Prague, Czech Republic - Paris, France - Brocken, Germany - Greece - Ireland - Norway - former location of Castle Wyvern, Scotland - Loch Ness, Scotland - Silicy - Spain
For information on the London or Scottish gargoyle clans, see the Guide to TGS Gargoyle clans. For information on New Olympus, see the Guide to TGS Gargoyle Clans.
Information compiled during July/August 2002 and updated in October 2002. Updated again in November 2002.
Bronx, Elisa, Goliath, and Angela arrive in Prague. Police cars chase a red sportscar through cobblestone streets. The pursued driver escapes over the side of a bridge onto a power boat, which narrowly misses the little boat from Avalon. Goliath catches a glimpse of Reynard on board. He parks them under the bridge and flies after Reynard on the chance the magnate can help them get home. Bronx and Angela wait on the bridge tower while Elisa goes to find out where they are. She runs into a young man in the street, who tells her that New York is a long way from Prague. He goes into a building and she tries to follow him, to find a phone, but whoever's manning the peep-hole slams it shut without letting her in or saying a word. She walks away muttering that Prague is about as friendly as NY. Inside, the young man explains to the older man who let him in that she was just a lost tourist, not one of Brod's people. The old man hands him a tallis which he puts on, even as he says it isn't going to work. "But Rabbi Loew is your ancestor. He spoke to you," the old man tells him. "In a dream!" the young man, Max Loew, protests. "he told me the sacred words to write in a dream." "So write the old man says reasonably. "To the mystics, dreams are more powerful than waking thoughts," he continues. "It is your destiny. You are the chosen one." "Which doesn't leave me any choice," Max sighs as he sits down and starts to work. On a dock beside a warehouse, a deal is just concluding between the sportscar driver (who turns out to be the "Brod" spoken of) and Reynard via Vogel. Brod gets a hovership; Reynard gets "the item specified." Brod and his goons take off and Vogel goes into the warehouse. Goliath follows and tries to get Reynard to help him. But Reynard is changed, weaker and harsher. He blows Goliath off in a hot instant. Max finishes writing, saying, "It takes a powerful will to summon the Golem." "Then find the will," the old man urges him as he slides a bookcase away from a hidden staircase entrance. "Brod must be stopped." "But," Max objects, "the Golem hasn't opened its eyes for over four hundred years!" Max comes out of his flashback with a shake of his head. "What if it doesn't like me?" The old man favors him with a brief, patient smile, then pushes him gently up the stares to the upper room, where the huge stone creature sits dormant. Max lights a candle and begins to speak the invocation as the hovership arrives overhead. As the Golem's mouth opens to receive the folded parchment on which Max wrote the sacred words, a hole opens in the wall and Brod and his goons rush in to steal the Golem. On the bridge tower, Goliath arrives, saying that something has changed Reynard. Angela points out the hovership, which Goliath recognizes, and they see the Golem being hoisted away. They fly to investigate while Bronx walks down the tower wall. Meanwhile, Elisa, pacing the streets, hears gunfire and looks up to see Brod and company firing on the gargoyles. Bronx charges past her and together they hustle to the synagogue. Despite their efforts, though, Brod and his men get away with the Golem and the parchment Max made. Max explains to Elisa and the gargoyles about the Golem, saying that the spell had been lost for 400 years and the Golem sat safe in that room until tonight, only to be stolen by Brod; and Brod and his mob are the reason Prague needs the Golem now. Max is despairing; Elisa tries to cheer him up, and Goliath flies off to confront "someone I thought I knew" -- Reynard. In the dockside warehouse, Reynard, in a circle of candles with the Golem, orders the tallis-clad Vogel to proceed. Goliath interrupts, demanding to know what has happened to Reynard's integrity. "Integrity is a luxury I can no longer afford," Reynard tells him, indicating the progress of his debilitating illness. Reynard plans to use an incantation to transfer his soul into the Golem's body. "What you're doing is wrong!" Goliath says. "I don't recall asking for your opinion," Reynard retorts, training one of his chair-mounted guns on Goliath. Vogel mispronounces his way through the Hebrew; even so, the Golem opens its mouth and Vogel puts the parchment inside. Reynard speaks the transfer incantation: "Nah le havi nafshi le guf ha adamah," before collapsing; the Golem's eyes alight as it wakes, and it speaks with Reynard's voice. Goliath urges him to turn back, but the Golem seizes him in a crushing grip, saying, "It is too late to turn back." "I will not be deprived of life!" Reynard/Golem exclaims, throwing Goliath aside. It steps out into the night, wreaking havoc as it goes, having directed Vogel to guard the now lifeless body. Presently, the others, waiting in the synagogue for Goliath, hear crashing from below and run to investigate; it is the Reynard/Golem, trashing the library to prevent the possibility of any spell being found that might banish him from the clay body. "The Golem is possessed!" the old man exclaims. It aggressively fends off an attack by Angela, and Elisa accuses it of enjoying the damage it's causing. "You don't understand -- it's not my fault; I had no choice," it says. "There is always a choice!" Max cries. "The Golem depends on me to guide him wisely!" "Then you'll guide us out of here," it says, hoisting him by the shirtfront and leaving. Just then, Goliath lands and urges him once more to stop. "A weak body is no excuse for a corrupt spirit!" It tosses Max aside to attack Goliath, pinning him against a wall and saying, "How can you judge me? Your body has not betrayed you." "Our judgements do not matter," Max says. "You must be able to live with yourself." "And if I can't?" it demands. "Accept my fate? Quietly wither away to nothing?" Goliath presses, "My friend, is this a better destiny? Giving up all you believe in for a piece of clay?" The Reynard/Golem considers a moment, then lets Goliath go. "What have I become?" it murmurs. Back at the warehouse, Reynard opens his eyes in his own body. "Welcome back, Mr. Reynard," Vogel says. As Goliath assures Reynard that he doesn't face the future alone, Reynard asks Max what he will do now. "Make a choice," Max answers. "Face my destiny. Reclaim our home." At some sort of construction installation that happens to have weapons in it, Brod gloats over the high-tech guns he and the men are looting, saying, "Even the army won't be able to stop us now." A heavy noise alerts him and he looks up to see Max, who orders him to surrender. "You are becoming a nuisance," Brod says, and raises his automatic rifle to shoot, but the Golem steps into the line of fire and Brod quickly discovers his bullets have no effect. Goliath and Elisa make short work of his henchmen, and as Brod attempts to escape in the hovership, the Golem grabs it and flings it to earth, then breaks into the ship and grabs Brod, carrying him to the edge of a big pit. Max quickly stops it from dropping Brod to his death, saying, "You must follow the words of our ancestors: 'Love justice and do mercy.'" It turns back and together they return to where Elisa and Goliath are tying up the goons. "Your city is in capable hands," says Goliath. "And you get used to the weirdness," Elisa assures Max. On the bridge, Reynard thanks Goliath for saving his soul, and offers to transport them all back to New York. Goliath demurs, saying that he has his own destiny to face -- fate has guided them to every stop on their journey, and he must see it through. Elisa likewise turns down Goliath's suggestion that she go with Reynard, saying she's got some vacation time and that Goliath and the others would be lost without her. "Let's go home, Mr. Vogel, I'm tired," Reynard says as the wanderers turn away. "It has been an adventure, sir." The sun rises as Max and the Golem look out over Prague from the synagogue roof.
The Golem was awakened to do battle with the Unseelie when they attacked and fought the Unseelie and was helped by citizens. They rallied around the Golem and drove the Unseelie out in a hail of iron horseshoes and re-bar.
Emissaries from the pope were transporting several goods to King Charlemagne. Among those goods was the Phoenix Gate. This group was robbed by a nobleman's retinue. When the emissaries arrived at King Charlegmagne's court, they told the king what happenned. Malagigi, one of the king's advisors, asked the king to delay the search until he found more information on what was stolen. The king agreed. That night, Brooklyn timedanced into Malagigi's study. Brooklyn managed to convince Malagigi that hew as from the future. Malagigi asked the king to let Malagigi choose the men to go after the stolen goods and the king accepted. On the trip with the two men that Malagigi had chosen, Brooklyn met a lutin. Unfortunately, Brooklyn and the men were captured. They learned their captors wanted to destroy the Phoenix Gate in order to release Loki. The lutin managed to get some of his clanmates to help Brooklyn and the men get free and they captured the men who had stolen the pope's goods. Brooklyn thanked the lutins for their help. Brooklyn timedanced out.
Demona meets Nostradomus while sick and keeps in contact with him until his death. Nostradomus gives Demona a copy of his completed works.
Michel de Nostredame is convinced by Brooklyn to convince Demona to align with Xanatos in 1993.
Demona arrived in Paris during the French Revolution. She learned that the French clan had an alliance with the clergy. However, the French people had gone mad and attacked anything that might be a threat to their revolution - including gargoyles. events of that story as it portains to this location Unfortunately, the mobs had started killing gargoyles. During the visit, Demona learned of the Praying Gargoyle. The leader of the local clan sent a member of his clan away in order to fetch a someone who could invoke a spell to use the Praying Gargoyle to protect their remaining clan. The French clan returned to the Norte Dame Cathedral to seek refuge, but during the day they were shattered. Demona left Paris after learning that the Paris clan was shattered during the day.
Brooklyn & Sata timedanced to Paris, France during the French Revolution. The French clan was almost extinguished due to human violence. Brooklyn and Sata met Etolie, the only surving member of the French clan. They fought their way to get the eggs from the French clan out of the city. Brooklyn, Sata, and Etolie put the eggs on a barge and floated them to England, while avoiding being attacked. While still in France, they met with gypsies who helped them travel overland with the eggs. Then, they took a boat to London. Once in London, the group met with the London clan and managed to get Etolie and the eggs under the care of the London clan. Brooklyn and Sata saw the eggs from the French clan hatch before timedancing out.
Demona picks up the Praying Gargoyle from Paris, and slays Charles Canmore in front of his three children. Madoc and Maeve attend Charles's funeral, and help encourage the three Canmore children to hunt Demona in their father's stead. They also supply them with their weaponry.
One afternoon, Macbeth and Demona, in human form stroll through city streets and exchange sweet nothings. They are in Paris and in love. Elisa, Goliath, Angela, and Bronx arrive from Avalon in the small boat, the latter three turned to stone for the day. Elisa is wry about being unable to share Paris with Goliath. Mooring the boat beneath a bridge, she leaves to go sightseeing. Remembering suddenly that she needs to call her parents, Elisa stops at a pay phone. Before she can place the call, Macbeth and Demona walk by, oblivious to her. Surprised and suspicious, Elisa follows them. When they part with a kiss, Elisa manages to tail Demona as far as Notre Dame. That night, Elisa returns to the other Gargoyles to share the news. Goliath explains to Angela how Demona can be human during the day, but her truce with Macbeth defies explanation. Elisa then shows Goliath a newspaper with a photo of "the Monster of Notre Dame"--a gargoyle silhouette against the moon above the cathedral. En route to Notre Dame via boat, Angela addresses Goliath as "father." He chides her, saying she must regard the whole clan as her parents. To keep Angela away from Demona, Goliath persuades her to stay by the boat and protect Elisa, who plays along reluctantly. Goliath and Bronx ascend the cathedral. Goliath surprises Demona--she was expecting someone else. Demona attacks him. Angela sees this from below and rushes to help. Goliath and Bronx knock Demona onto the roof, but Thailog is there to save her. Demona is not the Notre Dame Monster--Thailog is. He and Demona are in love. Goliath tries to warn Thailog about Demona, that she and Macbeth plot something, but Thailog ignores him. Demona attributes Goliath's objections to jealousy. Sunrise slowly approaches, so Goliath leaves with Bronx. Angela leaves as well--she eavesdropped upon the entire conversation. In the cathedral, Demona reports the day's events to Thailog. The two have pooled their funds, and they are now business partners under assumed names. Macbeth thinks Demona is actually a lady named Dominique--and they plan something big for the approaching day. In the boat, Elisa and Goliath continue to ponder the dealings amongst Macbeth, Demona, and Thailog. Angela interrupts to ask why Goliath never told her he and Demona were once in love. Goliath is angry; he says the past doesn't matter anymore. This angers Angela in turn, but sunrise prevents an argument. That afternoon, Elisa deduces that Macbeth has lost all memory of Demona's ability to become human during the day, thanks to the Weird Sisters' compulsion spell. Thailog and Demona are plotting behind Macbeth's back. Inside Macbeth's Paris home, Macbeth and "Dominique" marry. That evening, Macbeth feels obligated to reveal his past to Dominique--but before he can begin, his new wife begins the painful transformation back into Demona. Macbeth feels the pain and is horrified when he sees his true love become his archenemy. Thailog awakens upon Notre Dame and swoops away to join Demona; Elisa leads Goliath, Angela and Bronx to the same place. Demona greets Thailog when he arrives, and leads him to Macbeth's dungeon, where Macbeth is now caged. Stepping close to gloat at the prisoner, Thailog secretly slips Macbeth a laser gun. Demona explains her intentions to inherit Macbeth's fortunes and keep him locked away forever. Upon hearing this, Macbeth uses the gun to blow open a wall and escape. Thailog and Demona set off in pursuit. They split up, and Thailog abandons the battle to Demona. Macbeth engages her in the grand hall. Thailog escapes through a skylight. He is not surprised at the arrival of Goliath, Angela, Bronx and Elisa, and he tells them about Demona and Macbeth's little spat below. If Macbeth and Demona both die, Thailog will inherit all their wealth, as the business partner of Macbeth's bride. As Goliath, Angela, and Bronx fight to stop Thailog, Elisa drops through the skylight to stop Macbeth and Demona. Below, Elisa tries in vain to reason with Macbeth and Demona, but they are caught up in the spirit of battle. After minutes of fierce fighting Demona has Macbeth at her mercy. Macbeth invites her to kill him, thus ending both their lives. Then both are knocked cold as Elisa fills Demona full of blazing electricity from one of Macbeth's weapons. On the roof, Goliath, Angela and Bronx have Thailog under control. When they hear no sounds of battle below, Thailog interprets it as a sign that both are dead. He escapes. The three join Elisa below, where Macbeth is just regaining consciousness. Elisa saved his life, but he has only despair; he will forever face life alone. Goliath points out that, despite having been betrayed by Demona, Macbeth has still learned that he can love another. Awakening, Demona is shocked and confused by the unfamiliar presence of Angela. Before Demona can think about it, however, Thailog reappears and swiftly sweet-talks her back into his arms. They fly off into the night. Returning to Avalon, Angela extracts confirmation of her parentage from Elisa and Goliath: Demona is her mother.
