The two girls awaken after having the first night since they slept at Zachary’s without nightmares. Getting up changing they ran down stair. Edna asked, “why are you too in such a hurry?”
“Well we thought that maybe you could take us to see Zachary in the hospital,” Cindy asked?
“I won’t be able to take you until the afternoon, it’s Saturday remember. The colors are turning and the tourist are coming in droves. Today’s the day when the dinner does the most business.” Edna told them. “Until then go outside, the horses need looking after and the cats are already wanting to go out.”
The two girls walked out to the yard and fed and watered the horses. As they did Dust Bunny and Agamemnon kept in close pursuit of the girls. After the chores were done the girls and the cats sat on the pouch waiting.
Suddenly Agamemnon took off running at a figure that was getting closer. It was a man, his left arm was in a sling and his left leg appeared quite stiff. The cat ran to him and jumped on to his shoulder. “Zachary!” Vicki yelled, and ran to him. Cindy followed.
“We thought you were almost dead,” Vicki scolded.
“Me? No bastard demon is killing this Avatar.”
“You really are the Avatar,” Vicki said wide-eyed?
“I must be considering the attack I survived, now let’s go someplace and sit.”
“The diner,” Cindy said.
The trio entered the diner, and sat down in the first booth. As they did Vicki noticed something sticking out the back of Zachary’s pants. Is that a bandage? She wondered.
“Zach, you’re back,” Edna said bringing him a cup of tea. “How do you feel?”
“Sore, but in one piece,” he commented.
“Would you like some breakfast, I’ll make you what every you want”
“Bacon and Eggs would be nice, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Edna left.
Vicki leaned over and felt his backside. She whispered to him, “Are you wearing a diaper?”
He whispered back, “Yes.”
“What are you too talking about?” Cindy asked.
“The sacral nerve arch damage I received in the fight,” Zachary stated.
“You mean like I was borne with?”
“Yes, like you were borne with. I am normal in every way except for bowel and bladder control.”
“So we’re all diaper babies,” Vicki shouted!
Cindy and Zachary quickly shushed her, thankfully the restaurant was empty save them and Cindy’s parents.
“Has any one been back to the house since the event,” Zachary asked the two ladies?
“The corner, the sheriff, and the state crime lab. Other than law enforcement, no one has been back to the house. My father has stayed at the Watch Station since.” Vicki explained.
“I don’t blame them for that,” Zachary said, “I lost over two pints of blood that night, and it would have been more if it was not the help of two messy baby girls.”
Zachary hugged the two ladies. After he was done eating they left, for Cindy’s Grandma’s shop.
“Hi, Aunt Susan,” Zachary said over the ringing of the door chimes.
“Well Zachary, you’re back so soon?” She watched as her bandaged and diapered great nephew entered. “You must be the chosen one, for I hear you did damage to the beast. Your cousin Dave dropped this off for safe keeping so I will return it to you.” She handed Zachary’s sword back to him.
“Cynthia, close up the shop and follow me to the back.”
Cindy turned over the closed sign and locked the door. The three then followed Cindy’s grandmother to her apartment in the back. “This you will need,” she handed Zachary a small package. “What’s in it?” He asked.
“Open it child.”
Within the package was a finger that had been severed off the beast during the attack. “It was adhering to the sword, then I placed some of the dust from the hag on and it fell off.”
Zachary smiled, “Where did you place the rest of my items, Aunt Susan.”
“They are in the box where I placed Steven’s, item upon his demise, the iron box marked with crosses and bathed in holly water.” Steven severed a finger from the hag before he was killed. Two nights ago it fell into dust. I knew then that you and you alone are the Avatar. Take these as well. She handed him two loaded chambers for the black power revolver. The bullet are silver and core filled with chrism, no evil beast would be able to make any major attack once injured with these.”
She reached out and hugged the three, “Go with God children, and end this surge.
Now go!”
They left the house and headed to the manor. Zachary climbed the stairs, and gathered what of his magic items he had left behind. As he bent down to gather his things, he noticed Vicki, and Cindy checking their diapers. The two ladies stepped forward and checked his as well. “Before we do anything, all three of us messy babies should be changed,” Cindy announced. They walked down the hall to the nursery, there were still tape marks on the floor but most of the blood was now gone. “Zachary you go first.”
