THE STAG
DAN MERCIA.

Dan, he was worried, the thought of anyone targeting Kolby made him wonder if those who had any interest in harming him were sane, Kolby didn't have a bad bone in his body, he had suffered at the hands of bad men and women, exploited and tossed aside, left to wither away like the many who were banished or exiled from the homes they knew, the boy was now just grasping his own powers, accepting himself and trying to experience what it was to just be a teen, worry about clothes, boys and pop quizzes, he didn't need all this, he didn't need madmen disrupting his growth but that was the life of a Mercia, it was riddled with obstacles, not so many of them but those that came your way and you ploughed through, — they made you a better person.

So when he appeared at the stag his home, he was surprised to see normalcy, it was a normal sinful night, drunkards were making a mess and the rich were ordering rooms to get dirty in for the night, Rod and Sal were in the bar, Monica was manning the lounge obviously, nothing was out of place except the green wards that were activated on the whole building, it was fortified. "Finally you're here, clean up and come help me, it's rush hour!" Monica called out as he nodded and went up to his room on the upper flows. "Dan, hey you're home, you're a mess by the way." Kolby commented as he passed by the lounge, the kid was watching some show whilst he slowly ate his snack. "Thank you for pointing that out sweetie, price of fighting the undead, —are you okay, how was school?" Dan retorted with a question and Kolby groaned.

"I know sweetie, I know, just hang in there, —soon you'll be on break, let me get cleaned up before Monica starts screaming." He added and Kolby chuckled with a nod, Dan was sure that slight reassurance meant a lot to Kolby, he was doing good and despite him being in danger, he was glad that he was okay, after all he was in the safest place possible. As Dan got to his room he was surprised to hear the shower running. "Hey Dan, I forgot to tell you, Danton is here." Kolby informed surprising Dan, it wasn't surprise honestly, it was shock, Danton barely visited and when he did he was either coming to cause trouble or running from trouble. "Thanks kiddo, go finish your show." He ruffled the boy's messy curls as he nodded and trotted away happily.

As Dan closed the door to his room he wasn't surprised to see a trail of black clothing on his floor, thank goodness he didn't see a mudtrail from the boots or he would've slayed Danton himself. "No running to hug me lovebug, what have I done this time?" Danton questioned as he walked out of the bathroom wrapping a towel around his torso, his golden hair still shining despite being damp. "Last time you left, I had to explain to dad why my car and half my clothes were gone, and why three women were here about to blow our heads off because you made them all pregnant!" Dan hissed as Danton looked at him flatly.

"Are you still angry about that, come on lovebug, I did say I was sorry, and those women asked me to bless their wombs with children, I got them what they wanted, I don't know why they were angry." He argued non chalantly making Dan angry again. "Its not about the women who got pregnant, did you even ask them when they wanted to get pregnant, where is my car, or those gold bars you took from casino Casanova, —do you even realize how much damage you left behind!" Dan yelled as Danton seemed to be barely paying attention to him whilst he used his lotion to oil up, then began going through Dan's drawers looking for things to wear, that's when Dan had enough, he snapped his fingers and all the drawers shut.

"Wear your own boxers, wear your own clothes, I'm tired of taking care of you, and you're a century older than me!" Dan finally exploded as Danton sighed, walked over to Dan naked as the day he was born and hugged him, Dan didn't resist, he didn't fight it. "I'm not sorry for being your problem, —I missed you lovebug." Those words alone were enough to snuff out Dan's angry tirade, he just hugged Danton, despite everything he did, the angel was his brother and he missed him so much. "I missed you too." Dan whispered back as he snuggled into Danton's bigger form and wiping his tears away. "Now don't you feel better?" Danton questioned as they parted and Dan pouted. "I hate you." He grumbled. "And I love you, lovebug, —can I get back to wearing your extra comfy boxers now, I'm going for sexy and I know it look, we've got to get down there and help." Danton stated as Dan sighed, there was a lot going on in his mind as he snapped his fingers again and he released his hold over the room.

