CHAPTER 1
– Kaspian’s Decision
Kaspian was
sitting in his tiny barely furnished room on Foxglove Lane contemplating the
lies he’d discovered at the end of the school term. 5 years of friendship all
shown to be a sham. Rob was being paid to be his friend, Olathe was getting
privileges and power for spying on him, Jessica getting promised the Rutherford
fortune for spying on him and keeping his hormones on edge; the whore. Van Pelt
thinking of him as nothing more than a tool, a weapon to be used and disposed
of once its purpose was complete. They never should have even considered taking
his inheritance but they did and have. The bastard should have never given him
that darkness cloak, especially if he didn’t want his secrets found out. What
to do about the traitors… ignore them? Nah… not painful enough to them need to
hurt them where it counts. Going to start with legal matters and make it hurt
them where it counts most. Will show them just how mature I am.
He
pulled out a piece of parchment and started writing…
To Steelclaw,
I hope
that you don’t mind me addressing these matters to your attention but yours is
the only name I have for any Dwarves
employed at Vermögens Bank and what I am writing about are definitely
banking matters. Please don’t take this the wrong way but what the hell are you
Dwarves playing at? Are you truly neutral like you claim because if that’s the
case I am honestly not seeing it? To my eyes and from what I’ve witnessed
lately you all seem to have sided with that double dealing thieving backstabbing
bastard Van Pelt. IF this is the case then I will have to take my business
elsewhere… IF I am mistaken and I do hope that I am please help me in dealing
with the following issues:
First issue, please AUDIT all my accounts fully. I have
recently discovered that I should have more than just the single vault that I
have been accessing. Why was I never informed of any vaults besides the Trust
Vault that I started accessing when I turned 11.
Second issue, why have I never gotten statements from Vermögens
about any of my accounts/vaults?
Third issue, I want every penit not withdrawn by me
personally since the death of my parents in October 1981 returned with 10%
interest or I will file a lawsuit AGAINST Vermögens. To my knowledge I am the
only heir, I am the BLOOD Heir to the Rutherford – Diark line and everything is
MINE. Every book should be returned, every scroll, every piece of jewelry,
every item, and every artifact. I have never authorized anyone to access my vaults,
so everything removed is to be considered stolen. I AUTHORIZE you to act in my stead in getting my
funds and property returned.
Fourth issue, why wasn’t I informed of my inheritance from my
Godfather, Caleb
Kinkaide and WHY hasn’t this matter been dealt with
properly according to DWARVISH laws? Fix this NOW! I know what is in his WILL
because he showed it to me BEFORE he was killed.
Fifth issue, I want to do the Heir’s Blood ritual to see if
there are any other lines that I could possibly inherit. I will be at Vermögens
on Wednesday at 7am.
Final issue for now, look
through the properties that I have inherited thus far and find the most secure,
have it prepared for me add any additional wards and charms that you feel would
keep me safe from the Katariis and Van Pelt… charge my school vault
appropriately. I want to move there after our meeting.
Thank You Steelclaw
for you assistance in these matters.
Sincerely,
Kaspian James
Rutherford
Steelclaw
was amazed at the letter he’d just received from Kaspian Rutherford and grinned
accordingly. The boy had finally discovered the treachery being played upon
him… now they could help. He’d finally asked. He headed straight to the clan
chiefs office and after knocking opened the door…
The aged
Dwarf behind the desk looked up inquiringly, “Yes youngling?”
“Master
Grimtooth the Rutherford boy has finally discovered the treachery played
against him. He has made me his agent in handling his account. He is demanding
that we fix several things before his arrival in two days, starting with the
unauthorized withdrawals of funds since the death of his parents and the
returning of property removed from the Rutherford vaults to include jewelry,
books, scrolls, magic items, clothing, and all property. He also demands 10%
interest on the money taken. Sir the Prophecy Child has had his eyes opened and
he isn’t happy. He wants to have a house prepared with wards strong enough to
protect him from not only Heru~Gurtha
and his Katariis but Van Pelt as well. He also wants to do the Heir’s
Blood Ritual.
Grimtooth
smiles in satisfaction, “He knows what to expect then since he’s asked for it.
That is good Steelclaw. There might finally be a sorcerer worthy of regard from
Dwarves. Do as he wants; we’ve never liked Van Pelt anyway; him stealing from
one of our clients makes me more than angry. Get him 15% interest instead of
10. Take everything back today no later than midnight; have the secretaries
send the retrieval notices out after the retrieval. Have our Ward-Smiths
prepare the best of his houses at no charge and look into finding him a magical
advisor, someone who has experience in accounting and business matters as well
as estate management. We will provide Mr. Rutherford with everything he needs
to be a successful independent mage lord. Oh and Steelclaw make copies of all
the evidence: the forged signatures, the unauthorized withdrawals the removal
of property and send them all to Lady Mage Karloff with a note to start
preparing for trial and be sure to let her know that even if her copies are
lost, we’ve kept the originals so the case cannot be swept under the table and
forgotten. I’ll have them prepare the ritual chamber. Wednesday should indeed
be interesting. Congratulations Steelclaw and your very major promotion.
~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~
Family Connection:
The Mori~Gurtha (Dark Lord)
summoned the cream of all his Katarii, the truest of his supporters: Devid
McCrey and Saxon Stevens appeared first (as they should) followed closely by Callista
and Randolph Renyolds, James Whitmore, Thomas Smithe and finally Kadrin Portner.
