Brothers in Arms or The Disappearance
Halloween Challenge

by Lindabrit

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Three witches are known in legend for the disaster they brought upon a house, a loyal subject, and a king. Three witches who will now bring their lunacies and prophecies upon a house in the new world and the West. The house of Barkley and one loyal man … a Barkley son … will be the subject of their spells. That Barkley son is…Eugene...and Heath...and Nick!

The noise in the crowded saloon was deafening, the air hot and stale, three beautiful young women sat together at the table, their bodyguard ensured that no drunken fool bothered them.

He was tall, fair and handsome, with implacable ice blue eyes, and no one dared approach his mistresses. He was powerfully built and attractive, but none of the saloon girls came near him, he was coldly distant and too...strange.

The raven-haired leader, Azaria, fixed her dark basilisk eyes on her sisters in magic, flame-haired Tamani and flaxen-haired Nyrie. The two acolytes stared dutifully back at their Queen, ready, to obey her in all things.

Azaria's voice was as deep as her fathomless eyes, "you asked why we do not appear as aged crones to this man."

"As we did to the foolish King, Macbeth," said Nyrie.

Azaria silenced her with one cold glance, "this man is also a King, in his way, but his heart is open to youth and loveliness, so shall we appear to him."

Tamani was curious, "Macbeth had an evil soul and we sought his destruction, what do we want of this man?"

Azaria's dark eyes flashed, "the demons of the moon intend evil against us, they seek our power and can get it only by destroying us, we have no power to protect ourselves, we can only harness the truth and honour of another and confer on him the title of Guard, as we did long since with the Golden One, and he may not have enough magic to protect us."

Nyrie was indignant, "he is fearless!"

Tamani concurred, "fearless and true of spirit!"

Azaria's irritation sharpened her tone, "which is precisely why we are here my Sisters."

The other two witches turned blank faces on the Queen and she sighed, "Do you realize how few such mortals exist? I have found the Golden Guard's sibling, but before he can join us, he must be tested."

Nyrie and Tamani nodded, now at last they understood their journey through the mists of time and space to this Wilderness of the Western Lands, for it was here that they had found the Golden Guard and he had served them long.

Azaria glanced across at the Golden Guard's still figure as he stood sentinel.

"I worry about him," admitted the Queen, "his service has been exemplary, but it has drained his spirit and he will surely perish if we do not aid him."

Tamani was puzzled, "but did he not say he was a lone one?"

Azaria smiled, "he believed so, but my magic says he has brothers, though he does not know."

Nyrie's gaze rested fondly on the Guard, "he has battled long in our cause, I fear for him too, the evil, hate, rage and spite that he has deflected from us will overwhelm him soon."

Azaria was adamant, "if I have judged his sibling aright, we shall have a Dark Eagle to stand with the Golden Guard in our cause and when the demons are vanquished we can release them both."


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Nick Barkley was weary to the depths of his soul, He was twenty eight now and had been running the Barkley ranch since his father's murder six years before. He had shouldered all his burdens with courage but he felt drained and barren, his spirit yearned for something he couldn't define, a comrade? A brother in arms? He just...knew there was a need in him.

His tired horse had been almost through the gates of the Barkley ranch, thankful to be home at last, when... What the hell had happened? Nick just knew that something irresistibly powerful was drawing him toward a distant light in the hills.

He rode on into the weird gloom, shivering despite the warm night air. As he rode away from all he knew his skin crawled with dread, though he was no coward. It is a frightening thing to lose your sense of yourself and this was happening to Nick. The further into the hills he rode, the nearer he got to that strange unearthly light, the more his dread grew. He could not now remember his name, or where he came from.

The strangeness was not confined to his senses, his very clothes were altering, melding into a glittering black robe, sable dark but metallic and glowing with magical power. The Stetson had become a circlet of jet that adorned his brow like that of an ancient king. His horse had become a bigger animal, glowing with magical radiance and he had wings as well as hooves of polished jet.

As the Dark Eagle reached the place of magical light, all fear and doubt ebbed from him, he felt powerful, invincible and free from doubt or question. He raised his gleaming sword in salute, knowing now who he had the honour to serve.

"Hail to you Queen Azaria and to your sisters in magic, the Dark Eagle is yours to command."

Azaria smiled at him, "this is the Golden Guard, he has long protected us from harm but the Demons of the Moon will attack us this night and he cannot stand alone."

The Dark Eagle looked with hard hazel eyes into the face of the Golden Guard, the younger man's pale blue eyes held a world of pain.

"I will stand with my Brother, pour my spirit into him and together we will vanquish the demons, cast them down, utterly, for all time."

Azaria smiled again upon the Dark Eagle, "you have passed the test, you are as true and brave as your brother and together you will defeat our foes."

It was a night of spells, magic and climactic battles. There was blood shed and there were many evil spirits slain, but the Golden Guard and the Dark Eagle fought shoulder to shoulder and none could conquer them. When the first rays of dawn appeared, the Demons of the Moon fell screaming into the bottomless pit of their own evil and the three witches were free of them forever.

Azaria stood with the Dark Eagle on the windswept hillside, she reached a hand to caress the curve of his lips, the planes of his face.

"I release you Dark Eagle, return to the place where you are King, live and be happy and know I watch over you."

He glanced at the Golden Guard, more weary and forlorn than ever now.

"What of my Brother?"

"You and he will meet soon, pour your love and spirit into him and he will thrive anew."

"What of you? You cannot go through the universe without another Guard, I must remain in his place."

She felt the tug of his sex, he was masculine and strong and she wished with all her heart that she could keep her Dark Eagle, but it was not to be.

"No, your brother needs you, or he will soon, do not fear for us, another comes to be our Guard, he is young, sweet and virtuous, his power will defend us through long ages."

"Who is he?"

"He is called the Bright Angel."


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Eugene Barkley did not know why he had got off the train several stops from his true destination of Stockton, or why he had walked away into the hills, indeed, he could not now remember his name or anything of his past, he knew only his purpose. As he reached the place of magic, his clothes formed into a silver, metallic robe that glittered with latent magical power and he raised his gleaming sword to his mistresses.

"Hail to you Queen of magic, I am the Bright Angel and I bring you a true and pure heart to spend long in your service."

Azaria held out her hands, "be welcome Bright Angel, my sisters in magic and I salute our new chosen Guard and you shall dwell with us for many long ages, unregretted and unremembered by your former family.

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In the Barkley mansion, the photograph of the youngest scion of that house, Eugene, dissolved and disappeared, in that same instant, his room, his possessions and all memory of his existence melted into oblivion and it was as though he had never been.

Later that day, Nick Barkley, at peace and zestfully enjoying the crisp summer morning, set his horse onto the narrow rope bridge that spanned the creek, only to find his way blocked by another rider. The two men stared at each other, but the Dark Eagle and the Golden Guard did not recognize their kinship...not yet.

THE END