Showdown at the OK Corral...Part 1

I emerged from the Shadow in the small stone circle at the community house that Ravyn ran in the suburbs of Chicago. It was a dark night, so the transition had been exceptionally easy.

I was carrying the duffle bag that I had taken from that house in Jordan. It was still packed full, although the contents had been adjusted somewhat since I had left Jordan for the Merlin’s place in that other world with Zenni Al Farhan in my arms. I was returning alone, well, at least as far as any observer could tell anyway.

I made my way from the circle to the back door that I knew would be unlocked-- Ravyn wasn’t too worried about unwanted intruders-- plus this was a center of a lot of activity in any event.

I found Ravyn in the library that she had first brought me into more than 6 months ago. It was a comforting sight to see her relaxing on one of those enormous sofas reading a book. It was a rare thing to find her taking time for herself anymore.

There were a couple of other students in the room when I entered, but they quickly decided to seek their answers elsewhere when I entered the room. I moved to a sofa across from where she was stretched out and set the duffle bag down and took a seat.

Like a cat woken from a nap, she stretched and yawned as she put the book down and sat up, looking at me without speaking. Her eyes drank in all of the details of my appearance, like she could deduce where I had been and what I had been doing from the dust and dirt on my clothes.

We sat in silence for a few moments, before I finally spoke. “You look well rested. I take it the spa was good?”

She smiled, that kind of cat-that-caught-the-canary-grin, but as quick as it came, it disappeared behind a sterner look. “It was good. I finally feel like a human being again.”

“Glad to hear that.”

The pleasantries were over that quick. She turned all business. “It’s almost time for the Conclave, where have you been all of this time?”

I sighed. “Well, that’s a long story.”

“I’m ready to listen.”

I gave her a brief summary of the events that had taken place, starting with my meeting with the spirit of Alexa’s mother at Yggsdrasil and ending with the events of my last post. She sat silently through the story, her jaw tightening at various points when describing what had happened to Mrs. Al Farhan while in the custody of Daniel Bernstein.

When I finished, she stated, “I don’t know how I will be able to work with that man again. I can’t believe he had been so cruel to that woman.”

“He’s still here?”

She looked away in disgust. “Yes, he’s pretty much healed up from the physical wounds. I don’t think he has regained any of his memories that you took from him though. He has the mental maturity of a teen-ager, but the body of a middle aged man. He’s been helping out with some janitorial work and has been raiding the library here every night, taking book after book to read.”

“I can take him elsewhere if you would like.”

“We’ll see, Rusty. I hate what he did to that woman, but I know that we can’t let him go in good conscience. Who knows what Drake will do to him if he finds him. I doubt that Drake will believe that his memories are completely gone. I’m not even sure I believe it either.”

It was my turn to look away for a moment. But I looked back at her when she finished. “Speaking of Drake, I need a favor.”

Her eyes became suddenly fiery, flashing in anger. “What about him? What kind of favor?”

“I’m going to reach out to Drake. I need to make a deal with him.”

“What?!?!?! Have you gone insane????”

“I know. It sounds crazy, but it has to be done. I need to do it for Alexa’s sake.”

“How can you even think of dealing with that man again? Hasn’t he screwed with you and your family enough? How can you trust him to follow through on any agreement? And how can you expect any meeting not to be a trap?”

I leaned forward, patted the duffle bag at my feet. “I don’t trust that...man...at all. But I finally have some things that he wants, needs even, more than he wants to fuck with me and my family. I finally have some leverage and I intend to use it.”

“What was in those containers? Are you going to tell him about this Zenni woman as well? By the way, where is she?”

I smiled, sat back a little bit. I had left out the details as to what was in those containers. “Well, I can’t tell you everything just yet. But I can tell you that Mrs. Al Farhan is safe, she will not be part of any deal with Drake.”

“You’re damn right she won’t be!” Her anger was up again. As fast it rose, however, it cooled down again. “So what exactly is this favor you want from me?”

It was right as that question came out that the other entity with me chose that moment to grow restless. The duffle bag gave off a puff of thick dust as it shifted inside. A muffled squeak from inside accompanied the movement, causing Ravyn to just about jump out of her skin.

“What did you bring with you in there?” Her bare feet had been pulled back from the now rustling bag, up onto the sofa with the rest of her, but her right hand was extended in a familiar gesture that I knew meant that she was ready to ‘throw fire’.

I held out my hand. “Wait a minute. It’s nothing bad. I brought someone for you to meet.”

“You have someone in that bag?”

“Yes, his name is Bobinaximantheral, Bob for short.” I was reaching down slowly to loose the clasp on the bag. “He’s a little impatient, he’s a youngling among his kind, and was very curious to meet you.”

I opened the bag and a bright light spilled forth as ‘Bob’ leaped out into the air, spinning and circling happily as he squeaked in joy at being let loose from that dark, nasty bag.

Ravyn’s shriek of surprise turned into a cry of joy. “Rusty, you remembered!”

The Orb known as ‘Bob’ continued to circle around her head. It was obvious that he enjoyed her as much as she would enjoy being around him.

“Like I was saying, his name is Bob. He’s young for his kind, I think he’s only a thousand of our years old, and he’s been very eager to meet the ‘Fire Lady’ I had been telling him about while I was at the Merlin’s. He would like to know if he can stay with you for a while and experience our world...which I knew you’d be more than willing to accommodate.”

If she was hearing anything I was saying, I couldn’t be sure. She was entranced with him. She reached out one hand into the air. Bob slowed down and floated near it. He seemed to get slightly brighter as he approached her fingers, almost like he was a pet, sniffing to see if she was ‘ok’.

When he touched her, she didn’t flinch. Her eyes were transfixed on the softly glowing orb that was actually a living being. “He’s so warm to the touch!”

Soft cooing sounds were coming from the pair as they examined each other. I couldn’t tell if it was her or him.

Bob floated downward along her arm. I could see goose pimples raise on her arm is he came down and floated in front of her eyes. She reached out with both hands, gingerly touching him on opposite sides. They seemed to be communicating on a number of levels.

After a few moments she nodded and pulled her hands away, he bobbed in the air and zipped up towards the ceiling rafters of the library.

I watched him settle up in the shadows above, dimming as he did so to the approximate brightness of a candle, he was probably recharging a bit after the excitement. I was just about to close the duffle bag back up when Ravyn bounded off of her sofa and wrapped me in one of her trademark bear hugs.

“Thank you.” She whispered, sounding like she was choking up a bit. “You have just made me very happy!”

As she let me go and settled back onto the sofa, I closed up the bag to keep anything else from spilling out. “I’m glad to hear that. Now, about that favor I need from you...”

I had to duck a flung cushion....