03 - Protection of Magic

Series - The Leira Chronicles

IN REVIEW

Chapter 1

Eireka and Leira sit in patio, talking about Mara- having felt her, seen her briefly. They decide to both look for Mara and to get her out of the in between world, working together. And they’d need help! Correk comes home, sits with them, hears Leira starting to call full humans “normies.” He reminds her that they are still her kind, too, as she is part human. Estelle calls for breakfast, all go in to eat, including Yumfuck. (Correk beginning to speculate about Estelle – wondering just what she knows- As the three speak, they all realize that each has their own private concerns, Correk upset over the two of them delving into the in between world, and forces they don’t understand (as well as having a personal reaction about gnomes that Leira doesn’t understand), Eireka about her Mother being there for so long (she refuses to accept that it is impossible to handle) , and Leira about having another person to care and worry about, as well as the ghost that was with Mara when she was seen for a moment. They are all upset about trying to do the magically impossible. And Yumfuck is ALWAYS concerned about where his next meal is coming from ! Correk’s advice – find a Willen who might be able to clear up many questions (for a massive bribe – of what?) Will go to Hilldale, nearest kemana, and find the right willen to bribe. (See Miscellaneous: Clues to Mara’s Rescue) Leira gets a call from the General, and can’t go. Correk and Eireka will go, with Yumfuck. Will give Eireka a chance to be reintroduced to Earth.

Chapter 2

Case #1, Mara's Case

As she rushed to this, her first case from General Anderson, she realized that she would be expected to use magic to solve it. Meets Alan Cohen and Jeff Fischer, her new partners. Cohen driving, more friendly. Fischer tries to give her guff, she sends magic at him, he backs off. Got PDA jacket. Follow energy trail into house, find body of 20 year-old girl, Casey. Witness in a drug case, due to testify the next day. Bruise in her shoulder, she had been restrained, but with something soft. Looked up, saw gray swirling mist, an opening into the world in between. Mist envelops Leira. She calls to Casey, girl appears, comes closer. Leira asks who did this, and Casey responds with memories, showing her Perry Jones, a balding man, wearing round-rimmed spectacles. He looked surprisingly small but was freakishly strong. And angry. Not his first kill. She could feel it from the inside. She gasped as the gun fired off a shot at Casey. Dark menace started to pull her inside. Already had Casey. Almost got Leira, but her grandmother added her strength to Leira’s, and Cohen pulling her back into the room, won out. Leira not taken.

Driving home, Leira review “feel” of magic of menace, not one thing, but a mass, a band of “baddies” in the in between. As she is thinking about everything, meets Light Elf Turner Underwood, surrounded by blinding white light, over 1000 years old, know as “The Fixer”. Looking for someone to take his place, so he can retire. But, not ready yet. Too much to learn. "You insist on playing by the rules that you know." "That will not work here!.” I sense a strong force is unleashed among us again. An unfriendly sort. There may be some harder days ahead for you, my dear Leira. But occasionally take a look around, a real look around and notice how many of our kind are passing right by you. You may need all of us some day, Agent Berens. You take care of yourself. I'll find you when the time is right. Just remember, if I could see you, then others might as well. Good day."

CORREK AND EIREKA, SHOPPING

Capters 3, 4, 5

Correk and Eireka, stuck in the house all day, decide to go see the sights. Take Yumfuck, who has not been feeling well all day (because of Leira’s bad case, he’s been almost emotionally pulled from her, felt almost unbonded). Buy cowboy boots for all of them (four pair) Eireka wants cupcakes, so they buy them on the way home. She decides to try to do everything she hasn’t been able to. Go past The Continental Club, Redd Volkaert. ? She has to hear him again, after 30 years. So she does.. Lots of Oricerans in the crowd. Yumfuck puts on a show, Correk rescues him, to claps and groans. They leave, to find the next adventure. Leira gets home, finds them both transforming into other beings. Correk and she unpack dinner in the kitchen. Leira tells him about her case, Correk really upset, as she has done the impossible- set foot into the in between and come back. He’s worried, because he’s not sure he can keep her safe on Earth. She tells him about Underwood, he’s shocked. Eireka came into the kitchen, and she told them all.

