The Hollow Hills of Nicholas County (part 3)
The Cassandra Protocol
Welcome to the sixteenth issue of Sketchy Scoops! Your number one source for the most spurious content on the internet.
Scoop Reports: The Hollow Hills of Nicholas County (continued)
Lykos, the satyr, considered Scoop from his vantage point at the head of the table. He gave the man a smile that seemed more calculated than genuine and motioned for the food and libations to be delivered.
Servers made their rounds through the room delivering hot platters of roast duck, suckling pig, and herb-rubbed chicken. Others carried large flagons that they used to fill the waiting cups of the assembled group. The dwarves seemed very interested in learning more about the types of liquid refreshment on offer and dominated the attention of one of the wait staff as they peppered her with questions.
The djinn seemed to revel in the feast. His plates were piled high with samples from every meal and there was no keeping track of how many cups he had emptied, but his demeanor was such that it was impossible to tell whether Malik’s greedy consumption had impaired him or not. He was naturally gregarious and always full of smiles.
The only person who rivaled Malik was the pooka who went by the name of Finnegan. And, of course, the dwarves, but they didn’t seem overly interested in the food. Morrigan, the banshee, and Ash, the Black Shuck, did not enjoy food or drink in the same way because they were both ethereal.
“Welcome to the Revolution,” Lykos began as he raised a cup. “There is just one last step to be completed before you will truly be considered among our number. Don’t worry. It’s easy. There’s just one additional person you must meet. Once they sign off on you, you’ll be part of us.”
Lykos reached out and grabbed the arm of a young serving boy. He bent down and whispered into his ear and the boy ran off. “There. It won’t be long now. I’ve asked the last member of our group to step into the room. Until they arrive, please enjoy your repast.”
The guests did not have long to focus on their meals though because Lykos had no sooner finished speaking than the boy returned. He held the arm of a beautiful young woman. Her hair was a flaming orange, red that seemed to pulse with an internal light. She wore a long, flowing gown of white made from the same fabric as the blindfold that she had wound about her head to cover her eyes. He spoke to her as he guided her to warn her about obstacles that might be in her path.
“Everyone,” Lykos said, “This is Kaleh. She serves as our personal Cassandra. You’re familiar with the Cassandra story, right, Scoop?” Lykos asked with a smirk. “Just in case you aren’t, it goes like this: she was gifted with true prophecy and given the ability to see into the future with perfect clarity. Unfortunately, later, she was cursed so that no human would believe her pronouncements. Kaleh plays a similar role for our group with one exception. Up to this point, we have never counted a human among our membership. For that reason, we have always been immune from the effects of the curse, and we have been free to act on the intelligence her prophesies have provided us. As you can imagine, she is a tremendously important asset in our fight against the council and for that reason we use her talents sparingly because we don’t want to expose her to unnecessary risk. That’s why she lives much of her life blindfolded, but today is an exception. If we are to invest you with our full trust and give you access to all of our secrets, it's only prudent that we have Kaleh gaze into your future and provide us with insight for how well you may perform as a potential ally.”
Lykos took Kaleh by the hand and his hooves clattered against the wooden floorboards as the two of them stepped deeper into the room. “Kaleh, dear, would you remove your blindfold and meet our newest member?”
Kaleh reached up, hooked a finger under the fabric, and pulled the pale silk cloth from around her head. She blinked a few times as she became accustomed to the light. She surveyed the room and smiled at a various people in the crowd. She gave Malik a demure look before moving on to consider the dwarves, the black shuk, and others, but eventually her eyes found Scoop and her focus locked on his. A vibrant pulse of light flared through her hair for just a second and then she spoke. The fabric of her slit sleeve fell away as she raised her naked arm to point directly at Scoop: “Betrayer! Liar! Not loyal to our cause.”
Lykos smiled a grim smile. “Just as I expected.” He stepped away from Kaleh and began to navigate his way around the table. As he drew closer to where Scoop sat he said, “Of course, I expected you to try something like this. Honestly, I thought it would have been a little more subtle. You’ve grown sloppy, Shelly. Or maybe you just didn’t think that we would catch on to your little tricks? Still, I wish you had been a little more cunning in how you went about things. I would have preferred more of a challenge, but maybe it’s better this way. Now, we can resolve things quickly.”
Lykos motioned to Malik. The djinn rose to his full height. At a nod from Lykos, Malik muttered some words under his breath and heavy shackles appeared on Scoop’s hands and wrists.
“Oh, and, Malik, would you mind clearing the air?”
“Of course,” the djinn said in his deep bariton. He clapped his hands and a blast of wind rushed through the small room. The air all around Scoop began to shimmer. Waves of light rippled over his skin… and then his form began to change. The illusion fell away leaving only the true form of the changeling known as Shelly.
“So kind of you to finally make yourself known,” Lykos said. “This may come as a surprise to you, but you aren’t actually welcome here.” Lykos looked to the side. “Take her.”
The troop of dwarves grabbed her and hauled her out of the room. “And those were the events that led up to this moment, Scoop.”
I leaned forward in my chair and looked at the group of fantastical creatures sitting all around me.
“We found you bound and unconscious not far from the outcropping of rocks that the dwarves originally used to bring Shelly to the town of Amberlyn. Cassandra has already cleared you and if you are interested, I would be delighted to invite you to join our number.”
“But, what about Shelly? What happened to her? Did you kill her?”
Lykos eyes flashed with amusement. “No. We haven’t killed her. That’s not entirely off the table, but for the moment it’s more expedient to keep her alive. She is chained and bound not only with shackles of iron, but also ones of magic. She is deep, deep in the earth in an abandoned mine guarded by dwarves and others who will ensure that she stays put.”
“But, won’t the council know something’s up when she goes missing?” Scoop asked.
“Why, Scoop, I thought you would have figured that part out. Shelly isn’t the only shape shifter.”
A Note from the Editor
Be sure to tune in next week to follow the next exciting installment and to see how the revolution progresses.