Rune Magic

8: No Place Like Home

.^^ Brian the Boggart ^^

— James —

Cairo was a bustling city, full of life and random beauty, but it was also the only major city in the world that didn't have a Sanctuary. Not for lack of trying, of course; every year, someone tried to build a sanctuary, but without any Unterkin, creating a new sanctuary was basically impossible.

Without that particular blood magic, they were just very large underground shelters that quickly devolved into black markets.

But the original one, on the Delta, was left alone, for some reason. It was not a market of any kind, or even a normal sanctuary, but rather it was home to a massive hoard of Unseelie grumpkins, the little ones, the prey beasts, such as Pixies, Fairies, other magical creatures that couldn't defend themselves... and then there were the Boggarts.

Boggarts weren't inherently dangerous, but their almost complete immunity to all but the most sophisticated and powerful of magical and physical attacks, nigh-immortality, and ability to hide from literally any type of magic except blood magic; well, that was the source of countless hunts for their bodies, fur, blood, bones, ash, and research into the magical effects of each of them.

Their presence here was a secret for a very good reason, as there weren't many left, so I immediately understood why Mum had lied to protect them. The sanctuary was never 'desecrated' or 'breached', but rather the gates were destroyed; from the inside.

I sat on the porch of the little cottage, still here after all these years, and hummed. "Well, if I was an Unterking in service to a goddess, where would I hide my stuff?" I sighed.

"Oi! Elf-Boy! Shove off!" A gravelly voice growled from underneath the porch.

"My family owns this entire place. You can either put up with my presence or leave, I'm not bothering you!" I snapped back testily.

A little green boggart poked his head out, making me pause. "Is that so?" He murmured, then sniffed me. "Ahh, the Peterson's return! Good, we have needed the blood magic of an Unterkin for quite some time..." he skittered out from under the porch swiftly, and sat next to me, setting a cigar between his lips. "You gotta light, Elf-boy?" He grumbled, feeling his pockets.

"You and I both know you have a lighter in your coat, but an act of kindness isn't going to hurt either of us." I said dryly, and lit the cigar with my finger.

He grinned, showing silver sharks' teeth and tusks, set into ink-black gums. "Ahh, you got me! The name is Brian the Boggart, to you." He held out a tiny hand.

I shook it seriously, and then leaned against the wall. "James Peterson-Parthenos. You known many Peterson's?" I asked.

"Oh yes, indeed... I knew Durham, back in her prime... scary broad. Now! What brings you to Egypt, Elf-Boy?" He shrugged, and puffed on the cigar. Purple smoke lazily drifted out the corners of his mouth, sparking like it was live-wired magnesium.

"The sanctuary, and my grandfather. I need to find his stuff, basically." I showed him the rings on my necklace.

He whistled softly. "You've been wearing two pieces of magical Egyptian Gold around your neck, and no one has called you on it?" He asked incredulously.

"What's... Is Egyptian Gold different from Dwarven and Human?" I asked,

"Oh very." He said simply, and looked away, apparently fine answering.