Friends of the Earth (Story completed)

[ILLYRIAN]

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

Willow had been invited to the house that was owned by the girl who once ran the Wicca club at the college she went to. The house and property was sold to the coven but a couple of the girls wanted Willow to investigate the property for them, ghosts had been heard near the house.

They were worried that the ghosts were not impressed by them being there. Not knowing what to expect Willow said she would go there by herself, when she was sent the address of the property she was surprised as she expected the place to be near Sunnydale.

She was informed the property was on the outskirts of Dawlish in South Devon, thinking she may have dropped herself in the quagmire she called Giles to see if he knew of the area or knew of someone who did.

Giles responded that he didn’t need to check his books, he told Willow it was once said to have been visited by the Devil, or a two legged creature that had hoofed feet. It could have been the God Pan but walls, hedges, farmhouses.

Even the estuary of the River Exe where it had a width of two miles, the ground under the water bore his hoof marks. Willow enquired when that was, Giles was able to set her fears to rest as the Devil wandered from there in February of eighteen fifty five.

His presence had been mentioned in several places on Dartmoor: the inside of the church in Widecombe-on-the-Moor had the Devils attempts to get inside its walls sculpted on its walls
Giles did what he could to allay Willow’s fears.

He told her that the Devil was said to have visited the hills between Two-Bridges and Tavistock and his hounds were allowed to roam on the hills alongside the road. The Devil ventured to a residential property near Yelverton.

Though it had never been proven which property a coach had been seen a few times. The interior of the coach could be seen to glow a bright crimson red at night and was said to be pulled by two dogs the size of Shire horses and they had red eyes the size of dinner plates.

The coach had been seen to go down into the earth via a deep lake where a field of grass was, though a worshipper of the Devil once stated that the field appeared to have long grass all over it and the rhythmic flowing could be described as appearing like waves.

Giles informed Willow that the area of Cornwall was often referred to as The Devil’s Country. Willow was a bit more reticent when she visited the property, one of the girls who showed her about, Carissa, said about the ghost stage coach that went on the lane deep into the forest.

Carissa suggested they should go there first, Carissa saw the dubious looks from what had told her, that made the tales of what was on Dartmoor seem minor. “I bet Giles didn’t even mention about the thirty or more ghosts that are known to frequent Dartmoor.”

As they started to walk along the lane Willow noticed that Carissa would keep watch behind them and eventually asked her why. “I have seen the black shapes that run through the undergrowth, I’ve seen them before so I know what to expect.”

Willow looked to the sides of the lane Carissa had spoken of. “We should walk along the sides of the track, just in case their wagon comes up behind us,” said Carissa. Willow looked puzzled and surprised as the black shapes ran through the undergrowth beside them.

Carissa said they are werewolves those four are heralds of the coach, the werewolves are said to mind what they are doing and if they see you they can be quite friendly. Their masters are known by the names Percival and Angharad though they are the Incubus and the Succubus.

Willow wanted to know how they could be friends? Humans, we have a way of stating what is what and assuming we are right, I’ve spoken to then and I admit they are not exactly a classic description of friends are they are more than friends, to the people of the forest they are bonded.

Willow looked to Carissa. “Do you mean they are what the people of the town might call married?” Carissa smiled and nodded a few times. “The Succubus can point out who is suitable then the Incubus plants the Demon Seed in the victim.”

They heard the sound of hooves on the lane behind them. “Keep to the side of the track, the sight of them will impress you, the wagon is pulled by six black horses, all the livery is a shiny silver, it looks wonderful, the wagon itself is a hearse, a highly polished gloss black with silver lines.”

Willow asked Carissa where the wagon was going. Carissa replied about the converted church ahead, once it was the home of Catholic priests but when they were put to death when the then Kings men had removed them, pagan worshippers had moved in, there is a coven there now.”

Willow listened then told Carissa that as far as her history lessons had gone it was King Henry the 8th who removed the Catholic faith from England some 500 years ago. “So how can the coven still be here?” Carissa grinned, “Some demons live for eons, such as vampires.”

As they approached the stone pillars Carissa told Willow stay where she was to watch the middle of the cut grass when the wagon gets to where they were. Doing as she was told Willow saw the wagon reach the pillars then looked to the lawn and saw the wooden church appear.

As it appeared thirteen people walked out from the church, Percival and Angharad walked to them. “When they know you and trust you I will informally introduce you,” said Carissa. Willow agreed with her then asked why they had come to be here?

