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The scent wave of greasy food made Callen's mouth water as he followed Sadie through the glass door of Helga's Diner. Behind them, the door jingled as it shut. Sadie waved happily at Ania and Tende, who were seated in one of the old vinyl booths, each slurping a milk shake. "Finally, a break from that dungeon." She said as she plopped down next to Tende.
"We're not much better off," Ania said. "We got dusty tomes and musty back rooms to deal with."
"That's how we roll." Tende said with a chuckle. "Better get used to it."
"Oh, I know...but, better you than me," Sadie grumbled. "My dad's been making me read that stuff...forever."
"I find it fascinating," Ania said. "And, we get to help Grandpa by making herbal concoctions, holy water, demon slaying poisons, special candles...the traditional stuff that has been passed down that aid in defeating evil things."
"You mean Grandpa uses more than just holy water and a big rifle?" Callen asked.
"Yeah," Ania said. "There's a lot of documented knowledge that goes way back. Specific types of creatures are allergic to different herbs and herb blends...salt or a candle made from a blessed wax can guard a room against spirits. There's a lot of stuff like that that goes into grandpa's job aside from the tech stuff you and Felix are doing."
"So, you're making that stuff?" Callen asked.
"Somebody's got to. Dr. Webb usually does all the lore and ancient concoction stuff." Tende said. "But, since he's out of town and the knights have a few cases, we're picking up the slack...Sadie's done it before...you would probably be helping if you weren't doing the tech stuff with Felix."
"You should see Dr. Webb's herb room," Ania said. "It's got everything that I've ever heard of herbalist-wise in video games, and even more stuff that I've never even heard of. Some of the herbalist tomes talk about some herbs that were made through primitive genetic engineering."
"Why doesn't Felix do any of that stuff?" Callen asked. "I mean, we could probably mass produce..."
"It isn't Felix's specialty and that stuff requires specific mixes that can vary slightly depending on the situation," Sadie said. "Felix makes special ammunition and other things to incorporate herbal blends, poisons, holy water, holy oil and other stuff to make it practical in the field."
"So, you can't just fill a demon with lead and call it a day?" Callen asked.
"You can, but think about it this way," Tende said. "It's a lot easier to kill a tranquilized polar bear than one charging you, right? And you probably could use a smaller weapon, which in our case is easier to conceal, right?"
"Makes sense," Callen said. "So, what are you making?"
"Right now, Grandpa just asked for some anti-fey poisons, like troll's bane, holy oil, and holy water," Ania said.
"Ania's doing great with the poisons and the oil, but she can't get the holy water right." Tende said. "She's not using enough ash or wine and mixing in bits of stuff that doesn't belong. You'd think she's trying to conserve resources or something."
"Hey, I cut down on using the rare herbs in the troll and boggart blends," Ania said. "Making this stuff is an art, I'll figure my blend of holy water out...and I'll make it more potent, like I've done with everything else."
"Yeah." Tende said doubtfully. "The church has been making holy water for hundreds of years and you're gonna walk in one day and make it better. I doubt that, Ania, sorry."
"Maybe no one has tried," Ania said. "So, maybe I will."
"How's the lore research going for Grandpa's cases?" Callen asked.
"It's going," Ania said. "We are just waiting for information from the field to further narrow our search...for both the metallic demons and the abductions."
"We're pretty much stonewalled with the metal demon research. However, with the abductions, we've been searching through layers of lore connected to child sacrifice, enslavement, and other terrible things connected to specific creatures." Tende said. "The odd part is that the abduction victims that return have scars along their spine. That piece of evidence is very specific and there's nothing in the lore. It's also strange that nothing shows up in the victims medical files."
"That's not including the strangeness of the victims, well some of them, just appearing in their homes again days to weeks later," Ania said. "And others, well, they're gone without a trace..."
"Maybe there are multiple things involved?" Callen suggested. "Like, I don't know...several different types of Fey and demons? They could have the same unifying reason...or maybe not..." He shrugged. "I don't know, just a thought."
"Doubtful." Tende said. "Think about how humans from different cultures or races interact when confronted with each other. Now, make put them in a confined space, like the Fey are forced to live in, since humans dominate the world. Different types of fey tend not to be friends...then throw demons in the mix who have a history of exploiting fey and humans alike, well..."
