Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 17:25:54 +0000
From: Draiodoir Draiodoir <darkdraiodoir666@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Gatekeeper: Stigmatized/ Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Caleb's Visit

	"What?" shouted Bree, startled while Lazarus hurriedly maneuvered
the car to get out of the parking lot. Osiris felt like he was about to get
sick and suddenly, he vomited to the car floor. Lazarus looked at him
worriedly then muttered a hurried spell to make the vomit vanish.

	"Thanks," said Osiris weakly, leaning back to his seat. He can't
believe how frightened he was. Lazarus avoided traffic and in no time, they
were on the dirt road on their way to the estate.

	"I can't believe it," Lazarus said. "We're in the Hand of
Atonement's headquarters without even knowing it! How was that possible?"

	"I didn't feel that they were witches," said Bree still watching
Osiris. "If Henri MacFacius was the Advocatus Diaboli, how come we hadn't
felt his magic?"

	Osiris explained to them that the whole executive floor was Henri's
Territory... his Position of Power. The two Devas, in spite of themselves,
looked impressed and horrified at the same time.

	"That made sense; he must have cancelled everyone's powers, even
our senses, so that we won't know. Anything that you want will happen in
your Territory... he must have been extremely powerful to make it that
huge," said Lazarus.

	"Wait... Territory isn't that suppose to be the pocket realms you
can make by using tremendous amount of energy?" asked Bree. "I thought they
were extremely hard to create?"

	"Well, yes but to Henri's state, he even extended his Territory to
the whole floor," said Osiris, looking as though something from the bottom
of his gut wanted to come out again. "He's really powerful."

	They fell silent for the rest of the trip as the thought of their
survival sink in. An hour passed and when they arrived on the house, Alicia
came out to greet them with a welcoming smile. She immediately got the vibe
that something went wrong.

	"What's wrong? Who died?" joked Alicia but Lazarus gave her a
look. She gasped and asked more gravely, "Who died?"

	"No one died Al," said Bree as she, Lazarus and Osiris walked
towards the house. Alicia hurried behind them.

	"Um... Os someone's here to see you," she said cautiously. Osiris
looked back to her.

	"Who?"

	"Anubis said it was okay... he's in the living room."

	Osiris hurried inside, Lazarus and Bree at his heels. He smiled in
relief as Caleb looked back to him, grinning. Luna was sitting looking
warily to Anubis on an armchair.

	"All right Os?" asked Caleb, standing up then approached Osiris and
they gave each other a short hug.

	"Caleb, why're you here?" Osiris sat on the couch then stood again
as he forgot to initiate introductions. "Oh, guys, this is Caleb
Brine. Caleb, these are the Devas: Lazarus, Brigit, Alicia and Carlo. And
this is Anubis, my familiar," said Osiris patting the dog by the
head. Everyone sat down. Caleb smiled to Osiris then answered his question.

	"Well, I just dropped by to see how you were doing. Luna said you
were okay but I wanted to be sure," he then changed his tone, "Did you know
that there are at least fifty Heralds outside?"

	This shocked Osiris rounding to Lazarus but the High-priest just
shrugged and looked untroubled as he said, "Yeah but they hadn't done
anything yet probably they're just doing some surveillance. I thought they
would attack us when we got to the interview but..."

	"Well, to tell you the truth," Caleb continued the reason of his
visit. "I came because I felt a huge amount of power three days ago from
here and I just want to check on to you. I thought at first it was Henri or
Verdandi because they were the only people I thought have that kind of
power but looking back "

	"Henri?" asked Osiris, grabbing Caleb by the arm. "Are you talking
about Henri MacFacius? You know him?"

	Caleb gave him a surprised look. "Of course I know. He's the
Advocatus Diaboli of the Hand of Atonement. I thought it was his power that
I felt... thought he attacked here himself... Why are you looking like
that?"

	Everyone in the room got their mouths hanging. Alicia and Carlo
stared back to Osiris, then to Bree then to Lazarus.

	"Don't tell me you just got interviewed by the leader of the Hand,
Os?" asked Alicia. Bree and Lazarus exchanged looks.

	"Wait, what? Henri " started Caleb but Osiris crossed him.

	"Why didn't you tell me this?"

	"I just told you "

	"Yes! Just! Just after I got my butt inside his office nearly
wetting myself in fear when I found out," said Osiris angrily. "Why hadn't
you told me that the CEO of MacFacius Pharmaceuticals was also the leader
of the Hand?"