“A person who was once a friend to a few members of the coven her descendent was in troubled, her daughter had been abducted.” As no one else could give the much needed help, they would. Carissa told Willow they would go to the woman’s house with two witches from the coven.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

Part 2

Danni spoke to the woman, she told her that they had come to offer their help to find her daughter. The woman looked to them, she wanted to know why, Danni faced the woman to say an ancestor of hers had been a friend to a few members of the coven.

They had suggested we offer our help to you. But the woman wasn’t impressed, her faith said that she shouldn’t allow a witch to live. Danni said she was prepared for that, and asked if she meant the witches that God knew of or did she mean the witches that humans spoke of?

The woman didn’t know how to answer that, Danni told her that they would try to find her daughter as she was a descendant of the woman who helped those in the coven as well, and so Willow found herself in a strange place in the forest. “Where are we?” asked Willow.

Danni pointed to two women on a round clearing of ground, Danni told Willow they were Andrea and Monica, witches of the coven; Andrea was able to read a person’s mind, live or dead. Monica could heal people, her power so great she gave people life where there was none.

Willow stared at Danni, Danni grinned. “She is a friend to the earth and as such the earth is a friend to her. Should Monica need it she can use the same power the earth can. The seed of a tree may lay dormant in the ground for years then it can be brought to life.

In a motel on the outskirts of a country town, standing at a window of the motel room Monica noted a woman on the tarmac she said the woman was Bethany Seavers, the younger sister to Marion. Andrea said the woman was the dead sister to Marion.

When she was ten years old Bethany had been told to get some milk from the corner shop but had been knocked over on the road. Each year she had returned to visit her sister on the same day. This year she found her sister was gone, sensing the witches she had gone to them.

Since then Marion had lived with her father but he had to leave the town to get to his work on an oil rig. When Marion was fourteen he had been offered at another oil rig. To stay in the town he bought a farm where he could breed fish.

It was at that time that the father had to travel to secure a new supplier for the fish in his breeding tanks. Bethany invited the witches to stay at her house. The word spread throughout the town but it was only believed by those who believed in ghosts though no one protested.

Generally those people of the town who didn’t belong to the church knew of Bethany’s visit to Marion each year, being missing this year the townspeople knew to keep an eye out for her. So when strangers moved into their home many kept an eye on them.

The owner of the motel, Marvin Rutledge had only been there for three years, he didn’t know to inform the police that Bethany had arrived early. Consequently when Bethany didn’t return that night he was only mildly curious; though he did report her as missing the following day.

Two new recruits PC Michael Meadows and PC Robyn Track were given the task of finding out about the whereabouts of Miss Seavers. At mid-morning when the women were sat on the wall by the roadside, he called the police to them to move on.

As the policemen were talking to Danni and Willow Andrea stood up, she said she had just heard two men in a passing car who were thinking of a young woman they had abducted. Before Andrea could point out which car the men were in it was out of sight.

The witches gathered in Willow’s car and drove in the same direction, the police radioed in who they were and what they were doing. The stations sergeant ordered them to catch up with and offer to help as much as they could.

Going out of the town Andrea told them to veer left opposite the church. Danni who drove the car slowed down each time they neared a house. When one was found without any property to overlook them they slowed down then stopped.

The police stopped beside them and started to plan how they would search the house. Andrea said it would be better if she went into the house by herself. The policemen asked her why she thought that, Andrea pointed to Monica.

The policeman looked at Monica. “What can you do that we can’t?” Monica replied that she was sorry if they could she said she could convince everyone’s mind that she could be invisible. A policeman laughed, and how can you convince yourself that you are invisible?

Monica grinned. “Why would I want to do that, I know that I can be invisible.” Before the policemen could say anything more Monica had vanished. “If you wait here I’ll tell you when it is safe to go there,” said Monica.

After a few minutes Monica appeared by them, she said there was no one in so they could go into the house. Danni asked on what grounds. “The easiest of excuses as long as they have gas just say gas could be smelt and they wanted to help.”

They had almost finished the inspection of the front garden when the sergeant arrived. In the house they found details of the two men that lived there. Both of the men were church regulars.
That was all they found on the two men, there was nothing to show they were even brothers.

That night the men had planned to go to a friend’s place so Danni and Willow accompanied the witches and the ghost visited the house, following her instincts Willow went outside she ventured to the car port and began the rake the loose soil, soon a trap door was revealed.

Danni and Monica grinned as the trap door was opened, on a mattress lay Marion.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

Part 3

Sat around the dining table Willow asked what if anything that was to do with the woman’s daughter being abducted? Andrea mentioned that the two men had thought about another girl they had abducted. She had bought some drugs for a boyfriend.

