 FKWarlock Winds Of War Dedicated in loving memory to little boy named Brandon who liked stories of Warlocks and who in five years of life on this earth left all who knew him with memories for a lifetime... Warlocks never die, they just seem to fade away...
Somewhere in the greater Toronto Area, on Thursday Night... Polishing the bar, the coffee shop manager looked up to notice that night had finally fallen. Between vacations and sickness, his employees had been few and far between during the last few days of the work schedule. He also noticed that the three old men were still playing cards at the back table and was beginning to wonder if they realized that closing time was near. Normally he would hang around until all the patrons were done, but this night was going to end on time. Looking up at the clock, he realized he would have to give them only a few more minutes before kindly giving them the bad news. The cackle of laughter from the short one had started grating his nerves almost from the minute that they had arrived. Even now, he suspected that nasal sound would haunt him even after they were gone.
---------- "... and *then* they noticed the boiling oil!!" Nagis said gleefully, slapping his knee as the other two players simply rolled their eyes. Dukat frowned before gently moving his chips into a neater pile. "Be that as it may," he began, the smile he had formed not quite giving the comfort it would have normally given. "Are you in, or out Nagis? I'm sure Garak is losing patience as well as his chips." Nagis leaned conspiratorially toward Garak, whose eyes were recounting the chips in the pile. "I told you having him stay in his human form for this long would wear him down!!" This time Garak was the one being polite as he smiled and turned to the smaller man. "I'm afraid I must agree, time *is* getting to be of the essence, and *he* isn't the only one getting tired of looking human. Not to make any unnecessary puns, but it *is* getting old." Both players suffered through the roar of cackling and knee slapping before the small man laid his cards flat. "As you both seem intent on winning, my hand must not be as competitive as I thought." Dukat sighed as he waited for Garak to finish his calculations for the *third* time. "You know," he started. This human form he had taken *was* getting tiresome. "With the mention of boiling oil, you bring back pleasing memories of those dark ages when even the Pope had an army." Garak picked up a handful of chips and tossed them onto the pile. Perhaps he would be retrieving them back into his own pile shortly. "I see your bet and raise you ten thousand. By the way, speaking of the Pope's army, were you aware that we have our very own living, breathing crusader in town?" Dukat frowned as he readjusted his thoughts from plundering the pot to those of long ago. "If he's living and breathing, he can't be a crusader. See and raise ten more." "Well, actually now that you mention it, he did look a little pale." Garak said with a smile while he pondered his losses. "It brings to mind a game I once saw played." Dukat said, hoping to distract his opponent from his calculations. "Game?" Nagis piped up, boredom having taken its toll on his attention. "What kind of game?" "Welllll, more than a simple game I suppose..." he said ruefully, knowing he had at least hooked one of them. The night may prove profitable after all. Reaching into his pocket, he carefully pulled out a small box and laid it on the table in front of Nagis. The small man leaned forward and studied the box. He tentatively reached out and ran his fingers of the smooth surface. Able to see the embedded markings better from his angle, Garak's raised a brow. "That isn't..." "A Galen Cube?" Dukat said in feigned surprise. "Why yes! *How* did you know?" Garak looked up from the box and warily took in Dukat's smile. "I was under the impression that the last Cube that you speak of was discharged shortly after it was created." Dukat's smile grew as he watched the other two men examine the case. "Please, open it and look inside, it won't bite. I promise you that." Garak kept his hands well away from the box as Nagis lifted the lid back and set it on the table. Inside the box, surrounded by red velvet, was a hexagonal Cube split into three sections. Symbols etched in gold and silver were inlaid and matched up against one another across the seams of each section. "This can't be...," Nagis said in a hushed whisper, realizing what he was looking at. "Oh, but it is. I managed to lay my hands on a variation that will give us much enjoyment." Dukat replied. Garak had become quiet as he studied the Cube from a distance. Slowly a smile formed that nearly matched Dukat's. "I take it you are planning a second run at the legend of O'Rourke's Daughter?" "Something like that. But much more ... intriguing. I plan on letting our fair haired knight of old have an option not quite unlike that of Mr. O'Rourke's Daughter's suitor, only this time I plan to give him the tools to make a proper choice." "I wage he won't do it." Nagis said confidently, turning the case this way and that as he watched the light shine on the Cube. "A wager is not a wager unless someone offers an alternative." Dukat pointed out, watching Garak intently. Garak looked once again at the Cube and then back at Dukat. "Very well, I wage he will. How do you propose to take sides?" He asked finally. Dukat shook his head. "Oh no, I don't plan to wager with the likes of you. I have another wager of sorts with an old friend who has sent some 'assistants' to carry out the game." "Assistants?" Garak asked warily. Nagis was too involved in the details of the Cube to care about the conversion. "Here is what I propose..." Garak started, leaning in towards the others.
