.^^ Northern-European Skald ^^

— James —

My probation was lifted, once I apparently proved myself to be 'trustworthy'. Mum was irrationally pissed, in my opinion, regarding the fact that I'd been running a Private Investigation Firm, without her knowledge. (That's all she knew about, thank god.)

As such, much of my previous privacy was revoked, and my visits with Athenos, who had openly advocated for my privacy, were supervised, which was laughable, as well as annoying, because they wouldn't speak to one another, and therefore not to me.

I finally got entirely fed up with it, one day at lunch, where the adults had gathered, and pointedly looked at Rafaela. "If they don't start talking to one another, I'm going to move into your attic, and see how they like it." I said sternly.

Mum snorted. "No you're not."

"Aha! And she speaks! Well, if you and Athenos are going to continue acting like immature children, I don't think you have the right to tell me what to do! If you can't trust me, and I can't talk to you, I believe you're entirely missing the concept of trust!" I growled.

"James, some respect, please, she is your mother." Athenos sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.

"And bazinga, they're both vocal!" I laughed sarcastically.

Mum fiddled with her food for a moment, and sighed. "Fine. You're right, Trust is based on the absence of evidence, not constant observation... but I'm not talking to him." She said stubbornly.

"Why? It's been fourteen years since everything between the two of you. Move on! You don't have to be friends, just don't be children!!!" I sighed.

Rafaela nodded. "The silence is annoying, I agree. Athenos, grow a pair, you're acting like a prepubescent child." She said simply, and then plopped a spoonful of her family recipe gumbo into my bowl. "And you, eat and shut up while we talk about this."

I shrugged and started eating, letting them hash it out without listening much. They yelled at each other a bit, and then Rafaela would interject, and the conversation would settle, until the cycle repeated itself, for about an hour, before I gathered the untouched food and started washing dishes.

Rafaela leaned against the counter next to me casually. "How you doing?"

"Tired of their Shite, and entirely done with the lack of privacy, but otherwise alright." I shrugged.

"Mm... well, they're never going to be friends."

"I don't honestly care if they are. I don't want them together. Separate, they're wicked, together, they're annoying and depressing. You're a much better match for Athenos than Mum ever was." I shrugged again, and started drying the dishes.

She nodded and began placing them in the cabinets for me. "I get it, I guess... but do you think your mom just doesn't like that Athenos moved on without her?"

"She's petty like that, yes, I think that's exactly what her problem is." I answered honestly.

"Maybe She should move on as well. Could do her some good." She suggested casually.

"Maybe, but I can't think of anyone she would want. She's older than she looks, and less mature. Unless you can find someone who likes immature redheads with teenage children, I think she's out of luck." I chuckled.

"My sex life is none of your business!" Mum called from the dining room.

"Then neither is mine any of yours!" I fired back.

She looked over her shoulder. "Huh... fair point. But you're too young to have one."

"And you're not too old. Get back in the game, because I think it'll do you good." I shrugged, and dried the last of the dishes.

"You would benefit from it, I think." Athenos shrugged.

She glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Good god, mum, he's agreeing with me! Enough! If you two can't talk to one another maturely, then don't talk to one another, but I won't be in the middle of it, do you understand? I'm not a volleyball, and I refuse to go back over the Net back and forth between you two!" I groaned.

Rafaela grinned. "Am I the net?"

"I think in that analogy, you are, yes." I nodded.

"Cool. And I agree. You two can have your argument, but it's not James's business, and you shouldn't make it his business." She said sternly.

They looked suitably ashamed, and Athenos sighed. "Alright, well, it's getting late, so I need to get to the Clinic, because I've got three surgeries to take care of today, plus a whole mess of pneumonia to deal with..."

"I can help with the pneumonia shots, if you like. It's easy, and won't take much of my time, especially if Rafaela and Mum help." I shrugged.

They both glanced at me, shocked, and then mum sighed. "Alright, medicine is a neutral subject, yes... fine."

I nodded and reached into Athenos's bag, ignoring his incredulous laughter, and pulled out the crate of Pneumonia vaccine he always kept in there, transferring it to my bag.

"Alright, let's get going." I nodded, and opened a portal to the Miami sanctuary.

The two adult women followed me, and I looked at Athenos. "Hey, tell me the main locations?"

"The usual, Miami and New Orleans. Athens has its own problems, but most of them aren't as sensitive to heat as the ones in America." He nodded.

"Which you'd think would be the other way around." I said dryly, and then closed the portal on his laugh.

I led the two women down healers' ward, where the community quarantined everyone who was sick, then handed them a good portion of the antidote. "Alright, let's get to work." I nodded.

—

I think mum was shocked, when she saw how good I was at magic, or perhaps how I dealt with patients, or any other number of things she didn't know about me. She wasn't used to not knowing things about me.

As we left, I Portalled us to the Grand Canyon, and sat down at my desk, across from Qin Long. She froze a little, doing her best not to stare at mother, and I smiled. "You can relax, Qin Long, this is my mum, Alexia Peterson, and Rafaela Nero, my father's lover. Mum, Rafi, This is Qin Long, my Head Detective."

