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Oestrus Perturbatio	By : Rhondda Category: S through Z > Tin Man Views: 1732 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Tin Man, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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It had started with a dream that had triggered a memory, which had lead to a mission.
Azkadellia had woken her family and the family's closest friends and advisors two hours after midnight, asking them to gather in the conference room.
She'd had a nightmare of pouring herself into a child. But this was not a remembrance of her own possession by the witch. The child was four years old with strawberry blond hair. The dream had awakened a memory the witch had hidden from Azkadellia.
Ten years ago the witch had found a remote farming village, someplace unassuming, and had selected a child who promised to be a beauty. She had found the perfect child and had breathed a tiny portion of herself into the child. A spark, an ember, a contingency plan.
The witch wanted an escape clause since she had been trapped before. If all her plans had worked, and she saw no reason they shouldn't, then she would take back that spark, and the child's soul, when the time came.
But the witch was gone. Destroyed. She could not escape to this little girl. This did not undo what had been done. The child was still out there with dark magic and a touch of ancient memories infecting her spreading through her. Sometime within the next six years the child's soul would be devoured by the evil that had been planted in her.
Azkadellia had no idea how powerful the magic in the little girl had grown. No where near as strong as the witch, of course. Not likely as strong as DG. But that remnant of the witch had to be destroyed. For the child's sake. For the O.Z.'s.
Azkadellia had also weepingly begged that the child be saved. Not one more innocent should be killed by her hand, no matter who wore her skin. "I can't go. The spark… it would be drawn to me. I don't… I don't know what it would do."
"Well that just leaves me, doesn't it? Do you know where this girl was?" DG stood in her robe with her palms flat on the conference table.
"Harvestmeet. It's three full days ride to the east, the last fertile farmland before the desert. I'll give you a map." Az sank into a chair, her face a mix of worry and relief.
"Ten years, the family might have moved away in that time. There's no telling how long this might take us." Cain ran a hand through his pale hair.
"I take it you're volunteering to join my daughter on this quest," the queen tilted her head, a trace of a smile on her face.
"You know anyone else who can keep her out of trouble?" Cain crossed his arms.
"Hey!" DG glared at him.
"Raw go. Might need." Raw smiled at the two then nodded to the Queen.
"And if you think the three of you're goin' anywhere without me, you've got another think coming. You've got another think coming. You've…" Cain elbowed Glitch in the ribs.
"What was I saying? Oh, hi, have we… oh, right." Glitch blushed. He may have both parts of his brain back, and access to the knowledge, but he still glitched, still had to work at getting to some of those memories. Some pathways had reworked themselves in the years since his initial operation. At least now, the memories eventually came on their own and were available for access.
This quest was a hell of a lot easier than their first. Not only did they know where they were going, they were able to arrange stops for the nights in small towns and villages. With inns and rooming houses, and hot running water. A glamour was put in place so that they were unrecognizable to others, but so that their own small group could see each other just fine.
It was almost… easy. That should have been the first warning.
The air was crisp with the scents of fall along the way. They had horses so they covered more ground with less effort. The temperature was cool, but only really chill at night, when they were safely ensconced in rooms, with beds and blankets. It was actually kind of pleasant. More an outing for a group of friends, than a quest to save a child and stop evil from taking root once more.
A half day from their goal they noted suspicious glances.
In six months news of the witch's defeat and a lack of Longcoats had spread, however; belief in the end of the sorceress was harder to come by the further one got from Central City and Finaqua. Reworking of roads hadn't made it this far, even though twice weekly mail delivery had.
A few hours from their goal the few people they saw were either fearful or hostile in their appraisal of them riding through. Luckily it was mostly farmlands and settlements were distanced.
DG looked at the cornfields starting to block them in like walls and shuddered. "Now all we need is for the locals to go all Children of the Corn on us."
This, of course, prompted an explanation of the story. Raw was getting twitchy by the end of the tale. "Raw make bad Scarecrow. Not scare much."
"But Cain would scare the corn into withering." Glitch grinned happily at the glare he received in return. "See, right there. Proof positive."
Harvestmeet was a community of twenty clapboard farmhouses, at least as many silos and five barns. There were cows in several fields, but not enough to be for trade. Most likely the community's milk source. There were a hell of a lot more chickens. Their smell mixed with horse manure to overwhelm the scent of corn and fresh cut wheat.
DG tried to hail down a boy of about eight. "Excuse me…"
He took off, terrified.
"Oooo-kay. That went well." She looked to the others.
"Small community. Kids might not see many strangers. Let's find an adult." Cain urged his horse on with a click of his tongue.
They found adults, alright. Right around a bend in the road. Lined up in the way with pitchforks and a few shotguns.
"Adults not make us Scarecrows?" Raw looked warily at DG.
"It was a story Raw." She murmured softly. "This is more like every other old monster flick. Minus the torches."
It was more than that. She could feel a tickle of magic. It was like smoke on the air. Hazy and thin, but there. It was dark. She immediately tried to hold in her own light, wrapping it in a box in her mind to mute it.
Cain tipped the brim of his hat. "Evenin' folks. Just ridin' through to Freeton. Other road was blocked by a wagon pileup."
DG did a double take. What the huh? Oh. Right. These folks weren't unfriendly for no reason. Don't tell the armed mob we're here to clear up that mess. Especially with that whiff of dark magic lingering about.
"Didn't hear bout no pileup." An older man in the front stated.
"Probably will by morning. Real friendly town you have here." Cain looked the lot over.
"Friendly as munchkins." Glitch had moved to DG's other side.
"Had plenty of raids." The headman stated. It was a possibility, but it didn't ring true.
