“One leads. The others follow.”

- A memory of the Old Ones.

***Yellowstone National Park***

***Magnus***

The earthquake ebbs off and everyone draws a collective breath. Nobody was sure what to expect. Personally, I prepared myself for the ceiling to come down. Luckily, it seems like the park isn't going to blow up right this moment.

Sely shakes her head. “But shouldn't this facility be safe? I can't believe that Gavin didn't protect this base against earthquakes and other disasters. His intention was to wait out the end of the world. On top of everything, he intended to blow up Yellowstone right in front of his door.” She looks around. “Please tell me that someone knows a spell against erupting supervulcanoes.”

One of the elders snorts and points at the metal inlays on the ground. They form Gavin's control circuit. “That's a very complicated spell to form a doorway between two places. Normally, such spells aren't a problem. But this one opens two connected doorways far away from the actual ritual. I guess that they opened one doorway under Yellowstone and another much deeper down inside the earth. The result is clear. The magma from deeper down towards the earth's core is hotter and under more pressure. It's pushed through the doorway and heats up the volcanic activities under Yellowstone.”

I am amazed at the more or less scientific explanation. The impression I had of the elders is shattered. For some reason I thought that they spend all their time in a cave and only come out to see their children play. Or to punish the naughty ones. Please don't tell me that this guy is over twelve thousand and still has interest in the world! Does he spend all his time at the university?

The elder shakes his head like a sad teacher who has bad news for his students. “If it has been going on for months, then there is no way to reverse the damage over night. If we repair the circle and open another doorway, we just add to the problem. And even if we create a doorway that allows the magma to flow into the ocean, we might destabilize the volcano and set it off much earlier.”

Tina stops her attempts at comforting Cecilia. “Isn't it our duty to do our best in order to undo the damage? One of our own did this! What if this idiocy really causes another ice age? It would be the end of human society.”

And we would have to say goodbye to all the comfortable things which humans create.

No, I am quite sure that I can store some humans away. If I wait out the ice age and release them afterwards, they'll repopulate the world like mice. I purse my lips and pull Sely towards the door. “That's all well and good, but we damaged this place quite a bit with our battle. I don't trust this structure. Especially not if Gavin had the time to meddle with it before Cecilia reached him.”

Another elder grumbles, “The young one is right. We have to set up a completely new circle anyway. Manipulating the existing circle is much too dangerous. We would never be sure that there aren't some booby-traps against unauthorised use. Checking the whole circle would take more time than making a new one. If several clans pool their people who have sufficient skill, we can be done within a day.”

The ground rumbles again and this time I don't wait any longer. I shoulder Sely in a fireman's carry and hurry out of the door. “Hey!” She struggles, but I ignore it and walk quickly back towards the exit. The others join us. At least they don't think that I am overreacting.

“Let me down! I can walk by myself,” Sely protests.

I squeeze that nice ass of hers. “Just if you promise me to walk away from danger.”

She slaps my back and I let her down. The earth shakes twice more before we are back at the car and outside of Gavin's facility. I am quite thankful that this didn't turn into a cliché last second escape. Cecilia is still fuming, but at least the elders have released her. Gavin and his men are in shackles. They don't pose any danger right now, so we wait for the elders to give new instructions.

Sely is still angry about my behaviour when Tina returns with news from the elders. “A few of us will stay here and dismantle the base. The clans which are living in this area are also doing their best to set up a second ritual in order to release some pressure from the magma chamber. It might not prevent the eruption because the volcano is already destabilized, but it might lessen the effects. Instead of a full blown ice age, we might only face a few very hard winters.” She further explains that Gavin’s first and second wife were also rescued. One of the elders verified that they are also under mind control. They were handed over to their relatives.

Sely reaches up and pulls at my cheek. “Why are you grinning like an idiot. We are facing the possible end of human civilisation!”

I clear my throat. “I just thought about how wonderful it would be to have a colder climate.”

She coughs. “Isn't your territory cold enough!?”

Actually, it's not. “It has become steadily warmer and has snowed less and less within the last three decades. Thirty years ago, I never had to worry about a ski-run with deep snow. Nowadays, I've to go really high up into the mountains to have perfect snow conditions.”

“You own your personal ski-resort on a damn glacier!” she complains, but the earth shakes again and I steady her by holding onto her arms. Seems like she isn't very experienced with force magic. At least she isn't using it to compensate for the earthquakes.

Cecilia is still moody, but her curiosity gets the better of her. “What's skiing?”

Tina makes a dismissive gesture. “Oh, that's a fairly new sport. Do you remember the mad mountain-men who went on pilgrimages despite seasons? They walked through the snow on large, wooden boards. Nowadays, people do that for fun.”

Cecilia nods. “Of course I remember. They said that it would bring them closer to their god. I never objected it. Some broke their necks on such a tour, they came indeed closer to their god.”

I snort and try to get into our stolen car, but Tina beats me to the driver's wheel. “Women get the-”

“I know,” I interrupt her and take the truck bed. Tina’s guards join me soon afterwards. The elders take the bus with their prisoners and Gavin. I notice Cecilia's longing gaze. Seems like she is fixated on taking her revenge. I am sure that Tina will arrange some private minutes with Gavin for her sister.

It takes our little army a while to return to where we started from. Once there, we are greeted by the army. The humans might react slowly, but our little parade caused enough attention. Then I remember that the U.S.A. are under martial law and just recently lost their president in a tragic accident. So I shouldn't be surprised that the town with our doorway back home is under siege.

The military brought everything. Helicopters, jets, tanks, soldiers. I already want to suggest to glamour ourselves and go in on foot, but the elders seem to have other ideas. Their bus brightens with a white barrier and they plough right through a tank which was blocking the road. The vehicle is pushed aside like a toy.

