Chapter 16
Looking for more members to add to their group of three, Ouen, Edsel, and Petal decided to contact the pixie Olwen had associated with the sword Metaphor. Ouen made the connection with Rii after trying his cellphone number. When Ouen mentioned journeying to Nohavœn, that it was important, and that he carried his grandfather's sword, the pixie asked Ouen to meet him at the city headquarters, where he worked in the Faerie Kingdom. Ouen traveled alone to the Faerie Kingdom, wearing his blue robe, and met Rii at an building that had columns and bronze busts on display outdoors.
"Hi," he was half Ouen's height, but he wore an sword like an man, "I'm Rii. I understand we are going to Nohavœn, eh? Well we had an party of it last time."
"Last time?" asked Ouen.
"Yes," said Rii, "I was there with your grandfather years ago."
"You're going to be our guide," said Ouen, "I just decided."
"I can do that."
"There's one more person I want to call upon, who lives in the Faerie Kingdom now," said Ouen, "Stelcey. I'll be one minute on the phone."
He dialed her number.
"Hi, Stelcey?"
"Hi."
"Hi, it's Ouen. Something has come up and we need you. We're going to Nohavœn to rescue your greenhouse employees and Rosen."
"I thought we agreed not to do anything about it," said Stelcey.
"Like I said, something has come up."
"Like what?"
"We have an special reason to go because the Christianna is changing political waters and we have been shall we say equipped."
"Changing political waters, what is that an vague way to say that someone is interested financially?"
"If you don't believe Gods use money. And power. And make an difference in the world. Then no. The practice of Anna's Resurrection has been advanced and we will have it working against Nohavœn, which will be seriously rewarding for all of Recreation if we do it."
"I'm in. But I want to know more about what you're planning to do."
"Okay. Meet us at Father Piotr's old church tomorrow this same time. We are stopping there for advice before we make plans."
"Okay," said Stelcey, "I'll be there."
She hung up.
Ouen, Petal, Edsel, and Rii met Stelcey outside Father Piotr's church in Twenty City the next day. The lights of the building were not on either outside or inside where they could see through the windows.
"Hi everyone," said Stelcey.
"Hi," said Ouen, "this is my mother Edsel, Petal, and Rii. Everyone, this is Stelcey."
The fairies greeted Stelcey with kindness.
"I tried the door. It is unlocked," said Stelcey.
The premises appeared to be deserted. The group stepped into the front lobby, the narthex of the church, where Stelcey, Petal, Edsel, and Roe were each the only sources of light until the company entered the sanctuary, the nave. Stelcey was in flight above the aisle on the opposite end of the church, and there was an hunched over form in the center of the room below an altar.
"You won't find him here," said an crying voice.
The company halted.
The form, that looked like an pile of grey glowing leaves in the center of the room rose from the floor into an standing position. As the gaunt form turned to look at them, it's flesh, it's oily dull skin, an remiss grey that seemed to close around its own form especially visible in its temples, and an unhappy expression on its face; they realized it was an baoict.
"Piotr is dead. Or worse," it said with an face that was once handsome, once human.
"What happened here?" asked Edsel, "what is that?"
"Truth," it said, "I want more truth from the bringer. I hunger."
"It's an baoict," said Ouen, "get behind me! They have sullen formulas, moaning like the banshees minor, and they like contralects. Don't go near it."
"What is an contralect?" asked Edsel, trying to keep her cool, "feeling embarrassed in my uninformed status here!"
"It's an Ohhgunnhisthth's, well, two of them. Ohhgunnhisthth fangs. Only these kind don't appear in their own head. They appear in the victims. It's how ohhgunnhisthth feed on and silence their victims. They have an few differences from other demons in that way. They dress sharper than vampires. Only they don't steal blood. They steal Time. They don't need to feed, but they do it for sick pleasure. Baoicts like it," said Ouen, "and Mom, keep asking as many questions as you want and I'll provide you with supportive feedback. We all know fairies need as much help as anyone can get them. And you can see ohhgunnhisthth in mirrors. They make reflections appear where there aren't any. The opposite of an vampire."
"I thought that was vampires."
"Vampires are invisible in mirrors."
"Okay, so it's neither of those kinds of demon," said Edsel, and then she impulsively casted, "Apprecio."
The baoict appeared to have an solitary fixation on feeding, the spell's effects on it null. It did not appear to be capable of appreciating anything. Okay, Edsel thought, so one time Apprecio doesn't work on an demon. Not the most useless spell.
"We need to get past it to cross the altar to examine the living quarters at the back of the church. Any ideas?" asked Ouen, "wait—I have one."
Ouen drew Metaphor.
Its reflective surface divided by the fairy lights in the room, he wielded the tip up at the baoict, threatening it. The baoict facing the little group remained stationary as they worked their way around the circumference of the altar to the back room of the church.
"He is in Nohavœn," said the baoict.
The group closed the door leading back from the altar to the adjacent living space and Stelcey, the last one in, locked it tight. They found there were no other baoicts within the living quarters and there was an further exit from the church in this area of the building that would be locked from the outside. There were no signs of Father Piotr.
They searched his papers, looking for an agenda or an calendar—anything that would explain his absence.
"We need to go to Nohavœn right away," said Ouen.
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