Felix Tal watched the three massive men walk away from the house from an upper window, they would not see him even if they looked back and nor would the FBM man in the van outside the yard, he was too well cloaked for that. Tal reviewed everything he’d told the men about himself, the box, this world and magic- he had not lied on any count and it made him smile; for once he’d completed a mission without having to tell falsehoods. He liked that.
Tal wandered downstairs as the men drove off. He’d have liked to use his powers to fix the place up, replace the threadbare carpet and broken furniture, but magic did not work that why here. Subtle magic and big rituals were the order of the day; no click-boom, fireball down Main St. He entered the lounge and took the Grizzly statue off the mantelpiece, placing it carefully on the floor. With a final grin to himself he began a low chant over the statue, occasionally weaving his hands about.
The statue started to glow slightly as Tal chanted. The light intensity grew until the statue was obscured by the glowing white light. Tals chant hit a climax and the light seemed to explode filling the room when dying away leaving Tal blinking. In the centre of the room stood the Grizzly Bear statue, now full sized and towering over him in a menacing way, its huge paws easily the size of Tal’s head. The statue was incredibly lifelike and beautiful. From the fur tips on its ears to the dirt between its claws the whole thing was a priceless work of art. Tal walking between the paws and began to chant again, this time in an old Russian dialect, he rubbed his hands in a clockwise motion over the stone fur tips, from where he placed his hands a golden glow began to spread out across the massive frozen bear.
Tal continued to chant and the golden glow began to sink into the stone fur, the cold white-grey slowly turning into soft golden brown fur. Up across the huge barrel chest, round the large gut and down into its legs. Tal changed key and the glow covered the shoulders, down the arms and up onto the head. Tal changed pitch and the glow began to fade, sinking into the Bears giant 12’ form. He stopped rubbing and waited his chant much reduced in volume……suddenly the Great Bear drew in a huge breath and his claws stretched out. Tal jumped back quickly and ended his chant. The Bear yawned and stretched, throwing his arms out and taking great deep breaths. His brown eyes opened and his nose widened drinking in the smells of the house. He let out a loud ‘whumpf’
“Welcome home” Tal said warmly, his British accent full of joy.
The Grizzly looked across at the casually lounging Tal and he nodded. The Bear brought his massive paws together over his chest and closed his eyes. He grunted to himself for a few seconds when retuned his hands to his sides. The Bear began to shrink, the massive form folding in on itself, the long claws disappearing into long normal fingernails; the huge gut disappearing until only a moderate belly was left; his huge pecs, arms and legs reforming into Human muscle shapes, though still immense by ‘normal’ standards. The height shrank down to a mere 6’ 9”, the weight to something near 330. The heavy, shaggy fur only slightly vanished, the Human would have a long, thick beard, and a nude body covered in a carpet of thick black hair. His Bear head seemed reluctant to disappear but reform it did until a handsome, square jawed, thick browed Human face was there, the black beard shot through with grey and the brown eyes dancing with intelligence.
Tal came forward from his chair and the Bear reached forward and swept him up in a deep hug.
“It has been a while since I fully materialised” he rumbled in a voice that would make Barry White jealous. Tal pushed his head away from the thick chest rug.
“Well now that you have, can you put me down?” Tal grumbled.
“Sorry” the big man said and let Tal go. He took a look around
“Where has the box taken us this time?” he said. Tal grinned at him.
“Henry ‘Hank’ Orff. I’m surprised you didn’t recognise you old home” Hank took another look round before he saw the photo of him and Tim.
“Bloody hell” he said quietly and picked up the picture carefully. “We really are back”
“Yeah, surprised me too” Tal said. “We chase the thing always across the realities and it ends up here, the place I found you”
“Did you get it?” Hank said putting the picture down gently.
“Yes” said Tal “the box brought over two men from another yard and merged them with men here. They both became Shifters, but are fine with it”
“Hum……that should create some fallout, was that the large Bullmain shift I felt while I was guiding us?”
