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Chapter 126: Micah's Big Mouth

Liam left Nathanial and Nicholas upstairs in the kitchen and proceeded down the stairs with Micah and that Demon Mage, Mrs. Rosemary Marks. He found even thinking of that...creature to be distasteful in the extreme; he did not know how he could spend the next few hours working with her. He felt Yoishi stir and memories of -- Liam forced himself to ruthlessly squash any such thoughts. That could only end poorly.

Faelen called out from the gym change room, "Liam? Is everything all right?"

Micah closed the door at the bottom of the stairs. Liam stopped and raised his voice to answer his love. "One moment." He then addressed the...female. "I would retrieve my supplies and speak to Faelen and Geoff for a minute or so. You may start setting out your materials; I shall not be long."

She crossed her arms and regarded him balefully. "I may, may I? Listen here, Ancient One, I don't take orders from you."

Liam cut in. "I did not order, nor did I ask. I offered a suggestion. You may go sit in a dark corner playing your pitiful little -- what is the term, emo games? -- for all I care. 'Woe is the world, it is all so hopeless, I shall engage is self-destructive behaviour because I am so dark and cool. Woe is me.'"

The mask of genteel grandmother fell away, revealing the true demon beneath. The Akita's face curdled in fury, and her kindly voice had become raw with loathing. "Listen here, pup, I don't know what twisted plans you have for my grandchildren, but I'll do what I have to in order to help them -- including working with you. Don't get in my way, or I will bring a plague down on you and everyone you hold dear. Ancient One or not, I can destroy you."

Liam regarded her threat with little more than disdain. "My ability to heal is only exceeded by my ability to kill, vesstelichmaigh."_Micah's paws flew up to his mouth in shock. It was rather surprising the Changeling had heard such an..._unpleasant Fey curse. His grandfather would likely be quite wroth with whoever originally taught him the word. "You live solely because Nathanial has asked me to spare your miserable life. Any _hint_that you are spreading Taint or working to harm others, and I will strike."

A shimmering, vertical, leaf-green disc of energy sprang up between them. Micah stamped his hindpaw in anger. "Stop it! Stop it, now!_You guys need to work together to help Nick! Nats _asked you to, and you both_said yes, so stop fighting and _work!" The Changeling glared at the Ancient One. "You worked with grumpy-pants Heimdolf, didn't you? Nanny isn't nearly that mean when she's not being super-touchy, so you should be able to work with her."

That Rabbit was a Knight, not a Demon Mage. There was a vast_difference between them, both in practical terms and personal history. He had worked and _would work with Knights, possibly even Hunters, to slay Demons...and Demon Mages, but he had never conceived of a time when he would not automatically slay one such as her, let alone speak to -- and work with -- one. Now, he knew of four that he suffered to live, and it was because Nathanial had asked it of him. What would he not do when those blue eyes peered into his own and pleaded with such silent eloquence?

Micah, the normally bouncy, cheerful pup, began to scold the much older Akita quite sternly. "Nanny. Sensei did just offer a suggestion, even if it wasn't super-polite. It wasn't rude, either. It was just what he thought would make stuff go more smoothly while he got ready. You got rude first, and you threatened him first, too. That's behaviour I'd expect from Poppy, not you." He wagged a finger at her and glowered. "Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Liam found himself struggling to refrain from betraying his amusement and could see that female also hovered at the verge of laughter. Micah was just so adorable. The Demon Mage slid over a step so she could reach around the shield and hug her grandson. Her false front returned. "Ooh, Micah Dear, you're right." She kissed him several times on the top of his muzzle. "I'm sorry."

Micah did not giggle or try to wriggle away. "I'm serious, Nanny. This is for Nick. You don't see how much it hurts him and how difficult it makes his life. You gots to work together." The Changeling banished the shield and turned his head, still engulfed in that female's hug, to glower at Liam. "And you should know better, Sensei. You're older than her, so you shouldn't stoop to childish insults like that. Act your age."

It took a great deal of will to keep a serious façade. The Demon Mage began to laugh; a pleasant sound, but that only served to betray the nefarious, subversive nature of the monster within. Liam turned away and walked toward Nicholas's room. "I believe Faelen would like to speak to you, Micah, as would I."

The pup's posture betrayed wariness. The elderly Akita caught on to it and demanded, "And what do you want to talk to him about that you don't want me to hear?"

Liam poked his head around the doorframe and saw his bags carefully placed there in easy reach. He grabbed the bag containing the materials he thought he would need. "I did not say you were banned from the conversation. I merely said Faelen wished to speak to him; as Faelen is likely getting dressed, it would be inappropriate for you to be present. I trust you are aware the solstice is not that far away."

She straightened up and regarded the pup thoughtfully. "I'd like to talk to you, too, Micah, before long."

The Changeling no longer appeared wary, but wriggled in excitement. "Okay! Solst-mas days! Solst-mas days!" That would, most likely, be a mash-up of the solstice -- properly called Saturnalia -- and Christmas. Liam had some disagreements with his parents -- nothing vociferous, but they were still intense -- over what celebrations to partake in. They did what many families appeared to do and blended the two into an extended affair. That sounded like what the Markses did. Micah froze and said in an awed voice, "Dad_will be here, and, and maybe _other people. Friends and family. It won't just be me and my brothers." He began hopping around like a frog. "Solst-mas days! Solst-mas days! Happy, happy, solst-mas days!"