It's a real mountain in Germany. There was an Unseelie castle there, but it was destroyed during the 1st Unseelie war. Using magic tied to his existance, Madoc recreated the castle during the events of "The Rising" part 1 - October 29, 1997. The castle served as the Unseelie Headquarters. The castle disintegrated when Madoc died during "Darkest Hour", part 2 - April 30, 1999. During its existance, Madoc had recaps working there to control the gnomes. When the castle disintegrated, the gnomes escaped and assumedly live in the surrounding area. In the future, Nicholas II does not recreate this castle.
summary of that story
Molly and Rory are running, escaping from the police after committing a robbery. Goliath, Bronx, Elisa, and Angela arrive in Scotland. All of the travelers were captured. Rory returns to his father and his dad asks Rory where Rory has been. Rory responds he's been out. The next night, when Angela and Goliath awaken, Bronx is gone but Elisa is there. Bronx ran out to get help and ran into Rory. Goliath & company learn they were captured by the Banshee. the Banshee captured them to run Oberon's plans for returning to Avalon. Unfortunately, the travelers did not know the plans. With Bronx's help, Rory arrives where Goliath, Angela, and Elisa are being held captive. There, Rory finds the Banshee. Rory returns home. The next night, Rory is awakened by his father and meets up with Molly. Rory tells his father about a dream he had and his father responds that the place in the dream sounds like Cu Chullain's tomb. Rory's dad tells him that Cu Chullain was the Hero of Ulster and saved Ireland from the Banshee. Rory says that he is going there tonight and Molly goes with him. At the tomb, Rory finds the Spear of Light and becomes Cu Chullain again. Molly says that she strove to prevent this and since Rory knows the truth, Molly transforms into the Banshee and fights him. Bronx assists. Rory defeats the Banshee and she leaves. Rory, later, helps Angela, Goliath, and Elisa leave their imprisonment.
Arthur and Griff come to Ireland for a conference and meet Rory for the first time. Rory battles against Mavis O'Connor/Maeve.
The Banshee guided Rory to finally join King Arthur's group in London.
A group of young people are heading down a road on foot, ostensibly trying to be stealthy. It's the middle of the night, and they're headed for the Grange Stone Circle to "try something new." These are our bikers, sort of. The current ringleader of the group, Dierdre, tells them to hurry, and while none of them share her enthusiasm, they're not about to turn around and go back now. Dierdre isn't exactly the type you'd expect in any sort of biker gang but she makes up for that in attitude. Besides, she's the only one who's come up with anything to do. One of the others, Connor, complains that they should have taken their motorbikes, but someone else mentions that the engines would have made too much noise. Connor makes some rude comment about following the witch around, but everyone ignores him since he always seems to be at odds with Dierdre. Besides, they're all fairly curious, and the idea of sneaking into an ancient site to fool around with "mystical forces" appeals to most of them. Dierdre has a book of spells and rituals she stole from a shop earlier. One such ritual supposedly awakens the spirit of the hunt - or something similarly vague that the group might think is cool. Reluctantly, the group reach the circle and file in through the "entrance," with Connor making snide remarks about the height of some of the stones and how it doesn't look like a portal to the unknown. They set up shop (so to speak) in the center of the circle, setting everything up as instructed and making ready for the ritual. They're going through the motions, not really expecting anything to happen. So when they go through the ritual, no one's expecting the burst of energy that flares from the stones, encircling them with a ring of magical energy that suddenly turns inward, flowing into the group sitting in the center. The shadows of the stones are stark against the brightness, and the shadows seem to take the shapes of hounds. When it ends, they're not very sure what's happened, only that they're wide awake and ready for action. The obvious question comes up: what are they going to do now? Connor's eyes flicker briefly with green light. He's suddenly in charge, and there's an edge to his behavior that there wasn't before. "We go for a ride." In Rory's home village, it's late evening, and it's a relatively quiet night. The local pub is closing up for the night when the sudden roar of motorbike engines cuts through the silence. The proprietor looks up to see lights outside and hears some raucous shouting. Someone jiggles the handle of the locked door, and there are shouts of dismay and anger. He picks up his broom, muttering something about reckless kids. Someone throws a rock through the window, and that makes him even angrier. He storms to the door, ready to give whoever's on the other side hell. As he does so, the door is kicked open, and the proprietor stops short, shocked at the sight of the person standing there. (We don't see what has scared him so much, just his reaction.) The police get wind of this, and head for the pub. When the bikers realize they've got company, they tear out of there, but not before taking a few "complimentary" items. The police chase them, and seem to be catching up. . . ...but when they round a corner in pursuit, the bikers are gone. There's no place they could possibly hide (it's not like Rory and Molly slipping under a bridge) - they seem to have simply vanished into thin air. The police check the woods, but there's no sign of them going off the road, so the cops eventually turn and go back to the scene of the crime. As they drive off, a pair of glowing eyes watch them go.
Rory and Leba just got off the ferry from Holyhead and are heading for the train station in Dublin. Leba asks Rory if he thinks this trip home will help at all. Rory admits that he's honestly not sure; he's been trying to control his fits for months, and in spite of that it happened again. So a week may not be that successful. But he hasn't been able to shake the feeling that he has to go home, just for a short stay. He's almost being called back there, somehow, like he was drawn to London when Arthur needed him.
The bikers are more or less camped out in the woods, drinking and celebrating their "victory." Most of them are still relatively themselves aside from the state of their clothes - which make them look more the part. Almost all of them are too busy partying to notice that the forest they're camped in isn't quite "real" - or think anything of the shadowy hounds roaming around their camp. The unreal surroundings, almost an alteration of reality, tend to follow them around like a mist. Dierdre sits in the midst of it all, still the leader of the group for the moment. She's more aware of her surroundings, including the nature of the hounds, but it doesn't bother her at all; she had a better idea of what was going to happen than anyone, and she doesn't mind. Some of the bikers wonder where they're going to go next, an idea that Dierdre scoffs at. She doesn't feel like going anywhere just yet. All they've done, really, is steal from a pub and scare the proprietor. "We can do better than that." Connor, to the surprise of everyone, agrees. They're the hunters, not the prey; why should they run? Besides, if the local police are any indication, the village will be easy pickings. Of course, a few of the gang aren't happy about this - they're still themselves, and have gotten used to quick raids from town to town. One of them, a burly man who's twice Dierdre's size, says he's not going to stick around and gets up, trying to intimidate her. But before he can attack her, she growls and attacks first, catching him completely off guard and throwing him several feet away. As he lies there, dazed, Dierdre regains a bit of her composure, but her smile is predatory and she remains tensed for attack. She turns to face the rest of the group, raking them with a steely look. "Anyone ELSE planning on leaving?" she hisses. No one says a word.
Rory and Leba finally make it to the Dugan residence, and Rory is dismayed to find that his father isn't at home. They probably should have sent word first. Rory wonders where Patrick could be. "Well, this is th' last thing I expected to see on the doorstep." Surprised, Rory turns to see his father coming up the path, tired but pleased to see his son. Rory introduces Leba, and Patrick naturally invites them in. When Rory asks where he's been, Patrick informs them that he's been out all day at work - he's found a job. He's working for the rail-company as a Transportation Engineer, which he says is really just a glorified repairman job. Rory's thrilled, and surprised that Patrick didn't write (he sent his father letters with the Pendragon Investigations address), but Patrick shrugs it off. He insists the only reason he's got a job now is because he was in the right place at the right time. He also wants to know why Rory didn't bother to write or call before showing up. Rory looks fairly uncomfortable, but after a moment or two - and a bit of prodding from Leba - he tells Patrick the whole story. Patrick's surprised; he would have thought that Rory's appearance had more to do with the rash of thefts and property damage. He proceeds to explain that a gang showed up in the village a few nights ago. They've never been out by day, and they've never been caught; but the few people they've crossed paths with have been scared out of their wits. Rory and Leba exchange looks, remembering their conversation earlier. Patrick invites them to stay - of course - until Rory can work things out. Rory and Leba visit Cairn na Chullain, and discuss some of Cuchullain's past - including incidents that involved his rage and how it helped and hindered him in battle. They compare that to Rory's current life, and Leba points out that Rory's rage hasn't done nearly as much damage as it did in his last life. Rory, however, points out that he hasn't had the chance to hurt that many people yet. Leba takes the opportunity to tell him off - yes, his rage can be a problem, but he's being ridiculous. Brooding over it isn't going to solve anything. What does he plan to do, run off to the mountains and become a hermit? Before Rory can respond to that, he pauses, feeling anxious. He's unable to shake the feeling he's being watched, and he's picking up feelings of danger from Luin. On a hunch, they head back towards the village.
In a small bookshop a few blocks away from the pub, the store owner and a customer are chatting about the recent events. The local pub is closed, a fact that the customer's mildly annoyed about. A tourist in the store - Minnie Watkins, of course - interrupts, looking for the local history section. He points out the large, well-stocked shelf in the back to her, more interested in his current conversation. He tells the customer that there's no help for it - the bartender's physically all right, but he's still in a state of shock. The customer's surprised and wonders just what on earth could have scared a man like the bartender. The owner doesn't know, but he hopes he doesn't have a run-in with it himself. Naturally, he jinxes himself, because just then the faint sound of motorbike engines can be heard. Out the front window, they can see fog starting to roll in, so thick and so fast it can't be natural. "Ye had to say it, didn't ye?" the customer mutters as the sounds of howling can be heard. Outside, the bikers tear down the street in clouds of fog, accompanied by dark canine shapes. They split up, going for multiple targets at once. A few bikers go for the local grocer (or some equivalent), knocking over shelves of food and letting the hounds attack the food that hits the ground. Some go for the witnesses out on the street, speeding by them and snatching trinkets as they blow by. The fog makes it impossible to make out their features, but two shadows can be seen at the nominal head of the pack: one female with a broadsword, and a tall man with an axe who looks as though he has antlers. The woman breaks away, heading for the bookshop. Unlike the bartender, the bookshop owner is a little faster on his feet. He heads right for the back door, tugging the local customer with him and shouting at Minnie to run. As they reach the back door, a motorcycle and its rider drive straight through the display window, sending glass flying everywhere. Minnie is not quick enough, and finds herself between the rider and the door. She opts to hide beneath a table as the raider makes her way through the shop, snatching a few things and simply destroying others. A dark hound follows, sniffing around. She stops where Minnie is hiding and leans down. It's Dierdre, of course. Her eyes are glowing faintly green, and there's no evidence of glass cuts anywhere. Minnie trembles.
