A New Awakening----By Lennox MacDuff-----cpmills@indiana.edu
      http://members.tripod.com/~movieland/gargoyles

      Summary:  What if the Magus had not cast his spell on Goliath?  How 
could he help in the past, and how much will change without him in the 
present?

      Greetings and salutations!  Welcome to my fifth Gargoyles fanfiction.
You can find the other four at my webpage, along with a lot of other neat 
stuff.  Don't forget to sign the guestbook!  It doesn't take much time, and 
it lets me know that you care : )
      I know it's been a while since my last piece, I know.  I would like 
to apologize to my faithful readers (yes, there are a few *grin*).  This 
story has been in the works for over a year, but my sophomore year at college
has been such a bear I've hardly been able to put any work in on this, then 
working over the summer.  Free time is truly worth more than gold :)
      This piece was, in a way, inspired by "I'm Sorry" by Aaron Ziegler.  
His story, like mine, looks at how everything can change just by one little 
thing being different.  One event, as you will see, can cascade and change 
the entire events of history.
      As for the legal stuff, the Gargs aren't mine.  You know who Disney 
created and who they didn't.  In this particular piece, they created everyone.
I'm just borrowing them.
      Oh, and one last little thing.  If you have access to the AWAKENINGS 
five-parter and/or the episode AVALON: PART ONE, watch them before you read 
this.  That way the changes with and without Goliath will be fresher in your 
mind.  And please respond to this fanfic, by the way.  It means a lot to me 
to have people respond to my work, whether they liked it or hated it.  After 
all, how can I grow as a writer if I don't get feedback?  Let's put it this 
way...whether there is a continuation to this story depends _directly_ on the
amount of feedback I get.
      Well, that's that.  Enjoy! 
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		"Graybeard, thy love doth freeze."
		--Tranio, _The_Taming_of_the_Shrew_


			Scotland, 994

	Goliath sadly placed the last of the massacre survivors on the castle
wall.  He was tired.  Tired of carrying each of the five statues which had 
once been his friends to the castle.  Tired of the fighting.  Tired of life.
	Princess Katherine and the Magus looked at each other as Goliath 
stared out over the horizon.  The Magus hung his head in the shame he felt.  
Katherine sighed and wiped a tear away.  It seemed as if something should be 
said, but what words could help in a time like this?  After a moment, Katherine
broke the uneasy silence.
	"We have done you a great wrong, Goliath."
	The Magus looked up at Goliath.  "I...I know that no apology can be 
enough, Goliath," he said miserably.  "I..."  The words seemed to catch in 
his throat.  "...wish there was something I could do."
	Goliath turned his head slightly so that he could see them both out 
of the corner of his eye.  "What will you do now, Princess?"
	"I'll take my people to my uncle," Katherine replied.  "It's no longer
safe for us here."
	Goliath swallowed hard.  He was wary of trusting these two humans with
what had to be done, but there was no one else to ask.  "The eggs in the 
rookery will soon hatch."
	Katherine stepped forward.  "We will watch over them as if they were 
our own," she promised.  Goliath turned his head to look at her.  Her eyes 
showed only sorrow, and the need to do _something_ to atone for the horrible 
things that had happened that night.
	Goliath turned away from them both.  Most of his clan were dead, and 
death had saved those responsible from his revenge.  The few remaining 
members of his clan were frozen in stone forever, or at least as close to it 
as could be.  The castle rising over the clouds?  It could never be done.  He
was alone.
	"There's something you can do for me, Magus."
	At the sound of his voice, the young spellcaster looked up to face 
the gargoyle.  His soul still burned with guilt, and would do anything for 
forgiveness.  He was about to say so when Goliath cut him off.
	"Cast your spell one more time."
	The Magus' eyebrows shot up at this request, but he understood. Sadly
he picked up the Grimorum and walked over to Goliath.  The gargoyle was 
already taking a thoughtful pose.  The Magus opened the book to the page 
containing the damned spell which had trapped five innocent beings in stone. 
Breathing deeply, the Magus began to read.

		"Dormiatis dum cascastellum..."

	"Wait."
	The Magus and Goliath looked at Katherine at the same time.  The 
Princess walked over to Goliath and laid a hand on his shoulder.
	"Goliath, we will need your help to raise the eggs of your clan.  You
know more about raising gargoyles than either of us do."
	"The Princess has a point, Goliath," the Magus said.  "We can raise 
the hatchlings as we would human children, but you know things about gargoyles
which we do not."
	Goliath turned away from them.  "You condemn me to a life alone...and
now you ask for my help?"
	"But don't you see?" Katherine asked with a glimmer of hope in her 
voice.  "You're not alone.  In a year or two you will have dozens of young 
gargoyles.  Only you can help us to raise them in the gargoyle way."
	Goliath sighed.  Katherine was right. Despite all he had been through,
he was not alone.  The humans would need his help in the years to come.  When
it came down to it, if he wanted his clan to survive he had no choice.
	"Very well."