Callen glanced at Sadie. "Guess what we heard that demon that grandpa exorcized say was right. Any guesses on what type of fey yet?"
"We still don't know enough to determine the creature responsible, aside from most probably, goblin involvement. But, the precision of the scars on the victim's backs is too medically advanced for any goblin tribe. There are things that still don't add up to the lore. Goblin, changelings, and the like usually take infants." Ania said. "If Grandpa could just bait whatever is doing it, we may..."
"We still don't know how they choose their targets." Tende said. "Then you got the traces of demonic magic...rusty metal parts...the sheer randomness of the victims...the fact that no camera or anything, at least that your grandpa has discovered, has offered any clues... And it's getting larger scale and unpredictable. It's only a matter of time before at least the beginnings of this end up on nightly news."
"Grandpa is working hard to find the next clue," Ania said. "This one is getting close to a major breach."
"Breech?" Callen asked.
"A breach in the social construct," Sadie said. "It's when an occult event breaks the obliviousness of normal people. Then, we have to go into damage control to stop the hemorrhage from bleeding out."
"Like Boston?" Callen gulped.
"Yup." Tende said. "Exactly like Boston. But, in my opinion, I think this one is going to end up being a human dabbling in magic. Most monsters know the advantages of and like being hidden, which makes it easy to contain. We just remove the occult evidence or just enough to make the perpetrator look like an idiot. The problem is, we gotta find them."
"Have you considered how the clues add up?" Callen asked. "Anything in the lore that connects rusty parts, kidnappings, goblins, and whatever else you got?"
"Working on it." Tende said. "The variables are tough to connect."
"Sounds frustrating," Callen said. "But, I do have a question, what's a goblin and a changeling?" Callen asked. "I mean, I know the pop-culture fantasy definition..."
"Well, changelings are a type of fey. They're unseelie fey, but they aren't aggressive, unlike satyrs, boggarts or a ton of others." Ania said. "They are simple minded and live in small packs that hide all over the place. They're nocturnal and are no bigger than a 10-year-old human."
"Think of them as human rats." Tende said. "They live in cities running around like homeless gangs. They are smart enough to stay out of sight, small enough to not really be noticed by those who aren't looking but big enough to be a nuisance. They don't get close enough to regular people for anyone to realize they are more than just children." He glanced over at a table that was stacked with dishes from a group that just left the diner. "I think I should just show you." He got up and pushed open the kitchen door. "Helga, the diner's empty except me and my friends. There's a dirty table, can you have Beebles clean up?"
"I take it that Beebles is a changeling?" Callen asked.
The door to the kitchen opened. Out stepped a three-and-a-half foot creature with long pointed ears and stark white skin. He itched his stomach through his stained sports shirt and looked around the room. His arms were disproportionately long for a human and his face was primitive, similar to that of a chimpanzee. He sniffed the air. "Which table start?" He said slowly as sounding like he had a mental handicap.
"Table three," Helga yelled from the kitchen.
The creature looked over towards one of the tables and made a funny face. He looked at the table that the hobbit family just left from and walked over to the table like an ape. He started collecting the dishes.
"I don't think he looks like he would pass for human to a blind guy." Callen murmured.
Sadie shushed him. "Quiet, you'll upset him."
"Ok...he looks like my old neighbor's six-year-old son. Ah, good kid that neighbor's son." Callen said sarcastically. "And speaks like him too."
She shot him a dirty look. "'lings are very simple minded. Helga caught him eating from the diner's garbage and making a big old mess in the alley. She got in trouble with the state department, so she caught him and gave him a job working here cleaning dishes for food."
"How exactly do others like him go around unnoticed?" Callen asked.
"People don't notice their 'off' characteristics unless you are looking for them," Sadie explained. But, aside from that, they have their survival tactics, like all things. They usually live underground...in networks of sewers, abandoned subway tunnels...and other abandoned places..."
"You sure they aren't dangerous?" Ania asked skeptically.
"I'm sure. They are just very simple minded. You never have to worry about them hurting you. They will eat your trash and steal junk from you though. It is their redcap and goblin cousins that are dangerous."
"Redcaps?" Callen asked. "You only mentioned goblins and changelings..."