Rory and Leba are running down the street, following the sound of mayhem. "That's not natural, is it?" Leba asks, seeing the fog. Rory shakes his head, and they plunge into the fog, with Luin lighting the way. It's so thick that it seems to be covering up the surroundings completely and replacing them with forest-like shadows. Rory manages to cleave through the mist. In the center of the chaos, Connor turns from to see the approaching light, and his eyes glow green. For a moment, Leba swears she can see a gnarled and towering oak in the midst of the swirling shadows, its shape more real and solid than the phantoms conjured by the fog. The sound of a hunting horn cuts through the mayhem, and Dierdre smiles. "Time to go." She reaches down and snatches Minnie's necklace from her neck before taking off again. Even with Luin lighting their way, Rory and Leba are too late to catch the bikers as they tear off again. The fog clears, and they are gone, leaving a great deal of confused and dazed witnesses. The light from Luin abruptly winks out. In the distance, police sirens can be heard, but they're too late to do anything. Leba takes in the sight of broken windows and vandalized buildings, noting that there is nothing that could have been mistaken for that oak in the mist. "Something tells me this isn't going to be a holiday, is it?"
The gang throws a wild party, feasting off the spoils of their raid and generally celebrating the mayhem they've wrought. It's more like a medieval feast than it is a drinking party; many more of the bikers have "gotten into the spirit" of things. None of them thinks anything odd about the presence of the hounds, or questions Dierdre's leadership. Well, almost everyone. Dierdre is feeling pretty pleased with how the raid turned out, but Connor is put out over the fact that they bailed so quickly. "Would ye rather we stayed and let the Gardai catch us?" someone comments. Connor glares at him, insisting that there's no way that they could have been caught by the cops had they showed up in time. In fact, he'd have preferred to have it out with the police, just to see the looks on their faces. The in-and-out raiding isn't hunting. They should be going for a real challenge. It's nothing compared to what he's got planned. "Since when," Dierdre snarls, "was this about *your* plans?" Growling, Connor attacks her, and she barely has time to snatch her sword up and parry the blow from the club he's holding. He still manages to pin her against a tree. "Since I got a taste for real prey." Dierdre shoves him away with a warning: stay out of her way or else. She makes an oblique comment to the extent that she was the one who gave them this power, and they should respect that. Connor watches her go, and thinks.
The next morning, Rory and Leba are investigating the site of the last raid under the guise of helping out with cleanup. The bookshop owner, a friend of his father, is all too grateful for the help, and mentions how Rory actually spent some time in the shop when he was young. "What happened?" Leba asks. "Molly happened," Rory says quietly. They take the opportunity to find out what, if anything, was taken. The only books that were stolen were from the mythology section, and some money from the register. Leba notices a book lying by the counter, possibly dropped by the thief on the way out. A page is torn out, presumably a page mentioning legends surrounding Lough Gur. She files that away for later use, but that's the only clue they've got. As Rory and Leba are heading out of the shop, a kid of about 13 or 14 brushes past him. Rory immediately grabs the kid by the wrist, much to the boy's irritation. But when Rory snatches his own wallet out of the boy's hand, the kid stops acting annoyed. To Leba's shock, Rory grins, telling the kid he should know whose pockets he's trying to pick. The boy, Aidan, recognizes Rory, and begs him not to call the police. Rory is clearly disappointed to see him thieving, but lets Aidan go with a warning. Aidan starts to go, but Rory stops him and makes him hand over the item he nicked from the shop, putting it back on the shelf. Muttering to himself, the kid takes off. Leba shakes her head. "What's the saying? It takes a thief to catch a thief?" "Ex-thief," Rory corrects her, sighing. He's fairly disappointed; Aidan's father has a steady job - and still does if the talk with Patrick was any indication - and the boy has no reason to be stealing. "And you had every reason," Leba finishes. It's Rory's turn to look annoyed. "Reminds me a bit of you." Rory shakes his head. "I wasn't stealing that young." He adds, "Besides, 'tis not like he's got someone egging him on." He does admit to Leba that Molly was largely responsible for getting him into petty theft in the first place. Leba, of course, isn't surprised but Rory adds that even without her encouragement, he may have done it anyway. It's not like he enjoyed it, but the chase seemed to satisfy his restlessness somewhat. Besides, the local police were not that swift. "That's only going to make it easier for these people," Leba comments. Rory doesn't think they were people - and he could have sworn that the horned figure recognized him somehow. He can't remember such a figure in his past or present life, but there was recognition in those glowing eyes. Leba mentions the Unseelie, but Rory's not sure; they were human, but they weren't. Why, exactly, these semi-supernatural bikers are resorting to vandalism and thefts is beyond both of them, but Rory has the feeling it's just a prelude.
In the forest, in the bikers' camp, Connor is plotting, and growing crazier by the minute as he mutters to himself. He sits alone, with only one of the hounds for company, going on and on about how he hates Dierdre, how he's restless, how this is a sorry excuse for a Hunt, et cetera. As he stares at the hound, his ranting becomes more violent, less rational. After a moment or two, he rises and picks up a large axe from the pile of weapons nearby, testing its edge. Tonight, he's going out for blood, Dierdre or no Dierdre. The hound watches intently, its tail wagging enthusiastically.
That Evening, at the Dugan household, Leba is sitting on the couch, going through books as Patrick comes in, asking what's going on. Rory is down in the main village, waiting for the bikers to strike again and trying to find any further clues to their identity and motive. Leba, however, has decided that research is a good idea; she's committed hundreds of stories and songs to memory, and the bikers seem very familiar. The legends of Lough Gur are obviously connected somehow; she's just got to figure out what the connection is. Patrick nods, not saying anything for a moment before asking how his son is. Leba's perplexed - he just saw Rory. Pat says he heard all about Rory's problems, but he can't believe that his son is nothing more than a menace to his own friends. Leba understands; while she's also concerned about Rory's berserker fits, she also wishes he'd deal with the fact that it's not his fault. They discuss a few things, about Rory's thieving days, and touch upon the uncomfortable subject of Molly. Pat realizes quickly that Leba doesn't know the whole story about Molly, and wisely doesn't let it slip. He's surprised to hear about her behavior in "The Reluctant Thief," and says something to the effect that maybe even she's grown up a little. Leba finally finds something in a book: a mention of the Lough Gur Hunt that reminds her of the gang, especially the mention of the hounds. She recognizes the legend of the Wild Hunt, and can't believe she didn't see it before... of course, the spell may have kept her from doing so. The mention of the Grange Stone Circle as being a pathway to the faerie world gives her pause, and several pieces fall into place - this has to be Unseelie magic at work here. She decides to go find Rory.
At the village, around the same time, this is the third strike Completely disorganized and fairly destructive, it results in several injuries among bystanders. Some of the bikers start snatching people up, targeting the younger and stronger ones. Rory knocks one of them off his bike - a biker who hasn't changed as much as the others - and steals his bike, tearing off after the gang. Luin flares brightly in his hand. As they near the woods, the shadows in front of the bikers seem to part like curtains, opening a "portal" of sorts. The leader of the group approaches the portal, and Rory prepares to throw the gae bolga, finally getting a clear shot - - only to have something hard and heavy slam into his chest, sweeping him off the bike and sending him crashing to the pavement. The only thing that keeps him from cracking his skull is the fact that he's been unconsciously starting to change into Cuchullain - and he changes back once he hits the ground. Luin slips from his grasp, and the hounds approach, growling. Rory looks up to see Dierdre pulling her bike around, steering with one hand and holding a quarterstaff in the other (against all the laws of physics, she keeps her balance). "Idiot," she growls at the portal before letting out a shrill whistle and tearing off into the darkness. The hounds forget about Rory and take off after her. Sitting up, Rory realizes that the bikers and the portal are gone. He notes two things about the strange woman: one, she's obviously one of them, and two, that her anger is directed at the leader of the latest raid. He files that away for later use as he goes back to assess the damage. He doesn't notice the small figure darting into the trees.
Back at the camp, Connor and Dierdre have it out. Dierdre calls Connor an idiot - not merely for his lack of caution, but because there was no "art" to what he did. The hunt doesn't just involve charging in and smashing things up. They're taunting their prey, not angering him to the point of becoming prey themselves. Connor brushes her off, and gets most of the bikers on his side. Dierdre is furious and makes some comment about having given them all this power and being able to take it away. Connor ignores her. The prisoners are put into makeshift cages for the time being; none of them take Connor's offer to join the Hunt, and they can't be affected without their consent (taking part in the ritual that started all this counts as consent). Connor asks Dierdre if she plans to break all these people out and take them back home - does she expect a hero's welcome? Dierdre doesn't challenge him, and stalks away, fuming. She doesn't remind him that only she knows where the book that contains the spell - and the counterspell - is hidden.
Crouched in the bushes, Aidan listens in, having wandered into the boundary between the camp and the real world. While he can't see the campsite, he can hear the argument clear as day. Once he figures out what's going on, he turns and starts heading towards the village, away from the arguing voices. A growl startles him, and he turns to see dark shapes moving in the fog, peering at him with glowing eyes. Aidan breaks into a dead run, with the hounds in hot pursuit.
Rory is slowly making his way back to the village, walking the bike he stole from one of the Hunters, when Leba catches up with him. He's bruised and disheveled, but none the worse for wear, and they exchange stories - Rory tells her what happened, and Leba explains what she thinks is going on: these bikers are acting out the legend of the Wild Hunt, and they're probably connected to the Grange Stone Circle, which is considered a portal to the faerie world. Which means that Unseelie magic's at work here. Rory points out that they weren't Unseelie, but Leba adds that it doesn't mean there isn't one involved. They go back to the village to survey the damage, and it isn't good. The Hunters grabbed about two dozen people. To Rory's dismay, Aidan is among the missing. He wants to go out to the woods and search for him, but it's clear he's not in the best shape right now - his fall off the bike and the lack of sleep he's had are catching up with him. Leba adds that if her theory is correct, searching the woods at night is a bad idea. Rory relents, on the condition that they start searching at first light.
The next day, Rory and Leba have left the village, not having found much in the way of clues. About two dozen people are missing, and Aidan is among them. They pause on the bridge to decide what to do next; Rory's all for searching the woods, but Leba's not sure - not while they know so little of the Hunt's origins. Before they can continue, though, someone below them sneezes. Curious, Rory jumps down to see what's under the bridge, and is immediately tackled by a small figure hiding beneath the bridge. It's Aidan. He's been hiding out under the bridge all night and most of the morning after escaping from the hounds - he assumes that they can't cross water. Leba and Rory question him and determine that the hounds stopped chasing him the second he reached the edge of the woods - without the Hunters, they can't leave the forest. He does confirm that Dierdre and Connor are at odds, and that Dierdre is against the idea of taking captives. Leba notes Dierdre's comment about being able to take away their power, a significant clue. She mentions to Rory that a woman fitting that description was riding south alone. Aidan says there's nothing in those foothills but a few abandoned caves. Aidan saw part of the "fight" last night when Rory pursued the Hunters, but he couldn't make out much within the mists - so he didn't see Rory's brief change into Cuchullain. But he does know that Rory and Leba are after the Hunters, and says he's going to help. Rory tells Aidan that the best thing he can do to help is to go home. Leba is still toying with the revelation that Dierdre is not only against the kidnapping, she's probably responsible for the bikers' powers. Rory recognizes that look on her face and cautions her not to do anything foolish; all of the bikers are incredibly dangerous, whether or not they agree with the kidnapping. None of them might go against their leader. Leba's not entirely convinced, but she doesn't defy him outright. Rory decides he's going to scope out the forest while it's still light, to see if there's any traces left behind by the Hunters. If they don't leave any physical tracks, Luin might be able to guide him. Leba says she's going to do some more investigating around the village and see what else she can find. As soon as Rory's out of sight, Leba changes course, heading south. It's not long before she realizes she's being followed, and turns to where Aidan's hiding. "You wouldn't happen to know where these caves are, would you?"