	Katherine groaned as she set the heavy egg in place on the cart.  Her
back ached from helping Goliath and the Magus carry the thirty-six eggs from 
the rookery to the two carriages they were using to get to her uncle Kenneth's
kingdom.  
	Katherine turned to see the Magus behind her, hoisting an egg of his 
own.
	"Be there any more?" Katherine asked. 
	"This is the last one, your highness," the Magus replied as he set 
the egg into the cart.  Once it was secure, he hurried over and snatched the 
Grimorum from where it had been resting.
	*He seems almost incomplete without it* Katherine thought.  She shook
her head.  Now was not the time for such thoughts.
	Just then Goliath walked up to them, followed by Tom and his mother, 
Mary.  "Is everything ready?" Goliath asked.
	"Aye, we're all set to go," Katherine answered.
	*I wonder how many of these eggs will survive the journey* Mary silently
wondered.  She was about to voice her thoughts when she realized that it would
be in very poor taste to say such a thing in Goliath's presence.  Though she 
now respected the gargoyle, a part of her was still afraid of him.
	The Magus sat at the reigns of one cart, Mary at the other.
	"Shall we go, then?" asked the Magus.
	Everyone looked at Goliath.  The lavender gargoyle sighed.  "You four
go ahead.  I would like a moment alone."
	Katherine nodded to Goliath, then to the Magus.  The sorcerer took her
meaning and flicked the horse's reigns.  In a short time, Goliath was standing
alone in the deserted courtyard.  He wandered from spot to spot, remembering 
happier days long past.  His eyes shifted from one pile of stone rubble to 
another, and finally rested on the stone forms of the five frozen in stone.
	"Goodbye...my friends...my Angel of the Night..."
	Wiping a tear from his cheek, Goliath took off in flight, following 
the four humans and all that remained of his clan.

	Hours passed quietly before the red-haired gargoyle returned to the 
castle.  She had seen Goliath's reaction to the destruction of their clan, 
and she had not been able to face him.  She silently watched the last of the 
clan charge off into the forest in search of the clan-slaughtering humans.  
Since then, she had been sitting on the rocks overlooking the ocean, trying 
desperately to come to terms with what had happened.  Now, with dawn less than
an hour away, the time had come to face Goliath and the others.  She already 
had her story worked out.  'I followed Goliath, but I got lost' she would say.
	Red-Hair landed in the courtyard and glanced around.  The castle was 
eerily quiet.
	"Goliath?" she called, only to have her voice echoed back to her.  
Frantically she ran through the courtyard.  Why hadn't they returned?  Where 
were they?  Her eyes scanned over the interior of the castle, only to stop at
the parapet.  There, in the shadows, there they were!  Her heart nearly burst
with relief as she ran up the stairs to where they were standing.  
	She burst out on the parapet and hurried over to the others.  After a
few steps she stopped.  Why weren't they moving?  Cautiously she walked to 
the clan elder and placed a hand on his shoulder.  She gasped and pulled her
hand back as she realized she was touching stone.
	"Stone?  At night?  What has happened?!" she cried out, seeing that 
they were all in their stone slumber.  She began to panic and cried out 
Goliath's name, but no answer came.  She searched through the castle, but for
naught.  Just before sunrise a grim realization set in.  He must have been 
killed fighting the Vikings.  
	As this thought hit her she sank to her knees, unable to cope with 
the horrors that night had shown her.  Everything she knew, every thing she 
loved was gone.  Her clan, her love.  She was alone.
	Her chest began to heave as a tear trickled down her face.  It was 
too much to deal with, too much, too fast.  She had to get away.  She couldn't
stand to remain in the castle, not after what had happened, not with _them_ 
staring down at her with their cold, stone eyes.  As Red-Hair looked toward 
the sky, she saw the sun about to rise.  When night fell, she would leave.  
Alone.  But where would she go?  What would she do?  It was all too 
overwhelming.
	She burst into tears as the sun rose, locking her misery within.

