Second Horseman

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Ash and blood smeared entry, dated 23/11/2008
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I was still mud covered from bringin Joah back from tha clutches of Death. Spirit Gal was locked up by Tha Thing again, but Featherpants had yanked her off to some Other Place. I had been back in tha Library, tryin ta pick up tha pieces. I had given Shiny some PT, caught up with tha Messenger, and Raven's Song. Our Family was in trouble, and we needed ta regroup. We were missin Her Ladyship bad, but she was off on a tour. That meant tha role of command was on me. Not tha first time, but maybe tha most serious. Whilst Featherpants was off dealin with Tha Thing, and Her Ladyship away fer however long she was gunna be off, I had ta keep tha place together.

I was achin still from my burns, even though I'd gotten healin from Spirit Gal before Tha Thing took her again. More than that, I was chilled to tha marrow by Tha River. I could hear its song still in my head, it was callin me ta its flow. My tak there un-done, and tha longer task, my own journey on it, waitin fer me at tha end of my days. Nothin lives fer ever. Nothin that really lives, anyway. But in came Tha Thing that rode Joah. It jumped up tha mantle and begins meditatin, eyes roving from person to person below. Blue Shadow had come in a bit before and we had been talking about torture, how it was her thing, and I had argued it weren;t tha wolf in her that brought it out, but tha human. Wolves don't torture prey. They kill it and eat it after a chase. Harry, maybe, wound, yeah, but that aint torture, its tactics. Blue looked up at Tha Thing and grumbled, but all but ignored her fer a bit. It bothered ME though "beats me why tha Library dont object ta It, but She doesnt." I said, Messenger took a good look at It too, but It spoke at us "You mean the Old Woman in the Walls?" It smiled down at me, It looked so much like Spirit Gal's smile, but, not, tha eyes, tha eyes were wrong, I couls See It, and It knew I could. "you know who i mean." I said back ta It, I wan't in tha mood fer its games, in my home, with my Family, and our guardian spirit. Blue speaks up, a little confused. "There was this thing scampering around in here yesterday... where did it go?" I ask her if she means our spook, she blinked and looked surprised "is that what it is?" so I asked her if she was talkin about a wee ghostie.

Raven's Song was curious about it too, but Blue Shadow went on. "I don't know I never seen a ghost before... it was white and trying to hide behind things" Sounds like her ta me, Messenger agreed "I remember a spirit 'ere before. She 'ad a wand or a scepter some sort." I tried something, a touch of tactical mis-information "we think she was one of tha original Libraians, from before tha disaster. she's shy" no harm in sayin so, I could fix Blue Shadow up with tha truth later but Tha Thing couldn't help but correct me from stolen memories "Dryl is more of an it, really," she grinned. "Or rather, many its. It looks like a hairless she-rat," Tha Thing wearin Joah said mildly. "There are men and women and animals and vermin inside it " Blue Shadow looked up at Tha Thing "You.. where are the other three"? It glanced back at Blue. "Three?" she smiled and waved Its hand at the hearth. The flames began ta sputter as if dying, and a chitterin sound came outta tha chimney.

I looked over at tha Messenger and Raven's Song "tha ghostie is a she, whatever else she is, or what she's made of, she's a bein and she's real alone, poor critter, couldnt make it over tha River and now she's stuck her till she's ready again all life clings ta life. tha Other is a frightenin thing," as Blue Shadow snarled up at Tha Thing, "You are only one of four don't act stupid with me" Tha Messenger glanced at Blue and back up to Tha Thing, "If she still insists she's Joah.. she wont give us any answers.." I was getting more and more pissed, Tha Fire was a sacred gift, given to us through sacrifice and love, and it always burned ta offer warmth nad harmony ta all who came to sit by it. Blue knew it too and crossed her arms, "Joah wouldn't hurt the salamanders" but tha Thing only looked at Blue, grinnin. The sound in the hearth becomes louder, scuttling and clicking. The flame dies down almost too embers. To sets of eyes can be seen peeking over the logs, two tails siwshin in alarm, before there is a pop and the two salamanders vanish. Poor little buggers. "they've retreated ta their Other" I could see them go, at least they'd be out of Its reach there. The chitterin, whirrin sound was growin louder. Tha Thing looked at Blue, "You want to know where they are?" Raven's Song cursed low at tha treatment of tha Fire Salamanders and Blue Shadow, who was a practicing fire-caster, stared at the fire. I could see her gaze which was usually cold and hard was now filled with burnin hate. Her hands sparked with a few flames. "Fuck you, stop it you aint Joah. WE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE YOUR SLAVES". She breathed deep controllin her temper, "Don't hurt the salamanders, this isn't how it was meant to be". I offered a prayer ta tha Sacred Flame, letting it hear my call.