He wanted to know why Danton was back, why now when they were in the middle of a crisis but he couldn't Monica would scream soon, so he hurriedly got to the shower and got ready while Danton was nagging him about which cologne gave him sex appeal, the angel was a lot and honestly he was the bad boy type, of all his siblings Danton was the black sheep you wanted to hit over and over again but you couldn't help loving him, it was frustrating always. Once Dan was done, he dressed like the rest of his siblings, what Danton mentioned as sexy and you knew only that he was actually very sexy with his sheer purple shirt opened to his belly button showing how toned his body was, black ripped jeans that showed off his thighs and combat boots that added to his height a bit, his hair he'd given frosted tips that really made his green eyes pop since he had minimum make up on, he was just right.

"Look at you, I could just strip you naked right here and have my wicked ways with you." Danton stated as he suddenly caged Dan in by the door and since Danton was built, very built, he could easily dwarf Dan. "Not happening Danton, now lets go before Monica gives me an aneurysm." Dan asserted dismissively as Danton snickered. "You're no fun." He grumbled making Dan roll his eyes at his brother's childish behavior, as they passed by the lounge, Kolby was asleep and Dan couldn't help chuckle, he was cute. "Kid looks real scrumptious, no wonder dad is keeping him from nighttime, he would definitely turn a lot of heads." Danton commented as Dan grabbed the small fur blanket by the couch and draped it over Kolby.

"Yours included right?" Dan sarcastically shot back. "Definitely, I mean look at him, and he hasn't even reached his full potential." The angel mentioned causing Dan to chuckle again. "Stop being a pedo Danton and lets go." He exclaimed grabbing the angel whilst he lightly laughed. "Hey!" The angel protested but it was too late as Dan locked up the upper floors restricting acess inside and out. "Why are you activating the protection wards?" Danton demanded as they turned to make way downstairs. "Dad isn't here and someone extremely dangerous wants Kolby, the best we can do right now is keep him up there where he's protected until Dad gets back and until he's safe." Dan replied as Danton became silent, a thoughtful sort of silence. "I came at the right time huh." He finally spoke earning a scoff from Dan.

It was no lie or joke how much devastation Danton could cause, he was an ascended angel, but despite that all his siblings were incredibly powerful in their own right, Danton didn't diminish that but Dan agreed, having more people to watch over their home and help their father was a good thing. "Yeah it is." So he agreed as they made it to the lounge and Monica's eyes stopped blazing. "Finally you're here, I can breathe." She heaved a breath as Dan chuckled and Danton took orders. "Get some rest sis, stage is yours." Danton asserted as Monica blew kisses his way. "Thanks boys." She cheered as an unlikely patron who usually drank with the rowdy crowd walked into the lounge looking more refined than he ever was his whole life. "That can't be Dorren." Dan whispered. "Yet it's me lads." Dorren replied shocking the two.

Monica Deveroe Mercia.

"You look different." She pointed out as Dorren and herself stood near the stage, Monica couldn't help look at the Scottish male oozing a certain dominance that she liked, he seemed to have gone through a metamorphosis that she absolutely adored. "Aye, but you get this for one hour." He replied making her pout but then. "Oh thank the Goddess, I prefer the old look, it's just right." She replied with a smile causing Dorren to chuckle. "I was aiming to impress you." He stated bluntly and Monica couldn't help feel something more, no man genuinely went out of their way to impress her, most of them did that to sleep with her but being blessed with telepathy meant she could tell and steer clear.

Yet as she confirmed Dorren's statement through his own thoughts, she was honestly reasured, he wasn't lying, he had gone through a lot to look just right for her, it wasn't easy finding someone genuine when you were Lael Mercia's child, everyone wanted you because you were in a position of power, money and possibilities but Dorren didn't seem to be after those things, he wasn't an established mafia don but he was holding his own against the big guns, he fought for his place in Orris and that immensely impresses her. So she allowed herself to lower just one guard, see where this went but she knew the risks of letting someone who wasn't a Mercia in, they could potentially hurt her and she didn't want that for herself, yet she could only hope it didn't get to that.

