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Shadows Of Fire

Pond Household

10:30 PM

            When Jen came to, she was surprised to find herself tucked into her own soft, warm bed, her cushy pillows supporting her. She stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, as thoughts raced through her head. Either that was the mother-in-law of all weird dreams, or that really happened. Carefully, cautiously, she lifted herself up from her bed, and looked around her room. Everything seemed normal, everything was in its proper place; her gladius was once more sheathed behind her bedroom door, books still littered her floor as a death-trap for all but the nimble-footed, and the picture of her family still stood on her desk.

            As she slid out of her covers, she looked down at herself, and frowned. She was dressed in a clean set of pajama bottoms, with a slightly worn plain T-shirt as her top. The problem was, while the pajama pants were hers, the T-shirt wasn’t. She looked down further, and saw the rope burns around her ankles. How did I get here?

            Jenny leaped out of bed, and threw open her bedroom door, and was about to step out, when she spotted what was just outside her door. Stretched out in the hallway, still in full armor, were Jake and Vicky. Vicky was fast asleep, her hair a little mussed up, but otherwise she seemed to be comfortable leaned up against Jake. Jake, on the other hand, was wide awake, staring at her, warily. Definitely not a dream then.

            Jake nudged Vicky gently, and she sputtered awake, with a frantic “Charlie!” Her eyes widened in confusion, disoriented, before she realized where she was, and she calmed down. She looked over at Jake, and he nodded knowingly. There was an unpleasant pause, with Jenny still standing there, when Lexie called up the stairs.

            “Hey Jake! Vick! Will’s calling for a debriefing! And could you wake up Jen? She’ll want to hear this.”

            “Be right down,” he called back down the stairs, and got to his feet, pulling Vicky up with her. He looked over at Jen, and smiled awkwardly.

            “I’m in major trouble with you, aren’t I?” he asked. Jenny sighed, and brushed her hair away from her face. “Hoo yeah.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

            As Jenny tramped down the stairs after Jake and Vicky into the kitchen, there was a distinctively different atmosphere in the air; the sense of comfort and general contentment was now toned with grim determination, and with touches of foreboding gloom. Surprisingly, Mrs. Pond was still awake, wrapped up in her worn olive-drab bathrobe, and when her eyes lit upon Jenny as she turned the corner, she gave a little smile. She was seated at the seat of honor, as the hostess and the head of the family. Next to her was Will, looking like he hadn’t slept in weeks, his face a little thin and hollow, but he nodded acknowledgingly as the three entered. Lexie was lounging opposite him, rocking along silently to her iPod, not noticing their approach until Jake tugged her hair playfully and received a smack on the arm in return.

            Jake settled down next to Lexie, and Vicky next to Will. Jenny sighed, and stepped back, but Vicky smiled softly, and gestured to the remaining seat, opposite her mother. Clearly, she wasn’t as aloof as Jenny had previously thought. Jenny smiled back, and slipped into the empty seat gingerly. A few moments passed in silence, before Mrs. Pond cleared her throat, and looked pointedly at Will.

            “Now that we’re all assembled, could you kindly tell me what exactly happened that resulted in you four showing up on my front steps carrying my unconscious daughter?” Will visibly winced at that, but clenched his jaw, and looked back at Mrs. Pond, and began explaining from the beginning.

            “As you know, ma’am, we’ve been keeping a low profile, after… well, you need no reminding. However, we’ve been hearing rumors in the underground. Word on the street was that there was something moving. Old safe-houses being ransacked, a Wraith or two being spotted around the cemeteries, and some of the Havens being burned to the ground, almost seeming like individual accounts, but they weren’t. About six months ago, on a solo recon mission down in Hinesville, I was investigating the remains of the Fraser safe-house-”

“The Frasers? They’re…” Mrs. Pond paled, and sat back down in her chair; Jenny could see she was greatly upset by this, but holding it in for later. Will nodded gravely, and continued.

“Aye, ma’am, they’ve fallen. I recovered his helmet, but the building was little but ashes and rubble. I managed to plant a memorial beacon, for later, but I was… delayed.” A grim silence fell over the table, as every head turned to Will. A pang of sympathy rang through Jenny, as she thought back to her earlier dream. Finally, Mrs. Pond spoke.