	"I didn't thought he will use his company to get to you," Caleb
explained. "Even when I was a Herald, we didn't think he'll stoop as low as
use the corporation. The Mordigans didn't touch the company because he's
using it for helping people. We only stop the Hand "

	"But the Hand and the Pharmaceuticals are one. The Hand kills the
criminals and the pharmacy uses the body parts to make their miracle
medicines..." said Osiris then shivered slightly by the thought.

	"Eugh!" Bree and Alicia gave a sound of disgust. Carlo and Lazarus
looked sick.

	"You mean to say, the medicine made by MacFacius have human parts
in them?" Carlo asked, revolted.

	Caleb put his face to his hands. "We didn't know that. We thought
the Hand just use the bodies for their rituals... we had no idea they mix
them in medicines."

	"So that's why their medicines were so extraordinarily effective
and cheap," said Lazarus. "They're manufactured by magic."

	Osiris inhaled, then related to them everything that happened in
the CEO's office. Everyone listened in absolute silence, even Randolph, who
was being carried by Carlo, stayed quiet too.

	"So what Henri wants to say is that he's like a modern day Robin
Hood, only more aggressive and prepared to kill if necessary," said Bree,
unconvinced after Osiris's retelling.

	"Yeah, that's how he sounded, but if you really think of it,
MacFacius Pharmaceuticals does do a lot of humanitarian projects and
stuff," said Alicia. "And their medicines do save lives."

	"I'm interested on how these medicines get pass inspections?" Os
looked at Caleb.

	"I told you, the Hand got some people even inside the government."

	It was surreal. The Hand's reach was so vast that Osiris now
understood why the Mordigans were having a hard time stopping the thirteen
year old organization. It was like an invisible invasion... no one knows
that all of them were already being controlled by a coven of witches.

	"Who is Henri MacFacius? Why is he doing all of these?" Osiris
asked, his stare unwavering to Caleb. He wanted to know why such a man
exist... what brought him to his ideologies... how a man can get so cruel.

	"Well, Henri MacFacius was like me," said Caleb quietly. "He's an
ex-Herald... a Mordigan Witch in the past."

	Stunned silence met what Caleb said. Osiris's heart skipped a beat
as he digested this information.

	"He was a powerful witch, no one excelled in any form of magic than
him. Many thought he will be the youngest member of the Congress of Elders
but... he changed." Caleb paused a little giving room for any questions but
it was as though the room froze. He inhaled and continued.

	"With supreme magic he got the respect of many Mordigans in his
time, even the Elders give a heeding ear to his opinions. But one thing
that Henri and the Elders didn't see eye to eye was the fact of using magic
to intervene in human affairs. Henri thought that the coven must use their
magic to influence things like wars and plagues to prevent the sufferings
of people but the Elders knew that it was unthinkable and even disastrous
to the Grand Design to tamper in normal affairs using magic. It would be
like putting the world into their hands and relinquishing free
will. Mordigan law states that supernatural forces can only intervene to
supernatural situations.

	"At that time, a war broke off nearly tearing two countries into
pieces. Henri's father was a mortal unlike his mother who was also a
Mordigan witch. His father, Mario MacFacius, was a soldier, and got sent as
part of the Peace-Making Convoy to promote cease-fire between the battling
parties. In fear of his father's life, Henri tried to persuade the Elders
to intervene but they didn't hear him. His father died in the war and he
renounced his position as a Mordigan Herald. Henri hated his mother for not
urging the Elders, blaming her for her husband's death. So now he wants to
kill her mother... whose name is Verdandi Britestone."

	Osiris raised his eyebrows. "Henri's mother is Verdandi
Britestone. How come? She looks much younger than him."

	Caleb only smiled. "That's what happens when you have immense
magic, even time gets useless for you. Verdandi tried to make Henri come
back but when it appeared that he can't be persuaded she ordered Trackers
to watch him; I was one of those sent. Henri went freelance, using his
powers to directly help others. He healed the sick using spells and
potions."

	"He didn't get exposed?" Lazarus asked incredulously.

	"He made his patients sign a contract stating that they should
never speak to anyone about his powers," said Caleb. "We think that it had
an enchantment that if they break it, his healing will reverse and they
will die together with the person they told. It was rather
strange... because when I quit, my powers weakened but Henri didn't... if
it was possible, he even got stronger."