That female wiped a few tears from her eyes, most likely crocodile tears, though her energy and expression did not indicate such deception. Liam sidled up to her and whispered, "John Doull has a Dryad Grimoire for sale. Micah has great difficulty learning spells from the Succubus Grimoire, and there are few spells he would have affinity with in the Mastiff Grimoire." He stepped away from the contemplative monstrosity and turned toward the pup. "Micah, if we may."

"All right!" Micah sprang up and dashed toward the door to the gym. "Let's go!" Thankfully, the Demon Mage went through the other door and collected her equipment from the dumbwaiter.

In the showers, Faelen and Geoff had just towelled themselves dry, and were about to don their clothes. Micah seized the opportunity to ogle the handsome teens, though Liam also found himself pausing to appreciate the play of muscles along Faelen's back. The Rottie cleared his throat. "Micah, I did not say we were going to ask about Saturnalia gifts for Nathanial, but I did not wish to inform your grandmother about the true topic." Micah tensed, wary once again. "Yes, I know you were in Faerie for more than a few hours today. I wish to know how long." The pup cringed and backed into a corner.

Faelen pulled on his underwear. "It has to be at least two weeks. His scent has changed too much for anything less; some foods can affect your scent quickly, but this is a whole-scale dietary change. That takes time."

Geoff pulled his shirt on, muffling his voice for a second. "Is that why you guys stared at him when he came upstairs? I thought it was because he was soaked."

Liam nodded. "Indeed. The quality of his fur has altered, and he has grown." Micah perked up happily. "A very small amount of growth." The pup slumped once more. "So, how long?"

Micah sounded most frightened and squeaked out, "Don't tell Nats. It was, um, almost three weeks."

Geoff's jaw dropped nigh unto the floor. Liam, too, felt quite the shock. Nathanial was upset at the thought of Micah spending one night in Faerie without notice, but to find out instead that it was a score of nights?

Faelen regarded Micah as one would an interesting dilemma. "This wasn't the first time. How many extra days have you spent there? Do you know?" That was true; one would not start by spending two-thirds of a month away from home. One would build up to that duration.

Micah shook his head and whispered, "No. Granddad's been teaching me lots of things, and the area around the Halifax blight isn't suited for it. Places in this world that are polluted or paved over leave big scars -- blights -- in Faerie; our magic doesn't work well around them, and Fey move far away. It's..._easier_to spend a few days working on stuff, even if we have to travel, than staying nearby and getting an hour here or there. The blight makes it hard to concentrate."

Liam pondered some old stories he had once heard. "Has Sir Tharkolys mentioned if he is keeping track of the time spent in Faerie? I ask because I have heard that Changelings need to know precisely how old they are."

Micah shrugged. "I dunno. He might be, but he hasn't said. Why would I need to know precisely how old I am?"

Liam sighed. "There is disagreement about this, but I heard that Changelings can choose between mortality and near-immortality. To be Fey or Fur, in other words. To live exceptionally long and cease to exist after death or to live a short time but go to one's afterlife and reunite with family and friends. One story said the choice must be made on the day of one's twenty-first year -- not necessarily the birthday. It said nothing of the consequences for failing to choose. I have no idea how accurate the story is. I recommend asking your grandfather and informing him you must obtain Nathanial's permission prior to staying any extended duration in Faerie."

Micah wilted in the corner. "Choosing? If... If I choose Fey, I'd never see Nick, or Dad, or Nats once they died...and tons of other people after them. I'd lose lots of people. But I'd be with Granddad..." He looked up at Liam and then over to Faelen. "And you guys. I'd see lots of things change and grow, and new stuff. If I choose Mage, my time would be short, but I'd see my family again. It's not a fair choice."

Liam shook his head. "No, it is not. Immortality is not necessarily a blessing. Please remember I said I do not know if this is at all accurate. I mention it only because you are spending much time in Faerie, and your objective age -- the true measurement of time that has passed since your birth -- has fallen far out of alignment from your perceived age."

Geoff padded toward the gloomy Changeling, whose eyes were drawn toward the swaying sheath and scrotum as though hypnotized. "So, uh, Sprite. What_does_ Nathanial want for the Saturnalia?"

A most fiendish smile blossomed upon the pup's muzzle. "A ring_and a _question." That would be a proposal.

The tender expression coupled with the far-off gaze of the Elemental indicated he knew that as well, and was not opposed to providing such a gift. The now fully-dressed Faelen chuckled and clapped his master upon the back. "Conor said after the school year, Sprite." He pushed his still distracted friend toward his clothes. "Come on, sir. The sooner you're dressed the sooner you can see your little Myo."

Geoff grumbled, "Not 'sir,' Narse," but dressed swiftly nonetheless.

---

Faelen and Geoff carried the dishes down the hall toward the formal dining room to set up for the four o'clock tea, but Faelen caught sight of something that stopped him by the informal one. Some of the panes of glass in the decorative window were cracked. 'When did that happen? It must have been recently, or Nathanial would've fixed them by now. It probably happened when he had that argument with Nick; he does have a tendency of making glass explode when he gets angry.'