“Cass?” Will nodded mutely, and clenched the table edge with a death grip. Jenny could see the wild storm of emotions flashing across his face, from rage, to grief, to cold, certain duty. Vicky rubbed his arm encouragingly, a concerned look on her face, and he continued.

“Anyway, it was then that I found that the Three were still alive, and active, very much so. With the factors of the Three active again, and the remaining safe-houses and Havens left active being hunted and destroyed, we went up and down the coast closing down and evacuating that which we could, and brought them back to Stormhaven. Tonight, we were going to shut down the Edson Estate safe-house, with our cover being that we were hosting a Halloween party. We were planning on letting Jenny find out then, but the ‘Iblis Brotherhood’ got there first.” One could almost see the inverted commas hanging in the air, from his mildly sarcastic, embittered tone.

“Who were they?” Mrs. Pond asked, a grim look in her eyes, as though she already knew the answer.

“For that, you’d best be asking her,” Will said somberly, and nodded past Jenny. She looked back, and to her surprise, Kat was standing there. She looked miserable; her eyes were back to normal, but they were now slightly reddened, as though she had been crying. Her robes were gone, and she was wrapped up in a big warm comforter from the futon, and had an ice-pack held at her forehead. She was hardly the terrifying spectacle from hours before; gone was the bloodthirsty cultist, and in her place was a scared, badly hurt young woman, her eyes begging them all for mercy.

“I know I don’t deserve any forgiveness for my actions,” she said carefully, her voice tense, “But I am really, really sorry for what I was going to do. It wasn’t me in control. I had lost control. I don’t know what I was doing, I’m sorry…” Will sighed, and looked up at her with a curiously calm expression on your face.

“Katherine Marie Roberts,” he began, keeping his eyes locked on hers, “I know your story well. Your mother died when you were young, leaving you under the care of your father, who worked long and hard hours at an unsatisfying job. He began to take out his frustrations on you, hurting you, and as you grew older, you began to believe that God wasn’t real, and didn’t care for you. You felt that you had no control over your life, so a small, subtle voice in your inner self suggested you look to others, who could ‘truly’ help you, and who really ‘cared’ for you. As a result, you took up witchcraft and ‘spirit’ summoning, to regain some sense of sanity and control over your own life, and for a while, things seemed to be in your favor, am I not correct?”

Kat nodded silently, her eyes locked on his, in shock. Will nodded self-consciously, and continued. “You had your ‘spirit’ friend to protect you and keep you company, on those lonely nights, until it started asking things of you, small things at first. A drop of blood, maybe, to ‘bond’ him to you, or maybe a sacrificed squirrel to satisfy him once in a while, simple enough for you to do without being noticed. However, as time went on, you began to have less and less control over him, and people started getting hurt. Am I not right?” Kat nodded again, and tears started to well up in the corners of her eyes.

            “Needless to say, Miss Katherine, your actions tonight will not be held against you. Jenny did not come to harm, and you have been freed from your bondage to the demon that had taken control of you. By all our accounts, I should point out, you are forgiven, although you might want to ask Jenny for her forgiveness as well. There will be no disciplinary action, or judgment, and you are free to pursue your own interests at will, although I do suggest you spend a few days resting, to recuperate and draw back your own strength. Am I quite clear?”

            The room was so silent one could have heard a pin drop. Tears of joy and confusion slipped unashamedly down Kat’s face, as the weight of Will’s words sunk home. A touch of color returned to her face, as she turned her gaze from Will to Jenny, and a hopeful look crossed her face. Jenny got up from her chair with a wince, her legs still a little weak, hobbled over to Kat, and pulled her into a bear-hug.

            “Of course I forgive you, Kat,” she said gently. Kat smiled weakly at first, then a bit wider, and hugged Jenny back tightly, practically lifting her off the ground. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou,” Kat rapidly shot off, gasping for breath, before hoarsely whispering “Thank you.” Jenny smiled softly, and led her back to the table. “You’re welcome,” she said, and sat Kat down in her own seat.