THE DARK KEMANA AND THE NECKLACE

Chapter 6

Twenty of Rhazdon’s followers, hand picked, were going to open a portal , as the necklace needed to come back to Earth. The high priest who was starting up the movement again wanted the necklace moved and now. Rhazdon group, on top of Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, meets at sunrise. A portal opens, and a gnome drops the necklace into Hannah Beecham’s hands, with the words, "Protect it with your lives. Our entire movement depends on it." About this time, the group was attacked by two witches, Katie Toler and May Sage, Silver Griffins, who caused so much chaos that the girl holding the necklace (not Hannah), escaped down off the mountain, achieving the purposes of the Griffins in allowing it to remain in the wrong hands longer, so that they could better find the real leader/culprits of the Rhazdon group. Katie continues to go after necklace, finds it first in Shreveport,then in Arlington. close to Washington, DC.

Chapter 13

Leira and Correk go after Katie, find her trail (icy blue and sharp) in Shreveport, LA. Had a fight. Had an ally, a witch. Lost the fight, didn’t get necklace. Necklace in Washington D.C., no specific location. Hannah Beecham left a distress call, asking for help, and also said that Lacey Trader, in Griffins, needs help. Necklace in Alexandria, VA., in hands of three Rhazdon wizards who were trying to hide it. Fight with Katie, call on ice, killing three on field, almost killing Katie. Still didn’t get necklace.

LEIRA AND HER LIFE

Chapter 7

Leira gets a call from PDF that the necklace is loose again, and takes off (with Correk) to do something about it. Meets Pin Pushers at bar, (early morning), who had won trophy night before, and were celebrating (Bloody Marys- tomato juice and celery). Practice will start soon for baseball team, the Ice Cold Pitchers. Leira will join, as usual. Get to station, not PDF, local police. Call had not come from Anderson. Was about fight on Camelback Mountain, in Phoenix. About necklace. Police think it’s all connected with the necklace, Chicago stuff, etc. Necklace in Austin? Then not my problem. Leira and Correk go back home, decide to go to Comicon.

Mara's Case

Chapter 8

Visits with Hagan, tells him about Mara and the in between world. Took Yumfuck with her. Hagan summarizes it nicely.” A swearing troll steals my doughnuts and eats a few magical flowers, a rat that can talk and will help you find the answers to getting your grandmother out of a purgatory that a Gnome on another planet may have the answers to but won't tell.” Meets with Anderson, asks foe her own office. Meets new partner, agent Rolfe. Stone-faced, non-communicative. Casey appears at meeting (the thing is trying to reach her, using Casey, but light saves Casey, showing Leira a way to enter world). Rolfe tries to shoot her (ricocheting off of impenetrable wall), displaying a lack of understanding of what he would be dealing with. Will not be her partner.

COMICON AND EIREKA

Chapters 9, 10

Leira, Yumfuck, Correk (in full Oriceran dress) and Eireka go to Comicon. Yumfuck escaped immediately, to have a good time with all. Correk overwhelmed with requests for pics. Leira talks to Toni about getting tribe to pool energy, to control Darkness in between. Toni thinks tribe would do it. Correk in the Chippenelves lineup, with a glamour spell put on him by a gnome. Eireka dancing to music, in wings, then onto the stage, with the men dancers and Correk. Lots of fun. Not a crime scene, a HAPPENING!

Chapter 14

Correk and Leira bring Eireka and Donald Entin together, take them both out to dinner. They had known each other before, and seemed to want to renew their friendship. Leira thought, This can be her night. I'll just be here for the pizza and to annoy Correk. That's more than enough. Talked about how they had first met. All enjoy their pizza, until a rush of energy come through her. It was her grandmother warning her that she needed to build the energy, that the veil was getting thinner. Correk and Eireka heard her, too- connection of three was strong enough. Ruins dinner, Donald pays the bill, Donalld and Eireka go off, Correk and Leira go back home. Donald had seen strange things happening to Leira before Eireka was committed, so knew there was something he didn’t understand.