Geoff looked back at him, confused, when he noticed his bodyguard wasn't beside him. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, sir." Faelen trotted to catch back up. "There's some damage on the door Nathanial will need to fix before the other O'Conalls get here. If you don't mind, I'd like to take a quick walk around to see if there's anything else broken. Maybe after tea. I feel a little...useless_not being able to help him much when it's _my family coming over."

Geoff's tail wagged happily. "Sure! I like exploring, and I feel that way a lot, just more in general. Dirk and you get things done before I even know they need doing, and it's even worse with Nathanial. My pup's got a good head on his shoulders and organizes things incredibly well."

Geoff probably didn't realize how much thought it took to make running a house like the McDougals' or Markses' look smooth. The McDougals' was a lot smaller, but care had to be given to security -- Da couldn't just get up and go fetch something from a store when needed, for example -- while the Markses had a huge house, Nathanial had limited transportation, and Micah probably took a lot of supervision when he was younger. Or now, for that matter, given what the pup said earlier. Trying to juggle all of that with a rabid bitch for a mother... Hestia must be proud.

Nathanial's voice popped in Faelen's head. *I, well -- You can if you want, but the maids are doing a major cleaning tomorrow, and they'll write a list of stuff that needs fixing. I really appreciate the thought_, though.*_

Faelen began setting out the plates. "He's got it under control, Geoff." His boss sighed and followed along, setting out the cutlery. "But we may as well take a quick look at the nearby rooms for the more...inexplicable damage." He 'thought' his words at Nathanial as he spoke. "I noticed broken glass by the informal dining room, so you may have broken some other things when your magic surged, Nathanial."

*Oh, that, um, wasn't me. Nick punched the door. There is some...* Nathanial's communication trailed off, and when it started up again, he sounded extremely confused. *Eh? What? That...can't be right. But Liam did say my magic senses could act up because of the medication. Um, could you please check the ballroom door?*

Faelen set the last plate down. *Of course.* He stepped aside so Geoff could place the utensils around the setting. "Nathanial asked us to look at the ballroom for him; his magic isn't working right."

Geoff's ears perked up, indicating he was glad to be of use, and they almost immediately flipped back in concern for his boyfriend. The two Wolves trotted out of the room. "Are you feeling all right, Pup? You haven't mentioned experiencing any of those side effects Liam rattled off before, not even the last one." He chuckled at his own attempt at joking. "You haven't died at all over the past few weeks, have you?"

Nathanial and Geoff talked telepathically until they arrived at the ballroom. Faelen saw the one frosted and cracked pane in the door and frowned. The texture didn't look like an ordinary piece of glass, and he could smell something faintly sweet. He leant in to peer at it and sniffed. Yeah, it smelt like sugar. The texture of the pane looked like a dried sugar solution. He lightly ran a claw over the uncracked portion and left a scratch on the surface -- something that wouldn't happen on glass. He stuck his claw in his mouth. Yup. "It's sugar."

"What?" *What?* Both of them continued on at the same time, stating -- essentially -- that that was impossible.

Faelen interrupted them after several seconds. "I know, guys, but it is sugar. Taste for yourself, Geoff. And Nathanial, what were your senses telling you?"

The Mage paused. *That it was sugar. But that's--*

Faelen cut him off, again. "That's you. All of our senses, both magic and natural, say it's sugar. Why couldn't a surge of magic from you, who_regularly_ breaks the laws of magic, either replace the glass with sugar -- meaning someone has a chunk of glass where they thought they had candy -- or change the molecular structure of what was here?"

Geoff licked the pane, smacked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and shrugged. "Yup, tastes good, but you can't change one substance to another. Lead just can't be turned into gold. I never thought about _switching_the glass for sugar, though; I could see that happening. A sudden change in pressure or temperature could easily crack it."

*I guess I better call my contractor and see about getting that pane replaced. I can cast Mending on the other ones, but I can't leave that there. Come on back to the kitchen if you two want to talk. I've got a bunch of stuff I need to take care of.*

Faelen could smell the food getting closer; Nathanial must be levitating it out to the table. "Nathanial signed off, Geoff. He's busy in the kitchen, so let's see if there's anything else we can help with." His boss nodded and trotted quickly down the hall. Faelen fell in behind him. 'That pup,' he thought. 'Does anyone understand what's going on? The Mages of the Society, even the ones responsible for testing magic, seem completely perplexed by what he does -- what he does without knowing how he does it. The "science" ones, like Agent Jay and Mr. Doull, are just as confused. What will Mrs. Marks and Liam find? What will the Society find when they do their tests? Will they insist on more invasive methods if they get concerned? Geoff wouldn't tolerate that; he'd do something crazy. I better make some plans and figure out some ways I can keep up.' Faelen stopped pondering the 'what-ifs' when he smelt fresh air, but without the normal scent of pines he associated with the Markses' yard. It smelt more like the school's neighbourhood.

In the kitchen, they found Nathanial holding several large storage containers, including the granola bars he'd made for Mrs. Davis. The air was coming from a small portal the pup had open; wisps of fog drifted in, meaning he was probably trying to create cover for a larger rift so he could deliver the food he'd made for her.

The Mist Spirit grabbed the frozen smoothie bars from the freezer. "Do you need help, Nathanial?"