"Thank you, for putting in the effort and creating an enormous bill up here just to see me, I appreciate it." She whispered and Dorren came closer, caressed her cheek making a slight blush come on. "For you my dear, anything, even a suffocating tux—." He paused as she laughed. "Go on a date with me tomorrow before work, or after?" He asked and Monica froze, she thought he wouldn't ask, she was hopeless with dates but then. "She's free tomorrow, —I'm here I'll cover for her, sis you're free." Danton replied abruptly as he passed by with an order whilst causing heads to turns from mostly the submissive women and men, even some dominant too, it was amusing.

"Then I'm a lucky man, I'll pick you up at four." Dorren suggested waiting on Monica, she immediately nodded. "Yeah, four sounds great." She finally regained herself as Dorren nodded happily. It was time for her to take the stage as a request was made and Monica nodded to the crowd. "Stay for a song, I know you don't like it up here." She asked and the don nodded. "Aye, but I could tolerate it for you, one song." He replied and Monica was giddy again taking centre stage whilst Dorren found a seat. "We were only lovers, before the love came in, —now you be soldier,—general no send me." As Monica began her song everyone was enchanted as always but with the lounge taken in by her song they barely noticed him walk into the lounge, sit next to Dorren but Monica did.

She kept singing, as she looked around for her brothers. "I wish I said this before but you're messing with my mind." She sang as her eyes snapped onto Danton. "We have a problem, there is a shifter sitting next to Dorren, I can't tell what he is but he's hostile." She told him as Danton nodded but his eyes were unsteady. "I know sis but we have another problem, Rod just felt a lot of hostile creatures outside and above the stag but he can't make out what they are as well, Dan has gone up to make sure Kolby is fine, Sal is trying to keep everything normal but it seems there's magic in the air, it's coming from the one sitting next to Dorren, —he's suppressing us all it'll take time for any of us to break the spell." Danton replied shocking Monica.

"General no send me." She finished her song not showing an ounce of panic but she was indeed panicking, Dorren was sitting next to the danger, and she couldn't use her telepathy she knew the other being would feel it, what could she do.

Rod Mercia.

He didn't know what to do, the night had been without fault, a normal working night at the Stag, he was so sure of their protection that he didn't think anything would go wrong if they opened, and he was right, they had actually made more money today than the previous day, but now opening had become a problem, he could scent them all out, surrounding the building as if waiting on an order to attack, he could feel Sal pushing ever so gently out of the suppression spell as Monica's mind was going haywire over her worry and Danton trying to secure everyone and seeming like nothing was wrong but infact something was incredibly wrong, his primal sense was never wrong, the danger they were facing was different now and everyone was depending on him to find a way.

"Dan are you both alright?" Rod asked, even suppressed he forced the mental link to work causing his nose to bleed. "We're fine up here but something feels wrong, I can't place it." Dan responded and Rod's worry was lessened, they were fine, that's all that mattered, he wondered where Lael was, he should've been back a while ago since he knew they had killed off the coven of undead, what was the hold up. "I praise you for the valiant effort, no mere creatures could withstand half my power like this, truly a feat worthy of praise, but it ends here, give me the boy— and I'll spare your little home." The voice echoed in their minds whilst everyone was enjoying the happy atmosphere, nothing, not a speck was out of place but to the Mercia family, everything was wrong and Rod knew it.