They had sold her to a drug syndicate who were going to use her as a carrier for drug deals. The syndicate had stolen people identities and wanted a person to carry the drugs they wanted to sell in new areas.

The syndicate had also bought a site on the www to gain international sales, Bethany said she could be utilized to get inside information about the syndicate. She said she wanted to help the girl and help her mother.

Willow wondered how they would go after the drug syndicate when they had done nothing to the men who abducted her. Marissa and Clarissa thought what Willow had said as funny they told her that as a young witch she wouldn’t know what was or could be.

“I almost destroyed the world,” said Willow. “So, just because I am a healer you ought to understand that with my sister our healing powers can give life to where there was death. Take the simple Acorn it may lay in the ground for years before life is returned to it,” said Marissa.

“Like that seed we could give life to a dying planet,” said Clarissa. Deborah told Willow, “A few of the coven could trace the men through the ground, everything is connected is not an idle claim. And if a message is sent through the air we need to speak to Sue-Lyn.”

“Sue-Lyn can cause anything to fly, she can trace anyone or thing in the air,” said Deborah. Willow began to see the benefit of being with others of power. “Is there anything you can’t do?” asked Willow. “If it happens I’ll tell you,” replied Deborah.

Willow was still confused by it. “How could a witch seek to trace a person’s personality through a non - physical link?” asked Willow. “Tell me this,” said Danni, “what is the description of a person doing witchcraft? Someone who can magically do the impossible.”

“Yet here is a coven of thirteen witches each of whom who can do just that, maybe more,” said Willow. “You have yet to meet the one who leads us all, she will guides the coven should we ever do what has been asked of us,” said Deborah.

Bethany suggested they contact the sergeant at the local police station to where she lived, if they could do as they wanted, to have the forces of the police would be a welcome advantage. The sergeant agreed to help get the drug syndicate.

He said the services of the police would be available to them. A successful hacker could steal a person’s identity, but first the hacker took control of the person finances to buy the chemical to make drugs. The witches took money from the hackers to buy the computer equipment needed.

The hacker watched his ill-gotten gains gather and make as much money as he wanted. He thought all was going well for him until one of the times he checked his bank details he saw that the amount was greatly diminished. As he watched the totals his accounts, they emptied.

Shocked the hacker saw his property taken from him, his rented furniture and his cars Bethany
felt as though those she wanted to help were being helped though she felt worried that the drug syndicate might try to retaliate.

Bethany listened as it was explained to her, Danni would break into the hackers home by placing an Ouija board in the dining room and opening the curtains, uncovering each reflective item. Willow asked why that was done.

“A ghost may return after seeing its reflection in the mirror, a window or from any reflection.”
The coven made a circle and waited for word from Bethany they didn’t have long to wait, after hearing the two men argue she heard where they had sold the girl.

Telling the coven where she was, a few members of the coven reduced the minds of several of the drug syndicates minds to be in anxiety permanently. Bethany lead the witches to save the woman’s daughter.

About to ask the where a bouts of her sister she saw Marion walk into the room – Marion smiled to Bethany. Willow was pleasantly surprised, she thought the members of the coven would consider or go out of their way to capture those who had taken the girl.

Deborah told Willow there was no reason to do that, in order to thank the police they let them find a person to charge, prosecute and take to court. Deborah said she didn’t wish to ruin the perfectly good stereotype the two men would be found outside their church, without mouths.

Before the police sergeant left the police station the following day he received an anonymous phone call, it told him where the two bodies of the men could be found, and that he would need to get the coroners van to remove the bodies.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

PART 4

The sergeant had been asked to pass what he learnt of the two men to Deborah, she would inform whoever she thought was necessary to aid a successful answer. Even Percival and Angharad announced they would offer their help if asked.

Willow passed the news to Giles that Andrea had said of a Shaman in South Devon who spoke of
small vermin that frequented the water ways throughout south west England Andrea began to look through the list of sites that their kind of people were said to frequent.

The witches of Elsbere and Sue-Lyn were invited to seek knowledge of the men. After a few days Elbere passed on details of where one of the men was. Andrea, Jessica, Clarissa and Deborah were immediately dispatched to question him.

Finding the man hiding in a tree house they said from the outset they wanted to know who the drug dealer was that he had sold the girl to. Initially he claimed to have no knowledge of what they meant, until Clarissa displayed her control of water.