-------------------------- The manager waited until the clock had fully passed the hour before moving toward the back table. Distracted by the tone of the entry chime, he stopped as a young man and woman entered the shop. Dressed alike, both wore long black coats and each sported a similar pair of round, black sunglasses. Even their hair was jet-black and well past their shoulders. As they moved toward the back table, he made an attempt to intercept them. "I'm sorry, but we're closed. Perhaps you could come back tomorrow..." he began with a smile, stepping into their path. The young woman stopped in front of him as her partner eased around them. She brought her hand up and placed a cool palm against the side of his face. Instantly he felt a small jolt that raced from her hand and back through his body. "Your dishes are dirty and you need to clean up. You are alone, and we ... were never here." She said softly, lowering her hand and stepping around him. The manager stood in place for a few moments, seemingly lost in thought, before turning and moving back toward the counter. It was a shame he needed to clean up all over again, but a job was a job, he groaned to the empty shop. Stopping to watch him, the woman turned to the door and raised her hand again. A sudden gust of wind turned the open sign to closed, as the lock bolts slammed shut. Smiling for the first time, she looked over the rest of the shop before turning to rejoin her companion.
----------------- "Dru, you have mastered that ability a bit too well I see." Her companion said as he patiently waited for her. The woman completed a mock curtsy before him. "My master is pleased?" She asked in a child like voice. "Please. The Lord help anyone who claimed to be *your* master." He replied with a shake of his head. "Drusilla! Gregor! It is *so* good to see you!" A voice yelled out from behind them. Turning, they approached the trio at the table. "These," Dukat said pleasantly, gesturing to the newcomers, " are the very two I was just telling you about." Nagis looked them up and down and paid particular attention to the young woman. "Perhaps afterwards, I, I, uh, I mean, we could get to know one another." he said with a grin. Gregor smiled with amusement. "I suspect you would learn things about Dru that you don't want to know." "Now, now." Dukat said pleasantly. "They have been retained by an old friend to set the game in motion and to make certain that the end is reached exactly as we need it to." Reaching across the table, Dukat retrieved the case and closed the lid. Handing to Gregor, he watched as it was passed in turn to Dru, who put it in a pocket without much examination. "You have the ... *other* pieces?" Gregor prompted as he turned back to the others. Dukat sighed as he reached in his shirt and pulled out a cloth bundle. This time Gregor examined the parcels wrapping before securing it in his own cloak. "Remember that in this case, timing *is* everything." Dukat said with a smile. The snapping of bubble gum startled them both as they turned to Drusilla. "Been here done this before. I'm bored. Let's go." she said evenly before turning and walking toward the door. "That one can be a handful." Dukat said wryly as they watched her depart. "In truth that is one of her greater charms." Gregor sighed. "Is there anything else you need of us?" "I will let you know, please go and get things under way. The full moon approaches." Gregor bowed slightly in response before turning and making his way toward the door. He saw the shop manager drying dishes and smiled as he walked out into the night. Dukat waited until they were alone before turning back to the game and picking up his cards. Smiling he reached out and pulled the pile of chips toward him. "As I remember, we left off with me taking the pot."
---------------- Outside Drusilla patiently waited until Gregor rejoined her. "You know, you should be more careful around Chaos Demons." He said pleasantly as they gazed over the late night activity around them. Drusilla simply shrugged in reply. "Have you contacted Knight yet?" Gregor looked at his watch and gauged the amount of time they would need. "Yes, he is expecting you in about thirty minutes. Shall we get the ball rolling?"