"Um, no, I-I don't think so. I'm just making a little f-fog to hide the portal, and then I'm going to drop this stuff off. I shouldn't be more than a min-minute or t-two. Thanks for getting those, though. I forgot about them." A frown crossed the pup's face. "I need more b-bento boxes. I was going to make s-some lunches and portion out some suppers for the week, but I didn't have containers."

Geoff chuckled. "I don't think you need to worry about lunch. After today, I don't think Liam or the nurse are going to let her miss a meal. They'll pester her every minute until they see her eat."

That sounded about right, and Nathanial's laughter said he agreed. "Yeah, but if I'm making supper for today, and breakfasts and snacks for the week, I sh-should do stuff for lunches, too."

The Elemental stepped behind his boyfriend and wrapped his arms around the Akita. "I think she'll appreciate all this and not worry about it." The smell of all the food in the kitchen made Geoff's stomach rumble, quickly followed by Faelen's. Nathanial made an odd prolonged snorty noise when he struggled to keep from bursting out in laughter. "But, uh, just make it quick, okay?" After a quick nip to the ear, Geoff let the Mage go and stepped away.

"As you command, my prince of darkness and rumbly bellies." Nathanial twisted his upper body around to lick Geoff's muzzle. The portal opened fully, revealing a red steel door. The Akita stepped through.

---

The Davises' front porch kept most of the rain off Nathanial, but the air still carried a chill. 'Keep it quick.' The Mage used his telekinesis to ring the doorbell. The principal's car was here, but no others were. She must be home alone. 'Didn't her husband come get her? She shouldn't have been brought home if he wasn't staying with her.' Inside, Nathanial could see the Cougar shuffling toward the door. She looked better than this morning, but her movements betrayed the pain she was in. *Ma'am, it's Nathanial. I can let myself in, if you want to sit down.*

Her voice was quiet and taut. "Nathanial?" She stopped in the hallway near the kitchen, wincing at the pain her own voice caused. "The door's locked. It'll just take me a moment to get there." The Cougar adjusted her housecoat and resumed her slow progress.

He pitched his mental voice down, unsure if that hurt, too. *I got it.* A quick flick with his mind and the deadbolt slid back. *Sit down.* The Akita stepped inside and dried himself off with a quick spell. Before she could take two more steps, he stood in front of her. *I brought some food.* He sent the food on to the kitchen counter and took her arm. *Let's get you back to the couch, ma'am. Where's Mr. Davis?*

Confusion slowed her words down even more. "He went to get some supper. How did you...? Magic. Right. I keep forgetting that reality has become fantasy." Principal Davis carefully shook her head. "Or is it the other way around?"

This was all his fault. *Why don't you send your husband a text to tell him food is here? I made breakfast bars for you to tide you over until you get to school in the morning or to supplement whatever you have. There are also some frozen smoothie bars in the freezer. I hope you like them. Um, for supper I made goat souvlaki, lemon potatoes, Greek salad, pita, tzatziki, and a honey-glazed apricot salad that's almost a dessert.* Micah would flip when he found out he'd made that last one.

She slowly sank down onto the couch where she had some blankets and pillows laid out. "I hope you didn't go through all that effort for just me. I'm sorry for this morning; I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"It wasn't any trouble; I just made extras of stuff. I need to get back home. I have company over. Are you sure you'll be all right until Mr. Davis is back? Do you want me to fetch you something?"

The Cougar picked her phone up off the coffee table and began typing; her eyelids slowly drooped as she talked. "No, I'm fine. Go back to your company. I need to send this to Reginald before I forget. The food sounds delightful." The phone nearly slipped from her limp paw before she jerked back to semi-wakefulness. She resumed typing. "Shoo, and thank you. I really appreciate it."

'Why? What did she do to deserve this? Was it because she was nice to me? Will Ella suffer because of me, too? Or Ms. Paul?' He raised his paw to wave goodbye and noticed it was shaking. He put it behind his back before she saw and merely choked out, "U-Um, b-bye." He opened a portal and fled to the safety of his basement.

---

Liam did his best to ignore the Demon Mage nearby as they filled in the sketched out warding circle on the floor with the appropriate alchemical compounds. This ward was more complicated than any he had worked on, though he had seen worse in texts. Mages seemed to delight in making everything horrifically complicated, though Liam understood the theory behind the sigils and could not fault it overmuch. This ward had seven rings, each containing distinct sets of glyphs to block outside influences, and over-arching lines running along the compass points -- plus a few lines of power -- that held the key points of the spells she wished to cast. That female knew her work and carefully drew out the ward in different coloured chalk, each material getting a distinct colour. Liam took the centre and worked outward, while she started at the outside and went in. Now, with the sketch done, they painted over the chalk with the appropriate substance: yellow for the sulphur compound, blue for the cobalt, green for copper, red for iron, and so on.

As she no longer had to check her books before drawing each line, that female was working more quickly. The Demon Mage had expected this to take the entire evening and part of the next day, but it appeared they would be done in an hour.

Liam paused in his work, looking up and beyond that female to the living area of the basement. He thought he heard a muffled sob from Nathanial. Who had hurt his sweet Akita? He leapt out of the wards and placed his brush and bottle down. "One moment."

The Demon Mage sneered. "I guess even Ancient Ones need bathroom breaks." Liam did not deign to respond to such a juvenile taunt.

He moved at a swift yet dignified pace through the utility room and into the living area at the same time Faelen and Geoff came downstairs. The Elemental saw a moderately distraught Nathanial slumped against the wall between the older Marks pups' bedrooms and ran over. "Pup! What's wrong?"