Dierdre's sitting at the mouth of a small cave, looking out at the view of the quiet fields and hills, and in the distance, Rory's village. She's not as angry as she was before, but she's still seething. There are no hounds in sight - she's shooed them away, preferring to brood in peace. Suddenly, she spins, pointing her sword at Leba, who's standing a few feet away. Leba remains calm, having expected this sort of welcome. She tells Dierdre that she didn't expect to find a Hunter outside the realm of the Hunt. Dierdre snaps that she needs her privacy. "I'm surprised your master lets you stray so far," Leba adds. Dierdre growls at that, and takes a step towards Leba - but catches herself, and starts chuckling. "I see what's going on," she comments, backing off but not letting her guard down. "Tryin' to get to me pride, are ye? Think ye'll get poor slighted Dierdre to make a mistake." She scowls. "I'm not in the mood for games. Get on with you; this isn't your affair." Leba doesn't move. "You started this, didn't you? You invoked the Hunt." "*This* is not what I started," Dierdre says scornfully. Leba's not going to back down, and Dierdre doesn't attack her because her power isn't as strong during the day - besides, she's sent the Hounds away. Besides, she suspects that Leba brought backup (she doesn't know that the "backup" is a thirteen-year-old thief) and attacking her wouldn't be wise. The daytime weakens the Hunt, makes her a little more cautious. Leba eventually manages to get some of the truth out of her: that while Dierdre did invoke the spirit of the Hunt, the results were not what she intended; something interfered. She didn't realize it at first, because the corruption didn't affect the spell-caster, but something - or someone - else is manipulating her Hunters. The Hunt, she says, isn't supposed to stay in one place, nor are they the sort to indiscriminately snatch up people. Not unless the people actually want to be part of it, or deserve to be. "So you're going to stop it," Leba concludes. "Why should I?" Dierdre sneers. "Out of th' goodness of me heart?" Leba answers that she's met many a predator in her day - some were truly vicious, others just parasites preying on the weak. "But none of them would turn tail and hide in a cave if things didn't go their way." Dierdre's eyes flare green, and for a second it looks like she's going to rush Leba. Leba continues to stand her ground. "What makes ye think I won't kill ye right here?" "No challenge in it. And I think, right now, we want the same thing. Will you help me or not?" After a moment, Dierdre lowers - but doesn't sheathe - her sword, looking at Leba thoughtfully. "Depends on what ye have in mind."
In the meantime, Rory's been issued a challenge of sorts from Connor/Herne - goading him to come into the forest himself and save the kidnapped people. He heads off to do so that evening, despite Leba's attempts to talk him out of it. The revelation that Dierdre's going to "help" doesn't sway him, because he certainly doesn't trust her anyway. He tells Aidan to go home, and the kid reluctantly agrees.
That evening, Rory follows the instructions he's been given, passing through the mists in the woods. They part, and he finds himself standing in an open field, where an old, weathered stone is standing. The immediate surroundings are unclear; the field is ringed with mists. He suddenly recognizes it as Clochafarmore (Stone of the Big Man) - this is the field where he died as Cuchullain. Somehow, he's not entirely surprised. Nor is he all that surprised when Connor steps from the shadows to meet him, making a comment about this being the place where Rory dies twice. He's flanked by the Hounds - and he looks nothing like the cocky kid we saw in the beginning of the episode. Instead, the hulking figure carrying an axe bears more than a passing resemblance to Herne. Out of the shadows, some more Hunters emerge, mainly to watch; this is Connor/Herne's kill.
While Rory confronts Connor/Herne, Leba meets Dierdre at the edge of the forest. Dierdre has with her the book she used in the ritual and a few small charms along with the arsenal she carries around. They start making preparations, although Leba is wary of the other woman. As they set things up, they don't seem to notice the approaching shadow.
Rory and Connor/Herne face off, and it doesn't seem to be going well for Rory - he's blocking every blow Connor/Herne makes, and getting in a few shots of his own - but it's a standoff now, and if it keeps going, he'll eventually tire out. Connor/Herne taunts him, trying to bring out the battle-rage - but Rory won't have any of it. Not if it's what his opponent wants. Dierdre appears, apparently with a prisoner - Leba. Rory is angered and Connor is triumphant, thinking that the addition of Leba to the prisoners will only make it easier for him to kill his prey. But then one of the Hunters breaks the fight up, saying that the prisoners have been freed and are breaking through the barriers of their own accord. Their savior? A teenage kid with a charm that's weakening the barriers of their realm, freeing their prisoners with a touch. (Yep, Aidan tagged along again.) Connor is astounded, and Dierdre releases Leba so she can complete her spell. The misty realm sort of dissolves around them, and the bikers start going back to normal - except for Dierdre and Connor. The spirit of Herne has too much of a hold on Connor, and isn't giving up that easily. Dierdre attacks him, and is easily swatted away and knocked out cold. Connor/Herne advances on Rory, who lifts the gae bolga, changing into Cuchullain. He's running out of options.
Leba knows this approach isn't working, and as she casts about for an answer, she suddenly notices that not all of the mists have dissolved, and the hounds are still there. In fact, the oak tree she saw earlier still remains at the edge of the mists. The significance of the oak - Herne's oak - suddenly dawns on her, and she realizes that it is Herne's anchor to this world. She shouts to Cuchullain, trying to get his attention. Cuchullain gets it and turns his attention towards the oak, but Connor/Herne moves to block him. After a moment or two, he seems to go into the berserker rage, slamming Connor/Herne aside (not killing him), throwing the dark hounds left and right before he throws the gae bolga at the oak. There's a blinding flash of light, and the oak tree glows, then dissolves into mist as Cuchullain picks up the spear. He turns back to face Leba, and for a second she's afraid he's deep in the rage and might attack her. Instead, he changes back into Rory, looking exhausted. Herne's spirit dissolves silently, and the hounds vanish with howls of anguish. The night abruptly becomes clear. Rory and Leba are left alone in the field, with an unconscious Connor at their feet. Leba remembers Dierdre, and turns to check on her - but she has disappeared.
All of the missing people have been accounted for, having more or less managed to wander back to the village. The police are trying to get accounts of what happened, which isn't an easy task; most of the people aren't sure what happened. Some are trying to explain what they saw while most people are working to clean up the last of the mess. While they can't recall much of their experience, most people remember that Aidan was helpful in getting them back home. Aidan realizes he prefers being a hero to being a thief. Not that it's going to keep him out of trouble entirely, Rory notes, but it's a start. The bikers, back to normal now, are being rounded up and arrested. Connor is among them, and is screaming belligerently that he was set up by a witch before he's shoved into a car. Dierdre is nowhere to be found. Through the bookshop window, Leba thinks she sees a flicker of green light. She cautiously enters on the pretext of helping with cleanup, and discovers Dierdre's spellbook on top of one of the shelves. Inside, she finds a brief note. Leba doesn't know what to think of it, but decides to hold on to the spellbook for the time being - the shop owner doesn't recognize it, and it's too dangerous to leave it where just any curious person could get to it again.
At dinner the next day - once the commotion over the bikers and the return of the missing people has finally died down - Rory and Leba tell Patrick the whole, true story. Patrick is proud of his son, and equally pleased to hear that Aidan's cleaning up his act. Leba is still a bit disturbed about the issue of Dierdre, but there isn't much they can do about her. Rory is troubled for a different reason. His memories of that part of the fight are foggy, but not as unclear as the Trafalgar Square incident or the battle at Dinas Bran. He doesn't quite understand why the battle-rage didn't take him over. Leba thinks that it might be because he's started to accept it as part of him rather than running away from it. "You're not allowing yourself to become the hunted," she tells him, and Rory rolls his eyes. He doesn't know what happened back there, but he'd like a little more time to figure it out - without the extra complication of Unseelie-influenced biker gangs. Patrick invites them to stay a bit longer, actually make their time off a genuine holiday. They'll have to send word to London, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as they're back in time for Christmas. After dinner, Rory and Leba go for a walk. As they near the bridge that he and Molly hid under so many times running from the law, Rory pauses. He decides that Leba has to be told the truth about Molly. As they walk off and Rory begins to broach the subject, someone watches them from the top of a nearby hill. A faint howling can be heard, and the figure disappears into the trees.
Goliath, Elisa, Bronx, and Angela arrive in Norway during a cold front. An old man, missing an eye, welcomes them to Norway. To Goliath's surprise, he remarks how gargoyles are rare to Norway. He says that is is well versed in myth and legend when Goliath voices his surprise. He then points to Elisa who is still shivering in the intense cold and offers her an overcoat in exchange for a fair trade. When asked, he answers that a fair trade would equal the Eye of Odin that Goliath carries. Elisa protests and Goliath reluctantly agrees, declining to give the old man the Eye. The man trods away, saying Goliath will live to regret the decision, but Elisa will not. Elisa quickly tells Goliath that it is not his fault, and he replies that it is not a matter of fault, but of responsibility, and his is to protect her. On a road they find, a father and son are driving home after a game. Bronx runs across the road in front of them, causing their car to run off the road, and nearly off the cliff. Goliath reaches down and grabs the car, however, and stops it from falling. Thinking it was just good brakes, the father starts to backup. He looks in the rearview mirror and catches a glimpse of Goliath, and is startled. When the father gets that car back on the road, Elisa steps out in front of them. The father goes to her, giving her a blanket and asking where she came from. She starts to tell him her story, but he stops her and takes her to the car to get warm. Inside the car, he introduces himself as Eric, and his son as Gunther. Goliath and Angela watch the car drive away. Seeing her in good hands, Goliath says they will stay close, and they follow the car to the farmhouse. Outside the cabin, Angela notes that Elisa will need time to recover, and Goliath agrees, at least a day. The three gargoyles set off to find a place to sleep for the day within the forest. Back in the cabin, Gunther tells his father that Elisa is telling the truth, that if she were out for a hike, she would have brought a parka at least. Eric tells his son that Elisa will tell them when she feels like it, and not to pry into the matter. Back to the gargoyles, Angela asks Goliath how the old man knew they had the Eye with them. He says he does not know, but that such a power as the Eye is far too dangerous for anyone; that he has seen what it did to Fox and the Archmage, and how it brought out their innermost selves. Bronx suddenly gets up, and grunts. A huge polar bear with one eye leaps out from the snow and attacks Goliath. Bronx leaps in to help Goliath, but is thrown, as is Angela. The two simultaneoulsly attack the bear, but it only tosses them aside again. It knocks down Goliath and rips the pouch carrying the Eye away from him, and runs off. Goliath chases after the bear and wrestles it to the ground, taking back the pouch before knocking it into the water. Angela appears next to Goliath and wonders how such a huge creature can just disappear under the water. Goliath notes that the bear had only one eye, and that it and the old man were one and the same, and that meant they were dealing with sorcery. They decide to get Elisa and leave before anything else can happen to them. At the cabin, Eric gives Elisa a sweater to keep her warm. Suddenly, they hear a noise, and the wall breaks in, and standing there is the old man on a black horse demanding that Elisa come with him. Elisa calls out for him to catch her, and starts running out towards the woods. Of course the old man easily catches her and takes her to Goliath, Angela, and Bronx. He tells them that he will kill Elisa if Goliath does not give him his rightful property, making it clear that he IS Odin, the Norse god, and that the Eye is his. Angela says that if Goliath gives him the Eye, Odin will have the power to destroy them, and if not, he will destroy Elisa. Elisa protests and Odin remarks how he is not the most patient of gods. Seeing no other way out, Goliath takes the Eye, and places it around his own neck. Goliath transforms and demands that Odin lets Elisa go. Odin turns and takes the battle to the air. Goliath quickly follows and overtakes Odin, in spite of Odin's resistance. Goliath takes Elisa, telling Odin that he will not be let off that easy, and that the Eye is his. He also tells Odin that if he threatens them again, he will not be so kind. Odin screams that it is not over and leaves. When the sun rises Goliath, who while wearing the Eye is no longer subject to turning to stone, awes at the warmth of the sun. He tells Elisa how the Eye has granted him powers beyond his own comprehension. Elisa asks if it is safe, and Goliath tells her that his form is an inner manifestation of himself, and that if Elisa trusts him, they should be fine. She reassures him that she does, but perhaps he should take off the Eye. He argues that he needs it to protect Angela and Bronx until dusk, and Elisa reluctantly agrees. Eric and Gunther then come running up and ask for an explanation for Goliath. Goliath tells Eric he has nothing to fear, and that he will protect him and his son. He then flies off to look for Odin. Elisa laughs and starts to tell the story. Back at the cabin, Eric tells Elisa that it seems they are in good hands, and she says that she hasn't been let down yet. Gunther goes outside and points out that another storm has started. Goliath arrives and tells him that the storm is Odin's doing, and that the cabin will most likely not be able to withstand the storm. Eric mentions a cave he and Gunther sometimes go to, and that they can easily retreat to. Goliath tell them to pack the essentials (including Bronx and Angela) and they will go there. They make way to the cave, but stop at sunset to let Angela and Bronx awaken. Gunther watches excitedly, and when they wake, asks Angela if she is the one known as Angela, and she slowly replies "yes..." as an other storm kicks in. Goliath hurries them along when Eric tells them that the cave is just around the next bend. Angela notes to Elisa that Goliath is still wearing the Eye, and Elisa answers with some doubt that Odin is still a threat. As Goliath goes ahead to fortify the area, Eric mentions how Goliath seems to have a one track mind, and Elisa tell him the gargoyles _are_ born to protect, though she is a bit uneasy herself. Later, inside the cave as they sit around a fire, Goliath says that if they lay low, they will be safe from Odin, and Eilsa wonders exactly how long they will have to wait. Gunther goes outside and