Chapter 7 -- Pack business
They were being made to wait. Of course they were. Alice, Levash and the Council representative, a Witch named Celine, had been waiting at Broadwoods since four, it was now approaching six.
"So what kind of Witch are you anyway?" Alice turned to the witch as she spoke. Celine was much shorter than Alice and the dark hair on her head was almost completely taken over by grey.
"Witch of the cauldron." The witch responded impassively.
Alice waited a few seconds before asking. "So what's that? Like bubble bubble toil and trouble stuff, or broomsticks?"
"I make and discover potions." The witch replied briskly. "Actually, come to think of it, could I get a vial of your saliva?"
Alice furrowed her brows, a small smirk slipping on her face.
The witch continued, "I've heard that Succubi spittal has aphrodisiac-like properties, I'd love to work with it and see what could be made."
"Sure, but there's only one way you can collect it." Alice's smile turned lascivious as Levash just rolled his eyes. Before the witch could reply, two men appeared next to them from nowhere.
"The pack master is ready to see you now."
It turns out they had been standing on the cusp of a Witches ward. The energy barrier masking the presence of anything unusual or supernatural. Passing through the barrier Alice felt a flicker of magic, even Liliths interest peaked and quickly receded. Once through the barrier tents appeared surrounding the forest path. Most just plain regular tents, sporadic camp fires, chairs, ice coolers and cars mixing in around them. Not a single person to be found though.
As the group all ventured deeper into the footpaths the tents became grander. Growing in size then shape, some turning into small huts others becoming boxes almost like a house. She started to hear noise though, music, chanting, howls. The frost hung on the air only seeming to affect the witch to Alice's left, the Weres bundled up in leathers and her and Levash in very little in comparison warmed by the infernal fire in their blood. Through the noise she managed to focus briefly and could smell smoke, thick and acrid.
Cutting through the last row of tents revealed a circle of trucks and cars that spanned almost the entire breadth of Juniper top. Weres were sat and stood on the cars, chairs lined up creating rings inside of the circle. Alice had been told that it was estimated there were eight hundred and seventy two wolves in Jethro Farkas' pack, and seeing them all together really hammered that point home.
The escort led the group into the circle, wolves and humans alike cheering and howling as they passed. Murmurs broke out throughout the crowd and Alice could see flecks of red and purple everywhere. No one stopped them as they broke across the grass toward the stage at the back, and everyone ignored the splattering of blood soaking the grass underfoot.
The two wolves stopped, before them sat an erected wooden stage with a large leather canopy atop. Inside the space sat the wolf of the hour, Jethro Farkas and his children. Jethro was an old man by now, sixty two, served in the army throughout the troubles, and now leads his pack in the south of England. Alice made sure to push his age out of mind because the man was built like a big grey brick wall. There were a few of what Alice assumed to be advisors to the sides of the stage but none that held quite the presence that Jethro did.
"Alpha, we have collected the two Demons who wish to present to the Pack. Do you accept their presence?" One of the two wolves spoke. Silence reigned across the circle, all the murmurs and talking turning to silence leaving Juniper eerily quiet. As the silence ticked on Alice grew unsure on what to do, on one hand she had Levash stood to the side of, cool, collected and maintaining a warrior's posture, then alternatively she had the older witch who was looking around the circle almost in fear. Thankfully Alice was put out of her misery as Jethro shouted his acceptance and the entire circle broke into howls, only slightly piercing to her ears.
"Witch, what is it they wish to present to us?" Jethro voice bellowed over the howls of the crowd.
Levash turned to the older woman at that. Alice watched as the witch stepped forward confused, the plan had always been they would start the presentation, was this simply more hokey wolf traditions? Or more likely he was playing games with them.
"These two demons, Levash and Alice.." only slight laughter at her name from the crowd before quieting again. "Wish to ask your pack to join the demons of London in war against the 'celestials'." Howls broke out again throughout the circle which was beginning to grow very old. This time however it was not laughter that passed between them but anger, the sparks of red around the circle growing and filling in more gaps, any hint of purple being smothered by the rage. Surely they already knew why the demons were here?
"They may present their case, but I would advise caution. People can grow agitated when being asked to see their family die for another."
Lilith's inevitable chill shot through Alice.
"What a wonderful way to phrase stopping an inevitable invasion."
Levash stepped forward; the escorts joined the advisors to the left of the stage, the witch leaving the pair to join the advisors to the right, fat lot of help she was.
"Alpha. As you've been told we are requesting your pack join our legions in reclaiming our homeworld, Lestia, and hopefully finishing the celestial threat once and for all." Pausing a second but as no one jumped in or spoke Levash continued. "I myself have been fighting against them since I first became of age roughly around five hundred years ago in earth years."
"Clearly not very well!" Someone jeered from the crowd followed by a spattering of laughs but as Jethro held his hand up all fell into silence once more. Levash did not let his annoyance show as he continued.
"As I was saying I have been fighting them for five hundred years, I watched all of our leaders fall until only one remained. It was a painful time for all of our kin and a humiliating end to our freedom. Yet the next four hundred years would be far worse, demons as you may know have been and still are being made to work in Lestia to fuel the desires of the celestials in charge. They are trapped and offered no escape, and the Celestials pluck beings from new realms everyday, stealing more and more to chuck into our pits to be corrupted and in turn join those already enslaved." No one spoke up as Levash finished his voice growing in volume. he awaited any questions but again just nodded for Levash to continue.
"When the last of our rulers fell and the celestials started plucking beings from the realms to create new demons they took a human man from earth. Once in our realm he refused to be turned and fought his captors, not well mind, but the demons that were in his path aided the human and tried to help his escape. Instead of leaving he destroyed the portal leading to Earth sealing Lestia from your realm for the next four hundred years. This remained sealed until two years ago when the celestials managed to create a network of temporary portals that allowed them to travel back here. While they seek a more permanent and stable way to ferry potential demons from this realm to ours, they have begun to take more and more beings to fill the gaps we have been leaving behind in our escape. I know humans have suffered large amounts of unexplained disappearances, this is because humans are easier to corrupt. Once they have established permanent portals to Earth once again, the Celestials will come for all supernatural groups as they have done in other realms. Should our rebellion fail, you and your pack will one day join us in the pits."
Levash's closing statement did not sit well with the crowd, their rage growing larger and more focused, several members standing a few skins started to shift and ripple, clothes growing taught then slack. Some were threatening to turn.
"Their control over their emotions always left much to be desired."
