The Dresden Trilogy

March 2008 Westfinder Bootlegs written by Reed Peck-Kriss.
==Overview==
Based on the novels by Jim Butcher.
==Teasers==
===Part I===
Ramirez, We're Being Attacked! Again!!
“Terras!” I shouted, heaving one hand upwards, focusing a short burst of magic into the ground and tugging up a chunk of dirt and roots, which flew at the figure in front of me. The silhouette was thrown back, but I knew better than to think it might be defeated. It was, however, farther away form me for the moment, which was all I needed. I turned around, facing the other half dozen or so shapes stalking towards me. I brought my staff to bear on the nearest one, and slammed it on the ground when I saw it pounce. A spike of earth rose up, spearing the creature as I hissed an angry “Cathedras!” I backpedaled quickly away from the others, careful to watch out for the first of the monsters, still lurking somewhere nearby. I crouched down when I was far enough away form the group, and sunk my fingers and will into the damp ground of the forest floor. The figures approached quickly, crouching, ready to leap at me if my defenses weakened. I knew I had enough time, and kept working my magic around in the earth, searching for what I needed. I was covered in dirt, and my shirt was soaked through with sweat in places, despite California’s cold winter air. Found it, I thought, and looked up, marking where the creatures stood around me. I roared, rearing up to my full (and not unimpressive) height, and spread my arms wide. The long, old roots of the tree next to me sprang from the ground, whipping around and grabbing my enemies by the throats, tearing heads off with the sound of splintering wood as I shouted “TENTACLES!”
At this, the young men and women watching me burst into laughter. “And that,” I said, “Is one way of using earth magic in a combat situation.” I accepted a towel from one of my temporary students, and began wiping some of the grime off my face and arms. “Obviously, in a city, you probably won’t have the option I did there at the end, but otherwise, asphault and concrete work more or less as well for all the ideas we’re going to be covering.” I heard a twig snap a ways behind me, but kept talking, planning to use what was about to happen to make a point. “Now, these were simulated attackers, but they’ll work perfectly well. We’re going to do some theory talking, then practice some of the basic strategies the other wardens and I find ourselves using, and then move on to using these dummies more maybe tomorrow.” At the end of the sentence, I whipped around and shouted “Ardus!”, shoving my left hand out in front of me. A bright shield appeared in front of me, glowing silver, with strands of rainbow shot through it. The last wooden dummy shattered on the shield in a shower of splinters and wood chips. “And by the way; never assume the battle is done, or that the enemy has run away.” I said, deactivating my shield and lowering my arm. “And McCoy? You can come out now!” I called back into the woods. And, sure enough, my old mentor stepped out from behind a tree.
“Ah, damnit Hoss, how’d you know I was there?” The short farmer asked in a thick Scottish accent. He was dressed in his usual overalls and shirt, and had his gnarled black staff slung over one shoulder as he walked towards us.
“Toot Toot and the other fairies know how to make those things move silently. I heard something moving, trying to be quiet, and figured it was you, sneaking up and planning to throw the dummy you found running away at my head.” I explained, grinning at my foster-father.
“And wouldn’t you have felt foolish if it’d turned out to be a squirrel or something.” He said, grabbing me in a great bear hug. “So, this is the current crop of baby wardens?” he asked, looking the sixteen or so young people, none older than their early twenties, that were gathered before us. “All dewy-eyed and green-staffed, eh? Hells then, let’s get started!”
***
Duke Ortega gazed at the beings assembled around him, and smiled slightly. The skin he wore was tanned, and the face kind. However, the monster beneath was scarred and broken, a shadow of the terror it once was. His smile widened as he spoke to his troupes. “They will pay, those two, for what they have done.” It was a simple statement, but it heartened his followers, and they cheered and howled, gnashing teeth and rattling weapons. Oh yes, Dresden, McCoy. You will pay...
===Part II===
Hell's Bells Bob, She's a Changeling!
I opened the door of my office, flicked the light switch, and crossed my fingers. Yes, I thought triumphantly. The bulb hadn’t burnt out. That's the third day in a row that one has survived. They must be making them better. I thought that deserved a celebration. And so I sat down at my desk, to begin the celebratory task of reading my business mail. A few bills, my pay as Warden, money from a few small cases, more bills, and the usual crap from Best Buy about buying their new television.
And so, celebration ended, I got on with work. I needed to make a few calls, sort out some SI business for Murphy, and had an appointment with some guy whose boat seemed to have run afoul of some old sea goddess. But, more importantly, I still had to deal with the remaining fallout from the attack on the Warden boot camp by the Reds. Duke Ortega had somehow survived Ebenezer’s assault-by-satellite, and had, according to what information we’ve gotten since then, organized something of an I-hate-Dresden-and-McCoy party, and stormed the camp. And apparently, had done it independently of the rest of the court, for some reason. The court was denying any involvement, at least, which meant that either they actually were involved, and we just haven’t found their fingerprints, or they were telling the truth. And if they were telling the truth, well, that worried me even more, actually.
