or-because-you-don't-expect-Demon-trouble? Will-the-rest-of-the-ward-affect-it?" He cocked his head, unaware that the two older Mages were staring at him with wide eyes. "There-were-weaknesses-at-the-fifth-_chiara-glyph: the-three-thread-unification-led-to-an-imperfect-modification-of-the-later-mono-duocordia-glyph. Is-that-intentional-to-cut-off-the-planar-aspects-I-expected-there-to-be-or-is-it-an-oversight-in-the-spell? Wouldn't-this-allow-the-ward-to-be-dismantled-too-easily-during-the-periodic-energy-fluctuations? A-well-timed-and-aimed-energy-bolt -- electrical, preferably -- would-collapse-the-whole-thing."

Everyone was spared further trauma when Nick snorted loudly. "Yeah, yeah. I have an egghead for a brother. We get it. Micah and I are heading out front; try not to scare off these guys with your technobabble." The 'aloof' teen hesitated before softening his tone. "It's a school night, eh? Don't...stay out too late." Translation: Be careful and come home soon. Nathanial had said there was some Japanese anime phrase for people who hid their love under an angry or bristly personality; it certainly applied to Nick. This was even while he was fighting with his elder brother.

The Rottie let out a long sigh. "Yes, it is indeed a school night. May we please begin?" Faelen felt, and smelt, barely controlled excitement beneath it all. Lowell was stirring to the point Faelen could almost audibly hear a chant of 'Let's go, let's go, let's go...' repeating endlessly.

'Liam really can't wait to get over there to study the place.' Faelen studied his boyfriend, momentarily ignoring the adorable swings of those ear-tips. 'How much of his distemper is caused by impatience? Certainly not all of it, but much?' The 'scientist' aspect that seemed to comprise so much of Lowell's life appeared infrequently in Liam, at least in comparison to the artist, martial artist, or healer, but that just might be because he had little opportunity to engage in it.

"Yes!" Nathanial straightened up, his entire body on point like a feral dog noticing a stray squirrel. His eyes then quickly flickered from Liam to Councillor Doull and then Geoff. "Right away!" The portal suddenly appeared behind him, in full view of the two adults, and the Akita stepped back through into the Elemental Plane of Darkness.

Agent Jay squawked, "Whoa! Hey, bro, too fast! You have to let us know so we can get ready to record it!" Nick shook his head and followed Micah away when the pup poked him. "Come on, please? Jump out and do it again, slower if possible." Councillor Doull wasn't saying a thing; he was too busy staring at Nathanial through his glasses and flipping through the various lenses as fast as he could. It wasn't the first time Faelen wondered how those glasses worked.

Nathanial ducked his head sheepishly. "U-Um, okay. Sorry." He popped out into the mundane world with the portal winking shut behind him, coinciding with a wordless protest from the agent. The councillor still didn't say anything, but Faelen smelt an increasing level of bafflement from him. The lack of effect -- and discernible cause for that lack -- from the Elemental Plane on Nathanial, perhaps? The Akita's head sunk even lower. He peered up at the Jackal timidly. "I-I'm g-going to start, o-okay?"

Liam arched an imperious brow. "Do as you will, and ignore others. The portal is none of their concern. We are to research the wards, yes? Mages have long had ways to enter the planes and need not steal your methods."

The Walrus's long suffering sigh answered him. "We're not stealing, Healer Smith. I'm worried about his -- spell." There was the slightest pause before that last word, as if Councillor Doull wasn't entirely sure it was a spell -- at least, as a Mage used it...if Faelen was reading the Walrus correctly. "Our research into the portal is more for his benefit than ours, though it might benefit our whole plane if my worst fears are correct."

Liam waved him away. "A separate matter, and one warranting a focused study, not tacked onto an already full evening. Choose. If you wish, and Nathanial agrees, to study portals, I shall go home to work on my many outstanding projects." That was not going to happen as long as the faint promise of studying the Plane of Darkness remained.

The Elemental and Councillor sighed in concert. Agent Jay threw up his paws and cursed in, presumably, Arabic. It sounded like 'al-ama,' whatever that meant. "Sure. Whatever, bro. Let's just get this shit going, then." Nathanial was now cringing again with the faintest of whimpers squeaking out of his throat.

Geoff glared venomously at Liam. "Micah is going to give you what-for when he hears about this, Liam." The white Wolf pulled his beau in close to rub his back. "Hey, don't mind him; he just pissed in his porridge this morning. Just open the portal, ignoring everyone else, and we'll go through." The Elemental manifested his power and let it cloak the two for a few seconds. "Okay?"

Nathanial stepped away. "O-Okay..." He pointed off to one side, and the two older Mages instantly looked over. The portal winked open again.

Geoff put his paw on the Akita's shoulder and steered him in.