Zachary removed his pants and lay down on the changing table. The two removed his diaper and both started to clean him. “Well Cindy,” Vicki said, “do you think our new baby needs lotion, so he doesn’t get diaper rash.”
“Oh yes, I think that too.”
The two young girls lotion Zachary’s loins covering every spot paying close attention to his penis, until he came. “See it still works,” Vicki said while wiping him with a baby wipe.
Cindy said, “I’m next.” Cindy was a total mess but once she was clean Zachary placed a diaper under her. The she guided Zachary to fingering her to orgasm,” Next he went down on Vicki.
Bathed in after glow diapered and satisfied, they finished gathering there, weapons, spell components pouches, knapsacks and a well stocked diaper bag they were gone. As they wandered back into town, the gauss meter that Zachary was carrying went off. Zachary drew his sword moved the gauss meter to determine, what was causing the problem. Behind him shining flashlights into the shadowing woods the two girls scanned for anything. Suddenly Zachary and Cindy saw what looked like a man with one arm, run towards the hanging tree. “Holly shit!” “The meter is going nuts,” Zachary yelled. The three followed the apparition but soon he was gone. “The meter’s dead, but we had one hell of a reading. 24 microgause, is a major event, considering that there are no power lines in this woods.”
Upon returning to town, they grabbed the horse Apocalypse, and Nightmare, who were quite happy to be getting, exercise, after being confined to the yard for two days. They took off heading for the hanging tree. It took them almost two hours to walk what it took only 15 minutes to ride, the horses handling the muddy gravel road much faster than their walking. They made it to the hanging tree around six that night, they horse tied out of the way for their safety, then set up camp.
Zachary removed his arthame drew a circle upon the ground filled it’s ridges with the metallic dust. On a stone he placed some of the dust form the hag and the beasts finger. He removed from his belt a small vile he placed the vile upon the stone and what looked like a rusty tar residue became liquid blood. He continued the incantation, the area around the ring began to glow and soon before them stood the injured mad man.
“Return to me my finger, so that I may plant it to become an arm.” The man before them howled in an eerie painful moan. “Please return it to me.”
“Who is thy master,” Zachary commanded?
“Meltoroth,” the zombie moaned.
“Why is he thy master, by what means?”
“I failed him in life so now I must serve him in death,” the creature approached the ring stopping short.
“Where does thy master stay?”
“I do not know,” he painfully groaned.
“LIAR!” Zachary picked up the finger and placed it over the fire. “Tell me where he lies or go forever without an arm.” Zachary now moved the finger close to the flame.
“In the cave in the hill, where the Sabbaths were held. They were to be kept secret, I can tell you no more, I fear my master wrath already upon me.” The creature began to cower in fear.
Zachary removed another vile, with in it was a clear liquid. He dipped the finger in it as began to smoke. “Est Nominae Padre, Santos, Spritus Sanctus.” Throwing the rest of the vile back to the zombie, there was a flash of white light and a moan of relief.
Before them now stood the spectral image of man. The specter spoke, “I thank you for my freedom mage.”
“Go with God,” Zachary said.
With that he vanished.
Cindy and Vicki saw Zachary slide to his knee and lay himself down. They rushed to his side.
Now sleep my children, it is time to rest. In the morning light we will talk of this.
9/19/1999
The next morning Zachary was the first up, he had rekindled the fire and had tea waiting for the girls. Cindy awoke next, “Zachary do you want your cousin to change you or your girlfriend?”
“Well she is a girl and she is a friend, so I guess she is my girl friend, but I’m already changed and so are you.” Cindy felt her diaper and noticed that she was wearing a clean dry diaper.
“You’re no fun,” she said, “I wanted to do the diaper changes like we did yesterday. I know you enjoyed it and so did Vicki. How do your wounds feel?”
“Sore, but I think they are getting better.”
Vicki awoke last, as she did Cindy said “He’s being no fun, he changed us all while we slept.”
“Well there will be other changes,” Vicki said.
With that they all enjoyed a quick breakfast of tea and short bread scones. They all enjoyed the bluff side view over looking the house and the sea.