Chapter 15

Donald and Eireka talk, truth comes out Donald still OK with it, wants to know more, another chance, the coming week-end. Donald will pick her up, meet Yumfuck, Estelle, Craig and Mike.

MARA'S CASE

Chapter 11

As Leira goes out the door, Eireka reiterates that they are connected, as are all Light elves, and that Leira should send out a burst of energy if she needs he. Correk, also, used to world where people do more things together, so not used to Leira’s independence. Leira goes off to talk to Hagan about her dilemmas, maybe help Hagan with his case, a jumper, caved in Chevy Tahoe. Brings a box of Voodoo doughnuts to make up for the ones Yumfuck took. Hagan now driving a Dodge Charger. Walk past the Driskill, Leira and Mara touch energies (love). Then Mara leaves, knowing the Darkness would sense them, and that it was looking for her as well. Mara moves through a wormhole, to San Francisco, to watch the seals. Leira finds out that she can approach the in between, and the darkness will not know ahead of time that she is coming. A good clue! Will need to find a willen soon, leave at dawn. Bring at least $100 cash, leave a note for Eireka.

Chapter 14

Mara warns Leira again, that Darkness will be coming and that she needs reinforcement. Correk wonders if the prophets know that the veil between the dimensions is growing thin, so soon.

THE WILLEN AND THE BRIBE

Chapter 12

When they get close to Lavender Rock, Correk creates fireball, turns it into screen, a flat rectangle of blue light,. A bouncing red dot marked the spot where they were standing. Blue dot appeared coordinated with red dot, pointing away from Lavender Rock. Just like an iPhone call. "There is a detailed map available to anyone in our community. Shows the underground cities beneath all the kemanas in your world. Really part of the Earth, just underground." (See Locations, Willen’s Worlds for details. FASCINATING!) After walking through Hilldale (money exchange, grocers, other shops, different other species, etc.) came to lesser part of town, found address of willen they wanted to see, meet with him. Offered him a small fee “for his consideration”. He listened.

"We need information. You have to go to Oriceran to get it. We need you to steal the secrets of the world in between from the Gnomes who guard the library." "Impossible. Ridiculous. Joke." "Name your prize," Leira said evenly. "Bring my family here from New Jersey. "My wife, my boy, my mother and two uncles. Four full grown Willens and even a medium-sized Willen are hard to hide, expensive to move. All under the noses of those Silver Griffins." "Fine, we'll do it." "You have only two days." Leira and the willen shook on it. (Whole chapter is good reading!)

THE JERSEY WILLENS

Chapter 13

The Jersey Willens live in Atlantic City, in a kemana named Margate. The entrance to the kemana is under a hotel shaped like an elephant named Lucy. We need to know where Katie Toler is going to be next and how she's tracking the necklace. It'd be our chance to get there first. If we can get ahead of the Silver Griffins agent we can get the necklace and take it with us to move the Willens. It's risky but it's doable." Eireka wants to help. She’s a planner. We get the government to help us with the cover up. Major Anderson ? Eireka will go after the willens, Leira after the necklace.

Chapter 15

Eireka gets back to Jersey. Texts Leira has willens loaded, were about to go wheels up. Leira goes on PDF case, solves it, comes back to help with willens.

Chapter16

Meets Eireka at airport in Austin, with many agents, willens. Talks with Cohen, finds that willens had stolen many things from agents during flight. Leira faces down Grandmother, retrieves, wallet, badge, gun, and things from other willens before they drive off to Hillsdale. Agents pretty good, but still uneasy over dealing with talking rats.

The Vow: When they got to Earth gate to Hillsdale, they wanted to go down, but Correk wouldn’t let them. Not part of the deal. Willen had to come up to get them, trade info before they were released. Willen came up, had some info, books. Correk reading swiftly, but Portal opens and Gnome steals book from him, threatening him. Gnome tries to snatch willen take him to Trevilsom prison, but Leira saves him. All stack fists, swear that they will succeed in fighting Darkness, saving Earth and Oriceran, “even If it’s the last good thing we do !.

