Member
The Ambassador
Location: Hoover Dam, Las Vegas
Time: Evening - Night of the Full Moon
Time: Evening - Night of the Full Moon
The gentle breeze rolling off the river was refreshing. Mandate, Odette and Bach had spent the past couple of hours taking in the view. After another fruitless goose chase, they decidedly took a break at the popular tourist spot. Odette sat on the edge of the concrete wall legs dangling. In her lap she had her grimoire open, idly flipping through it trying to think of another strategy. Bach was beside her while Mandate stood behind them.
Rubbing the heel of her hand against her forehead she grumbled, “I am open to some suggestions.”
Bach had been throwing the odd seed into the water, willing it to grow to sprout before it hit the surface. “We can try searching for more local Fey, we might have more luck than following another location spell.”
“That would take another day.” She replied, closing her spellbook storing it away. Bach nodded his leafy head, browning at the edges from so much direct sunlight of the day.
He felt a sudden pressure above them, he snapped his eyes up in time to see a magical cloud of smoke descend upon them.
A pillar of black smog swirled violently overhead, crashing against the wall below. A heavy wind turned about their bodies, Odette and Bach caught up in the midnight torrent that threatened to rip them apart. But no harm came to them. Instead, they were carried through the air to the bridge overlooking the dam, gently placed on the cold stone and freed from the clutches of their ethereal assailant.
The smoke and shadows spun about a few feet away, a shapeless mass that slowly began to recede. As the smoke faded, two women appeared, one dressed in black garments with dark curls to match, the other in vibrant green with scarlet braids, both shining brilliantly in the moonlight.
”So this is the meddlesome ‘Ambassador’,” the darker figure spoke in a sultry tone.
”She’s a pretty one, and how lithe and delicate she looks.” The emerald woman responded, voice much lighter but carrying the same air of mystery.
”Don’t be fooled by mere appearances, my love. She has proven herself to be quite the troublemaker indeed.”
Disorientated at first at the sudden sweep of magic, unexpected with no time to brace nor ward against. Their eyes were filled with darkness while their feet found ground atop the bridge on the other side of the dam. Odette could see Mandate’s form, she imagined the golem would be panicking by now, her being spirited away by unknown assailants. Bach was reassuringly at her side, regaining his composure in record time, brushing his sleeves fixing the women with a level gaze. Studying them. The moon was on the rise behind them, a tiny bell in her mind ringing. Recognition but no name.
Magic seemed to surround them, unique but in a way only a certain few creatures or spirits could exude. The two women spoke of her as if she didn’t have ears. Regardless her first instincts kicked into action. They weren’t attacking so there was time for introductions, even if she was being forced to make them.
Lifting the hem of her skirt a little, she curtsied. “Good evening, I am The Ambassador of the Fair Folk. It is a pleasure to meet you, unexpected but a pleasure.”
Bach bowed his head to them as well, remaining silent. The gears in his extensive memory working away. He was right about the witch presence but much like Odette felt the answer to the sudden strangers were right on the tip of his tongue. The way the pair of them dressed was telling of just how old they were. He kept his eyes on them even as he bowed.
The darkly clad woman gave a look of surprise. ”My my, how polite of you to offer such formal gestures. You are truly a diplomat, Ms. Ambassador, a testament to your name. As for mine, well . . . I go by many names.”
She drew nearer to Odette and Bach, the air around her shifting all the while, filled with an ominous aura that grew stronger with each passing moment. It was as if a shroud was slowly falling from around this woman, revealing her true identity.
”To the Romans,” she continued, ”I was known as Trivia. To others, I am Cthonia, Beldam, Night Mother, the list goes on. My associates know me as Lydia Valis, a little creation of mine, a form I assume in my waking hours. But by far my most favored name is the one given to me by the Greeks, Hekate. And the radiant picture who accompanies me is the great Medea. She is like a daughter to me, my greatest love.”
Medea looked at Hekate with awe, moved closer to her side, and took her arm.
Odette drew up straight as a board, her posture stiffening, drawn into Hekate’s gaze. Bach drew up in a similar way. The surprise in their expressions were unmistakable. As strange as their lives were it was a rare occasion to come to the attention of such legendary figures. Immensely powerful even before they knew their identities. Hekate had referred to her initially as meddlesome, they couldn’t be connected to the Barron… could they? The heist wasn’t quiet by any means.
Zut.
Odette finally broke the eye contact, her stomach clenched. The words coming to her as second nature, but the sudden shift in power was like standing in quicksand. “Truly- an unexpected turn of the evening. I was not aware legendary figures, such as yourselves, had made your home here in Las Vegas. It’s an honour to be in your presence.”
“May I ask as to why?”