After a rest the remounted the horses and rode back into town. As they entered town they were flagged down by a state police officer. “Are you Zachary MacLeod?”
“Yes I am, Why?”
“We have a state forensic expert who would like to talk to you, the officer motioned for him to dismount.”
Before he dismounted Cindy and Vicki had ridden up side his horse. He handed them the reigns and told Vicki takes the horses back to Cindy’s, “I’ll meet up with you later.” Zachary dismounted grabbing his staff for support he followed the officer.
They went into the sheriff’s office. Zachary was asked to leave his staff at the door then frisked, and extremely painful procedure considering his many wounds on his arm, back, leg and left side. The officer that frisked him announced, “He’s Clean,” he was lead to the back room of the sheriff office. There a familiar face, Dr. James Jerden, a forensic anthropology colleague from the university, met him.
“Jim,” he asked, “What the hell is going on?”
“Well we just finished the preliminary analysis of the arm you severed, and quite frankly I am amazed.”
“Why? What so amazing about an arm?”
“It’s age and how well it preserved.” Dr. Jerden opened the freezer case and showed him the arm. It was complete save the one finger. “We had skin and tissue samples analyzed, and tested for age and make up. The thing is over two hundred fifty years old. Preliminary test shows that it was preserved in a peat bog. There has never been a find like this in New England or in Canada. The closest peat bog is in Pennsylvania? Now how did this arm get here? We also found tissue fragments from under the nails that are traceable to the skin and tissue cut out of your back, arm, leg and side. I can’t explain it. How was a mummified arm able to be used to attack someone causing the extensive injuries you suffered?”
“Houston, we have a problem,” Zachary said, His college smiled. “Did you get tissue samples from the leaden glass door frame?”
“Yes we did” said the corner, “they match perfectly with the arm but more than likely they came from other parts of the corpse.”
Sheriff Davis asked, “Zach, can you explain any of this?”
“Not without it sounding like something from the X-Files.”
“I understand,” the Sheriff said, “then I am afraid that I and the state police are going to make this incident top secret. It is not to be discussed with anyone who is not directly involved. All in favor?”
“Sure, let’s not make more trouble than this is worth,” Zachary commented as he leaned against the door jam for support.
“I agree as well,” said Jim and the corner almost at the same time.
“Then we will say nothing of this to anyone who is not directly involved. Zachary, I expect you’ll to tell the ladies and their parents to stay quiet as well.” Sheriff Davis looked directly at Zachary.
“That will not be a problem,” he whispered.
“Well then you’re free to go,” the Sheriff said having another officer help him out.
He took his staff and hobbled behind the restaurant where Cindy’s parent’s home was. The two ladies were waiting for him on the front porch; he horses tried to the hitching post.
“Ladies we need to talk,” Zachary started with, “so let’s go inside.” He walked past them and they followed him up the stair and opened the door for him. Gathering in the den Zachary then spoke.
“The Sheriff and the State Police have decide to make all these last days events Top Secret. That is they do not under any circumstances want us to discuss these last days events with anyone who is not directly involved. I have agreed to this and I hope you will too, because quite frankly if we did talk no one would believe us, or they would think we’re nuts anyway.”
There was a pause of silence the Vicki spoke, “we are to speak of this to no one? What about our families?”
“Cindy broke in, We can talk them. They are directly involved, right Zachary?”
“Yes you can talk to them.”
“So what’s next, Vicki asked? Where do we go from here?”
“To the caves of the Sabbaths, that’s if we can find it.”
“What’s a Sabbath,” asked Cindy?
“A Sabbath was a meeting of witches called by the devil himself. The most commonly believed time for witches’ Sabbath was on Halloween. But that’s just old folklore, I’m not to sure what that has to do with the caves.”
“What caves,” asked Cindy? “I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never seen any caves.”
“The caves have existed since prehistoric times the reason that you haven’t heard of them is not because their location has been kept secret. The main entrance was blasted shut, in the 17th century. That is when witches and savages used them, or they were believed to. The town’s people packed the front with gun powder and collapsed them.”
“So how are we going to get to them if the entrance has been closed for so long?”
