Chapter Ten

KIDA can’t help but cringe a little as MASON glowers down at her,
maintaining a crushing grip on her wrist. “YOU DARE TO COME BACK HERE!” She
meets his gaze with a determination only a Storm Lord could muster in this kind
of situation. DANI freezes in place, her eyes locked on the scene before her.
For once, she finds herself at a loss for words. Fortunately, KIDA doesn’t have
the same problem.

“We came back to show you we are not afraid and prove to you we
are *not* in league with LEIDECKER. We
don’t trust him.”

“Is that so?" MASON growls, grabbing KIDA by the hair and dragging
her across the room. “We’ll see about that!” DANI spurs herself into action as
MASON shoves KIDA roughly into a heavy steel cage. It is very reminiscent of the
cages where prisoners were put on display as a warning back in darker, more
primitive times. Acting on a hunch, DANI moves quickly over to the pipe organ
and grabs the sketchbook. As she does do, she can see MASON freeze as he slams
the door of the cage. “PUT…THAT…DOWN!!” The dark knight turns toward her slowly.
She can hear his claws scraping against the bars of KIDA’s cage as he does so,
and a strange glow envelops them as they grow longer and undoubtedly sharper.
As he turns to face her, the rage on his face is palpable. DANI sets the
sketchbook down and meets his gaze with a look KIDA has never seen before.

Then she says softly, “She’s beautiful… I had a daughter… once.”
There is an odd look of nostalgia mixed with incredible sadness…and suppressed
rage on DANI’s face. KIDA can see MASON soften, ever so slightly, but it
quickly goes away.

“Get in a cage,” he says sternly and motions behind him. “You two
will be my…guests for a while.” DANI walks calmly across the room and locks
herself in the cage next to KIDA. They may be caged, but MASON has extended his
hospitality. In the supernatural world, that was a promise they would not be
harmed.

Back on Treasure Island, LALEH is the last one to be presented
with her trial. She too, has decided to petition the *Bone Shadows*. She is told there is something wrong in the district
of Haight-Ashbury. LALEH is to investigate and determine the source of the
problem. Like KILLIAN, she chooses to undergo her trial alone. She departs
Treasure Island and heads toward Haight-Ashbury. Left to their own devices,
DOM, JASON and KILLIAN gather together while they wait for their friends to
return from their trials. DOM wishes to discuss what territory they should
claim when all this is over. He has his eye on a property similar to his
family’s estate, which has its own land and sits on a hilltop overlooking
Golden Gate Park. He thinks Golden Gate Park would be an appropriate territory
for their pack. KILLIAN and JASON agree. Most immediate problem… it is
currently claimed by a powerful Fae known as JACK IN THE GREEN. The pack would
either have to form an alliance with the Fae, or drive him out. DOM feels like
an alliance might be the way to go, but makes sure JASON and KILLIAN know he is
not afraid to get his hands dirty if the negotiations go south. As the pack’s *Elodoth*, JASON is chosen to lead the
negotiation when the time comes. That decided, the three depart Treasure Island
in the morning and start making preparations to acquire the hilltop property.
If they pool their resources together, they have enough funds to purchase it
outright.

Haight-Ashbury is known for its bohemian culture, home to many
“starving artists” that populate its streets, filling the air with music,
laughter, intoxicating smells, and beautiful artwork of many genres. It is also
home to many independent businesses that offer wares you can’t find anywhere
else in San Francisco.  It has a vibrant
energy that never seems to sleep, however there is always an undercurrent of
depression too, for with true artists come eccentricities and unending drama.
Many are discovered, but more are truly starving.

At least that is what LALEH had always been told about
Haight-Ashbury. As she walks through its streets now, a very different scene
plays out before her eyes.  The artists
line the streets as usual, but seem very... apathetic. That is a word that has *never* been used to describe *any* aspect of Haight-Ashbury. It is like
someone or something is sucking the life energy out of the district. It seems
to intensify the closer she gets to a small park that is centrally located in
the district.  The central feature of the
park is a bronze statue of Jerry Lee Lewis playing a guitar. A wreath of fire
encircles his feet and the words *Great*
Balls of Fire *are sculpted within the flames.* As LALEH approaches the statue, she senses it is a locus – not a very
powerful one, but a locus all the same. *It might have been more powerful at*
one point, but seems somehow corrupted now*.*
*In her training, LALEH had learned that*
locuses *are areas where* Essence
pools and becames more *potent*. Mages
access *locuses* for magical energy.
Werewolves feed off E*ssence* and use
it to power many of their G*ifts*. They
can also use a *locus* as a magical
gateway that allows them to cross into the *Shadow*
from the material world. Perhaps crossing into the *Shadow* would give LALEH more insight into what was causing Haight-Ashbury’s
aura to change so drastically. Experiencing the *Shadow’s* reflection of a place often reveals hidden truths. LALEH
walks around the statue until she finds a spot where it conveniently shelters
her from the prying eyes of the few people populating the park right now. Then
she steps across with extraordinary effort. It feels as if she is passing
through thick molasses. For some reason, the *Gauntlet* is incredibly thick here. The *Gauntlet* is the veil that separates the *Shadow* from the real world. It is a force of balance between the
spirit and the physical realms and areas where it is too thin or too thick
often have problems.