tells the others that the storm has past, but Goliath says that Odin is just biding his time. He then goes off to find a suitable door for the cave. While he is gone, Angela takes a pan outside and starts gathering some snow. While she gathers, she looks up to the sky and sees Goliath. To her great surprise, she sees him creating the storms that drove them into hiding. Goliath comes back to the cave with a huge boulder to serve as a door. When he goes inside, he starts to tell them Odin is at it again, but is met by the stern stares of the entire group. He asks if there is a problem, and Elisa bluntly states that the problem is him. Angela tells him that they know he created the storms. He consents saying he was using them as incentive to get them into the cave, for their own protection. Angela wonders why he is acting so strangely and Elisa quickly cries out that it is the Eye. Goliath just says that they Eye has made him a better protector, and that is all they need to know. He leaves, shutting them into the cave. Eric calls the protection Goliath gives them imprisonment, and Elisa reassures him that this is not their Goliath. Angela cries out as Goliath secures the boulder, and tries to push the boulder away. Eric calls Goliath a tyrant and Bronx reluctantly agrees. Outside, Goliath shouts for Odin to come to him. Odin appears to accept the challenge, and strikes Goliath with a bolt of energy. He asks once again that Goliath return his property, but Goliath just asks why he would want it all to end. Goliath discovers that he can absorb Odin's power and uses it against the Norse god. Back in the cave, the group uses the car along with themselves to try and move the boulder, but they fail in even moving it an inch. Back outside, Goliath tells Odin without his eye, he is not what he used to be. Odin says what he lacks in strength he has gained in wisdom. Goliath replies that he should have the wisdom too yield, and that his defeat is certain. Odin answers that he did not summon them there to lose. Goliath says "you will never again hurt those I care about" and Odin unleashes a storm directly at him. Odin tells Goliath that he is not the threat. Goliath forces Odin to the ground, and laughs, telling him that his day has come and gone. Odin mumbles "We shall see" and sends a force to the cave, removing the boulder. Elisa happily says "is it me, or did that seem like progress?" They come out to see Goliath standing over Odin. Elisa tells Angela "You know what we have to do" and Angela agrees, picking Elisa up and gliding down to Goliath. Goliath plays with Odin, asking him how it feels to be so close to death and revival at the same time. Elisa starts shouting at Goliath that the Eye has transformed him, just like it did to Fox and the Archmage. Goliath gets angry at Elisa and states that he does not deserve such disobedience for his protection. Elisa keeps telling him it is the Eye that has corrupted him, and Angela attacks, trying to remove the Eye from around his neck. Goliath roars in anger and shouts that they must now feel his wrath instead of his protection in return for their trechery. He forces the ground to open up and Angela, Bronx and Elisa all fall inside. Goliath walks back to Odin, asking where he was. Elisa notices the walls of the chasm closing in and shouts for the others to move and get out. Angela does not however, and stays clinging to the wall inside the narrow canyon. She cries out for help, indicating to the others not to help. She calls out for father's help and protection. Goliath hears her cry, and momentarily realizes what he has done, and rushes to her rescue. When she is safe, he tears the Eye from around his neck and faints to the ground. Elisa tells Angela she took a chance, and that she wished she had thought of it. Odin takes the Eye and replaces it to its rightful place. Later on, within the cave, Goliath comes to. As the others watch, he sits up and says "Jalapena, do I have a headache!", and Elisa happily says that this is the Goliath they know. Goliath feels around his neck for the Eye, and feeling that it is gone, he quickly asks what happened to it. Odin comes in from the outside, leading his steed, and seeing with two eyes. Odin appologizes for any havoc he caused trying to regain his eye, and that he is out of practice dealing with mortals. Goliath appologizes too, saying he is unaccustomed to dealing with gods, or being one. Odin says that they then have all gained a rare enlightenment. He them jumps on his black horse and rides off on a rainbow, into the sky as the others watch in awe.
Bronx, Goliath, Angela, and Elisa arrived at the former location of Castle Wyvern. Goliath tells the backstory of the location. Because of the storm, the travellers are forced to go inside the caves. Hakkon and the Captain manipulate Goliath into seeing things and Goliath can't tell what's real and runs deeper into the caves to avoid harming Angela, Elisa, or Bronx. Goliath sees a dead Demona and realizes what he has been seeing is a fact. Then he sees Hakkon's and the Captain's ghosts. The Captain tells Goliath that the magic in the area will drain Goliath's life force and replinish the Captain's and Hakkon's. The Captain realizes that he hated himself for betrayin' Goliath and stops the drain of magic in order to atone. Angela and Elisa catch up with Goliath and Angela asks who they were. Goliath responds that one was an enemy and another a friend. With that being said, the Captain is finally able to move on into the Realm of the dead. After Goliath tells them what happenned, Angela asks what happenned to Hakkon. Goliath responded that Hakkon has made his own fate.
Wolf picks up an Axe that contains the spirit of Hakkon, an ancestory of Wolf's.
Angela, Bronx, Elisa and Goliath arrive in Loch Ness, Scotland. Elisa spots a town and eagerly runs off to make a phone call to Matt Bluestone. Unfortunately, Matt's answering machine was full of messages at the time. As tour boat captain, the souvenir vendor from earlier describes the loch, the hump that bumped the skiff before heads right for his craft followed by something similar. One tourist couple onboard sees "Nessie", but Elisa thinks it's a just submarine meant to thrill tourists, courtesy of all the boat companies. Then the first hump hits the tour boat hard. With his craft listing and taking on water, the shaken captain decides to head back "a wee bit early" as one hump follows another toward the skiff. "It's a show!" Elisa tells her friends; "Theme parks do this sort of thing five times a day." Just then the same hump capsizes the skiff. Everyone surfaces in the water except for Angela. Soon, they get strange company; a large, metal serpentine head and neck pops up, eyes them with heat sensors and resumes its underwater chase. It's target: a real loch monster! Goliath dives under to search for Angela, but before long the 'real' creature swims by and forces him back. Angela herself is still except for drifting, then the mechanical monster swallows her. Goliath, Bronx and Elisa go under again to continue their search. The metallic Nessie-sub passes through big sliding doors below shoreline and surfaces in a pool in an underground base. From the sub's wide-open mouth walk Xanatos mercenaries, who are promptly scolded over the P.A. system for not bringing in "Big Daddy". "Without his companionship, I'm afraid our current guest is not long for this world" sneers a man with a slight British accent. This irate boss changes his tune when an underling named Bruno tells him they sighted gargoyles on a raft and even caught one in their nets. Walking downstairs, Dr. Anton Sevarius is very pleased indeed to find an adolescent female gargoyle laid out on a stretcher. Fondling Angela's hair, he tells Bruno to take a standard sample of her cells before putting her in the grotto. On shore, Bronx, Goliath and Elisa are wet, tired and trying to reassure themselves that Angela is alive. Goliath is sure she was taken by the submarine, something Elisa thinks needs a base to dock for supplies and maintenance. Goliath swears they'll find it, "no matter how long it takes." Angela rests on some rocks in an underground lake. Something brushes her hand and she awakens with a start. An angry-looking Loch Ness Monster bursts up from the lake and stares down, growling. The creature takes a good look at Angela, but soon all it does is lean back on some rocks, moaning. Now concerned, Angela introduces herself to it. Interested, it lets Angela pet it on the snout. Bruno and Sevarius watch these new friends on a monitor. Later, Sevarius notes in a recorded log entry that Nessie was dying of her lonesome captivity the day before. However, he happily reports on her now improved vital signs and appetite, thanks to Angela's friendship. Watching Angela feed the beast, the doctor suspects she's from a new gargoyle clan and is looking forward to her DNA profile. At the shore of the loch, Elisa tells Goliath she'll return that night and resume searching. "At sundown" he says, "We can't waste afford to waste a single moment." "I don't intend to" she promises, just before leaving her two stone friends behind. Elisa's day in town includes buying and reading a map when she's bumped by a familiar blonde woman. The blonde and a man put lots of grocery bags into a pick-up truck while Elisa watches from an alley. She recognizes them as part of "the Xanatos Goon Squad, stocking up on supplies no less." Elisa quickly ducks around the corner. The pick-up is driven along a twisted mountain road as a tarp covers the back, the supplies and a certain lady detective as stowaway. As it enters some cliff-side ruins, Elisa jumps off the truck, then looks at her watch. In the grotto, Nessie awakens by the stone Angela as Sevarius and two mercenaries enter. The angry reptile is tranquilized by gun on the doctor's orders. Angela is promptly shackled mere seconds before she hatches into flesh. "How aggravating it must be to wake up in chains first thing in the evening" gloats Sevarius. After introducing himself, he tells Angela that Nessie will awaken in a few minutes. "Meanwhile, young lady," he whispers, taking her by the wrist, "you have some explaining to do." Meanwhile, Elisa, Goliath and Bronx explore the ruins she was led to before. Bronx growls and barks as if he just found something. Angela listens to Sevarius dismiss his fanciful idea of a Loch Ness gargoyle clan before mentioning "little girls" and "DNA markers". She has no idea what he's talking about. He smugly tells her that tests undeniably prove she's more than one of Goliath's clan; "He's your biological father! You are his very own flesh and stone." Angela is in utter shock, that is until she sees a disk being attached to Nessie's neck. Sevarius explains that the monster, now healthier and bearing a SONAR tag, will be released into the loch. Once she finds "Big Daddy", both will be caught and used to breed monsters to the eager doctor's delight. "You're the only monster here!" shouts Angela, showing what the doctor calls "Pa-pa's short fuse". Then an alarm echoes through the cave; "And speak of the devil!" he laughs. Bronx, Goliath and Elisa suddenly start going down. They find themselves standing on an elevator platform which they know someone else had to activate. A familiar voice sarcastically compliments Goliath's deduction and "gargoyle gray matter". "Sevarius!" Goliath growls, just as the platform pivots and throws them off. As they slide down a twisted tunnel, they're told "That's Doctor Sevarius to you." Goliath, Bronx and Elisa find themselves trapped in a dungeon, something Sevarius takes pride in as he taunts them via the P.A. system. Goliath is outraged; he knows the doctor was behind Angela's abduction and fiercely warns him against harming her. "A bit late for fatherly concern, don't you think? So let me warn you" boasts Sevarius. "Angela is going with us on an excursion into the loch. Should you see fit to abuse my generous hospitality..." Shackled, Angela shouts "Don't listen to him, Gol**!" before she's pulled back from the microphone. Goliath leaps up to the speaker and smashes it in rage, letting Sevarius know that his point got across. Angela is lead into the sub's mouth in chains. On a nearby catwalk, Sevarius tells the sentry Bruno he'd hate to lose a gargoyle, but nevertheless hands him a rifle in case Goliath gets "too rambunctious". Bruno has no problem with that. Goliath, meanwhile, simply smiles after Elisa removes a stone from the base of the dungeon wall. Nessie swims out the base's sliding doors into Loch Ness. From within the metallic resemblance that follows, Sevarius orders his underlings to go slow so they don't get too close. In the dungeon, Bronx digs into the wall so zealously that Goliath shields his face from flying debris. Bruno watches them on a monitor, gun in hand. As his sub follows his large former captive, Sevarius is confident they won't be too long; "I'm sure Big Daddy misses his Nessie-wessie." Goliath punches through a wall and leads Elisa out into the docking bay, only to find Bruno and rifle waiting. With "the beast" nowhere in sight, he has them back away from their tunnel. When Goliath snarls, Bruno aims at him and gets jumped by Bronx. The gun fires stray particle beam shots, piercing walls, blowing up tanks and causing a massive flood. Goliath turns to Bruno, and his answer is "the minisub". With little time left, all four board a smaller version of the Nessie-styled submarine before it goes under. In the loch, Nessie is met by "Big Daddy", her mate (with crest on his head), and the two swim happily together. Onboard the sub, Sevarius is quite pleased. Walking over to Angela, he asks aloud how to lure them close enough to catch. It's a rhetorical question; Angela winds up being dragged through the water, dangling on a chain by one of the sub's turbines. The monsters indeed notice and give chase. Elisa is stunned to see real Loch Ness Monsters. She's more interested in why they're following Sevarius, and orders Bruno to zoom in the camera. "Why not? There's nothing you can do" sneers their pilot as he complies. Goliath is alarmed to spot Angela being towed through the water. As the two Nessies pursue the large monster-sub into an underwater canyon, Goliath squeezes into a pipe on the minisub wearing a breathing mask. Angela sways about in the sub's wake with her only mouthful of air. With 35 seconds before the beasts are in taser range, Sevarius' pilot flips open a button on the steering wheel and the turbine by Angela charges up. Suddenly the minisub sideswipes it's larger counterpart, whose jolted crew finds they're taking on water. Elisa launches Goliath from the smaller craft's torpedo tube nearly all the way over to Angela. Swimming to her limp body, he puts a second breathing mask over her face. After she gets plenty of air, he remove her shackles. When Big Daddy and Nessie move in, the now-conscious Angela swims over to Nessie and removes her SONAR tag, which sinks to the bottom of the loch. While his sub's bridge is like a wading pool with waterfalls, Sevarius orders a taser (a long, electrified cable) fired at Big Daddy, who roars in pain when it hits. The doctor The sea serpents angrily attack their metal doppleganger, taking several bites out of its neck. Goliath and Angela quickly return to the minisub. After he seals off part of the sub, Sevarius and crew try to surface with the remaining ballast. The monsters don't quit, however, as Big Daddy rips off one of the metal flippers. Amidst all the chaos, a crewman finds Sevarius missing. He shouts the doctor's name as the sub (with two creatures biting down) sinks into darkness. Only bubbles of air surface. Elisa and the gargoyles look out the side window as Big Daddy and Nessie look back and swim off with their two children. On the surface, the minisub explodes as its former occupants watch from shore. Bruno, now tied up warns them they haven't seen the last of Dr. Sevarius. Elisa is just glad that the submarines are history; "Some creatures in this world are meant to remain legends." Goliath and Angela, happy that Nessie and Big Daddy are reunited, hold each other as they stare out at the moonlit loch.
