Finale...Part 1

It wasn’t long after we left the hustle and bustle of the airport that the roads became dark and deserted. Part of it was the time of night, which was late for most folks, so traffic was light. But part of it was also that we were literally in the boondocks of far western Dade County, where civilization ended and the Everglades began.

Soon there were no streetlights at all, no other vehicles on the road. We were driving in an alien landscape on a small, elevated road surrounded on both sides by trees, tall reeds and stretches of open water illuminated only by the headlights of the van. The only sounds now were the hum of the engine and the thwack and splat sounds that the droves of large bugs made as they hit the windshield. Even Ravyn had grown silent as we drove, her normal chatter seemingly forgotten as we pushed further into the vast swamp.

A half hour after entering the Everglades, the van slowed. John was watching the left side of the road carefully. Finally, after seeing an unlit, hand painted sign and the small driveway that followed it, he turned down off the main road and onto the rough, rutted dirt road that seemed to swerve back and forth through the canals and open pools.

Another fifteen minutes found us parking in an unlit dirt lot filled with about a dozen old battered pickups and junker vans. The lot was surrounded by several ramshackle mobile home trailers that had definitely seen better days, each home sported a tin sided shack or two as attachments.

As we exited from the van we were met by a group of rough faced men who were obviously of native american descent. They were, in general, taller than the students and men I had met on John’s reservation, but the demeanor was very much the same. All of the men were armed, most with rifles, but some had large knives sheathed on their belts as well.

John stepped forward immediately and began speaking a language I didn’t recognize to one of the older men. Their conversation seemed formal at first, then turned friendly within a couple of exchanges. John turned to the rest of us and said, “We have been welcomed by Leonard Davis, an Elder of the Miccosuccee Indians. He has offered us the hospitality of his hearth. He also has told me that Herne and the others have already moved into their positions for the morning. He has a pair of air boats waiting to take us to our positions. We should make ourselves ready, we need to leave within the hour.”

That set off a flurry of activity. Ravyn and Cerrydwen grabbed their bags and were shown to one of the mobile homes to get changed in private. Jim plopped back down inside the van, popped open his computer case and began pulling out pieces of strange looking equipment and checking them for functionality.

Not having much else to do, I took a little walk around the compound. It wasn’t long before I found the edge of the dry land, I was amazed at how quickly it came. Looking around, I saw the a wooden dock jutting out into the water with two large, flat bottomed boat bobbing next to it. Each boat had several rows of metallic seats in front, but was dominated by the towering, lifeguard-like seat that sat just in front of the equally dominating fans that comprised the back end of each boat.

John came up behind me, I heard his approach when he scuffed his boots on some pebbles, more than likely because he didn’t want to surprise me. “Soon my Brother, your family will be safe.”

“Are you sure about this whole thing John? Do you really need to die to accomplish this?”

He reached down and picked up some of the pebbles and stood back up. “I am as sure of the plan as I am that these stones will sink if I throw them into the water.” He picked one out and tossed it towards the water. It landed with a splash, which must have surprised some nearby creature, as a second, louder splash followed. The water rippled outwards.

“But I still don’t understand what purpose will be served by your death.”

“Death is a vital part of life. My death will allow me pass beyond the veil of this world and to access powers and skills I cannot yet wield because I am tied to this earthly shell. Once those ties are severed, particularly by the one who will do it, I will be free to act in ways that he cannot counter. I will be able to summon allies and call upon aid that is not available to the living.

“Do not trouble yourself over me, over what must take place. Concern yourself with stopping that monster that has been created in your image. Only you have the strength and the knowledge of how to stop that thing. I have seen the wards that have been placed on that creature, no magick any of us possesses can harm that beast.”

“I don’t know about that John, I’ve Ravyn do some pretty amazing things with that fire of hers. Can’t she destroy that thing?”

John looked back from the open water to me, “No. Even Mistress Fyre cannot truly harm that beast. The energy which fuels the fire she wields would only strengthen it, that was the work of the one you call the Little Devil.”

“What about Drake, why do I get the strangest feelings around him that lead me to believe he is more than he appears to be? I’ve never seen him do anything like what I’ve seen El Diablito and Papa Locks do, or even Ravyn, Herne and Cerrydwen for that matter.”

“The Professor has done some extensive research on this Drake, he was able to find some information and photos of him from the 50’s, when looked pretty much the same as he does now. There were references to him being a war refugee from WWII. However Jim’s research into the archives on the Third Reich lead him to believe that Drake went by another name in Germany, and appears to be very similar in appearance to a little regarded scientist who was a very active member of the early Nazi party in the 30’s called Klaus von Graffen. This von Graffen was accused of some very serious crimes in the Nuremburg Trials, mostly involving experimentation he did on captured Allied soldiers and on prisoners in the death camps. He was tried and convicted in absentia, and was never confirmed to have been captured or killed in the war.”