Once on the other side, things become a lot clearer. The area
around the statue is an arid wasteland that stretches out to cover a large
portion of Haight-Ashbury. LALEH can still see the prominent features of the
park, but they are all covered in cobwebs. The cobwebs seem to be prevalent for
miles around. There are a lot of spirits around, but many are moving very
slowly and some are not moving at all. It is as if they have become sedentary
and are allowing themselves to waste away. LALEH feels as if she is standing at
ground zero of a nuclear fallout. She can already feel the effects taking hold
as her emotions and interests slowly begins to drain away. If she stays here
too long, she will become another victim of the *Shoal*, unable to muster the willpower to leave. *Shoal* are areas where the fabric of the *Shadow* has been injured so terribly that
it disrupts its connection to the material world’s resonance, forming a
wasteland of nihilistic emptiness. The cobwebs betray the presence of the *Azlu*, the spider hosts. An *Azlu’s* purpose is to weave its webs to
thicken the *Gauntlet* to the point
where the *Shadow’s* connection to the
material world is completely severed. If successful, the consequences were
dire. So, this was what was causing the problems in Haight-Ashbury. It all made
sense now. This would need to be dealt with, but not while she was by herself.
This was a job for a werewolf pack. Though her discovery was troublesome, LALEH
has accomplished her mission, which gives her a sense of pride. She steps back
across and prepares to head back to Treasure Island with the news.

DANI and KIDA spend several hours in MASON’s lair, during which he
offers them stale bread and water on two separate occasions. It is obvious he
no longer remembers what’s it’s like to have human needs. He has subsisted on
blood for too many centuries now. Oddly enough, he does seem to enjoy the
companionship of the two *Uratha*,
though they are fairly sure he would never admit it. KIDA uses the opportunity
to see how much knowledge she can gain from the ancient vampire. They do learn
that *Ange* is actually French for
Angel, after MASON finally gets tired of their constant mispronunciation of the
little girl’s name. Though he won’t reveal her location, they do find out she
is not part of MASON’s past, but his present. The dark knight seems to care
very deeply for the little girl, like a father even though he is not related to
her. They are never able to truly glean why. As time passes, both DANI and KIDA
start to feel a sort of connection to MASON. They can’t really explain why, but
they understand him on a primitive level at least. They start to lose track of
time and enjoy talking with him.

NEMO paces impatiently around the edges of the pool. It has been
five hours since KIDA and DANI went into the lair and she is starting to get
hungry. Finally, she has had enough, and decides to go in after them. She dives
down to the bottom of the pool and makes her way through the underwater tunnel.

KIDA and DANI are engaged in another conversation with MASON when
the dark knight suddenly stiffens and stands, his face contorting with rage
again. They are momentarily baffled until they sense NEMO’s presence. She must
have finally decided to check on them. MASON spins and charges. His claws are
glowing again. His intent is obvious – he is going to kill himself a werewolf.
“Liars…LIARS!!” he growls. DANI shifts into her battle form and throws herself
at the cage door. NEMO realizes she has been discovered and throws her hands up
as the dark knight quickly closes the distance between them. She knows she is
no match for him. DANI’s cage shatters as KIDA stands and barks out in a loud
voice that echoes throughout the cavern.

“LET US GO!” Her voice has a mystical level of command behind it
that DANI and NEMO have never experienced before. MASON halts his attack
abruptly, spinning on his heel and walking back toward KIDA’s cage. As he rips
the cage door off its hinges he points to the pool.

“Get out, all of you.” DANI shifts back down to her human form and
moves toward the pool. KIDA and NEMO follow, deciding this is not the time to
kick a gift horse in the mouth. They leave the lair without a word and head
back toward the mainland. Unbeknownst to her, KIDA has just earned her *deed name,* THROAT OF COMMAND. She feels she needs one final
piece of the puzzle to complete her mission. Obviously, MASON’s weakness was
ANGEL. For whatever reason, the dark knight would protect that little girl with
his life. But where was she? It doesn’t take long for KIDA to find out using
FBI resources. The little girl is in San Francisco, at the children’s hospital
they recently visited. She is in a coma and has been for some time. The
hospital has her listed as a *Jane Doe*.
Apparently, they have been unsuccessful in locating her family.

DOM, JASON, and KILLIAN succeed in acquiring the hilltop property.
The home has six bedrooms and four and a half baths. They make it back to
Treasure Island as LALEH, DANI, KIDA and NEMO return from their missions. With
KIDA and DANI’s corroboration, NEMO passes her trial. KIDA reveals her
discovery and is accepted into the *Storm*
Lords*. LALEH shares her information about the* Shoal *and the* Azlu *with*
the Night Sisters and is welcomed into the *Bone*
Shadow *tribe. Now, all five of the newly changed* Uratha *have completed their trials. It is time for them to form a*
pack. The *moot* concludes with a
celebration, and DANI, DOM, JASON, KIDA, KILLIAN, LALEH and NEMO retire to
their new home to discuss their plans for approaching JACK IN THE GREEN. A pack
should have a territory.

They also discuss what they want their pack to stand for, and
decide maintaining balance and perspective in the supernatural community within
the city would be a laudable goal considering the mages have already
established a War Council after the recent attack on the FBI building. They all
decide to “retire” from the FBI except for LALEH. It is determined that keeping
LALEH as the eyes and ears inside the FBI would be beneficial to the pack. It
would also keep someone close to LEIDECKER. Indeed, LALEH is offered the same
promotion DOM was and asked to serve as LEIDECKER’s personal bodyguard during
the upcoming War Council. LALEH accepts and is gifted with an amulet that
serves the same purpose as DOM’s ring. At the same time, the ring itself
dissipates.

The Story Continues…

Current Developments - Chapter Nine - Chapter 11