Arthur and his companions are on Sicily, checking up on old "local legends" about the Holy Grail. They are currently encamped near the Straits of Messina, continuing their research, but without success. While they concernedly discuss what to do, and where to look next if all their leads here fail to meet with success, a small group of ravens perch on tree branches or other appropriate objects, listening in for a while, then turn around and fly off. The ravens fly to Morgana's old secret home in Sicily nearby, where she has currently gone; having gotten wind of Arthur's presence in Sicily, and having finally covered up her tracks sufficiently that she's in no danger of being exposed as the person behind "the Connection", she can see about tracking Arthur down and dealing with his quest for the Grail. While she doesn't believe that the Holy Grail will actually cure Merlin, she wants to be on the safe side, and in any case, she still has her feud with Arthur to resolve as well. The ravens croak out their report to her, to which she listens attentively, then proceeds to start setting her plans into motion. Arthur and his companions are exploring one last region (a wild, out-of-the-way place) reputed in Sicilian folklore to be connected with either the Holy Grail itself or some other wonder-working relic. It's currently late afternoon, and so Arthur and Mary (in her wolf form) go out to investigate a cave close by, while Merlin dozes next to a stone Griff. They have not gone far into the cave, when swirling mists spring out of nowhere to envelope them. [Note: they have triggered a spell placed in waiting for Arthur by Morgana, but we are not immediately informed of this.] Visibility is nil, and they have a hard time finding their way back out. However, they emerge at last, just after sunset, Mary having resumed her human form by this time. However, two odd occurrences have now taken place. The first is that their clothes have changed; Arthur is now wearing his old armor from "Avalon Part Three" and "Pendragon" in the animated series, while Mary is dressed in the garments of a medieval squire, with her hair in a braided-and-coiled style. Both of them are quite taken aback by this transformation. But that's not all. A castle has sprung up close by, seemingly out of nowhere. Arthur and Mary head for it, hoping that by investigating it, they can find out just what happened here. The guards at the gates quickly admit them, lowering the drawbridge, and the two of them are escorted into the keep, to speak with the lord of the castle. Arthur and Mary are astonished to note that the entire household, garrison, etc. is French rather than Italian, as one would expect for Sicily; Mary even asks aloud "What's a French castle doing in Sicily?" However, the lord of the castle, Sir Alain de Beaurepaire, explains everything to them, when he receives them.
He and his household came from southern France, but fled here to Sicily a couple of years ago - which is, in fact, longer ago than Arthur and Mary would have thought, since he also mentions it being the Year of Our Lord 1310. France is currently ruled by the ruthless and corrupt King Philip the Fair, who, only three years ago, moved against the Knights Templar, arresting nearly all of them on trumped-up charges of black magic and heresy, his real reason being that he coveted their great wealth, and especially, a secret treasure rumored to be in their possession, that they acquired while they still resided in the Holy Land. However, a few survivors escaped with this treasure; knowing that King Philip would stop at nothing to gain it, they delivered it up to Sir Alain; since Alain had no known connections with the Knights Templar, he would not be (at least immediately suspected), while the remaining Knights Templar would lead the king's men away on a wild-goose chase, to buy him time. Sir Alain knew, however, that he could not long evade King Philip's search, and so left France for Sicily, there to hold the sacred treasure safely. Or so he hopes - although recent reports have it that King Philip now suspects the whereabouts of the treasure, and is even sending an army to Sicily to seize it.
But despite his worries, he still believes in showing hospitality to guests. When he asks them about themselves, Arthur decides to tell him the truth, that he is King Arthur of Britain; to his and Mary's surprise, Sir Alain actually believes him, and is even very enthusiastic to play host to the great "Roi Artus de Bretagne", awakened at last (although he believes that Arthur was sleeping beneath Mt. Etna, elsewhere on Sicily, rather than on Avalon). He is puzzled that Arthur should have brought no entourage with him other than a young girl serving as his squire, but still, receives her as well, on the grounds that if King Arthur should have chosen her for his companion, then who is he to gainsay it? They will both be honored guests tonight. Arthur and Mary decide to accept - especially since they need to find out more about what's happened here, and are particularly puzzled as to how they travelled back in time - and even more at a loss as to how to get back. "Roi Artus de Bretagne" and his squire, the Demoiselle Marie de Sefton" are both feasted that evening in the great hall, but ill tidings reach Sir Alain during the banquet. King Philip's forces have landed in Sicily, and are marching upon Sir Alain's castle, led by one of the French King's finest generals, Sir James MacLeod, a Scottish knight risen high in his favor (Scotland and France are old friends and allies, largely on the basis of both being at odds with England). Sir Alain realizes that he must prepare for war at once, and Arthur decides to stay and help him defend his castle - after all, his vows as a knight will not permit him to turn his back on someone who needs his assistance.
Meanwhile, Merlin and Griff, both awake now that the sun has gone down, are wondering why Arthur and Mary haven't gotten back yet. They finally decide to go investigate, and head off, in the direction of the same cave that Arthur and Mary had entered earlier.
In Sir Alain's castle, the garrison is preparing for war, the usual manner of quickly erecting hoardings upon the battlements, storing up all the food and water that they can in the keep, bringing the locals inside the walls, seeing that they're well-stocked-up on arrows, crossbow bolts, etc. Arthur learns more about Sir James from Sir Alain; while he's a redoubtable and cunning general, he's also just as amoral and conniving as his royal liege. Rumor has it that he was banished from Scotland, in fact, for various foul deeds that he had committed. One odd feature about him is that he's adopted a French nickname, "l'Enfant de la Mer". Arthur wonders why that particular nickname is so troublingly familiar. Mary is still turning into a talking wolf by day, but fortunately for her, Sir Alain's court isn't shocked; they have stories about "good werewolves" and see her as one such being. That's something of a relief to her. If they are concerned about anything, it is that she dresses like a boy and serves Arthur as his squire; not very ladylike. (Though they decide that it may have something to do with her being English; from the French point of view, the English aren't quite as cultivated and courtly as they themselves are). Sir Alain's squire, who's about her age or a bit older, is quite taken by her, but Mary keeps on pointing out to him, politely if a bit stiffly, that she's already got a boy-friend, and even shows him the piece of jewelry that Merlin gave her for Christmas, which finally ends his attempted courtship. That aside, Mary finds that she rather likes it here; it doesn't have all the familiar comforts of the modern world, but it is kind of nice actually experiencing the Age of Chivalry that Arthur is a part of, even if not the same Age of Chivalry as his. In particular, she undertakes a bit more knightly training in the evenings, while in human form, of the "tilting at the quintain" variety, and even one or two practice jousts with the squires in Sir Alain's household.
But this period comes to an end when Sir James' army comes into view and surrounds Sir Alain's castle. Sir James's squire rides up to the gates, bearing a token of truce and parley, to serve as a herald and messenger for her master; to Arthur and Mary's astonishment, the squire is a young girl like Mary, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Corbie, but who dresses in medieval garb (much like Mary's, if a bit rougher); Sir Alain and his household are also astonished by this, but nevertheless receive her. The girl introduces herself, speaking in a slight Irish accent, as Corinne d'Eire, and demands on behalf of her lord that Sir Alain yield up the treasure of the Knights Templar to King Philip, or suffer the sack of his castle and the slaughter, without mercy or quarter, of all within its walls. Sir Alain refuses; Corinne tells him that he'll be sorry, and rides back to Sir James's camp. Mary is wondering what on earth Corbie is doing here; Arthur comments that this may not be so strange, given that she's an Unseelie and was active already long before this time (as Rory could attest). Still, with her around, even if she doesn't exercise her Morrigan abilities, this siege could be especially nasty. They wonder whether she's just accompanying Sir James for the sake of a very nasty sack, or if there's something darker at work here. Not that they have much time to ponder the matter, for Sir James now begins the siege, and instead of opting for the time-honored "sit before the walls and starve the garrison into submission" strategy generally used for medieval sieges, he's going for all-out assault, with a sizable train of siege engines.
Back in the present.... Merlin and Griff reach the cave. Merlin, his eyes and ears open for anything that could explain Arthur and Mary's disappearance, senses that the spell is still in operation, and hurriedly dispells it (fortunately without any real strain; it's a simple piece of magic). He and Griff enter the cave and discover that a part of it is a secret alchemist's laboratory - and with all the signs of it belonging to Morgana. Looking about, they discover on the workbench what looks like a snow-globe with a castle inside. They wonder what use Morgana would have for such a thing, but Griff, staring closer at it, suddenly notices (with his keen gargoyle-vision) what looks like Arthur and Mary on the castle battlements. Merlin picks up a magnifying glass from elsewhere on the workbench, uses it to peer closer at the snow-globe, and realizes that this is indeed the case; it is Arthur and Mary! He and Griff stare at each other with troubled expressions upon their faces, wondering what this could mean.
Sir James ruthlessly assaults Sir Alain's castle, again and again, with a ferocity and tenacity that shocks Sir Alain and Arthur alike; he sends his men against the walls again and again, with scaling ladders, siege towers, catapults, battering rams, mantlets, and the lot. He never even seems to consider the "starvation" approach; he seems to want to crack this castle open like a nut. And although the defenders repulse each assault, Sir James simply throws fresh forces into the fray. Arthur leads a few sorties to burn his siege engines, but he simply brings new ones to the walls. (Mary accompanies Arthur in one or two of the daytime forays in her wolf-form, though he doesn't encourage it, being concerned for her safety). Arthur wonders what the reason could be for Sir James' inexhaustible resources - surely even the King of France cannot afford such a sizable army and siege train - and also how much longer Sir Alain can hold out.
Merlin and Griff watch as Arthur and Mary discuss this problem in some quiet part of the castle (Merlin admitting for a moment, before getting more properly focused, that Mary looks quite fetching in her medieval garb), still puzzling over what's going on here. Merlin works it out after some study, however. Arthur and Mary aren't literally in the snow-globe. Rather, the snow-globe is a sort of "interface" between the regular world and some sort of microcosm that Morgana has conjured up. It does not literally contain this microcosm, but it does serve as a means of viewing it. Griff asks if there's any means of getting Arthur and Mary out; Merlin says that he'll need to find that out next. And he'll have to move quickly; he's certain that if Morgana trapped Arthur in here, that there's more in store for him than just being imprisoned there. They need to get him out before whatever she wants to happen to him does happen.