	A week later the human/gargoyle band arrived at their destination.  
Ordinarily the journey would have taken only four days, but they had to stop 
every day at sunup and wait for the sun to set before they could continue.  
Night traveling was slow and dangerous, and their precious cargo forced them 
to keep their guard up for predators that were not a problem during the 
daytime.
	The two carts slowly came over the final hill in their journey.  The 
horses were tired, as were those being pulled by them.  Goliath rode in one 
of the carts, gently turning the eggs one by one.  Suddenly he heard Katherine
gasp.  He leapt from the cart and hurried to her side.
	"What is wrong?"
	Katherine could not answer.  She merely stared into the distance.  
Goliath turned to the direction in which the Princess was looking.  In the 
distance, the castle, their salvation, stood burning.  The humans were stunned,
unable to move or speak.  Goliath quickly climbed a nearby tree and took 
flight.
	He glided over the castle, high enough that he would not be seen.  
Small fires burned throughout the castle keep, mainly huts and houses.  
Soldiers were rounding up men and women.  Even children were being pulled out
of their beds and herded into the castle.  Goliath took a few more circles 
before he returned to the hill.
	"I'm not sure what has happened," he said as he landed.  "The castle 
looks as though it has been invaded, but I can find no sign of where invaders
might have come from.  I am not as skillful a tracker as our elder, but there
are no signs of horses or carts."
	"That is because," a voice came out of the darkness, "the invasion 
came from within."
	Five heads whipped around to the direction the voice came from.  Out 
of the shadows walked a bearded man, flanked on both sides by soldiers.  
Goliath began to growl, but was cut off by Katherine.  The Princess ran forward
and hugged the man.
	"Calvin!" she said as they embraced.  "What in God's name has happened
here?"
	"Many things in a short time.  But this is not a safe place to 
discuss it.  Come with me, all of you."  Calvin glanced at Goliath before 
turning back to Katherine.  "The gargoyle travels with you?"
	"Nay, we with him.  We are responsible for a terrible injustice, and
are righting the wrong by helping Goliath tend the eggs of his clan."
	Calvin looked at the two carts containing the thirty-six eggs.  His 
brow knit for a moment, then he turned and began to walk away.
	"Bring them, then.  But hurry."
	The humans were climbing into the carts when Goliath stopped Katherine.
"Who is he?" the gargoyle asked.
	"Calvin is my cousin, and King Kenneth's son," Katherine replied.  
"If he is not in the castle when such an invasion is happening, then things 
must be very bad indeed."
	Quietly the two carts followed Prince Calvin into the dense woods.

	"My father is dead."
	Katherine gasped.  The band was sitting near a fire deep in the woods. 
They had arrived minutes ago to find a small camp set up in the wilderness.  
Rough tents were thrown up and a few small fires provided light to the huddled
masses.  Calvin, Katherine and the Magus sat on a log near the fire, and Mary
sat on the ground with Tom trying to stay awake next to her.  Goliath stood 
just out of the fire's light.
	"How?" asked the Magus.
	"It was Constantine.  In retrospect, it could have been no one else."
	"Please, tell us the whole story," Katherine asked.  Calvin nodded and
breathed deeply.  
	"Constantine has always yearned for my father's crown, yearned for his
power.  Being a Prince was never enough for him, only the absolute power of 
the crown could appease him.  For months I have seen his thirst for power 
grow steadily stronger.  I tried to warn my father, but he insisted that 
Constantine simply was a misunderstood youth.
	"Over the last quarter-year my father had become infatuated with 
Finella, a woman who loved only Constantine.  Constantine had told her that he
loved her and had many times promised her that someday they would be married,
but I wonder if even that was sincere.  So Finella remained unmarried, and 
this was enough to encourage my father to eventually propose.
	"Finella told him to meet her in a quiet place, away from prying eyes.
That is where we found his body the next morning, after Constantine had 
proclaimed himself King."
	"But," interrupted the Magus, "if he is not the true King, is there 
not some challenge that you could give him?"
	"Ordinarily, yes.  But Constantine has many followers, and he had the
advantage of surprise.  He quickly rounded up all those who opposed his power
and imprisoned them." Calvin's eyes fell to the small campfire. "Those who 
would not go peacefully were burned alive in their homes."
	Gasps issued from the throats of those sitting by the fire.  Goliath 
still stood just outside of the firelight, listening and quietly thinking.  
Calvin gestured around the camp as he continued.
	"These two dozen men and I were all that could escape capture by 
Constantine's men.  We are trying to form a plan to reclaim the castle, but I
do not know if it will be possible."  Calvin sighed.  "It would have been 
safer for you to have remained at Wyvern and risk facing the Vikings, cousin.
This kingdom has become a sad and dangerous place."
	"What of this Finella? What became of her?"
	"She was so wracked with guilt that she told me what had happened just
before my men fled the kingdom.  If Constantine has discovered that she has 
helped us, no doubt he has killed her already."
	A silence fell over the men and women sitting by the fire.  As they 
absorbed all that had been told, the fire crackled happily away; a smaller 
version of those that burned in the castle keep.  Each person was lost in his
or her own thoughts.  Katherine was trying to force the sorrow over the death
of her beloved uncle out of her mind.  The Magus was shocked by the idea that
Constantine could murder his own father.  
	Mary was having the hardest time of all.  As she stared into the fire,
she thought of her husband, Tom's father, who had died due to burns he suffered
in a fire.  She remembered the horrible pain he had gone through in the last 
few days, and shuddered at the thought of those poor souls who had been burned
alive in their homes.
	After a long silence, Goliath stepped out of the shadows.  "Prince 
Calvin," he began.  "For what it is worth, I understand what you are going 
through.  Everything I cared about was violently taken away from me.  However,
I believe I have a plan to return you to your rightful place as King."
	The humans looked up at Goliath.  He stared down at them, still coming
to terms with all that humans had done to him and his clan in the past week 
and a half.  *Why should I help them?* a small part in the back of his mind 
asked.  But another part, a larger part, answered before Goliath could 
consider the question.  *Gargoyles protect*
	"How many people have been imprisoned in the dungeons?"
	Calvin thought for a moment before answering.  "Well, I'm not sure of
the exact number, but I would guess that it is more than sixty."
	"Then our first goal should be to free them.  They can be our army to 
fight against Constantine's men."
	"You misunderstand, gargoyle," Calvin insisted.  "Perhaps twenty-five
of those trapped are able bodied men, the rest are mere women and children. 
It would not be much of an army."
	"Don't cast us aside so quickly, your highness," Mary said.  
"Remember the old saying.  'One woman alone can get into trouble, two of them
together can cause plenty of it.'"
	Calvin smiled.  He looked from person to person sitting around him, 
and saw looks of hope in their faces.  Finally he looked up at Goliath, who 
stared emotionlessly back at him. Despite the cool gaze, Calvin chuckled.
	"Then sit with us, gargoyle.  We have much planning to do."