The Necklace: Leira and Correk go after Katie, find her trail (icy blue and sharp) in Shreveport, LA. Had a fight. Had an ally, a witch. Lost the fight, didn’t get necklace. Necklace in Washington D.C., no specific location. Hannah Beecham left a distress call, asking for help, and also said that Lacey Trader, in Griffins, needs help. Necklace in Alexandria, VA., in hands of three Rhazdon wizards who were trying to hide it. Fight with Katie, call on ice, killing three on field, almost killing Katie. Still didn’t get necklace. Fort Worth, TX, Stanbury, TX, (Order of the Griffins helped in this one), Georgetown, TX.

THE PROPHETS

Chapter 14

The Prophets start planning for an orderly move to Earth, once the gates open. Teaching it in the schools? Deciding who goes first? A lottery? The prophesies say we may not have enough time before Oriceran is destroyed when the gates open and the magic drains toward Earth." "It will take all of us to foresee everything we'll need..." "And everything that could go wrong..."

The Gnome presides over another meeting discussing Earth happenings. "The Atlantean attitude is making a return. There are followers on Earth chasing down the royal artifact. The necklace. History seems to be repeating itself in a watered-down version. It's mostly contained. Mostly, but not entirely. More than one ancient site on Earth has been pulled down by scavengers looking for powerful artifacts hidden long ago. They're gathering as much energy as they can, to open the gates early. Before we have a plan in place. That would be disastrous. There is much to plan and if these interlopers are successful, not much time at all "

Chapter 19

The Gnome: The Gnome suggested that the Prophets simply ask the group tat has the necklace why they wanted it. Perhaps their goals were more alike than thought. Need to do something to start to build bridge between Earth and Oriceran, start rumor with their sources that Oricerans ready to work with renegades who have necklace. Gnome then went back to home in woods, took off his “spell”, and began to transform. Rhazdon emerged, with the thought, "Never send an Elf to do an Atlantean's job."

PDF; CASE #1

Chapter 15

Stolen fish, from private mansion. Called her in because couldn’t figure out how thieves took fish, heavy, off pedestal. Leira senses no magic, but that security tape altered, about LED lights and the different things they can be used for like messing with security cameras. Guard taken into custody. Cohen OK with her, Fischer Still a schmuck, calling her Casper.

Chapter 17

Pqtsy and Lois  : General Anderson coming to office. Came to offer Patsy and Lois an assignment, some kind of a promotion of sorts. They had done well in helping with various problems ,(trouble with the necklace, skirmish with the silver Griffins, and the willens) and he wanted the to help again. Want to promote them to PDAs, and help back up Detective Leira Berens. We need you to fan out and look for signs of other governments getting into the magic game." "We get to spy on humans?" "Most definitely. And assist Agent Berens when necessary." "Human assistance for Agent Berens has not worked out." Lots of perks, worked out. They accepted.

AT ESTELLE'S BAR

Chapter 18

Party to welcome Eireka into the “family” at the bar, the Leira Society. Leira had neglected to put Yumfuck’s sleeping spell on him, so he escaped. Looking for a night out. Went down streets, dodging, finally smelled popcorn at a close theater, jumped into the machine, was shaken around by the scoop, finally jumping out and taking a full bag off of the counter as he jumped off. He settled in a seat, and a little girl made friends with him, protecting him from all of the other patrons when he was too loud. As he was exiting, Hagan saw the bag of licorice he was carrying moving, knew what it was, and paid for it. As Yumfuck comes back home, Logan appears at the bar, greeting everybody, wondering how she was. Drinks at the bar, makes friends, stays. Leira never does get to put that spell on Yumfuck.

Chapter 19

Coffee the next morning, Correk will be going home to recharge (and convince the King and Queen that they needed to return with him to help), Toni and tribe will meet the three at the Driskill that night. Yumfuck to come, too. Correk opened portal, Eireka reached in, touched a frond-