“Well there is a way to get into them, but it’s not an easy task. It takes the right time of year and the right angle of the sun. On the autumnal equinox the is the only time the rear entrance comes into view.”
“Right now its September 19th in two days we will be able to enter the caves and hopefully destroy the demon. Until then there are a few things we will need. We’ll need some items from town, some from my place and some for the manor. Well start with town.”
The three made their way down to the hardware/sporting goods store; Buzz greeted them as they arrived.
“Buzz,” Zachary asked, “have you any new iron filings?”
“Sorry, Zach, unless you would like to make them,” Buzz commented.
“Well, then I’ll take these three files,” he placed three metal files on the counter.
“Will that be all Buzz asked?”
“Yes I think that will be all.”
“Then the cost is 22.45$.” He rang up the total and Zachary paid him.
“Zach if I may ask, why the iron filings anyway? What do you use them for?”
“I’d like to tell you but, it been declared a secret. Buzz, even if I did tell you, you wouldn’t understand.”
With that they left. “The next stop is the Church,” Zachary said.
“What are we going to get from the Church,” Cindy asked?
“A last confession,” Vicki said?
“I’m not to that point,” Zachary said to Vicki, “holy water is what we’re after. The priest knows me and he should be expecting us.”
The were met at the church door by Father Andrew, “Well Zachary you’re still alive. So the demon has not won.”
“Far from it,” Zachary said as they entered the old Anglican Church, “Father Andrew meet Cindy and Vicki, my two maiden fair.”
“So the prophecy is true,” the priest asked?
“We won’t know that it is true until after it done,” Zachary commented.
“What we need right now is to refill the supply of holy water.”
“The Cistern has not moved, please take as much as you need,” the priest said, “I will see you before you go.”
They filled twelve vials with holy water, as they prepared to leave; the priest handed Zachary an item wrapped with in a dark purple shroud. “If the prophecy is true, this should help you end it forever. Practice well mage, you three are the only hope.”
“Thank you father,” and Good bye.
The three left the church and headed back to the diner.
“What did the priest give you,” Cindy asked?
“I’ll show you at my place tonight, not until then.”
“Will we need it to succeed, is it some holy relic,” Vicki asked?
“Yes, it a holy relic, but success is possible with out it.”
The three returned to the diner around six that evening. Their parents met the two girls.
“How was you day,” Vicki’s father asked?
“Fine, why?”
“I was just wondering. You look a lot better today than you have over the past few days. Even you Zachary seem to be getting better.”
“Thank you,” Zachary said and continued eating.
“Okay kids what gives,” Edna said, “you’ve been going around town like you’re on some strange scavenger hunt. So tell me what’s going on?”
“The final show down between good and evil,” Cindy said.
“Okay and you three represent the good?”
“Yup,” Cindy said.
“Zachary, what have you been telling these impressionable little girls? So what strange thoughts have you been filling their heads with?”
“None more stranger than explaining the cause of what’s been happening to them over this last week. The Autumnal Equinox is coming, that marks the time of the battle. If things go the way they are prophesied the curse upon this town and our Clans will be gone forever. So please don’t implore us to explain any further, for it may sew the seeds of doubts, that could be fatal.”
With that they finished eating, afterward Zachary sent the girls out to ready the horses. Zachary sat down with the parents.
“I know not much of this makes sense, to any of you save David, but the final count down has begun and we cannot pull out. Legends often start with a grain of truth, and the grains of this legend have given fruit. I now know that I am the Avatar, your daughters are the maiden’s fairs. Their virginity intact only because of there diapered bottoms. We should all survive, but know that this is not a sure thing, one or all of use may not return, but we won’t know until the paths is walked and the game is over.”
“So with love in our heart I wish you adieu. I will try everything in my power to keep your daughters safe. Now we must go.”
Zachary walked out of the diner to the waiting horse. Taking both sets of reigns, he told the girls to say their good bye. A short time later they emerged, with teary eyes and they left.
At Zachary’s house they met in the kitchen, Zachary gave each of them a bar of iron and told them to make as many filings as they could. “That is what the magic circle is made of. I will mix it with the silver filings I already have made.” They worked long into the night all three shaving the iron bars down to scraps. Zachary changed them and then changed himself; finally he walked to the couch and fell asleep.