The man still kept secret what he had done with the girl, he even kept secret where the drug dealer lived. Andrea thanked him for thinking what he wanted to be kept a secret, Deborah told him what he’d tried to keep secret.

Then said they would tell people he told them everything if he got anywhere near any of their people. Setting up caravans throughout the forest the witches could tell the police who used the road on a two way trip during a two hour time frame.

A few police cars could be placed near the roadside hidden from view by the large hedge while the witches could watch who stayed at the house for to long. Mandy was told to see who sold the drugs to the man or if the daughter was used there.

Mandy suggested they that Andrea be part of the team to go into the house to try and find where the daughter was, several teams of witches were invited the go to the house each week, so that the drug dealers didn’t get surprised by them.

It was the following day that the witches went into the drug dealers house, he was expecting a shipment of drugs later in the morning so he wanted them to leave although he didn’t tell them he did think about it a lot.

During the afternoon several fires were lit that would blanket the road from his house with smoke, the police were able to get to his home without him having any prior knowledge of him having a raid, he was charged and taken into custody.

Having heard the man’s thoughts the brothers brother was captured by the police, and the drug dealer who had bought the daughter was the recipient of a visit by some witches, though he wished he wasn’t as Mandy, Andrea, Monica, Jessica and Sue-Lyn went to his home.

The drug dealer was told in no uncertain tones why they were at his home and they didn’t want
to leave without the daughter. He chose to not say out loud where the daughter was which meant that Andrea read his thoughts.

She passed the girls location to Sue-Lyn who was able to make herself and Andrea fly with the help of Mandy who enabled each one who was holding hands with herself in the line. Ten minutes later they appeared in the room with the daughter.

The drug dealer was taken aback when the women wandered into the room, he had no idea how the girl had been found by them and apparently with such ease. It didn’t occur to him he would have to stop selling drugs as he wondered how he’d continue.

He had blackmailed the woman’s daughter to sort through to check the quality and to cut the drugs to make the little bags ready for re-sale. He had been pleased that a supply of bags for four days was prepared.

The drug dealer was set back when the police arrived at his door and he was taken away. He saw that Andrea was left on her own at his home though he had no notion of where Mandy Deborah and the daughter were.

The daughter and her mother were reunited, Deborah suggested they find somewhere else to live as the human form of justice seemed to favour the criminal. That made Deborah have thoughts of what needed to be done in the future.

Andrea had waited until the drug dealer had been carted away, Mandy went with the police. Andrea gave the police enough drugs to make sure he was charged with going equipped to sell. Once everyone was gone she arranged for Marissa and Clarissa who were both born as Sirens.

They made little model boats to house the drugs in then ordered the currents to take the boats to the middle of the oceans where they stopped all movement and took on water so that the drugs would sink to the sea floor.

Mandy went back to the house and was about to fly back to the coven with Andrea when one of the police officers said about a person who had taken to making drugs. The officer wanted them to find out who had been financing the deals.

Andrea stated to the coven what was asked of them, Willow said that they be doing the work of the police for life if they weren’t careful. Deborah said she would carefully consider what was asked of them.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

PART 5

It took quite a few days to make any headway with who was making the drugs with access to another person’s bank account. They had found that the reason why it took so long was that the drug manufacturer was the drug dealer who they had just caught.

Andrea began to make note of any other names that the drug dealer had mentioned, as no knowledge was found several were found to be ‘of interest’. More witches were dispatched to watch the drug dealers activity and who they spoke to or telephoned them.

While the drug manufacturers were being watched a meeting was called to be held of how to trace the www. All the witches were invited to attend the meeting which each one suggested how their use of their ability would help.

Deborah stood and announced she had an idea, she quickly left the room. The witches in the meeting looked to each other, confused they agreed to wait until Deborah returned. It was a long hour before she came back into the room.

With her were Percival and Angharad, Percival said of a problem they had once had. Angharad stated a message was sent by telegram. Questions had been asked where the message had come from, they created and sent a vampire who was able to say where the message had come from.

Several vampires were used to track which item the message was sent from, then they were able to say who had sent what message. As it wasn’t what message but who else had sent the message the vampires could quickly tell the witches what they wanted to know.

In order to check to see if Percival and Angharad’s claims were true Mandy and Elsbere were told to go to a secret place and send a message on the www. Angharad took her time viewing the areas where she thought suitable people would be found.

Once she began to wander that area she soon found four who would be suitable for Percival. He took each one to the secret cavern of the Incubus and Succubus. There he forced the humans to submit to him implanting the demon seed in them.