“Are they serious!? What about a good relationship with the humans!?” I call out and hurry to help the guards raising a barrier around our car. It's not surprising that the human soldiers are pissed off. Bullets impact our shield a few moments later.

One of the guards laughs. “I think the elders are more concerned about Gavin's dealings with the fae, than with being delayed by humans.”

We follow the elders who do a good job in freeing the road of any obstacles. Armoured vehicles are simply pushed aside or flipped over as soon as they get into view. The elders don't believe in half measures.

I feel my heart skip a beat when a fighter jet comes in low and shoots a rocket at the convoy. Someone deflects the rocket while force magic lashes out at the jet. From a human perspective, the jet was brought down by invisible forces. Afterwards, the military commanders decide that an organized retreat is the best option.

The civilians already know us, so they wisely hide in their houses when the convoy stops in front of the small shop. In the end, we return to Atlantis in the same way in which we appeared. Quickly and without a trace.

Well, except for a lot of damaged cars and destroyed military equipment. I hope that the pilot got out in time. Not that I care about his life, but killing humans would be hard to explain in a press conference at home.

I am quite glad when we approach my house in Atlantis, though my ecstasy about returning home is quickly diminished when we step through the thick underbrush. Eleven people are making camp in front of my house. Five women, six men and one boy who looks like he is fourteen. I scowl at their sight and prepare myself for a fight.

Sely stiffens at my side when one of the men approaches us. He surprises me by throwing himself onto his hands and knees. “Lord Magnus? We offer our loyalty to the clan Bathomeus.”

I am so baffled that I only stare at him. What's wrong with these guys? Who would just leave their own clan and family to join another clan? Especially a black box like the Bathomeus! Where is the camera? I am sure that this is some sort of sham.

Sely clears her throat and tugs at my sleeve. “They are former Hammons.”

“No!” I answer without hesitation.

The man prostrates himself even further. “Please! We have no other place to go!”

Tina steps forward and regards the people in front of us with displeasure. “Didn't we distribute you among the other clans? We had a good reason for doing that.”

One of the women speaks up, “Please. We tried to do as we were told, but the other clans are shunning us. It's hard to live with the stigma of being a former Hammon. Instead of living our lives under the scorn of others, we retreated to Atlantis and are biding our time in this dreadful place. Then we heard that Gavin was caught, so we hurried to come here. We thought that there might be a chance for a new start if someone like you accepts us.”

I snort. “Then you should have stood up for your clan! A family is always what its members make of it. Looking away doesn't exempt you from responsibility!” They look a little hurt, but I couldn't care less.

It's Sely who speaks next, “Ahem, do you remember about the time when I told you that not all Hammons are bad people? I remember them. They are cowards, but not evil.”

So you are saying that I should take in the bottom feeders? I raise both eyebrows and turn to face Sely. “Do you want to tell me that you forgive them? That I should take them in? No!” I point at Cecilia and Tina. “It's bad enough that they are coming and going as they please.”

Sely raises a finger. “But the fact remains that our clan has only three adult members. With them, we would be up to fourteen. That's still a small clan, but at least it can be called a proper clan.”

Tina joins her. “I think she has a point.”

I glare at the other clan-head until she decides to take two steps backwards. Then Tina takes a third one to make sure that she is out of my arm's reach.

The other woman also goes to her knees. “Please. Rotting away in this dead city is the worst. We would do everything to join the Bathomeus. Your clan has always taken in the clanless since long ago.”

I hiss. She is trying to play me with my clan's own traditions. But that can be done in two directions. And I know of a way to make sure that they don't even think about joining me. There is one thing I can ask of them to make sure that they turn around and run the other way. “And look where it brought my clan. If you want to join the Bathomeus, then you have to take a blood oath to Sely and me.”

The man who is prostrating himself looks up. “That's nothing short of what Gavin did to his women!”

I smile. “Nobody is forcing you to take the oath.” I point at the path which leads to the street. “There is your way out.”

But the woman surprises me. She is a brunette with a few freckles on her face. Unlike the man, she uses a fingernail to slice her own palm without hesitation. Then I sense her forcing her own magic to form the oath. “I, Leila, swear loyalty to Magnus and Sely Bathomeus. I'll give my life to protect the Bathomeus.”

I think that I never looked so baffled in my entire life. But that woman really swore a blood oath to me, someone who has to be at least a few hundred years younger than herself. I could order her to commit suicide and she would have to do it! How stupid can someone be? She doesn't even know me.

The others mumble between themselves, but they also slice their palms and take the same oath. Even the man who isn’t happy with the situation.

I shake my head, still not understanding. “Just why the fuck did you do that? I could be a worse monster than Gavin for all you know.”

The woman points at Sely. “Because you took her in and she seems to be happy enough. At least her little sister is praising the Bathomeus on Twitter. Annia is doing a lot of advertising for you. It must be better than this!” She spreads her hands, indicating all of Atlantis and the black sky.

I must admit that I would also be depressed if I had to live here for an extended period of time.

Leila points at the man who talked first. “That's my uncle, Thomas. Just call him Tom.” She turns around and indicates two men and a woman. “The Rerecht family, Rudolf, Sandra and their son Alex...” She continues introducing people.

As if I would care about their names!

What it comes down to, are two couples with a child, though Alex is already an adult. Then one couple and one man and one woman who are solo. According to them, the two singles lost their relatives in the battle which finished the Hammons as a clan. The lone boy is an orphan, but the Rerechts are taking care of him.

Sely clears her throat and pats my back. “Don't worry. Fiacre and I will take care of all the complicated stuff.”

I am too shell shocked to answer. Why would anyone take a blood oath? And worst of all, a blood oath to me! Does that mean that I am responsible for them?