Hell Hounds

The group left the dining room quickly once they'd finished their breakfast. Once they found their meeting's conference room, inside, they found only the back of the room available. Yolanda looked at the people already there. Ambassadors and staff, military, and someone from almost every branch of the pack's command structure.

"What's going on? I don't see Edith or Allen. That mage dude isn't here either." Ian leaned over and quietly asked Yolanda.

"I don't know, but the Dragon ambassador isn't here either. The bears are. Maybe they're just late for the meeting." As she finished saying this, a screen rolled down and a mage, she didn't know, cast several images there. Images of several people, including those they'd just discussed. Gregory stepped forward and appeared to be taking a mental note in attendance of who should be here. "Not late, just not here. Guess there's news."

"Hm... it's still weird how mages do that. Why don't they just portal people where they're needed?"

"Power consumption. It's traceable and portals are power hogs. They're afraid the Fae will track that consumption to us."

"Well, that makes a weird form of sense. Portals are emergency only."

"I'm sure there's a time limit to how long portals can be open and who can open them. Seriously, I don't understand magic, but the Fae change the entire playing field, and power structure. The less the Fae know about us, the better if you ask me." Someone sitting ahead of them grunted in agreement with her words.

"If that's the case, why don't they use technology to communicate, then? Facetime and Zoom and such?"

"Simple. The reverse may alert humans to us. We'll try to keep things like this to a minimum. They dropped unnecessary things. They will monitor all communications and possibly record them when possible. It's just one of those things most people don't think about. Maybe, if we have enough heads put together, they will take enough things into consideration."

"You sound so cynical."

"No, realistic. Oh, I think they are starting." Yolanda pointed towards Gregory.

"Good morning, everyone. As many have noticed, we've sent out our first teams to a non-disclosed location. I'm sorry, but we need to keep information like this quiet. A discovery of something came to us recently. It took several days to verify the information. After that, a physical discovery of something else within the area came to our attention. Because of the nature of these discoveries, we felt the need for secrecy and a need to move on to secure them. We didn't want to lose the chance to claim the information or endanger anyone because we hesitated. Now that we've investigated both situations, we decided it is time to inform you. As you can see, we have ambassadors from all factions represented here or linked to us for this. I'll pass this briefing over to the Mage and Wolf Shifter Ambassadors, they will explain further." Gregory stepped back away from the screen, where several images of strangers lan didn't know appeared.

"Thank you, Gregory. Good morning, everyone and thank you for giving us your time. I'll start for everyone and explain my part in the investigation and then I will let the Mage Ambassador explain his findings and their planned actions pertaining to these discoveries." Allan stood in the foreground, with Edith in the background on part of the screen. "We apologize about not involving everyone in the beginning, but once we've explained, you can understand that we did not see this as something important until we could confirm and gather all the information. I don't bring this news forward easily and it's far from complete. We are still open to further investigation by other factions.” Allan paused and took a sip of water before he continued to speak.

"A wolf shifter pack, Alpha contacted us with a twin experience with his mate. Actually, they appear to have experienced two different visions that have parallel information. Information that holds a darker meaning than anyone else could anticipate. I'll explain the information we gleaned from the pair before I explain the discoveries the wolf shifter, dragon, druid, and mage ambassadors made when they looked further at the information willingly offered to them by the pair." Another sip of water. Yolanda watched the man and knew he wasn't thirsty. He drank to let people keep up and react. "Now, we could discount the first vision as a dream. Because we couldn't pinpoint it to a location or time of a real-time event, even with the extreme detail of it. But if you consider the vision of his mate, changes this assumption. They experienced these visions at the same time. Now, she believes a being who is the Goddess, or a being pretending to be the Goddess, forced her into the Dream Realm to speak with her." That received a loud response from most of the group.

"We have not verified who or why this person did this. But the power of the person is not in question. The mate was not asleep at the time she found herself pulled into the Dream Realm. She doesn't believe her body went there, but she felt pulled into unconsciousness and drawn to where this being spoke to her. The concerning part is this person referenced abstractly the Alpha's vision. The being also mentioned that she wasn't 'allowed to speak about certain things directly. However, she didn't refer to who restricted them. As you can see, there are many holes still within this investigation. This being also claimed all creatures created by the Fae as hers. The Fae created them because of her influence. She inferred it wasn't her intention that the new races continue enslaved to the Fae. She claimed she offered to help with her ability. The Alpha's vision was her help." He paused again so that those listening and recording notes could catch up.

"Now, the vision the Alpha reported to us was like a relatively unknown incident that gave the Fae the ability to return. However, the actual incident and the vision appear very different in many aspects. This leads us to the belief that if it's real, it's a vision of a second location. We don't know whether this second incident is in the past, present, or future. The location is search for now. This report isn't over at this point. Please bear with me for a little more. This pack recently absorbed the failing pack of the Luna's, which included the lands. On those lands is a mine, while surveying it for the possibility to reopen it. They found a sealed chamber containing the third portal. A portal oozing wild magic, not something we want anywhere near anyone. For now, I will hand over this presentation to my esteemed Mage Ambassador, followed by my esteemed Dragon Ambassador, and finally my

esteemed Druid Ambassador. Dean,

if you would like to take over."