	The next day the sun sank slowly behind the hillside.  Goliath awoke 
to find the small band of soldiers waiting for him.  He took a moment to 
stretch before he walked over to Calvin.  The Prince was sharpening the blade
of his sword when the gargoyle walked up.
	"Is everyone ready?" Goliath asked.
	"Yes, though I must say, I have doubts that this plan of yours will 
work, gargoyle."
	Goliath raised an eyeridge at the Prince.  He was not used to being 
questioned.  "If you wish to change your mind," he said slowly, "now is the 
time."
	"No, we've committed ourselves.  There's no turning back now."
	Goliath nodded, then turned to Katherine and the Magus.
	"No matter what happens to the rest of us, I ask that you remember 
your vow to me.  Protect the children of my clan, even if it means sacrificing
me.  Do not come to our aid."
	Goliath did not wait for their response before leaping into the air.
He began to circle the castle, watching the forest for the signal to begin 
the raid.  After a few minutes a brief flash of light came from the trees, 
and disappeared just as quickly.  
	Taking a deep breath, Goliath dove down toward the castle gates.  He 
landed just inside the castle wall with a low thump and pressed against the 
wall.  Quietly he glanced around and was pleased that no one had seen him.  
As he crept toward the main gate, a lone guard on patrol happened to step 
right in front of him.  The man's eyes widened with fear as he began to shout
out.  He didn't have time to make a sound before Goliath's mammoth hand 
clamped down over his mouth.  Goliath pulled the terrified man close.
	"You're not going to make a sound, are you?"
	The guard shook his head as best he could with Goliath still holding 
it.  The large gargoyle smiled.
	"Good." Goliath replied, and bashed the man's head against the wall. 
The guard fell to the ground, unconscious.  Goliath took a moment to smile 
before resuming his way to the gate.

	At the edge of the forest, Calvin checked the time by the moon.
	"All right," he whispered to his men, who were crouched around him. 
"He's had his five minutes.  Let's go."
	Turning back to the castle, he let loose a fierce cry.  Now they were
committed.  For better or worse, the attack had begun.

	Goliath sank his talons into the door leading to the imprisoned 
people.  He had unlocked the main gate, now he had to make sure the prisoners
knew what to do.  He leapt down the short flight of stairs and looked around.
Huddled at the far walls were the women and children, while the men came 
forward to defend them.
	"Listen to me!" Goliath shouted.  "I fight alongside Prince Calvin, 
who right now is leading an attack against this castle.  We need your help if
the crown is to be returned to its rightful owner!  Everyone who can fight, 
come with me!"
	Goliath ran up the stairs.  The prisoners glanced at each other, not 
sure of what to do.  After a moment, they began to follow him.