That's when a stream of cockroaches poured down outta the hearth and straight toward Blue. Right about when tha Messenger asked "What do you even want?" I offered my paws to tha fireplace, and to tha cockroaches, letting tha magics flow through me. But tha Thing opened Its mouth, and more bugs streamed from outta her lips and dropped on the floor. "I want nothing...." the sound of many whispers echoes, Joah's mouth unmoving. Blue Shadow clenched her fists her eyes rolled to tha back of her head as her own fire engulfed her body in defence, "Grr tell it tell the Library to let me scorch the pests". Well, see, folks assume I control tha Library, I helped bring it ta Life, but its more like I got keys, but I don't drive tha car. It drives itself. In this instance, it didn't mind one but, and between Blue and me, we gave tha bugs something ta get hot under tha wing flaps about, and each of the cockroaches became livin fire, and got swept back into the grill, where they rekindled the logs Raven's Song gasped sharply she wasn't at all happy with tha bugs, me, I don't mind em, good scavenger food, fulla protein and crunchy too.

I did something I don't often do, I gave voice to my prayer in Fleshie terms "hear it well, oh yea of Gaia's children all life is sacred, and mark those that can call them for right or wrong, all can burn with the Sacred Fire". I looked up at Tha Thing "yeah . . . i been lookin inta you. Thing" Blue muttered somethin as tha flames moved but I had somethin else ta say to tha salamanders "stay away, little friends, for a while, till tha one who wears your Shepherds Skin is gone, and Phoenix's Child returns to us, tha Spirit Gal, in all her wonder."

Tha Thing stopped meditatin and leapt lightly to tha floor, landin in a crouch then stood quickly. Her eyes followed Blue, disregardin me. Blue looked at her cautiously, "Where are they? You know me you would if you know Joah". Tha Thing just reached out fer her "Sister," the whispers echoed. More roaches, now worms, and other creatures slithered from her mouth. Tha mouth I like ta kiss. " fuckin Godlings" then It rushed toward Blue, vermin spilling from her open mouth as she kisses her full on the lips. Blue flinched, bringin her fire back up, but all she got was a few sparks before it died due to the expendture before. She relaxed against Tha Thing, her eyes closin and the glow diein down. Tha Messenger gasped, runnin over and tryin to push Blue away from Joah. I knew what was happenin now. So I just stood by tha fire lookin at tha little flamin bugs brushin them back in with the shovel if they tried to make a run fer it.
“Messenger . . .dont, Blue knows what is comin.” I could see tha Messenger and Raven’s Song both strainin ta get in there and help, horror in their eyes, ta stop this Thing from doin what it was doin. Wasn’t till I saw tha bugs that I Knew. It all came tagether, though.

Tha bugs swarm over Blue, runnin through her hair, over her skin. Tha Thing embraced Blue like a lover, Its hand cupping her breast, her mouth seeking Blue's own. A stench of rotting carrion fills the room. I wasn’t expectin that. Blue wraped her arms around It takin what It offered, her hands roamin down Joah's back, her form dropped revealing what she truely looked like. I seen it a few times, when she slips, Blue’s Demon form suits her better, I think. I was never human, so I don’t got their prejudice about what “proper” people look like. This weren’t that ha time ta be admirin tha demon, we were bein visited by a Power. I held the fire shovel in the flames, waitin, it was getting hot, tha edge takin on a low cherry glow, and I was planning ta use that, if needs be. My two were still edgin close, wantin ta help, “Raven's Song, this wont be pretty . . . “ I said. She’s talented, but, not used tat ha horrors, yet, and I didnt want ta have her head broken by it. She kept watchein on, mouth agape and violet eyes still wide through her finge of hair. Shaking her head, she slides her gaze to Grr, her voice a hoarse, shocked, whisper..."...my strength is yours." She murmured softly.