Hekate took a moment to survey Odette and Bach. She could see their sense of wonder and amazement, but also their fear and respect. It was rather refreshing, she thought, to be once again seen as a goddess in all her facets rather than a thing to be gawked by the witches of Las Vegas or a minion to be ordered about by Barron and his men.
”You flatter me, Ms. Ambassador. As for my presence here, it would seem that you have upset a recent associate of mine. You are certainly familiar with the wealthy socialite, Barron Vanderbilt, and all of his wondrous treasures, yes? Much to your detriment, he and I have a contract of sorts, the details of which you needn’t concern yourself. But I could not in good faith allow my dear friend’s belongings be whisked away by a band of thieves, especially not magically gifted ones such as yourself.”
Medea moved closer to Odette, circling she and Bach once before returning to Hekate’s side.
”She’s a mortal, and quite a young one by the looks. How come you to know such powerful magic at such a young . . . ah, I see! Look there, my lady, a faery familiar, no doubt entangled in some mystical contract. You don’t see many sorcerers bothering themselves with the affairs of the Fey these days.”
Hekate nodded, remaining silent and giving Odette time to respond. She was intrigued by the Ambassador. Hekate could tell that she was smart, cunning; her time with the Fey would have assured that. She waited to see how Odette might try to dissuade Hekate or dissolve the tension.
Odette steeled herself, slowly peeling back her fear. Her eyes shifted to Medea as she spoke, again as if she wasn’t there. That irritated Odette to some degree, nor did she like being analyzed. With some thought, Medea was only able to glean the obvious. Bach’s connection to her was clear as day to those who could see. Hekate confirmed she knew of the heist, quite plainly making it clear she was connected to Barron. No point in lying, she could take the blame while protecting Silence from Hekate’s attention.
Her arms relaxed, holding her hands at her waist. “Wondrous treasures that now have a new home. The Fey don’t see lifting items from the undead as ‘stealing’ per se but simply…” She pursed her lips allowing the pause to think, “Finding a new purpose for them. What purpose comes to a vampire stockpiling herbs and ingredients? Beyond selling them, of course.” She replied turning her eyes on Medea next. “You are quite right, Bach is my dear friend and partner. Those very same sorcerers dismiss the Fey because they ultimately lack the patience and ambition. While they had their noses deep in a tome I staked my claim on Paris.”
She spread her hands open, a slight shrug. “Unfortunately we no longer have anything to return. What I can offer is my apologies, one must make friends and allies where one can. I can say quite honestly that I understand that sentiment more than you can imagine. Unfortunate is your contract with Mr. Vanderbilt marring this first meeting indirectly.” Odette bowed her head.
Hekate and Medea each offered a soft laugh.
”Very good, Ms. Ambassador, but you needn’t lecture me on the topic of grey morality. A witch uses the left and the right hand, the right gives, the left takes away. Your apology is appreciated . . . but irrelevant.”
”You obviously hold sway over the Fey in Paris to be dubbed their Ambassador. You are an enemy to Mr. Vanderbilt, and by extension, so are your associates whom you would gladly gather in arms against Barron should you ever feel so inclined. The truth of the matter is, Barron has a hand in all that occurs in this city, including the affairs of witches.”
”That’s right,” Hekate took over. ”And as should be obvious, the affairs of witches are of the utmost importance to me. Wherever I find myself, I try to elevate them and their positions in society, grant them greater power that they may be free of any and all oppression, that they may have power over any foe. I have entered into a contract with Barron that insures my loyalty in exchange for the services he provides my witches, and surely the first thing he is to do when those pitiful louts he calls mages fail at protecting his estate from magical harm is to call upon the powers of my witches. Neither myself nor the Fey courts of your country could afford an assault on one another, and I cannot be certain that you will not perform a similar crime, or worse, with the aid of your Fey allies.”
The Ambassador listened intently, she shared a look with Bach before replying. He nodded, encouraging her. Hekate’s intent was now clear, graciously giving Odette headway. The Goddess was drawing boundaries, a line in the sand warning Odette not to cross it. At least not without accepting certain consequences. It would be a matter of assuring Hekate and Medea Odette had no intentions against the witches, just inciting rivalry against the undead.
Odette nodded, understanding warming her expression considerably. The tension in her body language melting away. “I would never dream of moving against the witches here. There is no love loss between the Fey and witches.” She echoed words she had once used with Puck. How sincere would her words ring to the likes of Hekate, she wondered. She continued, “That much has been made very clear when I have interacted with the local Fey populace. There is a great respect, a symbiosis within the magical community here. To upset a balance like that would indeed be a crime in of itself. I agree, neither of us have need nor want of a fight like that. My stint against Mr. Vanderbilt was sincerely a one time affair, that I can give my word on.”
“Is there anyway I can assure you both that my intentions are not hostile?”
Hekate remained silent for several moments. She could tell that Odette was sincere, but did she care about sincerity?
Medea pulled her aside for a moment, speaking in a hushed tone.
