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."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
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."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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