	"Then what happen?" asked Osiris.

	"He noticed that it was hard to heal people and give help to them
because they appear to be never ending. So Henri formed his own coven to
help him, finding witches that share his views. The Hand of Atonement was
born and he simultaneously founded the MacFacius Pharmaceuticals
Corporation," said Caleb staring to everyone.

	"But what did he hope to achieve? I don't think he will stop by
just founding a multi-billion dollar company to do his philanthropic work,"
said Bree disbelieving. "He's got something more planned for us."

	"He said he'll get rid of the world's suffering... whatever that
means... after I help him stop the Mordigan Witches," Osiris stated, then
saw Lazarus give Bree a grim look.

	"What I'm curious is how powerful he could be? How can he create a
Territory that big?" asked Bree. Everyone looked at Caleb, who stood and
started pacing around the room.

	"Well, there are techniques to make your Position of Power last,"
he explained. "If what you say is accurate, I think Henri interwoven his
Territory to reality unlike the Mordigans who creates theirs in the astral
plane, which was more draining and involves more magic and much harder to
penetrate. If your Territory has real portions, you can maintain it for
little magic and it will last longer but it will also be bound to physical
laws."

	Caleb continued pacing even after explaining, but he looked more
agitated making everyone in the room stare at him. There was something that
really bothered him; he gave Osiris a glance then paced again.

	"What is it Caleb? You're making us nervous!" Osiris said making
the man stop walking around.

	"It's just that... he said he wanted your heart for a potion "

	"The Essence of "

	"Innocence, yes... That's a very advance healing potion, even
thought to be dark magic because it can cheat death.... I'm just thinking,
why he needed something as powerful as that?"

	"Maybe he's sick," Carlo suggested. Bree gave him a disdainful
look.

	"Of course he's sick," she snapped, "That's what healing potions
are for. What we're wondering here is how did he become so sick that he
needs the Essence, to think that he's a powerful witch and a company that
makes medicines."

	"A curse maybe?" Alicia suggested, putting her hand to Carlo's
shoulder when he was about to retaliate. "Or a magical experiment gone
wrong?"

	"Whatever it is I think it's the reason of this aggressiveness,"
Caleb said rather gravely. "That's why he's no longer worried of
exposure... he's dying."

	Osiris didn't comprehend immediately why Caleb's looking so
worried. He noticed then that Lazarus's eyes grew as the Devas High-priest
figured out what the ex-Herald meant. Still confused, Osiris asked, "So? I
think that's going to be good news for the Mordigans."

	Lazarus shook his head. "Os, don't you see it? Henri has a
deadline. He'll do everything he can to get to you before his time is up."

	Dinner that night was rather grim as everyone still worries about
what Henri MacFacius and the rest of his coven might do to force Osiris to
help. It was obvious that Osiris wasn't convinced into aiding the Hand and
he doesn't have any more plans to go back to MacFacius Pharmaceuticals.

	He couldn't imagine what pushed Henri MacFacius, how a good man, a
man once full of faith to mankind become so antagonistic, cruel and
ruthless even capable of stooping as low as the evils he wants to
undo. Mind wandering, Osiris sat on the table together with the Devas and
Caleb but unaware of their conversations as he felt as though the world was
on his shoulders.

	He felt an unexpressed anger and disappointment to the Mordigans,
who assumed he was a threat to them just because Henri assumed he had the
power to get into the Mansion. Unconsciously shaking his head, Osiris felt
hate as he realized his life got out of his hands... they all thought he
was the realization of a four hundred year old curse... stigmatized without
doing anything and just because a few people assumed....

					* * *

	The dawn had always given hope to Osiris when he was still at his
Aunt Celina's home that he even tries to wake up early just to watch it but
the inability to discipline his body to wake often made him fail so he only
gets to see it if he tries not to sleep at all. He stood by the veranda
which overlooked the country side and Osiris witnessed the sun slowly
ascend from the horizon but it didn't give him hope anymore.