	Constantine laid back on the plush couch, toying with a pendant he 
had found in Kenneth's chambers.  He was bored.  The kingdom had been won 
easily enough, but what next? *Perhaps I'll conquer Scotland* he thought with
a smile.  The sound of yelling pulled him out of his thoughts.  He walked to 
the window to see what the commotion was.  Outside his soldiers were grappling
with what looked like a small army, and from the looks of things his side 
was not winning.  He silently cursed to himself as he made his way to the door.
He had expected resistance from the rebels, but not this soon.  *Whoever was 
in charge of patrol tonight will hang if I make it through this* he thought.
	Constantine swung the door to his chamber open only to find Prince 
Calvin and an immense gargoyle standing behind it.  Constantine yelped as he
jumped back, running for one of the swords hanging on the wall.  Goliath was
faster, and was holding the usurper by the collar of his shirt before he 
could make it halfway across the room.  Constantine struggled in Goliath's 
grasp, but to no avail.
	Calvin walked over to Constantine, his own sword drawn.  "You have 
murdered my father, and tried to steal the crown which rightfully belongs to 
me.  Have you anything to say?"
	Knowing what was about to come, Constantine doubled his efforts to 
escape, but Goliath was too strong for him.  Calvin scowled at the murderer 
before lifting his sword.
	"So be it."
	A moment later, Goliath dropped Constantine's lifeless body on the 
stone floor.  Calvin looked at the corpse, then at Goliath.
	"Thank you.  Without your help releasing those in the dungeon, we 
never would have had enough fighters to defeat Constantine."  He held out a 
hand to Goliath.  "I owe you my kingdom, gargoyle.  How can I repay you?"
	Goliath took a thoughtful breath before clutching Calvin's forearm 
and answering the new King.

	"Elder!"
	Goliath turned his head to the sound of the voice.  A lavender 
gargoyle with raven hair ran up to him.
	"Come, Elder!" the gargoyle said happily, grabbing Goliath's arm.  
"It's time to start!"
	Goliath chuckled as he brushed a gray lock of hair from his eyes.  
He followed her into the castle courtyard where the Mid-Summer's Eve celebration 
was about to begin.  It was traditional that the celebration began with a 
story of days past told by the clan elder.  Goliath took his place among the
dozens of gargoyles and humans in attendance and smiled.  He had discovered 
since the hatching of the eggs that he had quite a knack for storytelling.
	"Now then...what tale shall I tell to begin tonight's celebration?" 
he asked.
	"Tell us about the time you flew high enough to touch the stars!" 
one voice shouted out.
	"No!  Tell us about the time you defeated the Archmage!" yelled 
another.  Several gargoyles (and a few humans as well) began arguing among 
each other over which story should be told.  Goliath looked to the ground, a 
tear trickling down his face.
	"Elder, what's wrong?" asked a deep green gargoyle who had noticed 
Goliath's tear.  The Elder raised his head again, a smile of extreme happiness
spreading across his face.
	"I'm just happy to be here.  To see all of you growing into fine 
warriors."  Goliath chuckled.  "I'm happy to see my clan thriving. You know,
there was a time when I was not this happy, but there were a few kind friends
who helped me.  You see..."
	Goliath began to tell his tale as everyone listened.  It was one that
he did not tell often.  A story of a princess, a young sorcerer, and a 
promise.  As sad as parts of the story were, everyone listened and enjoyed it. 
For Goliath's story was one of hope for things that the future might bring.

			Manhattan, 1994


	The rain pelted down as the sun slowly set over the horizon as the  
members of the clan felt their bodies slowly revert from stone to flesh.  
Their limbs, finally released after a thousand years, burst free of their 
stone shells one by one.  The gray-bearded elder looked around as the others 
hopped down from their perches.
	"What's happened?" he demanded.  "How did we get back to the castle?"
	The young web-winged gargoyle scratch his head.  "The last thing I 
remember was standing in the Viking camp.  The Magus was saying something 
about the Princess being dead..." 
	"He cast a spell on us!" cried the fire-red one, whose hatred of magic
was especially strong.  Just then Web-Wing gasped.  The others followed his 
gaze and realized why.
	Beyond the castle walls lay a sight such as they had never seen.  The
clouds lay below them, and far beneath the land twinkled with thousands of 
tiny lights.  Though the ground was far, far below, it was lit up so bright 
that Gray-Beard was for a moment convinced that somehow it was daytime.  He 
had never been so high, even when gliding.  A thousand thoughts raced through
each of their heads.  The gargoyle beast growled a low growl.
	"What's this?!" Gray-Beard cried.  "Where are we?"  The clan looked 
at the sight below them.  Wherever they were, it was not home.  The large one
was just beginning to hyperventilate when they heard the faint clearing of a 
throat.  The clan turned to see a well-groomed human watching them.  
Gray-Beard's hand began to inch toward the sword hanging from his belt.
	"Who are you?" he challenged.
	The human raised his hands in a gesture of peace.  "My name is David 
Xanatos.  I'm the one who broke the spell that bound you in stone."
	Large One approached Xanatos.  "Bound in stone?  For how long!?"
	Xanatos raised an eyebrow.  "You mean you don't know?"  The others 
shook their heads.  The billionaire sighed as a drop of rain hit his cheek.  
He looked up at the sky, then back to the gargoyles.  "I think we'd better go
inside.  I have a lot to tell you."
	Xanatos turned around and walked into the castle.  The gargoyles 
glanced at each other before hesitantly following him inside.