----------- Nick stood perfectly still as he examined the box in his hands. Galen's Cube. Up until a few days ago it had only been a hint of a rumor, something that even *he* had scoffed at when it had been mentioned. He had been struck numb to learn of its discovery, let alone that he could so easily acquire it. Momentarily his mind flashed to LaCroix, wondering if it was one of his tricks. The agent had seemingly released the cube with out so much as a question. Carefully he opened the box. Stepping under the skylight he caught the gleam of the moon on the polished surface of the Cube. Galen's Cube. Here in his hands. His eyes moved to the phone. He thought of calling Nat. Telling her he had found it and what it would mean for them. Mortality. Galen's Cube. A Father's love so deep he would give the life of his only daughter. No, failure was something he would suffer alone. Walking to the edge of the roof, he looked over the city below and wondered if it would look anything like what he had imagined when lit by the warmth of the sun. Pictures were one thing, but to see it with his own eyes... Turning back to face the moon, he opened the case and removed the cube, tossing the case off to one side. It was now or never. Raising the cube he began to recite the first verses that he had studied. Overhead clouds began to form, covering the stars. He reached up and turned the first section, forward twice and back one half. The clouds began to thicken and boil, bringing the first sounds of the approaching storm as thunder rumbled in the night. He continued the verses, using the old Latin he had learned. It was the turning of the second section -- four times and a half, which brought the wind. Swirling around him as he ignored the storm and continued the verses. Back thrice and forward one half. The final section locking in place brought the lightning. Spreading across the underbelly of the blackened clouds, it spread like the web of a spider. Rain began to pelt him as he held the cube up high and waited for success. The first bolt of lighting struck the cube, it's power racing from the cube and down his arm. A scream of agony died on his lips as his body rose in the air and danced with the lighting. He staggered as he was dropped back to his feet, and propelled back as a second bolt struck the cube. He watched in horror as the energy flowed over his body. Released from the energy, he never felt the third bolt strike him as he was driven down through the glass and pushed to the floor below. The bolt flowed from the cube and over his body, as he lay in spasm, his eyes wide and mouth open. Twisting and turning on the floor, the power finally released him from its grip, as he lay still and unconscious. The cube rolled across the broken glass as his slack fingers released their grip. Silence filled the loft as the storm dissipated, and the stars returned. A crow landed on the skylight frame, looking at the scene below. It's black eyes taking in the broken glass and the body lying sprawled on its stomach. The crow saw a gleam from near one hand and dropped to the floor to examine the trinket. Turning to look at the human, it waited for any reaction before picking the trinket up in its beak. Seemingly satisfied, its great wings spread out as it took to the air and flew back out the skylight. Soaring high into the moonlit sky, it moved over the city toward its target. The mansion was dark when it finally landed. The crow dropped the trinket on the front stoop as it listened for any noise or activity. Suddenly the feathers shimmered as the bird changed shape and seemed to turn into liquid. Flowing and molding, it formed a human shape and began to take on detail. Drusilla bent down and picked up the cube, pulling a chain from her pocket and attaching it to the top. Carefully she draped the chain over the door knob before turning and walking away. The plan was now in place with only the final chapter waiting to be played out.
------------- Shortly after dawn the following morning: Heat. Nick felt his skin burning, as flames seemed to trickle up his arms and wrap around his head. He tried to run but could not get away from the pain. Curling up in a ball, he tried to surrender. Opening his eyes, he became puzzled as he focused on the shards of broken glass around him. That was soon followed by alarm as he realized he was lying *in the sun!* Reaction born out of habit, he rolled to one side in search of shade, before he realized he hadn't been burning. He sat up and examined his hands to make sure he was not mistaken. Then he remembered the cube. Had it worked? Slowly rising to his feet, he took a deep breath before stepping back into the sunlight. The expected pain failed to materialize as he looked up into the blue sky. Tears, for the first time in centuries not of blood, streamed from his eyes as he raised his arms in triumph. --------------------- Elsewhere:
LaCroix had been just entering his booth when he had felt the first pangs of nausea. With each step it had grown worse, finally driving him to his knees before he had collapsed in agony and lost consciousness. Pulling himself to his feet now, he was surprised to experience momentary dizziness as he turned and stumbled back to the club. From the sight that he saw when he opened the door, he realized he had not been alone in his agony. Several patrons were just getting up from the floor and were moving toward the door. He walked through the confused groups to find more confusion as sunlight splashed over him from the open door. Stepping aside, he was further surprised to not hear the usual sounds that the sun brought with it. Another patron opened the door and stood in the sunlight as LaCroix moved to stand next to him. LaCroix looked at the scene of confusion outside as he stepped out into unreality. "Oh, No..." he managed to say as he felt the warmth of the Sun. "Not Again..." -------------------
Across the street, The black HumVee sat idling at the curb as the two occupants watched the activity. Shifting into gear it slowly turned around and drove away. Inside, Gregor and Drusilla wondered what the next few days would be like and looked forward to the fun. "Let the games begin." Gregor said with a smile. "Fire in the hole..." Dru added, bringing on a fit of laughter as they drove into town. (End Of Opening)
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