“Portner
why are you late? Don’t bother to answer I really don’t care. Devid what have
you found out about that attack at Dorset
Village? We know we had
nothing to do with it correct? I didn’t approve it… have some of the lower militia decided
to take matters into their own hands?” demanded The Mori~Gurtha with a
sneer.
Devid
McCrey calmly replies, “My Liege, the Bureau is blaming the Katariin but have
no supporting evidence. There was nothing at the scene to point to us; no one
was captured, there were no witnesses who can say for sure, no cloaks or masks,
and the zerkataan wasn’t used. All that was found or confirmed at the site was
a heavy residue of dark magic and 7 dead Mundanei children. That interfering
old bastard Von Pelt pointed the finger at you and the Bureau jumped on it.”
“Saxon what
is the old fool up to?”
“In
truth I wish I knew Master. He hasn’t taken a meeting with the staff or the society
in over two weeks. I have suspicions but no proof.”
“Speculate.”
“He
portrays himself as this great white sorcerer, as the magical world’s great
hope, caretaker of the ‘Child that survived’. We know he is anything but. He’s
allowed even ordered escalating and continuous abuse on Kaspian Rutherford and
leaves him, despite his protests, in the care of those abusive Mundaneis. It’s
my belief he hopes to someday soon ‘rescue’ Rutherford from the horror of his
relatives thereby making the boy worship him and do whatever he asks.”
At that
exact moment a coal black messenger pigeon flies in and heads straight to the Mori~Gurtha screeching
at him beseechingly to take the outstretched missive.
The Mori~Gurtha looks
at Devid and Severus, “How is it possible that this pigeon just flew in here?
How did it get past the wards, charms, and other protections set up on this
property?”
To: Kiran Ryder, Mage Lord Mori~Gurtha, the Heru~Gurtha,
Sir, you are my final hope, please hear me out before you throw this
missive in the rubbish bin. My name (which I only recently found out) is Damia Cassiopeia Rutherford-McCrey-Windemere-Leopaldi-Kinkaide
I’ve gone by Damia Kinkaide
most of my life. I was almost two when my Papa was killed on top of me. The
White bearded man then took and gave me into the care of one Jessup Blandish…
I don’t know the name of the man that put me in his care (if that’s
what you want to call it) but care isn’t the word I would use… torture would be
much closer and more fitting. This is the reason I’ve contacted you. I can’t
take his punishments any longer and the punishment and inflicted damage are
escalating exponentially on a daily and weekly basis. (How is it my fault that
the day ends in y? or that it rained? Would you punish your child because they
received the highest marks in a subject?) I’ve been punished for all of these
reasons and many more all equally frivolous. I’ve tried getting messages to my
still living fathers (also just recently discovered, thank Merlin for summer
homework) but can’t get any messages through by owl, elf or even Mundanei mail.
So after thoroughly studying my family tree you are my final hope. I’ve
included a vial of my blood and the potion (Veritas Paternas) which is what I
used to discover my true lineage so that you too may confirm it. I am hoping
that as a blood relation you will see fit to save me from this madness that
I’ve been forced to endure for the last almost 15 years. I know you can’t just
trust that what I am saying is true and I understand. I just hope that you can understand that I cannot
endure this any longer. I’ve longed for a family that would love me, I’ve
prayed and futilely wished for a guardian that might at least respect me and
have about lost hope entirely.
I know he was told (yes I
eavesdropped the last night when the white bearded monster was giving him his
new instructions) that he has to wait for my inheritance to come in before he
can rape me, that way my power and my magic can be taken for that white bearded
bastard… I have only a week left before my birthday and for the first time in
my dreaded life I am truly frightened… I don’t want him to touch me; I can’t even
bear to be in the same room with him. Please save me from this madness, this
horror. I won’t let him… I can’t! I tell
you this now if it comes down to it I will take my own life over letting
him take what is left of my innocence and my power.
I hope that blood ties have some meaning to you and that the evidence
that I’ve sent you proves our relationship to your satisfaction. Please
Great-Grandfather please save me.
PS… If you have contact with my two remaining fathers : they were both
alive when I last did the potion, (Devid Dragor McCrey and Caleb Apollo Kinkaide)… let them know that I tried to find them but my
letters always came back undeliverable. I wish I had been able to know them.
(Copies of letters that were sent are enclosed)
Sincerest Regards,
Damia Cassiopeia Rutherford-McCrey-Windemere-Leopaldi-Kinkaide
““Saxon,
take this blood and potion verify her findings. Devid gather the elite. There
is a young pureblood witch that has been tortured past her endurance that needs
rescuing. She has the strength and courage to look for other solutions; we will
rescue her regardless of Saxons’ findings. Have them ready in 30 minutes.”
a/n: some explanation of terms used in this chapter
Vermögens Bank is the magic worlds bank ran mostly by Dwarves with help
from Kobolds (Vermögens actually mean Fortune)
Penit is a name of one of the magic worlds coins its use equates to a penny
there are 37 penits to a rukab and 51 rukab to an
avatiir (in today’s market an
avatiir is equal to about $7.00)
the Katariis are the minions of the one everyone thinks is out to
destroy the magical world (If you need an example think Death Eaters from Harry
Potter by J. k. Rowling)
Van Pelt the headmaster of his
school --that makes himself look rather like everyone visualizes Merlin
Excrupainim –is a Curse that
causes extreme mental pain
If you find something very confusing please let me know.. so I can fix
it.
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