	The flames danced happily in the grand fireplace as the rain pelted 
down outside.  Xanatos gazed into the flames for a moment before turning to 
face the clan.
	"This may be a shock...you are the last of your kind."
	The meaning of Xanatos' words hit the gargoyles one by one.  The 
three younger ones gasped while the elder closed his eyes, a look of pain 
etched across his face.
	"A thousand years have gone by since the spell was cast," Xanatos 
continued.  "I learned about the castle and you five from an ancient book 
that recently came into my possession.  The Magus who cursed you wrote the 
whole story down in there."  
	The billionaire glanced at each gargoyle, forcing a poker face.  
Sometimes it was hard to look innocent, especially when what he had in store 
would be so much fun.  "Now, I'm sure you have questions."
	The young gargoyles looked to Gray-Beard.  The elderly gargoyle inhaled
slowly before finally opening his eyes.  "How did ye break the spell?"
	Xanatos smiled.  He had expected this to be one of the first questions.
"It was designed to end when the castle rose above the clouds."
	"And what sort of sorcery did ye use to accomplish that?" Gray-Beard 
asked.
	Xanatos closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head.  Such naiveté.
"There is much of this world that you five don't know.  I didn't use sorcery,
but rather science."
	Web-Wing's head perked up at the mention of science.  He had overheard
the Magus mention it on more than one occasion, and the idea captivated him. 
Before he could ask the human about it, however, Gray-Beard asked his next 
question.
	"Why have ye brought us back?"
	"I was fascinated by the Magus' story," Xanatos replied innocently.  
"I wanted to see if it was true.  And now that I know it is, I want to be 
your friend."  Xanatos put his hand on Gray-Beard's shoulder.  "There is much
we can do for each other."
	"What about Goliath?" Fire-Red demanded.  "What happened to him?"
	Xanatos regarded the young gargoyle seriously.  "From what I could 
tell from the book, he accompanied the Magus and Princess Katherine..."  
Xanatos paused as his head cocked to the ceiling.  The clan looked to one 
another as a rapid thumping noise filled the room.
	Xanatos' eyes narrowed.  "I'm not expecting anyone."  He began to 
walk out to the roof to see why a helicopter was approaching his building.  
"You'll be safer if you stay here."  Xanatos walked up the stairs, keeping 
his ears open.  Behind him he heard the gargoyles following up the steps.  
He allowed himself a smile.  
	"Excellent," he mumbled.

	Xanatos stepped out into the castle courtyard just as a helicopter 
came into view.  *Right on time* he thought as the helicopter's intense 
NightSun searchlight came on.  Xanatos shielded his eyes from the light, 
irritated.  He would have liked to have been able to signal the helicopter to
get the damned light out of his face, but there was no time.  The gargoyles 
were right behind him.
	As if in answer to his silent prayers, the NightSun swept away just 
as five uniformed mercenaries slid down ropes to the castle.  Xanatos had 
hired them because they were supposed to be the best.  For what he paid, they
had better be.
	The mercenaries hit the castle ground and began to fan out, as per 
their leader's instructions.  Quickly they  spread out, covering the area.  
Out of the corner of his eye, Xanatos saw the gargoyles reach the top of the 
stairs.  It was time to be a good guy again.  That suited Xanatos just fine.  
He liked to act.
	"What do you want?" he demanded.  
	The leader grinned cruelly.  "You'll know soon enough."

	Behind Xanatos, the gargoyles watched what was going on with confusion.
Fire-Red eyed Xanatos and the leader of the strange group. "What's going on?"
he asked angrily.  "Who are these people?"
	Gray-Beard did not know who they were, but for the first time since 
they had awoke he knew what had to be done.  "They're attack'n the castle!" 
he shouted.  "That's all we need to know!"  With a roar, he charged at one of
the intruders.  The others followed suit.
	Gray-Beard ran at one of the intruders.  The man raised a strange 
object.  Gray-Beard hesitated for a moment.  The device began to make a 
RAT-A-TAT-TAT sound as fire came out of the end.  All around Gray-Beard bits 
of the stone floor began to chip and fly away, hit by unseen magic.  Gray-Beard
dove out of the way just as the strange magic reached where he had been 
standing.  
	He leapt to his feet and faced another man.  This one held another 
device, out of which two small prongs sprung.  The prongs hit Gray-Beard in 
the chest.  He winced slightly at the sting and began to pull them out when 
his body jerked.  Small tendrils of what must have been lightning wrapped 
around his torso.  His entire body arched in pain.  He felt like his heart 
was being squeezed as he began to black out...
	"Leave him alone!"
	The prongs were jerked out of Gray-Beard's chest as Fire-Red picked 
up the strange man and threw him.  The three young gargoyles ran to their mentor
and helped him up.  Gray-Beard panted for a moment with his eyes closed tightly.
	"Sorcerers..." he gasped.