“Yeah, allowed to you tagged the right reality from the Void and then it allowed me to track the box physically. Alerted the FBM as well but they have no hope of holding the box. And now they won’t ever find it again”
“So why did you materialise me? I was Astral”
“Just cos you are a spirit that does not mean you can’t come out sometimes, besides, we had to talk and it’s easier and safer for me if I don’t have to cross over”
“True” Hank rumbled, and then sat himself down in his favourite armchair; it creaked a bit more but still folded itself to him as if he’d never been away.
“How is Tim?” he asked after a moment of silent pleasure.
“Your Tim is fine. The merger was seamless; the new being has memories of them both. He is a little bigger than you remember him since it's been 2 years relative time” Hanks eyes widened a little.
“You said he had become a Shifter?”
“He’s a Grizzly Shifter” Hank let out a deep chuckle and ran his finger though his chest rug
“I guess it’s a family thing” he laughed, even though he’d become a Shifter at death, it had still been Bear that had taken him.
“Who was the other guy?”
“Man by the name of Kelvin Orcan, became Kelvin Hoskins. He’s in construction”
“I vaguely remember the family name”
“He’s a Grizzly too” Hank smiled
“And I guess them two…….” He didn’t need to finish the sentence
“Yeah”
“Well that explains the smell” Both men had a long, long laugh. Tal made waving motions and walked out of the room. Hank heard the fridge door open
Tal came back into the room with some bottles of beer. They both took long chugs. Hank let out a sigh that came from long deprivement of his beer.
“So what was so important?” Hank finally asked
“I think something it going to happen here” Tal said, flicking imaginary dirt from his cloak “this yard is the centre of something in this world. I can’t place my finger on it but I feel it. It’s like EAerth, remember the Minotaur situation?”
“I remember” Hank nodded “you were right too, the Minotaur's attempted that ritual that nearly turned all the Humans into chimps, if we hadn’t stopped it…………”
“Well we had help from the Orcs; your manifestation in front the Orc OverKing convinced him it was time to move. But its like that here, I know something will happen but not what yet.” Tal twisted the corner of his cloak around his fingers.
“Could it be Yao again?” Hank asked.
“I doubt it; we gave the Dragon Emperor a pasting he’ll remember for a thousand years. I can’t see him being it. Might be his agents though”
“Have you had any contact with Jafar or Yi?” Tal drained his beer.
“The Masters still sleep, they have not contacted me by dream for a while” Hank nodded, he’d interrupted one of their dream messages once, and had met them briefly within it. Old, wise, powerful- words only just covered them.
“So what do we do then?” Hank asked. Tal drained his bottle before answering
“I would like you to watch this yard and the people linked to it. If it is to be a nexus point we need to know quickly. There has already been one reality breach here; it will make it easier for more to happen”
“As I remember magic here is relatively low?”
“Only a 6 out of 10” Tal said “no big boom, but subtle stuff. Ritual works. You should be able to work all those funky spirit powers of yours”
“Well as it should be. I am not linked to reality in the same way as you solids!” Hank smiled at Tal. They both knew what he could do, what his astral powers were, it had got them into and out of so much trouble since Tal had found his dying body and signed him on as a Companion.
“Only thing is the FBM may be watching. I debugged the place earlier, but Cosgrove is a stubborn bear. I think he can scene something of the Void and how the membrane has been stretched a little thin here.”
“Cosgrove?” the big man queried.
“I’ve met before. He’s a Grizzly Shifter, big man. Knows far too much about the realities and how they interact via the Void. He’s been chasing the box all over this world. He’s the FBM’s man when they need to know anything about Artefacts. I told you about the Hospital Ships?” Hank closed his eyes and thought deeply.
“The big, floating, museum in NYC? Where they quarantined the refugee Shifters after WW2?” Tal nodded “unique to this reality, 3 famous ships, the Normandie, Aquitania, and…….” He clicked his fingers……. “damm….cant remember”
“The Olympic, Titanic’s sister” Tal supplied.
“Damm that’s it” Hank stared into Tal’s deep eyes “too much knowledge” he said with slight grin.