Meanwhile, in this microcosm, Sir Alain summons Arthur and Mary to his solar (his personal chamber), and there speaks with them in private. He knows that the castle will soon fall to Sir James, and that the most that they can do is delay its sack. When Sir James takes it, he will then capture the secret treasure of the Knights Templar and turn it over to King Philip, and this is a treasure that King Philip must never have. It is, in fact the Holy Grail. The Knights Templar had found it during their stay in the Holy Land, and when they were driven out, took it back to France with them. Now they have entrusted it to Sir Alain, to keep it out of King Philip's reach. Alain doesn't know what the king wants with it, but he knows Philip the Fair to be a man who should definitely not be allowed to get his hands on an object as holy as the Grail; he has so little respect for sacred things that, last year, he actually forced the Pope himself to leave Rome and relocate to Avignon, a city in southern France, where the king could more easily control him. So it is imperative that the Grail stay out of his possession, and there is only one way to ensure that now. Sir Alain is entrusting the Grail to Arthur, asking that he and Mary take it and escape the castle by a secret exit. Hopefully, they will be far away by the time that Sir James takes the castle and discovers the Grail missing. Arthur protests at first, unwilling to abandon the garrison to its fate, but Sir Alain tells him that the preservation of the Grail is more important; he and his people are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect this object. In the end, Arthur agrees, and he and Mary receive the Grail - kept in a golden jewel-encrusted reliquary - and take it through the escape tunnel.
Merlin is going through one of Morgana's books, looking for a means of reversing whatever she did to transport Arthur and Mary into the microcosm, when Morgana appears in the cave. Fortunately for Merlin, Griff is standing between her and him; Morgana tells Griff to step aside so that she can deal with Merlin, but he resolutely refuses, as loyal to his companions as ever. Morgana looks uncomfortable here - she has no personal quarrel with Griff, knows that he has done her and her family no wrong, so she doesn't have a reason for proceeding against him as she does to Arthur and Merlin, yet she's desperate to get at Merlin, and Griff's blocking her path - and at last, with a hint of pained reluctance in her voice, reminds him of the monstrous beasts that dwelt in Sicily once. As she speaks, a gigantic skeleton arises from the ground, humanoid in appearance, but having only one eye-socket in its skull. Morgana describes it as the remains of "the Cyclops Polyphemus, whom Ulysses encountered upon this island three thousand years ago," and sends it against Griff, who battles it valiantly.
Arthur and Mary emerge from the tunnel, to find themselves in a small grove outside the siege lines, much to their relief. They share their joy at having finally found the Grail, and how now they can get it to Merlin - if they can only find a way of returning to their own time. But they haven't gone far when a knight in full armor rides up to them, ordering them to surrender the reliquary to him. It's Sir James himself. Arthur and Mary wonder how he found them, but still refuse to yield the Grail to him. A crow swoops down from the sky, however, snatches the reliquary out of Mary's hands, and drops it before Sir James, then alights by his horse and shifts into the form of "Corinne d'Eire". Sir James, with an evil laugh, dismounts, and picks up the reliquary, to find a golden goblet inside, covered in a cloth of white samite. To Arthur and Mary's horror, he hurls it to the ground, then brings his mace down upon it, shattering it into fragments. "The Grail is no more, and so are your last hopes," he says. Arthur is horrified, but still manages to ask Sir James why destroy the Grail, when his liege King Philip was so desirous of it. Sir James replies that he has his own agenda, and removes his helmet, revealing his face to them at last. He's actually Mordred (or James Seabairn, depending on which you prefer). Arthur realizes at last just why the "l'Enfant de la Mer" part of Sir James's nickname seemed so familiar. Mordred (as we might as well call him now), advances upon Arthur, saying that he intends to slay him again, and this time for good; this time, there will be no being carried off to Avalon for another round of healing sleep. And he intends to do the same thing to Mary, while he's at it. Arthur, shocked, tells Mordred that he should let Mary go free; "you have a quarrel with me, but not with her." Mordred answers that he's not about to engage in that foolish habit of mercy towards Arthur's followers, then, dropping his usual flippant tone, adds that he has more than enough reason to kill her as well. Mary has become almost like a daughter to Arthur; he's bestowed upon her more parental love than he, Mordred, his own flesh and blood, ever received. "You certainly wouldn't even consider trying to drown *her*," he says bitterly. So he's decided to kill her as well, "but you first." Arthur and Mordred have it out with their swords, fighting each other back and forth. Corinne slips around behind Arthur, drawing a poisoned dagger and preparing to stab him in the back with it, but Mary catches her at it just in time, and hurls herself at the Irish squire, knocking her flat. Corbie loses the dagger, but breaks free from Mary and the two of them get into an energetic fight of their own.
Merlin is holding the globe, watching the two battles concernedly (with maybe a touch of teenaged boy interest in Mary and Corbie's fight, although you'd never catch him admitting it). He's still trying to work out how to get Arthur and Mary out of there, and doesn't notice that Morgana has managed to maneuver herself around Griff (who's too busy fighting the Cyclops skeleton to stop her) and is now advancing upon him.Arthur finally disarms Mordred and forces him into a prone position upon his back, while Mary similarly overpowers Corinne. But Mordred looks up at Arthur and asks him "So what are you going to do to me, father? Kill me, while I'm helpless and at your mercy?" Arthur refuses; he knows that he can't violate the code of chivalry and kill a defenceless man, not even if that man is Mordred. Instead, he spares Mordred, and Mary (despite her feud with Corbie) follows suit in sparing Corinne. Mordred and Corinne rise to their feet and pull away, but as they do so, Mordred produces a war-horn and blows a mighty blast upon it. A small group of his knights emerge from the woods about, surrounding Arthur and Mary on all sides. Mordred, with an evil sneer, comments something along the lines of "See where your chivalry gets you, father? You should be more ruthless, like me!" Turning to his knights, he orders them to attack.
Merlin watches with horror, then suddenly discovers that Morgana is standing next to him. She announces that his precious "once and future king" is doomed - she deliberately "programmed" the microcosm so that no matter what Arthur did there, he'd be slain. And with him gone, Merlin will be defenceless against her; she could just let the poison take its course, but she's decided to hurry things up and strike him down now. Griff is too busy with the Cyclops to protect him, after all. Merlin thinks fast, and points out to Morgana that Mary's in the microcosm with Arthur, and on the verge of death, as well. Morgana is at first unwilling to believe him, convinced that this is just some pathetic trick of his, but Merlin shows her how Arthur and Mary are fighting side by side in the snow-globe; they've managed to find some place within the ring of knights, such as a steep hill, that prevents more than a few of Mordred's men from attacking them at a time, and are doing a fine job of fending them off, but they can't hold out forever. "Are you willing to sacrifice your own stepdaughter just to achieve your hatred for Arthur?" he asks her. "Just as you sacrificed your daughter's life for the same cause?" Morgana is unnerved, and falters, not certain as to what to do, as her love for Mary clashes with her hatred for Arthur and Merlin. As she does so, the Cyclops skeleton falters as well, with Morgana's control over it relaxed; Griff takes advantage of this to make a quick attack upon it that demolishes it, then turns to deal with Morgana. He grabs her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides; he admits that it's not a particularly chivalrous way to treat a lady, but this is something of an emergency. Morgana temporarily neutralized, Merlin frantically turns to finding a way of rescuing Arthur and Mary, who can't hold out much longer. He hasn't found a counter-spell in Morgana's books as yet; Griff wonders if smashing the globe would work. Merlin is uncertain; for all that he knows, doing that could kill Arthur and Mary. But in the end, since he can't find any other options, he does just that. With a flash, Arthur and Mary re-materialize in the cave, back in their modern-day clothes, and more than a little bewildered, much to Merlin and Griff's relief.
Merlin hurriedly explains everything to Arthur and Mary. Morgana does not even attempt to make eye-contact with Mary; she is far too unsettled to even speak to her, when she thinks over how her latest scheme to kill Arthur almost got the girl killed. Fortunately for her, Arthur and Mary don't notice her there - at least, not until Griff asks what they're going to do about Morgana; after all, he can't hold onto her forever. Arthur and Merlin agree on that, but they don't know what to do; they could turn her over to the authorities, but they'd have a hard time convincing them (the police) that Morgana's a sorceress, especially a legendary 1500-year-old one, and the authorities don't even have the resources necessary to keep her from breaking out of prison. The answer is resolved when Morgana's ravens suddenly swoop into the cave, causing a lot of confusion; Morgana frees herself from Griff's grasp amid the general ado, and escapes. Arthur and Co. leave the cave, returning to the surface. Arthur and Mary are still a little concerned over the fact that the Grail was destroyed by Mordred - does that mean that their quest is hopeless? Merlin reminds them that that wasn't the real world or the real past, just a microcosm of Morgana's, and Arthur admits that he doesn't believe that an object such as the Holy Grail could be destroyed by Mordred or any other man, now that he thinks over it. But they still have to continue the search for it. Back in their camp, Mary is talking to Merlin about what it was like to actually experience being a squire in the Age of Chivalry, fighting alongside Arthur, etc. It's clearly had a strong impact on her; she certainly seems to be aware that she may have other reasons for accompanying Arthur on his adventures than just her relationship with Merlin or her hopes that Arthur can find a cure for her being a werewolf. She even reflects on the fact that she and Arthur really do seem to be a father-and-daughter pair, as Mordred said. Elsewhere, Arthur is sharing his thoughts with Griff over his experience back in the medieval world, and what it was like to be in "familiar surroundings" again. He admits that, after having gone back there, he's aware now that he can't literally return to that sort of environment; the world has changed and he must accept that, accept the fact that even if he builds a "New Camelot", it can't be just some medieval castle transplanted in the modern world; it has to be something that fits the modern world and its needs. But he can feel, all the same, that he still has a mission to fulfill, one that he must see through, and that's what is most important.
Brooklyn and a pregnant Sata appear in Seville, Spain, and see a teenaged Dulcinea attending the funeral of her beloved mentor.
Open in Darien Montrose's office, in London. It's late in the evening, most of his employees have left, but Darien is still seated at his desk, waiting. The door opens and the person that he was waiting to speak with, a Mr. Thomas Quince, enters. Darien had recently discovered (probably during his time working with Madoc during the Second Unseelie War) about a fantastic hoard of treasure hidden somewhere in a cavern in the Pyrenees, and reputedly guarded by a dragon. Darien isn't quite ready to believe in dragons (even after his more unusual experiences), but he does consider the treasure likely to exist, and would like to obtain it to help finance his planned takeover of the Camford Corporation. So he began asking around to find out more about it, and Mr. Quince, who is an expert on Iberian legend and folklore, heard about his search and contacted him, offering his services. Darien accepted, after looking over Quince's credentials and finding them good. The two of them are now having a meeting over the matter. Quince has just located a map showing the part of the Pyrenees where the treasure is, which he lays out on the desk before Darien. It lies in a remote cave which has a reputation among the locals for being "magical"; some of the legends about it are even said to have influenced Cervantes in his account of the Cave of Montesinos in his Don Quixote. There are certainly rumors about a dragon guarding the treasure, and more than one tale of the dragon actually having been sighted flying about the mountains at night. Quince advises Darien to exercise great caution; for all that he knows, the dragon could be real. After all, stranger things than that have been discovered to exist lately (such as the gargoyles). Darien decides to outfit an expedition and claim the treasure, bringing Quince along as his guide. He employs some henchmen (of the usual "Thugs-R-us" variety, maybe including Banquo and Fleance if we don't have other, conflicting plans for them) to do the dirty work, but will still accompany them in person, to make certain that they don't take the treasure for themselves.