"Yeah, lots of raids with four people including a viewer. Heard they're forming attack squads now. Before ya know it, a passel of kids will come through and tip their cows." DG muttered to Glitch.
Raw's slight smile meant she was managing to keep the viewer from giving in to fear.
"Just want to pass on peaceable." Cain addressed the armed group.
"You got magic about ya." There was a click from behind.
Three shotguns were pointed at DG, Raw, and Glitch.
"You'll be takin' that pistol out with two fingers, real slow, and droppin' it to the side, else your friends develop some holes."
"Well, we know she's still here." Glitch announced.
The four of them were on their knees in the dirt, hands bound behind their backs. They were in the middle of a barn and surrounded by the villagers. DG looked to Glitch, hoping to see some of those mad fighting skills she'd heard about. The ones with the kicking, seeing as their legs weren't tied.
"Has point." Raw added.
"Not helping." DG put in a singsong voice.
Cain didn't say a word, just sat back on his heels, glowering. He was good at that.
"Could have done with DG keeping her scary stories to herself, though." Glitch fell back to sit on his heels, mirroring Cain.
"Why do we never have a contingency plan? We should have a contingency plan." DG looked to Raw.
He was shaking a bit, but holding up rather well. Courage wasn't absence of fear, but pushing through that fear.
Glitch spoke up in his Ambrose voice. "Listen up. This is Princess Dorothy Gale. The royal family knows where we are. You may be able to bargain your way out, but if anything happens to us the royal army will be swooping in on this place faster than mobats on a banana tree."
"Nice going. Threaten them with the same terror tactics as the witch." DG muttered as she rolled her eyes.
"It's what they're used to dealing with. They'll be comfortable with it."
DG looked around. "They look pretty comfortable as it is, to me. You're edging toward's pissing them off."
"I know who you are." A feminine voice came from the barn doors. "How very kind of you to come for a visit, princess. I was expecting you."
The girl was fourteen. Her hair was strawberry blonde and her almond shaped eyes would be beautiful if not for the malice in them.
"You somehow sent the dream to Azkadellia." Cain's voice was cool, his eyes narrowed.
The girl simply raised an eyebrow.
"I need power. You've got it. It's quite simple, really." The girl stepped forward to stand in front of DG.
"Don't even think about touching her." Cain ground out through clenched teeth.
"Or what, Tin Man? You're hardly in a position to demand anything." Those dark eyes were laughing at him. "But as a special favor, I'll abide by your impassioned wishes."
"You know what killed the witch, the real one, the one with the power?" It was DG's turn to glare. "It was arrogance."
The teen leaned over DG. "There is a difference between arrogance and self assuredness. I doubt you can grasp the difference. You will give me all the power I need. No touching required."
With that she placed her face a hairs breadth from DG's and opened her mouth.
The golden light began to flow between the two women as DG jerked, her eyes shooting wide.
"No!" Cain, who had been applying the knife in his boot to his bindings suddenly burst free and someone grabbed him. He swung and clipped a jaw as a pitchfork cracked across his back.
Glitch leapt to his feet and landed a spinning kick to the nearest man as he tried to move to push the girl and DG away from each other.
Raw threw himself to the ground and rolled, bowling over at least four people who, unfortunately, landed on top of him.
As Cain and Glitch were fighting to get to DG in time, the light continued to flow. The teen girl's eyes widened and her hands went to DG's shoulders, suddenly trying to push away.
The light didn't stop. Dark whisps started to intertwine with the golden light pulling towards DG. The light flow was not going in the expected direction. The terrified looking girl turned her hand into a claw and struck DG in the abdomen, causing a flash of red light under her hand as the black tendrils slipped from her mouth. DG grunted with the jolt of magic, but kept her position, and her mystical hold on the girl.
The black smoke hung there as golden light was softly breathed back into the teen, so that the only thing truly drawn from either was the little piece of the witch.
The girl collapsed and darkness hovered in front of DG, alone. She looked sick, in agony, really. "Arrogance. I know the difference well enough."
She closed her eyes and the black wisp was suddenly surrounded by light. A sickening oily goop splashed to the floor in front of her before she passed out.
A shotgun was aimed at Cain.
"STOP!" A young woman's voice cut through the sound of fighting.
The girl was trying to pick herself up off the ground, but couldn't quite make it. "Just let them go. Please, just let them go." She sounded young and frightened, and the dark malice was gone from her eyes.
Cain managed one more punch before the townsfolk around them started to blink and look confused, as if awaking from a sleep. He was ready for the next blow, as was Glitch, apparently. The Advisor had four people down and out.
"Mommy?" The girl sniffled.
A woman in her early forties rushed forward to gather the girl up, "Trisha." She cooed and smoothed back the girl's hair.
Cain rushed to DG, who was lying insensate. Glitch looked ready to continue to hold off all comers, with his hands still tied behind his back.
One of the villagers was helping Raw to his feet and untying him.
"Kid, come on. Open those big blues for me." Cain was holding her head and shoulders.
"Anyone get the number of that truck?" DG's eyes fluttered open.
Cain chuckled with relief.
"Their was a truck? I didn't see a truck." Glitch responded over her shoulder as the townsfolk began talking amongst themselves.
DG smiled at her friend. "Nothing ever goes according to plan, does it?"
Raw arrived at her side and placed his palms on DG's head. "Raw heal."
DG relaxed under the lion-man's hands.
Raw frowned and looked worried.
"What is it?" Cain's expression started to mirror the viewers.
"Something off."
"Guys, you can untie me anytime now." Glitch called over his shoulder.
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Oestrus Perturbatio