“Well back to the teaching Crystal with you!” Tal scolded in his ‘school master’ voice. Both men laughed again.
“Well” Tal continued once the laughter died away “Cosgrove found a way to use the memories implanted in the ships to try and track the Shifter families that had been there; nearly got close to completing his ritual, until I stopped it and destroyed all his notes.”
“Why would a Shifter want to track Shifters? Where are the records?” Hank said raising a disapproving eyebrow.
“The very quick history I gathered suggested it was personal, many records were destroyed during the Civil Rights riots in the 50’s”
“I remember, nasty time. Knew someone torched part of the FBI building, but I didn’t think the Shifter records where there”
“As I said, I only did some quick history, the ritual had to be stopped and stopped it was” Tal crossed his arms, and Hank decided to change track.
“And what will you be doing?” Hank said popping open another bottle of beer.
“I will be tracking the source of this problem, I need to mediate at the Shrine” Hank nodded. Somewhere there was a Shine in every world. “You can contact me as normal, as always”
“I hate disturbing you when you are meditating, leaves a nasty aftertaste”
“Well it saved our lives when the Russians rolled over East Germany and where only 40 mins from the Castle gates that time”
“OK, OK, I’ll call if I have too. What about the people here, Tim and co? How much contact should I have?”
“Up to you Hank, you know what the situation here is. I can’t decide, I know it’s harder since this is your Home turf, but see how it goes”
“Hum. I think I’ll remain Astral and patrol and stuff. I’ll check in, but stay out of the way. Be good to see Joe’s grave” Hank said quietly. Tal reached over and grabbed Hanks huge hand.
“Be strong. I’m genna need you” Hank gave him a winning smile
“I’m fine, how can I be down about a one grave here after the massacre pits of New Rome?”
“Ok, as long as you are fine” Hank patted Tal hand
“I am”
“Right then, well I am going to buy Tim and co dinner. After what happened to them today it’s the least I can do, plus I can check for any last minute problems from the merger” Tal stood up. “You know how to get me” he said. Hank nodded his shaggy head
“I’ll just be in my statue if you need me any point as well” Tal smiled warmly at the giant and left.
Hank looked around the room and then started a slow wander around the house. So much had changed but so much was the same. Tim still used the same mugs, kettle, fridge, TV, even the phone was the same. Hank wandered into the cellar and was pleased the still was there- thoughts of his childhood and Grandpa’s whisky came back to him. Upstairs he was surprised at Tim’s ‘play room’ but not totally shocked. Joe had been the one into girls, Tim always the man fancier. After ‘Nam Mary had always hoped Tim would provide grandchildren so him being gay had bugged Mary, but she’d put up with it, ‘he’ll grow up’ she’d said more than once. Looking at the piles of Tim’s clothes, he’d grown up alright, defiantly inherited his dad and his grandfathers genes!
As Hank wandered about he did wonder about the other Tim and what he was like. He could track the treads of the reality shift from here back to where the two men had come from but it might disturb the balances so he didn’t. Hank ended up back in the dilapidated lounge, the house was secure (well as much as the doors and windows were shut, a thief would need about 5 seconds to get in!), there was no need for him to remain solid.
Hank stood in the centre of the room and closed his eyes. Around him appeared the ghostly form of the Great Bear, becoming more and clearer as Hanks physical form changed back to his Astral Bear one. Eventually there was nothing of Hank and only the ghost like Bear in the room. The spirit made some gestures and the small statue appeared on the mantelpiece, called from its storage point in the Netherworlds. Hank’s Spirit form drifted over to it and settled within, the Bear’s crystal eyes glowing as he filled the vessel. It was not strictly necessary for him to ‘sleep’ in a talon object like this, but it helped recharge him, and besides, he could still watch over the yard while here.
An hour passed. Hank was reading his spirit crystal when he sensed movement in the yard that was not the pack patrolling. He quickly came to full alertness and began to track the intruder. Who ever it was they were in for a shock if they tried to steal from this yard tonight!