	One of the mercenaries pulled a concussion grenade off of his belt.  
*I don't know what you are,* he thought, *but this'll take care of you*  He 
threw the grenade at the group, which the small one caught in midair.  He eyed
it for a moment before tossing it behind him.  The grenade detonated, sending
all of them flying.  The mercenary smiled.  *Idiot*

	Xanatos ducked to avoid the flying debris.  His face twisted into a 
scowl.  He had NOT authorized the use of grenades.  *Time to up the ante* he 
thought.  Running to a nearby wall, he touched a recessed panel.  A portion 
of the wall slid aside, revealing a laser rifle behind it.  He took the rifle
and aimed it at one of the mercenaries.  After a moment he fired it above the
man's head.  *Best not to kill him, there would be too many questions to 
answer later*
	The laser beam sliced into the castle wall, dislodging hunks of stone. 
The pieces fell to the castle floor, barely missing the mercenary.  Xanatos 
took a moment to smile before firing at another man.
 
	"Are you a Viking?"
	Web-Wing dove out of the way as the woman's strange weapon spit fire 
at him.  He jumped over the edge and let himself fall until he was well 
covered by the clouds.  Spreading his wings, the small gargoyle looped around
and swept down on the woman.  The two of them landed on the ground of the 
courtyard, where the odd woman was knocked out cold.
	Web-Wing looked up just in time to see one of the men tackle Xanatos.
Xanatos' strange weapon went off, slicing a huge section of the castle wall 
free.  Web-Wing dodged a few small bits, but most of it fell to the ground 
far below.  Web-Wing quickly started counting to see how long it took the 
debris to hit the ground, which he had learned could be used to see how high 
one was.  It seemed an eternity before he heard the faint crash.  After a 
quick bit of mental calculation he whistled with awe.

	Xanatos and the gargoyles battled for a few minutes more before one 
of the mercenaries ran out of the castle carrying a briefcase.  Xanatos heard
a flare gun fire and turned to see the brilliant white flare ignite far above..
The mercenaries' helmets cut out the glare of the light, but Xanatos and the 
gargoyles were forced to cover their eyes.  In the few moments that followed,
the mercenaries escaped in their helicopter.  The gargoyles watched them fly 
away.
	Fire-Red glared at the helicopter.  "That flying creature that carried
them off..."
	"A dragon without a doubt," Gray-Beard interrupted.
	"It wasn't a dragon," Web-Wing commented.  "It was a...a machine of 
some sort."
	Xanatos smiled before approaching Gray-Beard.  "Thank you," he began.
"Without you and your friends, who knows what those thugs might have done?"
	"Aye...but what was it that they took?"
	Xanatos forced a frown, even though he was actually quite happy.  
"That's a good question."

	Detective Elisa Maza gazed around the huge lobby of the Eyrie building.
Whatever had gone on in the castle far above, it had sent a rain of debris on
the street below and her sharp ears had caught the sound of automatic gunfire.
She was determined to find out why.  Elisa sighed as she glanced at her watch.
The guard at the desk was insisting that she wait until one of the executives
of the corporation came down to meet her.  As if on cue, the elevator door 
slid open and the executive in question walked out.
	Elisa gave the man a quick once-over as he walked toward her.  He was
tall, but looked fairly well-built under his neatly pressed suit.  He wore a 
head of blond hair and a completely emotionless face beneath his wire-rim 
glasses.  Elisa cleared her throat as he approached her.
	"Elisa Maza, 2nd class, NYPD," the detective introduced curtly.  
"What is going on?"
	The slightest look of annoyance passed over the man's features, but 
was gone almost as fast as it had appeared.  "Hello Officer Maza.  My name is
Owen Burnett.  I understand that you have a problem?"
	"That's _Detective_ Maza, and yeah, you could say I have a problem. 
I would definitely call seven tons of rock falling from this building a 
problem.  What I want to know is why."
	"Yes.  A most unfortunate accident.  One of the newly installed 
generators in the castle exploded.  Mr. Xanatos would is quite willing to pay
for any damages that might..."
	"Mr. Burnett, I heard automatic weapons firing up there.  Now you can
let me look the place over or I can come back with a warrant and a lot more 
cops.  It's your call."
	Once again Owen looked annoyed, but quickly contorted his face into a
faint smile.  "In that case," he replied, "I believe a tour is in order."
	Elisa smiled.