She waved slowly. "Hi?"

"She oversees the day-to-day operations, and also recruits the new detectives, who are mostly freelance. We're trying to change that." I hummed.

"And why is that?" Mum asked, looking directly at Qin Long, who froze again like a deer in headlights.

"Well, even if they still do their own work, I feel they need the security and protection of a group, should the detectives find themselves in above their heads. Also the funding I provide is appreciated. I only ask that they provide their free time to working for Aunty Durham, helping her find and hunt down the Rebel Clan." I took over, drawing them away, and showing them my map.

They were immediately interested, and I spoke softly, because I knew they could both see aura, unlike me, and Qin Long was terrified. "She's heard some... very harsh rumors about you and your rage. Also, you're an Ünterqueen and you're a Dead Witch, so she's sorta predisposed to be terrified of the both of you. Don't take any offense."

Rafaela nodded. "That makes sense. So this map is all of the sightings? Who reports the sightings? Is it magic?"

"No, it's a mixture of groundwork and reports from the network of informants that Qin Long has built, over her long and proliferous career." I shook my head.

"Impressive..." she murmured, and looked up as one of my detectives raced in.

"Sir! I've done it!!!" He yelled, still running towards us.

I stepped into him, and placed a hand on his chest, halting him in his tracks. He coughed, surprised, then grinned. "I found a Skald!!!"

I blinked, and looked at mum and Rafaela. "Excuse me, ladies, this is very important information, and you don't have any security clearance. Hey, talk to Aunty Durham, she's in charge of who gets to know about this." I shrugged as if there was nothing I could do about it, when they protested.

Mum narrowed her eyes slowly, and pulled out her phone.

"Seriously? I bring you on a tour of my workplace, and you try to butt your nose into an investigation that's none of your business?" I sighed.

She shrugged and dialed the number. "I'll let you do your work, I won't get in the way, but if you're hunting a Skald, I'll have words with her."

"Whoa, no, no one is hunting a Skald!" I protested, and she paused.

"No?"

"No. That's stupid. I'm many things, but stupid isn't one of them. No, we just need some answers out of a Skald, for a problem we've been encountering with Relics being guarded against use with Runes we can't break." I shook my head.

She closed her phone. "Oh... alright. Well, if you're just talking to one, that's alright. But don't ask him to explain anything, because they're infamously stingy with their knowledge." She sighed.

"Got it. Rafaela, you have the New Orleans Sanctuary Cures?" I handed her the crate of cure.

She nodded. "We'll get it done, if you get us there."

"Done Deal." I opened a Portal, and kissed their cheeks, sending them through.

Then I looked at the Detective. "You make me lie to my mother again, and I'll skin you alive."

He gulped, and nodded. "Yes sir."

"Alright, where's the Skald?" I asked.

"There's a family of them in your old backyard, or close to it. Belfast, of all places." He grinned.

—

I stepped through the portal, in the parlor of Aunty Durham's house.

A small Elf man came forward, confused. "Can I help you?"

"You're Peter, yes? I'm James, looking for Aunty Durham?" I said simply, and shook his hand firmly.

He blinked, then grinned. "Wow, anyone who calls her 'Aunty' and survives is good in my book! She's at the Market at the moment."

I nodded. "I'll wait, if you'll have me. It's important I talk to her soon, and she isn't answering her phone."

He nodded and sat me down, making some tea quickly.

Warren came down the stairs, yawning, as we drank the tea. "Who's at the door, Peter?" He asked.

"Just me, uncle Warren. Haven't seen you in a while. Have a nice vacation?" I asked.

He grinned. "Hey!!! What's up, bud? Been about a month since we trained together, eh? Up for a bit of a tumble? See how much you've improved?"

I shrugged and took him out into the front yard. We both saw Aunty Durham approaching, but we focused on each other. When he made a move, I was behind him in a second, and I was pounding him into the ground before he could blink.

His head cracked open, and the wooden manikin shattered under my fists.

"DAMN YOU AND YOUR GOLEMS, WARREN!" I roared, looking for the real one.

"He's in Spain, actually, at the moment, running an errand for me." Aunty Durham smiled. "To what do I owe the pleasure, dear? Come have a cup of tea, and we'll talk more."

I nodded and followed her inside. She saw the cups of tea we'd already made, and kissed her lover, Peter. "Well done, luv..." she murmured, and sent him scurrying away with a playful swat on his hip.

I chuckled. "What is it with all the older people in my life having love-lives more active than my own age group?"

"We age much slower than humans, and our libido and ability to have children doesn't ever go away, until we begin the final stages of aging." She answered calmly.

"Hmph... he makes a good cuppa, though... is he Fae? He looked it." I asked.

"Peter is an Elf, yes, and he's Irish, Yes, but he's not an Irish Fae, no. It's... complicated." She hummed.