”My lady, she speaks in circles.”
”Perhaps, my love, but I wonder if she could be useful to us.”
Medea looked puzzled. ”My lady?”
Hekate gave Medea a knowing look before turning her attention back to Odette. She looked her up and down, silent all the while. Something stood out to her, the touch of something familiar. Hekate labored to understand this feeling, eventually coming to an interesting conclusion.
A wide grin appeared across her face, seductive and sinister.
”Perhaps it is against my better judgement, but I believe you, Ms. Ambassador. You have studied this city well, know the delicate balance between all the hidden folk within, and I believe that you mean this no harm. It is for this reason that I have decided to drop the matter entirely.”
Medea looked shocked despite being aware of her lady’s ulterior motives.
”And to show that there is no bad blood between us, I’d like to give you a gift. What say you to that?”
Odette’s nerves ramped up during Hekate and Medea’s private chat. The Ambassador knew she was grasping at straws, quite literally toeing a dangerous line of irritating a powerful goddess. She could pull nothing meaningful from her silence upon their return to the conversation. Odette knew if had she been prepared she wouldn’t have struggled half as bad. At least, she liked to think so. Her luck held, Hekate let her off the hook but not quite so easily.
“Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle. Would it be out of place for me to ask what you intend to give? I’m sure you understand my wariness of gifts.” Odette ventured masking her fear with curiosity.
Hekate smiled. Odette was smart for not wanting to blindly accept a gift from magical beings, but it was something she’d likely have learned in her line of work.
”Well, I suppose it’s equal part favor and gift, but I can show you nonetheless.”
Hekate turned to Medea.
”That box I asked you to hold for me, could you bring it out?”
Medea nodded, ”Of course, my lady.”
Medea held out her hand, an ornately designed box materializing in a quick flash of light and red mist. She handed it to Hekate, who presented it to Odette.
”I’ll be quite honest, I haven’t the slightest idea what’s inside. I never managed to pry it open so its contents and purpose are both unknown to me. However, I believe it may be of use to you. If you would but hold on to this for me and discover its mysteries, I would be forever grateful, and I believe you would be all the better for it. What say you now?”
That is neither helpful nor comforting that I will know as much about the ‘gift’ as her, Odette thought begrudgingly squinting at the mysterious box.
Reluctantly Odette held up her hand, it glowed a light misty blue as she whispered a small ward about her hand. Experience also told her not to ever touch magical objects directly without knowing their true nature. “It reminds me of the little trunks Earth Fey store their memories in. How could I refuse a Goddess a gift or her favour? I accept.”
Hekate smiled, dropping the box into Odette’s palm.
It certainly felt magical, though gave no indication of being cursed. The outside was a worn by time, the intricate wooden details and knotwork faded slightly, the brass lock at the front rusted and greyed. The box itself was a little larger than a small music or jewelry box, offering little space inside for anything that wasn’t incredibly malleable or flat. On the underside was an ashen symbol that had withstood the test of time, highly ornate, resembling many warding sigils that had been used throughout history, but with small alterations here and there to make it personalized to whomever had inscribed it.
”Whatever it is, may it bring you great insight and direction on your current path.” She turned after she gave Odette her blessing, letting the words sit for a moment.
She felt a little bolder now, her warded fingers thrumming across the wood. “It is no coincidence you should give me something that will guide me after the day I have spent without it. I do not pretend to understand the mysteries that drive magic but coincidences do not exist here... So, thank you.”
Hekate turned from Odette for a moment, taking Medea’s arm in hers and preparing for their departure. A slight breeze pierced the still air atop the bridge as the two witches met. Hekate turned briefly to face Odette once more, a wide grin her lasting expression.
”I can tell that you are the adventurous sort, Ms. Ambassador. Creative, cunning, and curious, virtues I seek and foster in those whom I teach the ways. But be careful of how close you let your hand wander to the hearthfire, my dear. A burn like that is likely to stay with you. Farewell, Ms. Ambassador.”
The breeze became a raging torrent, calling forth shadows and ethereal clouds of black mist that enveloped Hekate and Medea, ushering them away from Odette, away from the dam, and into the night.
A few moments after the wind finally settled Odette let out a long exhale, relieved that conversation was finally over. She patted her chest, her heart thrumming hard, a little rush of adrenaline. “At least it wasn’t a prophecy.”
Bach looked about as relieved but brightened at the box, “That’s got to be Gwyneth's ‘Sight’. Insight? Direction? Look at the symbols.” Bach chatted excitedly about the little gift as they made their way back to Mandate’s side. To soothe the anxious golem and examine the box. Odette felt a tiny pin prick of foreboding, similar to how she felt after speaking to Puck. Hekate may not have revealed vague glimpses of the future but such gifts were never to be taken at face value nor lightly. She knew better than that, now more than ever.