“Wait a minute, if that’s true, he would have to be pretty damn close to hundred years old by now. If this is the same guy you are saying he is, anyway.”

“Yes. I have looked at the Professor’s files, or as much as he would show me anyway, and I can say that I believe the two to be one and the same. It appears that he has found a way to at the very least extend his life beyond that which is considered normal. I can tell you this also, I have searched the Three Worlds to the best of my abilities, and I can find no trace of him anywhere within the Realms of Spirit. I have been unable to locate him on this world while in Spirit Form as well.”

I told John of my own experiences seeing Drake while in Spirit Form and how Drake always seems to be able to see me when I am there.

“In all of these incidents you describe though, you did not go looking for this man, but he came to where you already were in Spirit Form, so I still think he has found a way to block any Spirit from locating him or affecting him in some way.”

“I have also felt how he is much stronger than he appears physically,” I said as I looked back out into the darkness. “He has a number of secrets that he refuses to yield.”

We heard the footsteps of a number of individuals approqaching behind, so we turned to face the newcomers. Ravyn, Cerrydwen and Jim joined us, another half dozen of the Miccosuccee hung back, just out of easy earshot.

Ravyn was dressed from head to toe in a close fitting outfit that was most distinctive for it’s vivid colors of red and orange. It was a combination of a wetsuit and costume of some sort. The only skin that was showing was her hands and her neck and head. Her hair was pulled back into a very business like pony tail. Amazingly, in one hand she was easily carrying that strange duffle bag that I had strained to carry with two. It was still packed to near bursting, but must have magickally lost all of its weight! Her Phoenix was glaring, brighter than usual, and for once, shifting and moving about almost impatiently.

Cerrydwen was a vision in dark leather and some sort of blue dye or paint on all of her exposed skin, which was more than her usual style. She was wearing large, clunky leather boots, tight fitting pants that appeared to be either leather or some sort of plastic, and sleeveless leather vest that showed more than a little blue cleavage and some of her midriff as well. Her hair was pinned back by an assortment of bone-colored pins and combs. At her belt hung two sets of weighted balls connected by thin cords, bolos, I think they are called.

Jim stood there in the same clothes he had come from the airport in: jeans, sneakers, t-shirt and a well worn baseball cap. He did, however, have several devices hanging from his belt and a handful of gizmos in one hand, an aluminum baseball in the other. He held out the gizmos to the rest of us, each taking the one he directed us to.

“These watches are the latest in communication technology. They have built in tracking high-frequency radios, they’re all set on the same frequencies. They also have chips that will allow me to track where you are in case we get separated, and most important, these puppies are waterproof to a level deeper than you’ll find in these swamps. Put it on and I’ll show you how to use them.”

We did so. As he finished his spiel and demonstration, John pulled out necklaces for each of us, made from multi-colored beads and animal-like charms made of various stones or bones. He said, “These have been given to me by the Miccosuccee elders. They have been charged to give you the protection they can provide against the creatures of this wet world we are now in. Wear them with thanks to the people and the Spirits of this place.”

We each put on the necklace given to us and then were led to the airboats.

Cerrydwen, John and Jim were shown to one boat and were joined by three of the Miccosuccee, one of who climbed up into the pilots seat and fired up the giant fan.

I climbed into the other boat, and turned to help Ravyn in by reaching for her bag. Her Phoenix positively glared at me, so I drew back my hand. Ravyn laughed, “It’s alright dear, I can take her. She doesn’t like all of this water one bit!”

With that she leaped lightly down into the boat, bag cradled in both hands. I reached out to steady her, she gained her balance quickly and settled into one of the middle seats. We were joined by only one man, a tall, older man who only carried a knife at his belt, how climbed into the pilots seat without a word and fired up the engine.

The fans were quite loud as they were fired up, the boats were freed from the moorings, and we were off, roaring into the vivid living darkness of the Evergloades, without so much as a flashlight to guide our path.

Riding these boats was unlike any other boat I had been on. They glided over the water and grass effortlessly, almost sliding with each turn before the speed of the fans managed to push the boat forward again.

As the wind was rushing by, I leaned over and asked Ravyn about the bag, “So what’s in that thing anyway?”

She leaned over to me, almost laughing with joy, “It’s an egg!”

“A what?!?”

“An egg for my Phoenix to hatch from!”

“I didn’t think there was any such thing as a real Phoenix!”

“Well, it’s a little something I came up with, with Her help of course.” She nodded her head back towards the spiritual Phoenix that was her constant companion and guardian.

It glared at me, almost smug in its satisfaction, if such a mythical being can look smug.

“You meant that thing, I mean, she…will be able to manifest in this world?”

Ravyn giggled in glee and nodded, “Isn’t that just too cool?”

I nodded and sat back in my seat…this ws going to be a strange day ahead of us.