"It really isn't. There's Fae and Elves, and sometimes they overlap, but not always. We, meaning you, me, Mum, and Warren, we; are both Fae and Elf, but that doesn't mean the others are." I shrugged.

She smiled. "You're Education is progressing."

"I took a class on magical sentient species', to better understand us. Learned a good bit. Now for the reason for my visit-"

"We're still drinking our tea." She said calmly, but there was iron in her gaze.

I sighed and nodded, then sipped the delicious Scottish Red. When we finished, she nodded. "Yes, and Peter does make a good Cuppa. Now, what did you need?"

"I don't really need anything, I just wanted to ask you some questions, and warn you I might be pissing off a Skald, in a few hours." I smiled.

She raised an eyebrow. "That's unwise."

"I'm not going to try, I'm going to be diplomatic, but I don't know how well it'll go. So there's your warning. Now for questions... what do they Want? What can I bribe them with?" I asked.

She sighed, and poured us another cup each. "Alright, well, they like gold as much as the next person... and Materials they can put Rune's to are also acceptable gifts. It's how I made peace with them, 200 years ago, when I settled here and began the Sanctuary, as the Ünterqueen of Belfast."

I nodded. "I've got plenty of those things... but what if I want them to teach me?"

"Nothing will make them teach you, unless you marry one of their children, and join the Clan, and you're too young for that, you need to be 16 to marry in Ireland." She shook her head.

"Alright, What about an arranged marriage? Like, a contract, I marry someone in two years, when I'm legal? Would they teach me then?" I asked.

She hummed. "It's possible... but why would you want to?"

"Because, the Dagger you gave me wasn't enough power, to conquer the Axe of Thor. It's a Top-Tier God Relic, and I need some serious Juice to make it work. Skald's are the Mages with the most Juice." I laid out my logic calmly.

She nodded slowly. "I was worried it wouldn't be enough... Alright, but you have to make sure you're not scammed. I don't want to lose you from my Clan, child. Bad enough my Clan is merged with the Parthenos', but if our one connect, you, is removed, the tenuous connection shatters." She warned.

"Then what if I pull them into our Clan? They're only a family, right? Four or five at most? They would be a benefit to our Clan." I said seriously.

She twitched. "While I do not disagree that Skald's in our Clan would be... advantageous, I don't like bringing more outsiders into my Clan."

"There's only five or so. You dealt with 142 Parthenos'. You can handle five Skalds, who will be teaching our people, eventually, and making the rest of us with the ability into Skalds as well. There's only good that comes from this. And Fae can be Skald's as well, so we both know that would be good for us both, if we have an advantage of magic that the Rebel Clan doesn't." I shrugged.

Her eyes turned to pure steel, and she grinned savagely. "Now that... THAT is a good argument. You have my blessing and backing, Grandson." She growled.

"Good. Now, if they refuse, I need to know where the rest of the Skalds of the world are, to track them down and hopefully convince one to teach me..." I nodded.

She smiled. "Indeed... call it a favor from your grandmother."

"You're trying to be family-like. I appreciate it, but it goes both ways, so if you need something, so long as it's not morally questionable, you knew where to find me, Aunty Durham." I smiled and kissed her cheeks, to her surprise, then walked out with a theatrical bow.

The address I was given was two miles away, on the outskirts of the town, so I started walking, enjoying the scents and sounds of an Irish City, for the first time in a very long time.

About halfway there a wall of light appeared, with Runes drawn in it in what I presumed to be sheep's blood.

"Well well... someone is pissy. Yippee for me." I murmured.

"Are ye always this fucken' foolish, or is it only t'day?" A woman asked, leaning against the brick wall to my left.

"Foolish? What've I done that's foolish? I'm on a walk to go talk to some people and it's none of your business, now unless you want trouble, you're going to drop this barrier and make yourself Scarce." I replied calmly,

She raised a Dark eyebrow. "Oh? And why would I do that? You think I raised this barrier with something other than trouble on my mind?"

"Oh, sorry, you thought I was talking to you? No, I was talking to the person who actually made the wall. You're just the grunt she sent to do her fighting for her." I sneered, and looked up at the top of the one-story building.

The second woman frowned, and leapt down. "I suppose you saw me get into place?" She asked.

"Smelled the sheep's blood almost a half-mile ago. Could have gone around, decided not to." I shrugged.

She blinked slowly. "You walked into a trap... on purpose?"

The first woman took a slow step back into the shadows, reasonably wary.

"Well, Yes. I figured, if I'm going to meet some Skald's, I should make a show of good faith." I nodded.

"And letting us catch you... is a show of good faith?" She asked slowly.

"It would be, if that's what this is. No, my show of good faith is allowing you to live, after you've threatened me. Also, allowing this monstrosity of a Rune to stain my eyes as long as it did." I shook my head sadly, and drew my sword, carving a line through one of the Runes with pure strength. The blood evaporated, and the Rune shattered.

Then I turned to the two women. "Now! Let's talk about the terms of your surrender!"