Faelen shook his head sadly, predicting the cause of his friend's distress. "Nathanial, Arrie did that, not you. You saved Principal Davis's life, so stop blaming yourself."

Nathanial looked up with tear-filled eyes; that sight always struck Liam like a knife to his heart. "I-I know, b-but Arrie w-wouldn't have any r-reason to d-d-do anything if I hadn't lost my temper. If I ha-hadn't_been_ there." How could Liam protect the pup when the wounds were self-inflicted? Such was a dilemma that caused Faelen great anguish when dealing with Geoff's mood swings, too.

Geoff scooped the Akita up into his arms. "Shut up, Myo." To ensure his boyfriend remained silent he covered the smaller muzzle with his own in a kiss. It was a fairly short-lived buss, but it did achieve its goal. Nathanial wrapped his arms around Geoff's neck and snuggled in. "That's entirely irrelevant. Would that have happened if Ella or Jay showed up? No. Even if their boss Agent Hugh had? No. It's Arrie, and her alone, that's responsible. She fucked up casting the spell, and she didn't care. You said you told her she was doing it wrong, but she kept on. You saved the headmaster's life and her mind." That female walked into the room as Geoff said, "Tea is ready, so let's go eat." Both Wolves' stomachs rumbled and a delightful laugh rose from the Akita making Liam's heart soar.

Nathanial whispered, "Thanks," and buried his muzzle under Geoff's.

The Demon Mage smiled in a passable facsimile of kindness at her grandson. "It's your honeymoon already? That was a very quick wedding. I wish you'd told me it was today so I could've bought you something." The insides of Nathanial's ears turned bright pink.

Geoff winked and quipped, "I'm just practicing. I don't want to screw up on the big night."

She laughed. "Speaking of screwing, I hear that's not the _only_activity you've been practicing for your big night." Nathanial's ears were not the only pink ones, now.

"N-Nanny!"

She continued on in a delightful manner; despite himself, Liam found this most amusing. "If you're not careful, you won't have anything left to make the night special."

Yet Geoff's response won. "Just being with him is special. It doesn't need to be a honeymoon."

Nathanial turned into a virtual puddle in his prince's arms. "Oh, _Geoff."_No further taunting came from the Demon Mage; she actually appeared most touched.

Liam led the way toward the stairs, noting Faelen wisely interjected himself physically between that female and his boss. The Rottie gestured to the intercom. "Shall I call everyone else to come for tea? Where is Micah?"

Nathanial sniffled around his sentimental tears, his voice muffled by Geoff's neck. "They're up in the pub; the adults are teaching him billiar-- Oh!" He winced. "Oooh... He just tore a huge gash in the felt. Ouch. I'm really glad I know Mending."

Liam continued on up the stairs; if everyone was together Nathanial could easily notify them. Once in the dining room, Geoff allowed Nathanial to stand on his own, and the younger Akita took the unused chairs away from the table to provide extra space.

Nathanial stood at the foot of the table and gestured to his left. "Geoff, Faelen, and Liam, if you'd sit there. Dirk will take the last spot. On the other side, Micah, Nanny, and Walter. Conor will sit at the head of the table." Nathanial glanced at Liam. *I think your dad would object less than Dirk, and there's no way Dirk would let Conor sit next to her. I'll make sure she behaves. This will also put you fairly close to your dad. I'll try to make sure you get time to go play billiards or something with him.*

Liam quietly acquiesced. He knew his father was feeling lonely and missed his son's presence at home.

It took very little time after they stood by their positions for the others to arrive. Conor gestured for them to sit. Dirk was wound tightly; he even wore his sunglasses. It was debatable if he would even eat with her in the room. Liam was uncertain if that female could sense energy in others, but the Bone Spirit nearly drowned out all the others in the room. Conor seemed at ease, but while Liam could sense his presence, he could not read the state of his energy due to distance and Dirk.

Nathanial introduced the menu, though it was not entirely necessary as it was all arrayed upon the table. "It's a bit simpler today; I followed a Greek theme. We have a Greek salad -- without lettuce, of course." His tone indicated he thought nigh unto sacrilege to do otherwise. "Fresh pita, tzatziki -- which is a tangy yoghurt sauce, lemon potatoes, goat souvlaki, and--" He paused to look at Micah, but the Changeling's eyes were glued to the serving bowl containing the glazed apricot salad served at Alpha Luke's dinner. "--a dish some of you have had before: apricot salad with a honey glaze. That's more of a French dish than Greek, but I thought it fit well, and it might be appreciated by some." A drop of saliva fell from the youngest pup's tongue. He likely heard nothing that was said. Had Nathanial discovered something more appealing to the pup than penises?

Conor smiled and shook his head when he looked at Micah, a reaction mirrored by the Demon Mage. She leaned over and licked the Changeling's ear, drawing his eyes away from the table momentarily. "They aren't going to fly away, Dear. We'll make sure you get some."

"Yum... Apricot...salad..."

The Water Elemental laughed with the rest of the table. "Then we should eat before Micah explodes in anticipation." He gestured expansively at the table. "Ithimis!" That was Irish Gaelic for 'Let's eat!'