Tha termperature in the room began ta drop noticeably, I could feel it through my fur, the smell got thicker as Tha Thing pressed into Blue, hands carressin her back, her waist, her hips. I poked at the fire, buildin it up with care. I didn’t take my eyes away from tha fire, but I was sniffin continuously and had both ears swiveled to the couple. I heard tha rip-tear of Blue’s shape-shift and heard her mutter something in a language I don’t know, sounded kinda Arabic, but, not.
Frost began to coat tha chairs and the smell of rottin meat and vomitous skankafied the air. Tha flames in the hearth begin sputtering and dying down, just a wisp of smoke coming from the embers. Beside me, tha Messenger started ta shiver. Fuckin Godlings. I squinted hard at tha fire, trying ta See if it was qushed, stilled or what and had an idea. "Messenger, in my pack, second pocket, left hand side, there is a can, get it out” Tha Little Medic crept inta tha room, and came up beside us as tha Messenger rummaged in my pack, and I could feel Raven’s Song’s energy building and slippin my way as tha Messenger hands me tha steel can. See, I was trained in breakin things. People, places, gear, infrastructure. I know how ta make things burn. I opened tha can tossed a pawfull of tha stuff inside onto tha flames. Tha Messenger is starin at me, and I hear Tha Thing in Joah take a step towards me as Tha Thing in Blue said “Do you really want to do that, hound?” That’s when tha fistful of thermite hits the fire, and burts forth in a flare of bright white light as it reaches a sustained 1200oC. I know my trade. I manage ta turn me head aside but I still winced as my fur singed at tha flash of heat, Joah’s Rider laughed at me but I get a soft hiss breaking from Blue’s Rider, the cold that emanates from her was the cold touch of Death. It would chill the bones of those who could feel it and I was still cold from Tha River. Her River. "Die fire... I tire of you". Fuck this shit. I flicked more of tha thermite in, eat hot science, godling. As tha flare hits, drivin back tha cold one burst at a time, I managed ta bark out “Fuck. Right. Off.” I could feel some of my fur catch. That’s when Joah’s Rider magiced tha can outta my paw and laughed at me. Tha hearth got cold. My fur went out. Small mercies.


I still had my eyes squinted shut, against tha sting and burn. I hear them kiss again as Death’s voice comes from Blue "Let them play their games, we have no use for them". Now I Name one, the others come forth, Pestilence said "Dogs who play with fire..." Chilled, twice burnt and defeated on my own turf I know I can’t fight them head on, but I can give them a piece of my mind so I growled at them a halting voice. Seemed I had burnt my throat too "you can leave my home now . . ." Death better get used ta it, Tox ain’t Rainbow-land not many here will be cowed by them at face value. “We are going, but I will return for you, Ferryman when the time comes” I crack an eye at that, shit. It Knows. Well, I guess It would, and I just took a bath in tha Wide River, how could It not . . . Tha Little Medic is fixin up some sort of lotion, on a cloth, lookin at me, I musta been a right mess. That’s when Pestilence tried ta stick tha boot in "You know the River...the one you love so well...." tried and hit tha mark. Bastard. “fuchhk offfghh. you khhnow nothhink of what i lovghhh” that’s all I could hear myself say, but they got my point. Bastards. All I could do was glare, still smoking, fur from my front all but gone, some skin blackend and cracked under that. I could feel tha Messenger there, and Raven’s Song. Tha Little Medic stepped up ta dab me with something cool and soothing,

The flame in tha fire continued to glow brightly, again but instead of the smell of woodsmoke, there is the smell of rats full of maggots, rotting fish, and vomit. It permeateed the flames...they started lookin and felt...wrong. Fuck. Tha Messenger asked me "What 'appened Grr? Are they both taken?" all icould do was nod, as I got lotion nabbed on me, and I started ta heal tha burns.
Tha Messenger clenched her fists and uttered a slow breath, "Damn.. it." Out in tha street I heard Pestilence speak ta Death "We are not yet whole. Our brothers have not come to the city, And the Sariel is a problem that must be dealt with." My nose was burnt bad and was bleedin from it, so I got Wire ta tend it first. I hyperventilated, then got still, and stoped breathin, trembling a bit and noded ta Wire who started ta tend my snout. Raven’s Song was feedin me healin too, which went a long was as well. "We must find the vessels" Death’s icy voice from tha street I could hear tha Messenger’s teeth grind and tha Little Medic patted me on tha back as I stood there tremblin. "R-remember to b-breath buddy." Raven’s Song asked "This has just gotten tenfold harder, hasn't it?"
Tha Little Medic keeps dabbin my nose with antiseptic then used some jelly ta sooth it. I whined at the touch, bit didn’t budge, or flinch or nothin, utterin a "uhn nuun" She gave me a bottle of sport drink ta have, and I guzzled it, that helped a lot. “i think they were ALL in Joah, now there's one less . . .” Raven’s Song catches on an idea “So, this... Toru thing... was Legion?”