"Thank you. Now we've placed several on examining the possible information received through these visions, with the express purpose of locating the third portal. We've also sent the information to all other councils worldwide to ensure they look for any portals within their territory. This is an invasion by the Fae. This is not speculative. We have visual sightings now within the Dream Realm and on this plane.'

"Within the last packet of information distributed is a list of locations where they've attacked. One of the more interesting features of these attacks, they were all once places of power. Meaning places where they could tap into wild magic. Wells, or batteries they can pull wild magic from. Sadly, when they left this realm the last time, those wells dried up and the native population has abandoned those locations. No one ever found a way to activate them, and apparently, neither has the Fae." Dean paused here as Allan did before him for dramatic effect.

"We know they are hiding within this very region, and we know their estimated numbers. However, the search is still finding out whether there are more locations they are hiding within. The Fae are attacking places within Europe currently with random attacks here. The current belief is they will continue to attack old places of power while they search for a source of wild magic. This is where the portal we've acquired will help attract them into a trap once we figure out what that will look like. Currently, the pack who discovered the portal has learnt about their protective detail, just in case the Fae come after them looking for the portal. The Fae haven't looked closely at the human population, yet, and the few incidents have reliable cover stories." lan couldn't believe how these people appeared to compete on who could ramble more within their speeches.

"The packets within the most current briefing report should help explain our plans from now on with these issues. That includes, but is not limited to, sneak attacks on locations they linger in, and using the portal to attract them away from human and supernatural populations. We ask that any race or creature that can cast any type of magic restrict their use of it currently, as this will send out a beacon to the Fae. Starving them out is currently the only way to make the other side of these portals more attractive to them, and this portal tells us that there is another place where they are better off." Now lan knew these people desperately needed a speechwriter, or at least an editor for their speeches.

"We are researching other options currently, but they are not ready for discussion. I'll turn this over to my esteemed colleague, the Ambassador for the Druids, so that they can share their insights." "They really need to find a different word for esteemed," Ian whispered to Yolanda.

"Yeah, and the worst part is this is them being informal. Now, shh." She smiled even as her eyes stayed on the images of people on the screen.

A woman took the main section of the screen next. Yolanda knew Aricka, her Luna, and Gregory's mate was a relation of this woman. Though she couldn't remember if it was Grandmother, Aunt, or Great Aunt. She only knew they're related. Because there'd been quite a fuss before Christmas about them visiting, and Yolanda successfully missed it.

"Thank you. We're quite concerned

with the Luna's experience. This is

not something historically the Goddess does to people. Forcing people to meet with her. Informing them of vague threats, and inferring that she's not in control, or being controlled by another entity she can't mention. Lore does point to one or two gods that may have some control over her, but they've not heard from them in a long time. The concept that she influenced our creation by the Fae, lends credence to the concept that she herself may be a Fae of some sort. This said, we can't assume that everything she claims is the truth. We know the Fae are extremely high strung and confrontational among themselves. So, that alone calls her loyalty to us into question. As a Fae, she may have the backstabbing trait. I care to differ on one thing with my esteemed colleague of the Mage Faction. I don't believe she ever claimed explicitly that she took one side over another, or that she is loyal

to us. What I read into this is that she finds their return inconvenient, and that she sees us as her pets."

"I can't speak on the portal, but after looking at the effects the portal has on the local area, I am glad the mage's removed it. That portal would attract magic starved Fae. I believe one attack occurred there already before they moved the portal. That means at least one Fae group is aware of the area and the presence of this portal battery. They must keep it from them at all costs. I implore you to provide assistance on this in defence and research as we look for a plan that will deal with this mess. Thank you."

The screen switched rather rudely to

the Dragon Ambassador's face as

the focal point. "Thank you, Ambassador, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but this is lagging, and I would like to get back to some pressing business here before I return to the command center. As someone who has conferred with several people who have memories of these things, I've come across several concerning mentions of these portals that admit wild magic. I've added much of this information into the latest pack of information that will be delivered to everyone once it's fully assembled. We thought at the time that we'd destroyed these portals. I am currently attempting to find out two things. How we missed this one, and how to destroy it. The brief explanation for their existence is created by someone to attract straggler Fae for slaughter. However, the Fae can use that

magic. I hope my Mage counterpart has dampened the power emanating from the portal for now to give some more time." Dean nodded from the corner of the screen his face was on. That made Yolanda sigh in relief.

"This is a trap, and we can only hope they aren't aware of that ahead of time and avoid it." This sent a rumble through the crowded room. "I doubt a magic starved Fae will avoid it in their desperate state. But we don't know if it's the only one left or whether there's more out there. We need more clear information. I am searching now to find out who created these portals, to begin with. I also remind everyone we must find the group of humans opening these portals and stop them once and for all. Thank you for your time and patience." If nothing else, the Dragon Ambassador was short and to the point. This meeting appeared to be lagging, and it might be just the intermission.

Gregory stepped forward then. He thanked the Ambassadors and wished them luck and a safe journey back to them. "We'll take a break now and return to hear more updates. Then we'll cover the next

steps we will take."0000000