He wondered if he could take them all on, or at least some of them just to create a way for them to fight back, they had been pushed into a corner in their very home, but then—. As Rod's mind calculated ways to get out of this trap a green rose bloomed on his palm, it reminded him of himself, he was never this afraid, he was never this weak to cower to an enemy who preyed on their minds alone and that's when it clicked, he clasped his palms together forcing his power outward and the roar of a primal predator echoed in the air as he broke the mental hold, their enemy wasn't as strong as they had been manipulated into believing, they just had an extremely powerful mind and the ability to induce fear, erode mental defences so you would cower in fear, and it wasn't just one of them, they were many, like crows circling above, that's why they were there.

So Rod focused his power outward again and established the mental link with Monica again but before it happened she screamed, it echoed in the lounge and below causing everyone to stop questioning why the siren had screamed. "Everyone its fine, you know girls these days, they freak out about anything, she just saw a bug!" Rod suddenly yelled over the crowd in the bar and they laughed going back to drinking, he made his way over to Sal but even before he reached out to touch him Sal smiled, his eyes turning scarlet. "Show them why the stag should never be threatened." Rod ordered as Sal smiled vindictively and vanished whilst Rod took over at the bar.

The Stag.

Sal walked up to the stage where Monica was, she whipped her hair back having screamed so hard to break the compulsion over her and everyone else. "You alright sis?" Sal asked as Monica nodded. "Im better than alright, I feel a song coming on." She replied,  devious look in her eyes as Sal nodded to her then made his way to sit next to the creature that had threatened their home. "Do you know what you've done?" He asked as Dorren snapped to look next to him, that's when he noticed Sal and the man in-between them, he didn't hesitate for a second to pull out a knife and stab the man in the leg causing a grunt to escape him.

"I don't take kindly to people who threaten the Mercia." Dorren whispered to the astonished man whilst a song was heard from a siren, every mystic creature in the proximity of the stag was instantly taken by it but she was Monica, she had a way with songs, —made them deadly and this one was. "You see, you slipped into our minds, touched the surface and made us cower, fear for our lives as if we were pathetic little children, that's not who we are, we are not fearful or cowards." Sal hissed as outside those who came with the creature in the lounge began to drop dead from the sky and even those who had their footing on the ground fell to the ground, instant death.

"How dare you touch my emotions." Danton muttered ever so sweetly as he appered to be serving the three but infact placed his hand on the creature's thigh, he tried to wriggle away, fight and run but he was clamped inbetween Dorren and Sal, there was no running, as heat like pure blue flames engulfed his whole being, it burned him yes but his minions outside whom he had orchestrated everything with, they were turning to ash as Danton finished, there was nothing but fear in the eyes of the enemy. "What are you people?" He choked out as Sal placed his palm on the back of his neck, green celtic symbols appeared with a single finger. "Monsters." He whispered as the creature was drained of its power then stripped of its abilities in an instant.

"Whatever you were, you had quite the parlour trick, next time, stick to the rivers and the lakes you're used to." Sal added as he nodded to Dorren and that's when Monica's song ended as well, it had returned everything to normal, as normal as any sinful evening at the stag. Dorren helped carry the struggling creature, he stumbled with him feigning to be drunk until they were outside at the back of the building, no one was there since they hadn't opened the back space for patrons. "I'm assuming Kybern sent you, for any number of reasons but one is apparent enough, to get him, —you won't be going back anywhere really, so I want to know why he wants him so much." Rod growled out as he held the now powerless human male by his throat.

"I serve my master to the end, I'll never betray h—." He choked out but Rod scoffed. "They all say that and luckily I don't care." He replied as he pulled out a green almost black stone from his jacket pocket, dropped the man and placed the stone on his forehead. "I get what I want either way." The stone ripped apart the man's mind taking all his memories and thoughts until nothing but a drooling catatonic mess was left, with a swift swipe of his claws a head was removed from its body and flames erupted over the body turning it to ash whilst Rod walked back to the stag, he would do whatever it took to make sure his family was safe, even kill ever so brutally.

The Stag.

The trials brew and anyone wondering where Lael is, I'm wondering too.

Saint Jay.