The table fell silent except for requests for dishes to be passed, and a squeal of delight from Micah when Nathanial scooped some apricots onto his plate. Dirk did eat, but far more sedately than normal, and his head rarely dipped at all. The bodyguard ensured his constant surveillance was kept inconspicuous so most of the table likely did not feel the oppressive tension. It certainly did not visiblyhinder that female's enjoyment of the food, though her manners were impeccable -- she was quite free with her compliments and non-verbal cues.

After enough time for everyone to sate the worst of their hunger and to try every dish, the Demon Mage turned her head to address the younger people at the table. "So, with school cancelled today, what did everyone get up to?" She held her paws up to Geoff and Nathanial. "And keep it G-rated, please, there's a pup at the table." Micah clapped his paws over his mouth to muffle his amusement.

A pink-eared Nathanial ducked his head. "Um, w-well, it's been pretty busy. I'll skip the stuff most of y-you know about, like Dad's trip to Taipei."

Walter looked up from his skewer of goat. "Oh? A business trip, I assume? I've always wanted to go to the Far East."

Nathanial nodded. "Yeah, we went to Tokyo with him once; we didn't get to stay very long or see very much, and I'd love to see more. He seems to go there a lot. But, um, back here, Mrs. Davis was very sick this morning, but she got help, and I took Geoff and Faelen to Sackville to repair Mr. Drake's car. It's an old Firebird, apparently, and in horrible shape, but with magic I might be able to restore it for him. He just needs to get some raw materials."

That drew Dirk into the conversation. "A Pontiac Firebird? What year?"

Geoff leant forward a bit to speak past Faelen and Liam. "'71. He said it wasn't his favourite year, but since it was mostly rust, he got it cheap." The white Wolf glanced over to his father. "Speaking of, Da, I need to talk to you later."

To help with obfuscation -- Mr. Drake's nature was none of the Cabal's business -- Liam added, "You three are sixteen. I am quite surprised not one of you has taken your written test for your driver's licence."

The elderly Akita looked at them in surprise. "You _haven't?_I couldn't wait to start driving, and neither could Garret and Gordon. Even Martina pestered me to schedule her for the written test on her birthday." She directed her attention to Nathanial. "I'd be more than happy to help you learn how to drive. We could use Lily's beast for that. I don't want the transmission on my Ferrari damaged."

Micah stared longingly at the apricots, even though his plate remained mostly full of food. "Nah, he's got other 'things' on his mind," he said absently as he licked his chops. "Like how to drive Geoff's 'stick.'"

Nathanial's ears blushed cherry red as he poked Micah in the side with telekinesis, making the pup giggle furiously. "B-Behave, Micah. And eat your dinner. You can have more apricots after you eat what's on your plate." Upon which, the food began to vanish at an alarming rate.

That female put her paw on Micah's arm forcing him to stop. "Slow down, Dear; you'll hurt yourself."

Micah swallowed the four pieces of goat and what must have been half a cucumber in his mouth. "Sorry." He grinned at his oldest brother. "You should see Nats swallow like this. He's a pro."

The Demon Mage tapped Micah on the muzzle and frowned, though she was obviously fighting back a salacious grin. "Manners." The pup chewed and swallowed quickly before turning his attention back to his plate.

Nathanial glared at the pup before purposefully ignoring him and turning back to his grandmother. "I just haven't had time. It's also never been something that crossed my mind much."

She nodded to her eldest grandson. "I can understand your distraction. The offer still stands; just give me some advance notice. I don't plan on spending all winter in Halifax; not when Victoria has much warmer weather."

Walter chuckled. "Warmer and wetter. Do you even _see_the sun between November and March?"

That female threw her head back as she laughed heartily. "Oh, we see the outline of it through the fog and drizzle two or three times."

Micah swallowed heavily and tipped his head to the side. "Really? Is that a month or the whole time? Is anywhere actually that rainy?"

Conor shook his head. "It's an exaggeration, but the reputation is deserved. I actually looked at the west coast when I tried to decide where to move, and I found Prince Rupert to be a high contender." The Demon Mage's eyes widened in shock, though the name appeared to mean nothing to anyone else at the table, Liam included. "It's much farther up the west coast, almost to Alaska, but the prevailing winds keep it moderate...and wet. It averages close to twelve hundred hours of sunshine a year. That'd keep it darker for Geoff, and with the humidity and fog, it'd be ideal for Faelen and me. The downside is its remoteness, high crime, rampant alcohol and drug use, and its small population -- which translates into little funding for high schools."

That female shook her head. "It's remote and, even for BC, its reputation for gloom is legendary, but I find it surprising that you found its crime and substance abuse an issue. It has a high Native population _and_a high Spirit population -- the Spirits there live almost openly according to rumour -- so I doubt it'd be any different than any other remote Spirit clan."

Conor grimaced. "It isn't much different, other than crime, but while the crime rate was a factor, it wasn't the major one since no Spirit would allow us to come to harm. The biggest problem was the school. Halifax is a far better choice for the quality of education and, unlike Victoria, it doesn't have a reputation for active Knights and Hunters. That part was wrong."

Micah bit into a piece of goat still on its skewer and started to pull it off as he asked, "Why not Toronto? It gots lots of water and lots of people."