Within a few hours four vampires stood and waited for the directions of what to do. Percival and Angharad told them of how the messages were sent and from what area they were sent, Sue-Lyn was called to assist the new vampires in how to trace a messages movement through the air.

When the message had been tracked the could retrace the pattern of the keyboard then seek the person who made the pattern, with the person identified finding and capturing the person was an easy asked, holding the person against their will was not hard.

Neither the witches nor the vampires were of the belief that the perpetrator ought to be treated well so that society could think of itself as better, following that belief just meant that the next generation would feel the perpetrators vengeance; how to make the next generation dislike you.

In the questioning process they had found out where other drug manufacturers were using factory units to build their base of operations from. By the days end those manufacturing plants had been located, damaged and where possible they were destroyed.

The newly created vampires were instructed to trace who had made the call about a drug manufacturer, and the drug manufacturers was investigated to make sure no one would benefit from having their competition removed.

The police were informed and where suitable those who took the drugs to other dealers were caught in the act then charged and given prison sentences. Many of the couriers were given fines or suspended sentences.

More was expected to hope the worlds future could prosper, the Incubus and the Succubus were unimpressed by this and caused many who were able to wander free from court saw the weird, horrific and heard damnations that made them wish a custodial sentence had been granted.

Willow understood would deal with those they found, to forget the police and the courts. Being demons the witches and specifically Deborah said they would get away with it. Willow did not want to be involved with what she thought was essentially a vigilante group.

Willow was told by Deborah that the demonic forces that preyed on humans were responsible for the tougher measures perpetrated on the guilty. She admitted that she was in favour of the demonic entities leading the changes.

In an attempt to lure Willows mind away from what was she was told of a well-known and well respected data broker who lived a life separate from all others in the social group he was in. He enjoyed his criminal activity where he received details so a person’s ID.

What he liked to do was change the persons method of banking, he would create an extra bank account where the person kept at least four thousand dollars. When he sold the persons ID he was able to empty the persons extra account to put into his own.

He took his experience to combine the monies he took knowing no interest would be sent to it he caused it to only allow interest in his name. After two years he had saved enough to buy himself an island.

After several months passed on that island he built a house that enabled him to receive a multitude of government kick-backs that gave him the ability to build faster. It was during Sue-Lyn’s investigating of a person’s money the secret was discovered.

Deborah searched the man’s secret, she saw the benefit it could present to the witches and took steps to ensure all was suitable, she saw how a hotel was made and used that as a guide. After a month all plans had been put in place.

It was then that Deborah sought to take control of the island. She ensure he was held in prison and began to relieve him of all the financial pressure. As he was in prison he was unable to react quickly when his bank accounts began to empty.

By the time he went to court he had nowhere to live and no money even his island had gone, all the lovely furniture had seemed to disappear. Deborah ordered a meeting to decide what they should do, as Giles and Willow suggested.

To teach mankind a lesson, to seek those who sought ill on other humans to send them to prison
and have them learn to be good for society. Both Angel and Spike wanted humans to be given a hope for their future though they said time wasters should be thrown into the Deeper Well.

Percival suggested that he should be allowed to stop a person’s spiral into the depths where no person could escape from. Angharad stated that as she could separate those who could be demonic she would chose some to be demonic.

Percival stepped to her defence in that all those who sought harm on others should be removed from society for being unsuitable. Marissa added that any who stole money or funds from others should go the same way as those who caused physical harm.

Clarissa stated that harm to the planet should be avoided, like a person’s smoking; on the off-chance that it would do harm. She said steps to avoid over usage of the earth’s resources should be avoided. To end those who caused harm to others

and those who stole from others would cut the population on earth by a great many. It may be that they might have little to do but at least they know what they had done was of use. As only they could cause a person to disappear and not have a need to have a burial.

Deborah suggested several of the cause the reduction of the numbers of mankind while Jessica, Sue-Lyn, Andrea and Willow with her taught those remaining to live a good life. She also said to save those who had been of earth the longest.

Of their ability to live life without harming others, Clarissa added some small villages in each country be set aside to test to see if mankind could be trusted not to revert back to its ways of destroying the planet.

Willow asked if her friend could work with those of Percival and Angharad’s creations. After being told of her request Willow was told Buffy could work with vampires to keep them in line also that may involve work with werewolves.

Others of the witches agreed on finding ways not to kill the planet for the sake of a few people but if it was found that some of mankind sought ways that would lead to helping mankind to live with nature, to be a friend to the earth.


THE END