            Mrs. Pond smiled softly at her seat, and nodded at Will. “Thank you for this information. But now the question still remains: What are we to do with the current situation? If what you say is entirely accurate, the Three are at large, and hunting the surviving Guardsmen. Not to mention the Wraiths reappearing from-”

            “Hang on a mo’. Thanks, y’all, for saving me and all, but I’ve got a few questions of my own. Who are you people? What is it you do exactly? And Mom, why are you being so calm about all this?” Jenny leaned against the kitchen counter, her question hovering in the air uncertainly. All eyes turned to her; some with concern, some with guilt, and in one particular set of eyes, a steady, weary glance. Will and Mrs. Pond exchanged a glance, one that almost read here we go. Will sighed, and began.

            “To answer your questions simply, I, Jennifer Pond, am William McGordon, Captain of the Order of the Guardians. Jake, my team’s demolitions expert, and Lexie, our techie, you already know.” Vicky nodded warmly at Jenny, a faint smile on her face. “And I’m Victoria DiMarzio, but you can just call me Vicky. I’m the one responsible for making sure these heavy-handed oiks go out in proper gear.” To Jenny’s surprise, she spoke with a faint, pleasant Italian accent; there were many playful complaints from Jake and Lexie, but Will simply smiled wryly, and he began again.

“We here are some of the last remaining Guardians of the Eastern Coast. We were founded in the forefront of the Revolutionary War, by the surviving crew of the Tempest. For generations, our kinfolk have protected the citizens of America, and fought against the forces of evil wherever we could find it, by the grace of our Lord alone. After World War I, when we had American troops tramping about in Europe, a few Guardians settled down over there, and kept up the hidden fight. Up until about a few years ago, we were prosperous, wide-spread, and influential in the affairs of the Nation. Until the dark times came.

            “Needless to say, there was a traitor in our ranks. For a while, peace seemed to be a possibility again. One or two Guardians went missing, but at the time, it was presumed to be because they were on solo missions. Then came a few thefts from the Contraband warehouse, where we stored the spell books, artifacts, and other items taken from the various cults and groups that we had busted over the years; some were small and almost harmless, but others were quite dangerous, with grave potential. That is when it happened.”

            Will paused, and Jenny could see the pain in his face. Clearly, whatever happened, it wasn’t good. Jenny looked at her mother for confirmation, and saw a faint tear trickling down her cheek, as though she was remembering something terrible as well. Suddenly, a small, whispering thought came to her mind.

            “Mum… Dad wasn’t a part of this… was he?” The expression on Mrs. Pond’s face when she looked at her was confirmation enough. Jenny’s heart sank to her stomach, and quite likely could have kept on going. Finally she looked up, struggling to hold back tears.

            “You told me… You told me that he died in a fire. You told me that it was a freak accident…” Jenny’s mom reached across the table, and took her hand gingerly, trying valiantly to hold back further tears.

            “What I told you was true. But it was not the entire story. When…” Mrs. Pond winced, and a flash of anger briefly appeared in her eyes, in spite of the captive tears. “When the uprising happened, everything was chaos. Your father, at the time, was a prominent Commander of the Order, and he helped to gather as many Guardians as he could, to hold the Citadel, the headquarters of the Order, and to insure that the Traitor couldn’t get his hands on the rest of the warehouse. But by the time reinforcements could have arrived, it was too late. The Traitor had amassed an army of creatures of shadows and nightmares, crafted for the sole purpose of the destruction of the Guardian Order. They stormed the citadel, and in the end, it burned.”

            Pain flashed through Jenny’s heart, and she could see the same remorse and grief in everyone’s eyes. Finally, Jenny broke the brooding, painful silence.

            “But… what happened to them? The Traitor, and his army, and the remaining Guardians, I mean.” Will sighed, and looked back up at her, and Jen could see that what he was about to say wasn’t pleasant.