Nathanial cleared his throat loudly before Conor could respond. "Use your fork to pull the meat off the skewer, and it's 'it has lots of water.' Personally, I'm extremely happy Halifax won out, regardless of the reason." Geoff nodded emphatically. Faelen merely reached under the table and squeezed Liam's thigh for a moment. What might appear to be a trifling gesture spoke volumes to the Rottie and touched his heart deeply. He could not agree with Nathanial more.

The Water Elemental smiled knowingly, and his voice carried a good measure of fondness. "So am I, Son, despite the troubles." He then answered Micah, who glowered at Nathanial as he pulled the meat off the stick with his fork. "The reason why I didn't choose Toronto was because it's too big. Both Victoria and Halifax have a lot of forests nearby; Toronto doesn't. Furthermore, while Toronto is on a Great Lake, the other two are on oceans. In an emergency, I could take the four of us and vanish far more easily than I could in Lake Superior. There are no Merfolk there to help us."

That female finished chewing and swallowing some pita with an expression of great distaste. "I grew up in Victoria, and the Hunter problem is well-known. Halifax had a larger Knight population until the '60s, when most European immigrants still came in by boat, but they were almost considered civil. Most of the Knights and Hunters have since moved off to Montreal and Toronto to harass the new immigrants there. This level of activity is unheard of. Shooting down a plane of Furs to get at a few Spirits?" She shook her head in utter bafflement. "Even openly assassinating that many Spirit leaders, discounting the collateral damage, is beyond the pale. That's a declaration of war."

No food was being consumed by this point, not even by Micah. Nathanial cleared his throat, appearing most anxious to shift the topic. "Anyway, Geoff and I went to the Elemental Plane of Darkness today. We left the blasted plains and went to a forest, what Snow called the umbral forest."

That prompted a vastly different reaction from those at the table. Conor and Dirk turned most baleful glares upon Faelen, while that female_perked up in excitement, her ears and nose twitching madly. Her exclamation of delight was drowned by Dirk's ominous utterance of, _"Faelen?" Liam's wonderful Wolf wilted under their wrath.

Nathanial raised his paws to pacify them. "I took full responsibility. Snow kept very close watch on us and the surrounding area, and I promised to come back as soon as I saw any threat. We were in no danger at any time."

Geoff nodded. "That's right. We actually spent most of the time in the air; we only saw a single flying thing in the plane, and that was a small bat. Besides, the reason Faelen let me go was to help me recover."

That did not assuage Conor's concerns. "And why did you need to recover? Why were you hurt?"

Geoff looked at Liam for assistance. Liam shrugged. "I cannot say anything about a patient without express permission."

Geoff rolled his eyes. "Gods. You and Faelen and your bloody literal mindedness. You may speak, and I'm sorry if I told you to shut up or something." Liam had no idea what Geoff spoke of.

Faelen explained it, indirectly. "Sir, Liam is bound by the confidentiality agreements of a health care provider and a patient. He can't just assume you're all right with him talking about your health when other people are around. This is nothing like when you told me to shut up on the night the Imps attacked the Markses."

Geoff scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, um, I'm still sorry about that, you know." Faelen merely waved the apology off. Conor waited expectantly, leaning back in his chair with his fingers steepled in front of his muzzle; it certainly gave ample indication that Geoff's response had best be good. The younger Elemental's expression let there be no doubt he was aware of that. "Liam, please explain to Da why I needed to go."

Liam cocked his head aside as if in confusion. This promised to be amusing. "You did not need to go." Geoff's jaw dropped in shock and Conor's brow furrowed in a gathering storm. "It was, however, prudent." That female looked as amused as Liam felt, which soured his feelings entirely. Liam directed his attention to Conor and played no further. "You are aware of the state Geoff had been in for the last few weeks, and the...funk, if you will, he had fallen into this morning. That was caused by a depression in his hormones, notably testosterone, and would naturally pass in a few days -- perhaps in as few as two or as many as four. We hypothesized that a trip to the Plane of Darkness would allow him to recover in hours, not days, so Faelen acquiesced to the trip in order to help his boss. It worked."

Conor appeared mollified and knew full well what 'state' Liam referred to. Dirk did not appear appeased. Conor sat forward and reached for the bowl of Greek salad. "Very well." He scooped out a large mound of vegetables. "Dirk, there are places only Elementals can go. We can't be guarded _all_the time. You've had to let me travel to Atlantis without a Spirit escort on more than one occasion, and this is no different."

Micah paused in the act of reaching for the apricots and mumbled around a mouthful of half-chewed potato. "You've been to Atlantis?"

Conor nodded, but Nathanial interjected. "Micah, don't talk with your mouth full." The older Akita pup eyed the messy plate of his younger brother as if searching for reason to deny the sweet apricot mixture to the Changeling. Micah swallowed hastily. Nathanial took the bowl and scooped out a large ladle full of honey-glazed delight. "There. That's it for you tonight." Indeed, there remained little in the bowl after that, but none would have dreamed of denying the diminutive Dog something he so obviously desired. "And, I'm not surprised Conor's been there. He's essentially the diplomat for the Cork Clan and probably one of very few Spirits that can talk to them so easily."

Walter smothered a piece of pita with tzatziki. "So, forgive the mortal Fur's ignorance, but it sounds like both of these places are legendary to even you people. Which is the more...unexpected trip to have taken? Is Atlantis so hard to get to if you can breathe underwater? And what about this plane business? If they're 'elemental planes,' can't all Elementals go there? Shouldn't Conor be able to go to the Plane of Water?"