	Combinations of orange, red and yellow with speckles of pink
painted in the canvass of bluish-black sky, with a dash of twinkling stars
fading gradually... it was spectacular indeed, an art that only nature can
give. Caleb walked from the dining room and stood beside Osiris, wordlessly
handing him a cup of coffee as both men shared the scene though the older
secretly gave the younger a worried glance every now and then. But the
majestic sunrise lasted only for a few minutes and now Osiris was greeted
by another day of uncertainty. He sipped the warm black liquid while Caleb
stared at him fully.

	"What do you plan now?" asked the older guy. Osiris just shook his
head.

	"I don't know. Do you know any way at all to stop Henri? I don't
want to be a part of this mess," Osiris said gravely. "They just dragged me
in it, dammit! I feel so scared all the time! Everyday looking by my
shoulder, fearing that maybe this will be the day that they will finish me
off... feeling guilty that I drag so many people in my mess... a burden
that I didn't choose!"

	Caleb opened his mouth but he was lost for words for he doesn't
have an inkling what the young man in front of him was going through. Caleb
didn't know what else to do, so he just watched Osiris stare blankly to the
horizon. After a while, the younger man blinked and shook his head then
turned to go back to his bedroom when he stopped abruptly as he spotted the
DVD Henri MacFacius gave him.

	A rapid rush of rage fell through him Osiris waved his hand and
the case flew out to the veranda and using his psychokinesis, blasted the
DVD into a hundred pieces, raining plastic to the lawn below. Caleb looked
at the sparkling confetti of silver plastic then turned to congratulate
Osiris for mastering his powers but found that he now stood alone; he
stared to the empty dining room never feeling more powerless than ever.



	"So Os still not awake?" Bree asked as she and Lazarus prepared
lunch while Caleb and Carlo set the table. Alicia was entertaining Randolph
with a nursery rhyme that made Anubis groan as Alicia was no nightingale.

	"He didn't sleep last night," explained Caleb. "He was just
standing at the veranda, looking at the sunrise this morning when I woke
up."

	"He kinds of does that a lot lately," Alicia said. "I notice him
every time I warm up Randolph's bottle... he just stares out there."

	Bree looked at Lazarus and saw that the High-priest appeared rather
worried as he was stirring the mushroom soup so much that it threatened to
solidify. Bree smiled inwardly.

	"Go wake him," she told Lazarus, taking the ladle to save the
appetizer. "Tell him your idea. Talk to him."

	Lazarus knocked to Osiris's room then entered intending to wake him
up after confirming the sounds of snores.
	Approaching cautiously, Lazarus stood for a minute beside Osiris's
bed staring to his sleeping face. The High-priest got reminded by how
Osiris looked the first time Lazarus found him on the field a few weeks
ago. His features hadn't changed much but Lazarus knew that the youth in
front of him was not the same as the one he saved a month ago.

	The High-priest bended and shook Osiris's shoulder to wake him up.

	"Os? Os... wake up, it's lunch time," said Lazarus softly. Osiris
stirred then suddenly jolted in surprise for seeing someone bowed over him.

	"AARGH!" shouted Osiris not recognizing Lazarus.

	The High-priest suddenly felt himself got pushed away by an
undetectable force, then slammed to the wall beside the door with a
bang. Realizing what he had done, Osiris rushed to Lazarus's side as the
High-priest moaned a little as he slides to the floor, obviously in pain.

	"God, I'm sorry Lazarus," Osiris apologized, checking Lazarus's
body for anything broken, pressing his hand to the guy's back. Bree,
Alicia, Carlo and Caleb hurriedly opened the door, staring at the two guys
on the floor; Osiris glanced up looking guilty while Lazarus grimaced then
said rather unconvincingly, "I'm okay...I'm...okay."

	After a while Osiris helped Lazarus to his feet asking whether he
broke any part of the older guy's body.

	"I'm self-healing Os," reassured Lazarus then glanced back to the
wall he hit. "You broke the wall though."

	Sure enough, there was a sizable crack where Lazarus hit the
wall. Everyone laughed after seeing this.

	"I got surprised," said Osiris. "I was having a dream well a
nightmare and I got startled... sorry."

	Rubbing his back, Lazarus gave Osiris a smile. "It's okay. I'm
sorry I startled you."

	"Lunch is ready everyone," called Bree still chuckling. All of them
walked to the table and went to their seats. Dishes were passed around and
the atmosphere was rather pleasant as they enjoyed food prepared by Bree
and Lazarus, who (according to Carlo) only cooks once in a blue moon.