            “Over the next few months after the Citadel fell, the remaining Guardians rallied together, fleeing from safe-house to safe-house, all the while pursued by the Traitor and his army of darkness. Finally, when there were no more options, they stood their ground. Outside of one of the last remaining outposts, Stormhaven, up in Pennsylvania, they met the Traitor, and his forces.” At this, Will paused, unable to continue. Vicky looked concernedly at Will, and spoke.

            “There was a great battle, and in the end, the Traitor and the creatures of darkness were slain, or driven back into lurk in the shadows. But the cost on our end was great; of the 300 that survived the fall of the Citadel, only 30 survived. It was hushed up at great cost by the U.S. Government, and we were suggested to lie low. Those that remained scattered. Some took up residence in the still-standing safe-houses, and worked hard at fitting back in with ‘normal’ society, and some simply settled down in Stormhaven, keeping a watchful eye on the world, but no longer in strong enough numbers to do much beyond the occasional scouting mission, or a strike team here and there,” Vicky concluded, and the atmosphere lightened some at the table.

            Jenny paused; something Will had said earlier had caught her attention. “What was that about the Tempest?” she asked cautiously. Will opened his mouth to say something, but Mrs. Pond cut him off.

            “It’s late. Time that all of you, and I do mean all of you, should be in bed.” Will tried to say something again, but Mrs. Pond beat him to the punch. “And no, young mister, don’t you try pulling rank. I was the Commander’s wife, was I not? And I dare say, that outranks a Captain by far, no matter how well-liked he is.” Her tone softened a bit, as she realized how snippy she sounded. “Besides, these are dark hours. It’d be best to save it for the morning, aye? Less danger then.” Will’s face was somber, but he glumly nodded. “Yes ma’am,” he muttered.

            With a rumbling of chairs being scraped back from the table, the meeting was adjourned. Mrs. Pond stood in the kitchen, and delegated sleeping spots for the night.

            “Jake, if you go downstairs into the basement, there should be a few folding beds that you can set up in the living room.” Jake nodded acknowledgingly, and slipped down the basement stairs and returned a few minutes later hauling two old-looking Dutch beds, one under each arm, with faded sheets and mattresses that smelled slightly of moth balls. “And Kat, dear one, if you and Lexie could go work on the futon, in the family room, there should be room enough for you two there for the night.”

            “Right away, Mrs. Pond,” said Lexie, and led the stumbling Kat away to work on that. Mrs. Pond turned to Vicky with another request, but she was already slipping out the kitchen and up the staircase, and came back down five minutes later with her arms full of folded sheets and blankets, and a balancing routine of five pillows (three on top of the wobbling pile, and one under each arm), and divided up the pillows and blankets among them. She came back into the kitchen and tossed a pillow to Jake, over the still-laden kitchen table; thankfully, he caught it, but the alternative was clearly marked in the bewildered eyes of Mrs. Pond. She nodded slowly, and turned to see Jenny standing there, a confused and slightly lost expression on her face.

            “Mum, what can I do to help?” Mrs. Pond chuckled softly, a gentle smile on her face. “My little one, I think that they’ve already gotten this cleared away. You head on up to bed, alright?” Jenny nodded, feeling the weight of sleep tugging at her eyelids. She hugged her mother goodnight, and slipped up the stairs to a ragged chorus of “Goodnight, Jen”. Behind her, she could hear Will and her mother talking. Jenny stopped in her tracks, and listened cautiously, carefully.

            “Ma’am, don’t worry, it’ll be fine. I still can get a ride there, she’ll be-”

            “How can you say that? I know, you and your crew are awful brave, but how can you keep her safe on the way there? From what you said, there’s still a lot of danger on the old patrol roads.”

            “That’s the beauty, ma’am. We’ll be cruising right under their noses, out in the open. On public roads, too.” Jenny heard Mrs. Pond sigh, coming to a conclusion that she clearly wasn’t that happy about.

            “Very well. Just make sure that she comes home to me, alright? I can’t handle any more losses.” Jenny hurried back up the stairs, and slipped into her still-open bedroom. As she shut the door behind her, and slipped back into her warm bed, conflicting thoughts haunted her last minutes of consciousness before she fell back to sleep. What were they talking about? What roads? What is Will planning?...

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