I picked up my old phone, and dialed the number of the restaurant that Ramirez’s family owned and operated over in L.A.
“Hello?” I heard on the other end.
“Hey there, Papa Ramirez. It’s Dresden. Is Carlos there?” I asked, and heard rapid Spanish on the other end as I got out all the information I had scrounged up since I’d spoken to Carlos last.
At long last, I heard a very tired “Hey, Harry,” on the other end.
“Ramirez. I’ve got some new stuff, that you and Ebenezer might want to look at,” I said. There had been all kinds of interesting, and fairly disturbing, developments of late, not all of which were implicitly related to the war. The Reds seemed to have stepped up on the attacks on our allies, especially on the east coast, and the Blacks had recently officially announced intent to throw in with the Reds. There were other things as well, like rumors of some of the old dragons walking around big cities again. Also, some of Bob’s contacts in the Nevernever had reported some seriously odd happenings in the further reaches of the spirit world, and all sorts of whory old beings and things waking up and looking a bit too closely at earth.
“Tell me,” he said. So I told him. “****, Harry.” He said after a while, “You know what it looks like, right?”
“Yeah. Looks like the Black Hats are gathering new members.” I said. If Cowl’s group started to gather even more support, and was willing to do it so far in the open, well, that could only mean that some serious shit was about to hit the fan.
It was at that point that the glass part of my office’s door blew inward with a crash, and a young woman launched herself into the room.
“Hell’s bells!” I shouted, leaping up and yanking open the drawer where I kept my .44 revolver. “****! Harry, what’s going on!?” I heard from the phone, as I got the revolver out and pointed across the room to where the girl was sprawled on the floor. The girl looked up, saw the gun, and curled up in a ball.
“Don’t shoot!” she shouted. I stood still for a second, surprised as hell and trying to figure out what had just happened. She was a little on the short side, very thin, and with very pale skin and scruffy red hair. Pretty, if a bit gaunt. “I’m sorry about the glass, but I couldn’t open the door!” she said, her arms up covering her head.
“Why not?” I asked, lowering my gun but not putting it away.
“The doorknob! It’s made of iron.” She said, cautiously lowering her hands. It was at that point that I recognized the Fairy Mark on her cheek. She was a changeling, a half-fae. I put my gun down, but not away, and moved closer.
“What do you want?” I asked, still standing.
“People said you might help me.” She said, starting to stand. I put my hand out, helping her up. Her clothes were scuffed and torn a bit, as if she had been in a fight recently. “I’m, I’m kind of in trouble. A lot of trouble, actually. I need protection.”
Well then, if that isn’t just my luck.
===Part III===
And Then It Started To Rain
The old military jeep bounced and rumbled, growling in complaint at the level of abuse we were putting it to. What can I say? The driver was nervous. He was likely driving us all to our deaths, and that’s enough to shake up anyone’s driving hand. We drove for a while longer, in silence. Some young warden tried to strike up conversation, but he got shut down by the cold stares on the faces around him. Poor kid. Part of me wanted to respond, you know? A part of me, a big part, wanted to talk back, to joke and laugh, on this last of nights. But more of me was tired. Its been a long ride, and a tough one, this life, for people like me. The idea had been growing in people for a while, seeping into the thoughts of individual councilmembers, but no-one had said anything. They were too afraid of it being true. Of what it might mean if they were right. Then, suddenly, the veil of the war was lifted off, and we saw the events of the past few years for what they were. Cowl. It all came down to him, shadowy bastard.
I remember the meeting, the one in Archangel, our greatest stronghold. I was there, along with every magic being who could get there. Those few who are left on our side, at least. This was after the second wave, as people have started calling it. After the Outsiders started to come back. After Merlin’s Gates started to open again. Harry Dresden, posterchild for everyone who thinks the council can not only be saved, but restored to what it used to be, standing before the entire massed forces of the council and its allies, practically screaming his lungs out at the old man, The merlin. Ebenezer and Rashid helping him. The merlin falling further and further back, calling on old alliance after old alliance, trying desperately to get people on his side. For the first time, in the decade we’ve been fighting, they slipped up, and we know where they’re going to be, and when. Harry and most of the other young councilmembers wanted to launch a full-scale attack on them, hit them with everything we’ve got. The merlin didn’t. But too many people were on Dresden’s side by now. They were scared, and tired, and many had lost hope after the Gates started to fall, and Rashid pulled back his hood. The merlin got desperate, and right there in the middle of us all, he attacked Dresden. He lost.
So now we’re driving, sitting silently, one part of a long train of vehicles, towards the one real chance we have to end all this. I looked up, gazing at the sky. It started to rain.
==Flow==
==What Really Happened==
===Part I===
Dresden and co won. They defeated the faeries and vampires led by the reanimated Ortega.
===Part II===
Dresden and co won. They sprung the fairy child and ran over the lords of faerie who tried to stop them in a van.
===Part III===
The dragons won. Dresden died and the outer gates were sealed, due mostly to draconic trickery.
==Cast==
===Part I===
===Part II===
===Part III===
Category:Games