That female answered before Liam could. "The Plane of Darkness is known by all Mages as the most dangerous of all the elemental planes, and it's the least understood. It's like...black holes or dark matter in astrophysics; its nature is the subject of many theories, and there is a reasonable consensus about the basics, but there's absolutely no way of verifying many of the details because we can't get there. We've gone to Ys in Atlantis -- the Merfolk allow no visitors in their territory outside of the one city -- and to every other elemental plane except the Plane of Darkness."

Liam stepped in as she drew breath; her reaction was similar to what he expected from Agent Jay. "Unless there have been great forays into the planes in the last century, only the Planes of Water and Air have had much exploration done. The Plane of Fire is highly dangerous, for obvious reasons, and the anti-fire spells can only do so much. The Plane of Earth has very few air pockets, and travel is far too difficult for any extensive cartography. The Plane of Light seems harmless at first, but after a certain point in time, all contact is lost with the explorers."

The Demon Mage reinserted herself. She sounded most pleased to be informing him of something. "It's because of the Light energy. It is_harmless -- even beneficial -- for a while, but the energy accumulates in the body, and the person never realizes how _much is building until too late. The body denatures. It..." She sighed as she sought to phrase things in a simpler manner.

Liam suspected what she meant by 'denature.' "One cannot be_killed_ there, not in the manner we are most familiar with, so when the body gathers too much energy, it is forced to convert to a form of pure energy. Then, since the soul has lost its anchor, it is drawn to the Underworld, yes?"

She appeared surprised. "That's one theory, yes, but another says the soul is merged with the denatured body and disperses along with it, or it becomes a new type of life we have no way of conversing with. Either way, the person is, for all intents and purposes, dead. The Plane of Darkness is worse. Go there, die. Instant. Final. Unavoidable." She turned her dancing eyes to her eldest grandson. "So where are they?"

Nathanial looked shocked. "Um, what? I-I mean, pardon, I don't kn-know what you're referring to."

The utter dismay on her face was priceless, but Liam felt the same pang. He had been greatly distracted by other matters, but now that he was talking about it he knew exactly what she was asking for and understood the pain she felt. "The samples. You have only ever gone to an area with rocks_prior to this, but this time you have gone to a _forest. You have no leaves, no seeds, nothing at all? You are the first known Mage to ever_travel to the Plane of Darkness and survive, yet you brought _nothing back?" Nathanial looked like he wished to melt through the floor.

Conor grinned in amusement. "I think Gwen and Da would be just as dismayed at the lack of rocks."

Faelen laughed. "Gwen talked about becoming an astronaut _just_so she could go to the moon or an asteroid to get some space rocks. I think the idea of planar rocks would fascinate her."

Geoff perked up. "Well, that answers that. I can get her some rocks for Saturnalia."

Micah looked up from his empty plate mournfully. "They're gone. They're all gone." His sigh contained all the shattered dreams of those sent to the Underworld prematurely. "Who cares about some stupid plants when there's no more apricots? You can just get him to take you on his next trip and get the stuff yourself, Sensei, but my plate is completely empty of apricots!"

That female ruffled the Changeling's fur. "Perhaps you haven't been listening, Dear, but he's the only Mage that survived a trip there. We can't go."

Micah shook his head. "Nuh-uh! One other Mage has...or rather, Priest has."

Comprehension struck Liam like one of Zeus's bolts. "Pastor Ted Yuke. Nathanial kept him alive. If Nathanial casts the same spell on us_before we go through, _we can go to the Plane of Darkness safely." The radiance of Apollo's great chariot dawned upon the Demon Mage's face.

Faelen, however, crossed his arms and glared in obvious fury at the nearly panicked Mage. "And why haven't you done this before? Why_did you let Geoff go off without me when I _could've been there!?"

The terror on Nathanial's face was raw. "I-I-I d-di-- I c-c-ca-- " Geoff leapt from his seat and pulled Nathanial's chair away from the table so he could scoop up and cuddle his boyfriend. Nathanial said no more but just shook like a leaf in Geoff's arms.

Liam put his paw on Faelen's shoulder. "He most obviously forgot, as did we. You were there when it happened, as was I. It was at his mother's funeral; it is no wonder he has thought little of it. Why did _you_not insist upon such a spell being cast?"

The Demon Mage was staring at Nathanial with great concern on her face. "I'm going to check his heart." An identical expression fell upon the face of all others excepting Dirk.

Liam rose from his chair. "I shall do so."

She shook her head and pulled out a pad of paper. "I have his family history. I need to record as many readings as I can to compare them, and to use for future generations."

Geoff growled. "Both of you do it! Fuck, guys!" The Elemental sat in Nathanial's chair and rocked back and forth as if comforting an overwrought child. Liam had done just that with his children many times. "Shh, Pup. No one is angry with you, not really. Liam's right, we all_forgot, so we're _all to blame if there's any cause for blame."

Dirk's energy surged higher, and patches of black fur appeared amidst his normally dark grey coat. The tightness of his features showed he struggled mightily to retain control. Even if the Demon Mage could not sense his energy, she could not miss the hatred in his voice. "Geoff, put Nathanial down and step away before she casts her...magic. Don't let her taint you, too."