	Osiris was silent during the meal unlike everyone else who were
conversing enthusiastically. Carlo was asking Caleb about the Mordigan
qualifications and privileges for becoming a member, while Alicia and Bree
discussed quietly new ideas of another shampoo line they want to make for
the organic shop.

	Seeing that they were the only quiet people on the table, Lazarus
said, "I've been thinking Os and I believe I have a suggestion on how to
make Henri stop coming after you." He said this very quietly, intending to
let only Osiris hear but after speaking, it was obvious that Lazarus caught
everyone's attention, as they stopped their conversations almost
immediately.

	Osiris stared at him breathlessly. "Really? How?"

	"Well," Lazarus wiped his mouth. "There are certain ways to inhibit
one's powers. Relinquishment, binding and stripping are some of the obvious
ways... one though is by coven law. Covens can instate a rule, a guideline
of how a member can use his powers. A penalty can be given if the member
breaks a rule."

	"How will this help me?" Osiris asked rather puzzled but Carlo and
Alicia were smiling. It was Bree who explained.

	"Lazarus always complicates things. What he's trying to say is
that, you can join Devas so that we can protect you by coven law."

	"We can write a rule that states that you cannot use your power for
the sake of the Hand," said Lazarus frowning to Bree.
	"With a penalty that your power will temporarily binds itself if
you try to do so. Coven law is universal, self-implementing and shall
prevail as long as you're a member of that coven. So even if Henri captures
you, he can't force you to use your power to help him."

	It was like the roof opened up, illuminating the dining room as
Osiris's face broke to a genuine smile, one of his truest ever since he
start living in the Easter estate. As though he just received a miracle,
Osiris reached to Lazarus and embraced him tightly, making the High-priest
jolt in surprise, looking a little bit embarrassed. Carlo, Alicia and Bree
smiled.

	"Thank you so much," Osiris sobbed to Lazarus's neck. Not knowing
what to do, Lazarus gave him a few awkward pats on the back. When Osiris
broke the hug, everyone saw his face was wet in tears. He hastily wiped his
cheeks with his hands.

	"Sorry... it's just..."

	"No, it's alright. We understand," Bree said, her voice shaking
slightly too. Every resumed eating with renewed enthusiasm as they listened
to Lazarus explained to Osiris how the ritual worked.

	"We can do it the day after tomorrow, this coming full moon,"
suggested Lazarus who was still little red. Osiris can't stop beaming at
him.

	"Cool! So before we plan the ritual let's cool off some steam,"
said Carlo genially. "I found this DVD by the stock beneath the TV this
morning when I was trying to find the remote. I haven't watched it before
but it might be cool." He showed everyone a silver cased disc. Osiris
grabbed it looking befuddled. It was the DVD Henri gave him, the same one
he just exploded this morning.
	Every stared at him surprised with his reaction then Bree and
Lazarus recognized it too.

	"Wait, isn't that the DVD from Henri?" Bree asked carefully as she
saw Osiris's grip tighten at it.

	"Yeah and I blasted it by psychokinesis this morning," he mumbled
then looked at Carlo. "Where did you found this?"

	"At the cabinet beneath the TV where we keep movies," said Carlo.

	"You didn't repair it?" Osiris demanded hotly.

	"Why would I do that?" defended Carlo.

	Caleb tried to calm Osiris down. "It might be enchanted Os. Henri
might have made sure that it won't be destroyed until it's watched... so
even if we teleport it to Timbuktu it will return here until we see what's
in it."

	"But there might be a hypnotic spell or something on it," Alicia
expressed warningly.

	After a few moments, Osiris got back his self-control and thought
for a second. Giving everyone a valiant look, he said, surprising everyone,
"I don't think so. Henri said it might just help me decide. He said it's
one of the reasons that opened his eyes." Debating to himself, Os decided,
"Let's watch it."

	So everybody helped clear out the table and then went to the living
room below. Carlo turned on the TV and DVD player, put the disc in and
said, "Here we go," as he pushed the PLAY button. The screen flickered to
life and everyone sat on the couch and armchairs dreading what they would
see it in.

To be continued...

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

	Thank you to everyone who emailed me! Sorry if it's kind of
late... I procrastinated a bit. I hope you are enjoying the story. Please
send your comments, criticisms and flirtations to:
darkdraiodoir666@hotmail.com

	Until next time,

Fritz D. Ilagan