Shift to the Pyrenees, a couple of weeks later. Arthur Pendragon and his companions, Merlin, Griff, and Mary, have come here to search for the Grail; some of the legends that Arthur's researched stated that the Grail was kept in a castle called Monsalvat somewhere in this mountain range, and they're looking into it. Dulcinea has accompanied them on this expedition, though only in the sense of "their paths lie together for a while"; she's decided to return to Spain for a while, feeling that she's needed there, and was accompanying them on their journey to the Pyrenees thereby. At present, Arthur and his companions are encamped in the village of Roncesvalles, the site of Roland's famous last battle in 778, where he and his fellow paladins in Charlemagne's service died fighting the Moors. [Note: in actual history, of course, Charlemagne's adversaries at Roncesvalles were Basques, not Moors - but it's safe to say, given the nature of legends in the Gargoyles Universe, that in the Gargoyles/TGS Universe, it was indeed the Moors whom Roland was slain fighting against at Roncesvalles.] Dulcinea is discussing with Arthur and Griff over where she'll be during her time in Spain (she particularly plans to visit her mentor's grave as part of honoring his memory), while Merlin is tutoring Mary on some school subject or other (aware of Mary's condition, Nigel has made official arrangements with her old school to have her temporarily away for health reasons, though with the indication that she'll need to be "home schooled", and Merlin is serving as her teacher on the grounds that he's got the best experience in this line of work - though he admits that the educational curriculum is somewhat different these days than it was when he was teaching Arthur. I suspect that Brock helped out with the teaching as well, while Mary was at the London estate - if with some necessary amendments given that Mary's the first pupil he's ever had who was a human rather than a gargoyle hatchling). So far, they haven't made any progress on locating Monsalvat (if it exists) although they're still looking. Inevitably enough, thanks to their location, the subject of the discussion shifts to that of Roland and his final battle here; even Merlin and Mary wind up joining in. While the others (Arthur, Griff, Dulcinea, and even Mary) are very respectful of the sacrifice the paladins made, Merlin isn't so impressed; while he acknowledges the bravery of Roland and his companions, the young/old wizard can't help but think them a little senseless to wait until near death to call for reinforcements, viewing Roland's refusal to blow his horn until it was too late as an act of stupid pride rather than heroism. Arthur tells him that it was part of his (Roland's) code of honor, his way of belief, and even if it did get himself and the rest of Charlemagne's Twelve Peers killed, it was still a part of who he was - he could do no less and still remain true to himself. Merlin doesn't seem entirely convinced, but doesn't really feel inclined to pursue the argument, either, so he leaves it at that. In any event, Dulci wants to pay her respects to her dead mentor, and soon convinces the other to come with her to the old man's village.
It's early evening a couple of days later, when they arrive in the valley where Dulci's mentor lived, and the party notices a marked difference in the terrain. The land looks much more fertile and fecund than in the surrounding areas - the vegetation and animals, both wild and domesticated, seem to be in far more than excellent health, and even the temperature seems to be far more mild and moist than one would expect for a high mountain valley. Dulci doesn't really make much comment of it, since she got used to it when she was with her mentor, but Merlin especially is wondering if something weird is going on. This 'aura' of health extends into the small village at the bottom of the valley, where all the people, even the elderly, seem to be in excellent health. (All of this is due to the physical presence of Quetzalcoatl in the valley for the last several centuries - though we won't be revealing that straight away, of course.)
Unbeknownst to our heroes, Darien Montrose and his party have arrived in the area, heading for the dragon's cave, following the map that Quince gave them. They reach the place where the cave's entrance ought to be, only to discover that there's no opening, nothing but solid cliff face. Darien is disgusted and frustrated, even wondering if the map was a hoax. Quince is openly considering the possibility that perhaps both it and the legends about the dragon's hoard are unfounded after all, when a couple of Darien's assistants - better-educated and less-thuggish than the rest of them - do some close studying of the wall and determine that what's actually at work here is that the entrance has been sealed shut, by some mysterious, almost magical, force. Unfortunately, they can't figure out how to open it; they've never encountered anything like it before. Quince comments that he's ready to admit defeat, but Darien isn't. He decides to do some local research, to see if he can find an answer to the problem here. His scouts come upon Arthur and his companions as they arrive, and report back to Darien at once; they've done some eavesdropping on them, enough to know that Arthur is seeking the Holy Grail. Darien is initially alarmed by this turn of events (with a tone of "It's bad enough that I have to put up with him in London - but does he have to follow me around the world?"), but then has an idea; perhaps he could get Arthur to help him out in unsealing the cave. He has his least thuggish-looking assistants seek Arthur out, pretending to be scholarly experts on the Grail legend, and tell him that they've uncovered proof that Monsalvat is close at hand, reachable by a sealed-shut secret entrance (of course, this is really the sealed-shut entrance to the dragon's cave).
Arthur decides that it's worth an investigation, and heads up there with his friends that evening (although keeping Griff out of sight, and taking care that their guides know nothing about Mary's being a werewolf; she joins them only after sunset, while Griff follows them secretly). Merlin examines the sealed-up entrance to the cave, and discovers some traces of ancient writings inscribed upon the cave wall, which he deciphers to discover a clue as to how to open the entrance - although what puzzles him is that this inscription was carved out in Aztec symbols. He wonders why the entrance to the Grail Castle would be marked by a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican inscription, but prepares to solve the puzzle. It's taking a while, though (Merlin is, by his own admission, not familiar with Aztec glyphs, commenting apologetically that if this was written using Ogham, he'd be able to decipher it in no time), and Darien, secretly watching on the outskirts, grows restless. In his impatience, he grows careless and accidentally lets out a loud sneeze which Arthur and the others overhear; they quickly discover that Darien is here - and, from there, that the people who led them to this place are actually working for him. It doesn't take long, either, for them to find out that what's really supposed to be here is a dragon's cave filled with treasure, nothing to do with the Holy Grail or Monsalvat after all. Arthur is disgusted with Darien for his latest display of avarice and deceit, and Merlin comments that he's particularly concerned over what could happen if Darien does indeed break into the dragon's lair and steal its hoard: "I've seen this sort of thing happen before. Somebody finds the dragon's treasure, steals something from it - a cup, say - the dragon wakes up, discovers the cup missing, and goes out to look for it, laying the countryside waste in the process, until somebody has to slay it."
Darien decides to quickly deal with Arthur and the others before they can stop him; his first thought is to grab hold of Mary to use as a hostage, but she's learning her trade as Arthur's squire and a future knight well, and makes him retreat ignominiously. Darien frantically calls for his henchmen (while, say, limping from where Mary kicked him in the shins), to see if he can overpower Arthur and his companions, but Arthur, Griff, and Dulcinea prove more than a match for them. However, Darien and his followers don't actually retreat until Quince announces that this has gone far enough, and before their astonished eyes transforms into a dragon - though, oddly enough, not the conventional fire-breathing dragon of western European legend that they were expecting to find, but a great feathered serpent straight out of Aztec art and legend. Darien and his team turn and run in utter terror down the mountain trail.
Arthur and his companions are astonished as well, but stay where they are and puzzledly ask Quince just who he is. Quince reveals that his human form was just a disguise; in fact, he's the dragon who lairs here, his name being Quetzalcoatl. When some of Arthur's companions recognize the name (Arthur himself wouldn't, of course, since he wouldn't have had the opportunity as yet to know about Mesoamerican mythology) and ask, he admits that indeed, he's the Quetzalcoatl. Noticing that they aren't afraid of him (or at least, not too much so), and had not approved of Darien's attempt to steal his treasure, he decides that he can trust them, and winds up letting them into his cave to converse. Quetzalcoatl tells them about how he was once a "god-king" over the Aztecs, teaching them the arts of civilization and even persuading them to abandon human sacrifice; unfortunately, his corrupt and envious brother, Tezcatlipoca, brought about his overthrow and exile. Filled with bitterness at Tezcatlipoca for his act, Quetzalcoatl departed eastwards for Europe, hoping to find there his means of overthrowing Tezcatlipoca; he settled in this cave in the Pyrenees, and proceeded to help subtly influence the Spaniards, through a series of gentle nudges (only assisting events in a direction that they would have gone in anyway, sooner or later), to sailing westwards, "discovering" the Americas, and finally, under Cortez, sacking the Aztec empire that Tezcatlipoca now dominated on the moral level. However, Quetzalcoatl now found, in the aftermath of the conquistadors' sack of Tenochtitlan and overrunning the Aztec empire, that revenge was not so sweet when actually tasted; the culmination of his vengeance was the destruction of the very civilization that he had helped found, and a slaughter of his people. He returned to the Pyrenees in a quiet melancholy, having decided to renounce all further revenge; he no longer even hated Tezcatlipoca after this, feeling that their feud simply wasn't worth continuing. And here he has resided, all this time, for the last few centuries.
One of Arthur's party asks him puzzledly why he took on the form of Thomas Quince and helped Darien on his expedition, something which would certainly sound like working against his best interests. Quetzalcoatl explains how he'd learned of Darien's search for his cave, and decided that the best way to foil it was to "assist" him but in such a manner that Darien would wind up believing that the legends about the dragon and its treasure were nothing more than that and therefore abandon the project. Of course, though, that hasn't worked out quite the way that he'd intended it to.
In the nearest town, Darien, unwilling to give up on the treasure that he so desires, manages to persuade some of the greedier people there that the legends about the dragon-hoard are true, and enlists their help in going there to slay the dragon and seize its gold- maybe convincing a few less interested people that the dragon could wind up attacking and destroying their town and they have to act first for the safety of themselves and their families. He's even brought out some high-tech weaponry for slaying the dragon - tranquilizers, projectile beam weaponry, etc, that he'd brought along with him "just in case" but hadn't had on hand when he was at the tunnel's entrance. They prepare to head out to the cave again.
Back in the cave, Dulcinea asks Quetzalcoatl why he insists in keeping to himself as a veritable hermit; she can understand why he'd be ashamed of what he did, but simply going into reclusion isn't the answer. After what he'd done for the Aztecs before Tezcatlipoca overthrew him, and with all the knowledge and wisdom that he's gained through tthe centuries of his existence, he has a lot to offer the world. Why not do something positive with it? Quetzalcoatl isn't convinced by her words, however; his basic response is 'Why should I?'. He hasn't been so entirely isolated from the outside world that he doesn't know the depths to which humanity can sink in treating itself. Why should he kill himself helping people, only to be knocked aside at the first call of a 'dragon-slayer'? Dulcinea replies that that's because that's who he is: it's his nature to help people and nurture things, much as it was Roland's nature to behave chivalrously to the death, or for Dulci's mentor to go looking for the dragon, or Arthur to look for the Grail. Is the mighty dragon going to go against his own nature? Quetzalcoatl falls silent; it is clear that her words have had some impact upon him. Just then, Griff returns with the report that Darien's coming back here with a lot more people and fancy equipment. Quetzalcoatl is not happy to hear it, but decides that he'll just have to deal with Darien in a more permanent fashion. When Arthur and the others protest this measure, he replies that he's not too fond of humans for the most part these days, he just wants to be left alone, and he'll do whatever he has to in order to ensure that. He doesn't want his home overrun with more treasure-seekers, especially since he doesn't even have any treasure; the legend about a fantastic hoard of gold and jewels in his cave is, as Arthur and Co. have seen for themselves upon entering it, just that: a legend. (Humans just can't accept the possibility that a dragon living in a mountain cave doesn't have a vast hoard). Arthur and Dulcinea manage to reason with him, however, and remind him of how much he'd regretted helping to bring about the conquistadors destroying the Aztec empire with fire and the sword; does he really want to bring about more destruction? Quetzalcoatl realizes that they're right, and with their help, devises a different plan.
Darien and his recruits enter the cave, to discover Thomas Quince (Quetzalcoatl's reassumed human form) casually seated with Arthur, Dulcinea, Merlin, and Mary, in a quiet conversation, and no trace of the dragon anywhere, nor any trace of a treasure. Needless to say, the new recruits, noticing all this, wonder if Darien's been having them on; Darien frantically tells them that there is a dragon, that he saw it himself. (He's about to announce that Quince is the dragon, but then realizes that he's only going to seem all the more funny in the head if he says that, and he can't even attack Quince or Arthur and his friends in front of these people without looking criminally insane). Quince calmly says that the dragon-legend is just that, a legend, inviting the people inside to search the cave: no treasure. Darien takes Quince aside while all this is going on, and asks him, almost frantically, where the treasure is: Quince merely taps his head. Darien sighs, coming to the conclusion that it was all just a wild- goose chase, and made himself look like a fool in front of a lot of people at that.
Arthur and his friends quietly slip away with Quince, Griff rejoining them some distance from the cave. The events here have helped ensure, at least, that nobody will be likely to take the legends about the dragon's treasure seriously for a good long while. This means that Quetzalcoatl can live out his life here without fear of being disturbed again. Still, Quetzalcoatl is wondering if maybe Dulcinea is correct about his current state of apathy being wrong, though admitting that it'll take a while for him to know just what to do here. Dulcinea offers to help him out here, since she'll be staying in the area anyway, and at last he accepts. Quetzalcoatl and Arthur have a few final words about Arthur's quest, with the feathered serpent offering some words of wisdom here (including a strong indication to Arthur that, if he hopes to seek the Holy Grail successfully, he should be approaching it for its own sake, not just as a means of curing Merlin - Arthur comments that that is, indeed, something that he is beginning to understand here), after which Arthur and his three companions part ways with Quetzalcoatl and Dulcinea. Since by now it's clear that there's no Grail Castle in the Pyrenees, they head off to seek for the Grail elsewhere.