Now, I tried ta get this clear in me head as I said it, and I think that it was comin tagether fer them too. “no, but i think they are goin fer Him, Her . . .It , , , next, i think thats what they were talkin about as they left. We need ta get a warnin ta Lorne, that they're Two now” my nose healed enough fer tha stink ta hit me proper then "oh, Goddess, what tha fuck is THAT?" like bein dumped head first in a market tip in Timor after a big weekend party. Tha Messenger thought we’d have been better if it stayed in her. It was in her, and jumped ta Spirit Gal, when we booted it. As much as I was tearin me up inside that it had taken MY Spirit Gal, as much as I wanted that cup ta be passed ta someone elses, I couldn’t wish it on another of my Family. I would rather kill Spirit Gal than let her be taken forever, and burn on tha Sacred Fire ta save her, but I couldn’t wish it on one of mine. Raven’s Song summed that up with “We couldn't have let that happen, Faye. You're Family... and besides that, if we had let them have you... you're the Messenger. I can't imagine how much worse things would have been. What good are you? How much of this would we have been prepared for without you? How many of us would still be standing if you weren't here to forewarn us, and lend us your help and knowledge? What good are you? You’re EVERY good.”

We all tended each others wounds, physical, mental and spiritual fer a bit, I told them about Pestilence killin Joah, and my trip to tha Wide River. Thats what it meant about "my beloved River" fuckin bastard. Tha Wide River is not somethin ta love, its somethin ta respect, if not fear. I ask them “tha Wide River . . .do ya know what that is? i'm not sure if i made that clear . . . its why they called me ferryman . . . tha old Greeks called it Styx, its somethin Lorne and me got in common, he can go back and forth, but it takes a Mortal ta be a Ferryman.” Tha Messenger shakes her head, at tha understandin, and Raven’s Song just looks at me funny "Wow... I swear, I had no idea what I'd be walking into when I stepped off that ship. The Ferryman... The River Styx. Every myth and legend I'd ever read... Wow." I kinda shrugged "part time job . . . . kinda like . . . . community service . . . . its somethin my kind has always taken a share of . . . tha Wild Hunt, tha Black Dog, Anubis, tha Hound of tha Baskervilles, its awright, Raven's Song, i ain’t no mythic figure, i just got a lot of hats, is all.” I think about that fer a bit, mullin it over in me head, and I tell them. They are Family, they need ta know, so I tell them. I told them my Name, in my own tongue “i am Praetor of Her Ladyship, Omega, tha Keeper of Eden's Soil who Burns with Sacred Fire, Her Beloved, Shaman and Four-Leg born, Coyotes Left Paw, Psychopomp and Watcher. “ I think I kinda was in shock, from tha cold, from tha fire, from witnessin all of this. Loosin Spirit Gal. Maybe that’s it, I wasn;t strong enough ta save her, and I needed ta tell myself who I was. So, in chant, I told them. “Once packless, once Pack Scout Leader, Once Pack Hunter Leader, Once Pack Hunter, AWOL and Kinslayer. Platoon Sergant 7RAR-L, 7RAR-L Special Ops- 0571, Specimen 071239 "Gabriel", Grr. i am Grr. i am. Kin. Pack. Blood.” I got real quiet and just stared at tha fire. swayin, hypnotised by the fire and nods slowly at Wire's words "Well…g-give me a c-call if y-you need me."

Raven’s Song said to us all, "I stand with you, and proudly." Then I hear, far away like, Tha Messenger sayin “Blood..GrrBrool.. I 'ave an odd request.” That snaps me out of it a bit, my name, my full name bein pronounced, even by a Fleshie throat “I... 'ave a blessing to give you.. You're kind of tall, I need to see your fore'ead. Ah.. I need.. uh.. a knife..” I crouched and both me and Raven’s Song pulled our blades, me my sturdy KA-BAR, her, a little punch dabber outta ber boob-cleavage."Um... you didn't see that." Tha Messenger takes her little one, and I sheathe my heavy. She tries ta fob it off . "Um... mines a letter opener?" She’s was never good at lying. Tha Messenger took a breath, obviously a little troubled by somethin, but cleared her throat and held the knife across her palm a moment. Then with a slight whimper sliced across it. Then she settled tha knife on the ground, dabbin her fingers in the blood. She traced a markin on my noggin, murmurin something under her breath, if it's even words. A word. An Old Word, of Power. She looked at me a moment and the mark she left, then handed the knife back to Raven’s Song. Somebody came boltin in to tha Library, and I stood up from my kneelin, a Fleshie female she blurted "Someone named Joah needs... Grr.... Omega.... or someone else to bring a vessel. Anyone named Grr.... Omega... or.... Denny?"

I just start ta see red. “i BET she does, yeah, i'm Grr, fuckin gready bastards.” She said “Grr... someone named Joah needs you” Raven’s Song asked where as tha Messenger tended her cut hand. Tha Fleshie said, still pantin “Shelter, By the hospital. With that nice girl, Britt.”

All I could think was FUCK. I didn’t even think ta run, I took out my Mirror, and went through tha Other. Thinkin “Not Strong Gal too . . . . .”