"Goblins, satyrs, and a few other types are malicious fey mutated by demons, and Redcaps, are what happens when a goblin embraces their demonic heritage and bind themselves to a demon master. A changeling can become a redcap too, when that happens, a changeling's innocence and simplicity is replaced by malice and rage." Tende answered. "They are called redcaps because they soak their hats in the blood of their victims. They are similar to goblins, but redcaps are far eviler. A goblin can become a redcap by worshiping demons and going through a ritual. I imagine that requires a lot of murder and soaking a hat in blood."
"Did you ever see one?" Ania asked.
Sadie shook her head. "I here they are vicious though. But, I wouldn't worry about them, they rarely come above ground. And even if they did, you are safe at the monastery. It is holy ground. Demons can't enter on their own. Most unseelie fey can't either."
"Unseelie fey and demons don't seem much different." Callen said.
"There's a difference," Sadie said. "But there is overlap, just like there is overlap between demons and humans, and seelie fey and humans. It gets complicated...especially when you start trying to research origins, habits, and weaknesses."
"Hence all the time researching..." Tende said. "But, we'll get it. It's been like this many times before, and we'll figure it out."
Beebles finished gathering the plates and headed back into the kitchen.
"Sounds like you like it." Callen said.
"Occult detective work is fun." Tende said. "I'm just not a big fan of the actual, well, hunting and neutralizing part."
"Why?" Callen asked. "You're built like a body builder. I bet you could kick some serious..."
"That and this guy's a master of Eskrima," Sadie said. "Hence why Sir Jason attempted to squire him. He can fight and do detective work."
"Eskrima?" Ania asked.
"In a nutshell, Filipino martial arts." Tende said. "There's a lot of hand, stick, and knife work."
"So, I guess you're the stereotypical Asian?" Callen said with a grin. "A ninja-computer-game-loving-nerd?"
Tende scowled while laughing. "Thanks for pointing that out."
"But he does love country music and is Catholic..." Ania said. "So..."
"Country music?" Callen scoffed. "Seriously, the dog died, broken pick-up truck, miss my ex-wife stuff?"
"I guess I'm not so stereotypical after all." Tende laughed. He glanced at the biblical tattoos on his arms. "I'm a bit more detailed."
"That was bad," Sadie said shaking her head.
Tende shrugged.
"Bad puns and..." Callen shook his head. "Country music...shheesh. Sadie, why did you introduce us to this guy?"
"I didn't. He just showed up and barged in." Sadie laughed.
"Hey! Sadie's the target, not me!" Tende laughed. "Make fun of her."
"But, you're such a big target," Ania whispered.
The laughter continued.
"Food's done. Tende and Ania ordered for you two." Renee, the elven waitress, said as she approached smacking her Nicorette gum with a tray full of food. She handed the children their plates. Callen was happy to see a pulled pork sandwich placed before him.
"Renee, can you have Helga put on 95.2?" Tende asked shooting Callen a teasing grin as Renee handed him his burger.
Renee nodded as she went into the kitchen. A second later the radio blared with the latest country hit. Tende, Ania, and Sadie instantly started singing along.
Callen's eyes exploded with shock. "Are you kidding me?"
"You got Ania into it?" Sadie asked, ignoring Callen.
Tende nodded and continued singing.
"We gotta go to a concert," Sadie said, laughing as she saw Callen's jaw drop. "We can get Callen one of those straw cowboy hats, pair of cowboy boots..."
Renee sliding four glasses of ice water onto the table interrupted their laughter, for which Callen was grateful. "You kids taking about going to that concert?" She asked. "It will be amazing..."
"I thought Philadelphia was part of the union..." Callen sighed.
"Nice civil war pun." Sadie giggled. "But, country crosses borders. Maybe you should give it a chance it's very romantic." She batted her eyelashes.
Callen rolled his eyes. "Can I at least get a gun?"
Ania chuckled. "You two are too cute." She laughed.
Both Callen and Sadie went beet red. Callen couldn't help but like it.
"Young love." Renee giggled but didn't say anything further when she got the death stare from Sadie. "So you fans know, I hear the tour is coming 'round Philly in September." She headed back towards the kitchen.
"Ooo...I smell early birthday present for Callen." Ania laughed. "Two tickets, one for him and one for..." She stopped when she felt Sadie's death gaze. "...umm...yeah, I mean four. One for each of us. It would be awesome fun."
"Yeah...awesome." Callen rolled his eyes. "Not exactly the word I'd choose."