An old diary is given to the new owners of a house in Cambria, California. Designed by famous architect Julia Morgan, it has some oddities - including a spiral staircase in the backyard, leading to nowhere. What they discover involves old Welsh magi...
Every human with a cell phone was speaking with their friends and loved ones, giving them the cardinal rules of the battle ahead. Abe had handed me and my assorted human friends & neighbors a list, enumerating the Rules of Engagement. He informed us that the Tylwyth Teg have seen so many thousands of battles that many centuries ago they created these rules, just so that maniacal bloodthirsty fairies didn't just hew and hack each other all willy-nilly. Slaughter must be civil, he said with great seriousness.
"Are you certain the Pretender will obey these?" I asked.
"I'm counting on her not to – and she will lose many of her fighters, for these are rules for both the Sidhe and the Sluagh. To ignore them is a great breaking of tradition."
(1) The Rule of Invitation is sacrosanct: Creatures of evil intentions cannot enter your warded home or headquarters unless invited in. The most common way the rule is broken is a creature imitating the voice or appearance of a friend or loved one begging to be let in. Make certain everyone is accounted for.
(2) The Rule of Non-combatants states that any creatures who do not wish to fight will be allowed safe passage out of the battle grounds.
(3) The Rule of Un-homing states that enemies are free to destroy your home; they simply cannot enter its warded boundaries. If the wards fail, they can enter and engage its occupants in combat.
(4) The Rule of Surrender states that an enemy who surrenders shall not be harmed, nor can they do harm to you. Should they bring in anything or anyone with them, that person or persons are bound by the same rule.
(5) The Rule of Victory states that Victory is declared if there is no one left fighting on one side.
(6) The Rule of Annihilation states that in the unlikely event that both sides completely destroy each other, all lands, properties, wealth and goods shall be divided equally among the surviving families; if there are no surviving relatives or heirs, the aforementioned items are declared commonwealth and shall be divided accordingly.
The fire in the iron kettle was lit. Annie was laying out the herbs, tinctures, twigs and other natural ingredients that would power our spells. We gathered Alwyn, Gwyn, Ryo, Bran, Niall and Scott and began anointing them.
Our aerial fighters, led by Annika, Edgar the crow and several score chupacabras that Kirin had convinced to join our cause, were on the rooftop when dawn's first light touched our blessed Onigawara roof. I could swear the demon faces looked as if they were on fire.
There were screams – a discordance of banshees, which began way off in the distance. If Gwyneth meant to rattle us, it would take more than that. Yet, after 10 minutes, the sound seemed to eat away at our confidence. Then the shrieks tripled in volume, and we knew Gwyneth's first strike was on Cambria's Main Street.
"Good luck, Alwyn! Blessed be," I said, and Annie began the first spell.
"Gwyn, take your position at the door." I shouted, "Blessed be!"
"Blessed be, Lady Lils." And he positioned himself by the back screen door.
There was a roar from the trees. "Ryo, to the yard with your monks. Ring them bells! Blessed be!" Faye began the same spell, echoing each word Annie spoke. As Ryo entered the yard, a howling erupted from what must have been several packs of Cwn Annwn. The monks' concentration was intense, as they coordinated their chanting with their bellringing.
My cell rang. It was Star, saying that they were close to being overrun at the Chumash village to the north.
"Niall! It's time! Blessed be!"
"I love you, Scott!" Nettle and Rita opened a portal, and he sprang through, followed by 4 dozen Callicantzaroi, and the troop of Domoviyr. Annika trilled, and two chupacabras joined him. Rita started the spell, now three chanters strong.
My cell erupted, again. "It's the firemen and animal control. They've got hordes of animals that have gone crazy. Scott!"
"I know, I know. Hey, Annika, I could use some help!" Nettle opened a portal all by herself, and Scott jumped through with Annika and Eddie's murder of crows. I nodded at Bran, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses.
"It's time. Blessed be!" I say, and then start the same spell for the newly departed Scott.
"Blessed Be, good Ladies!" he said, hopping with his goat legs through to Moonstone Beach, where I'd been told that Gwyneth would be waiting, away from the fighting. Kirin Flew through the portal, his human form changing as he went. Following him were two squads of Teg Soldiers.
Nettle began chanting for Bran's spell – the most important one, the one which had to hold. Five spells, all reinforcing each other. Everything now depended on Bran, and on Prince Gwyn - who, at the moment, was over 5,000 miles away.
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She'd walked back and forth for so long that she'd made a ditch in the sand. She wanted to simply blast all their hideaways into dust, to wave her arms and will them all out of existence, but she wanted them all to suffer horribly! For that, she had to be patient.
Mab wouldn't talk to her anymore. Her lackeys reminded her that she'd spelled her into silence and never removed it. That just goes to show how weak she is, Gwyneth thought. No matter. When Gwyn is dead, she'll take all his power and kill all three. She will be the Eternal Ruler, King and Queen in one. They will write epic poems and ballads about her.
And then she got the news that Gwyn had entered the battle. How brave! How stupid! How delightful! In the human's commercial district. She could barely contain her contempt, that he would choose to die for those insects.
Minutes later, she heard he was back at her mother's house. He'd run away, the coward! She was about to portal there when her Fairy Guard reminded her of the Teg Rules of Engagement. He had a point – she'd lose half her troops. She was angry, and though it was considerate of him to inform her, it was foolish as well, so she killed him. But it didn't make her feel any better.
What was taking so long?
Then the Teg General whose job it was to eradicate the Chumash village reported that Gwyn had routed his troops. And the hobgoblin who was to have rid their forests of people and animals said Gwyn was holding them back. She was fuming when she felt Gwyn's presence not a mile in front of her. IMPOSSIBLE!
How many Gwyns could there be? And which was the real Gwyn? Well – there was only one way to find out.