	Xanatos watched Owen and the detective walk out of the elevator.  He 
was about to approach them when he heard a faint sound.  Turning, he saw that
the three young gargoyles were peeking out of the kitchen doorway behind him.
Quickly he pushed the door shut.  Shaking his head with a chuckle, he 
approached the detective.
	"Detective Maza," he said, turning the false charm turned up to full.
"I just called the mayor to offer my profound apologies for what happened here."
	"What exactly did happen here, Mr. Xanatos?" asked Elisa.  "And please,
don't tell me it was an exploding generator."
	Xanatos smiled.  Already he didn't like her.  "That's for the press,"
he explained as he lead her out to the courtyard.  "The truth is that my men 
repelled an invasion by a rival corporation trying to steal some of our new 
technology."
	Elisa could hardly believe what she was hearing.  "REPELLED an 
INVASION?  You're a private citizen Xanatos, not a country."
	Xanatos chuckled.  *Not yet, anyway*  "Detective, I am the owner of a
multinational corporation...which is bigger than many countries you could 
name," he added proudly.
	The two walked out into the courtyard.  Elisa forced herself not to 
gasp at the sight of the destruction.  Smoking rubble was strewn everywhere. 
Whatever weapons had been used here, they had been major ones.  "I assume you
have permits for the weapons I heard being fired up here."
	"Of course."
	"Excuse me, Mr. Xanatos," Owen interrupted as he walked out into the 
courtyard.  "There seems to be a problem in the kitchen with...our new guests."
	Xanatos nodded.  "I hope I've answered all your questions satisfactorily,
Detective Maza.  Owen will show you out.  Excuse me."
	Owen waited for Xanatos to pass before addressing Elisa.  "If you'll 
follow me."  He lead Elisa to the elevator before bidding her goodnight.  A 
few moments after he had returned to his duties, the elevator doors slid open
again.  Elisa checked to make sure the hallway was empty before stepping out.
	"Sorry pal," she whispered.  "But this investigation isn't over yet."
She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her small flashlight.  She 
began to make her way over through the dark castle to a flight of stairs.   
Suddenly she heard a growl behind her.  She whipped her flashlight around, 
but saw nothing.
	"A good laugh would be worth a lot of money right about now," she 
muttered to herself as she climbed the steps.  She didn't notice a large, 
four-legged _thing_ slowly following her.  At the top of the stairs she found
a doorway leading to one of the castle parapets.  She was beginning to look 
around when she heard a scraping noise coming from the stairs she had just 
climbed.  Pulling her gun, she pressed herself against the wall and waited.  
When the source of the sound was almost at the doorway, she whipped around to 
meet whoever it was.

	The Beast had been wandering its home when it smelled her.  Quietly 
it padded over to the source of the scent.  A strange human was wandering 
through the castle.  The Beast didn't know who the human was, but it did know
that she was an intruder.  It began to follow her up a flight of stairs.  
When it reached the top, the human jumped in front of her with her arms in 
front of her.  It growled at the human, who gasped and took a step backward, 
still holding her hands toward it.  Good.  If she was afraid of it, then it 
had an advantage.  It growled more loudly and advanced toward her.  She said 
something that it didn't understand before a bright light came out of the 
thing in her hands.

	Gray-Beard was leading the young gargoyles back to the castle when 
the heard the sound.  They had already managed to cause trouble in a room 
Xanatos had called a kitchen, and Gray-Beard was feeling a headache coming on. 
The sound caught him in mid-lecture.  It was like thunder, but different.  
The four of them recognized it at once.
	"They've returned!" Gray-Beard shouted as he ran out into the 
courtyard.  He screeched to a halt at what he saw.  A human female was 
pressed up against a wall, panting in fear at the sight of them.  Twenty feet
away from her lay the Beast in a pool of blood.  Gray-Beard gasped and ran to
it as the other three only stared in shock.  The Beast looked at Gray-Beard 
with pain behind it's eyes.  It was bleeding from the side of its head, and 
it had lost a lot of blood already.
	"Hold on, boy," Gray-Beard pleaded with tears filling his eyes.  
"Just you hold on.  Dawn can'ne be that far away..."
	The Beast whimpered softly as it tried to nuzzle Gray-Beard's hand.  
After a few rasping breaths, it lay still.  Tears flowed down Gray-Beard's 
face.  The human, still paralyzed from shock, managed to croak out a single 
sentence.
	"What are you?"
	Gray-Beard's eyes flared.  This woman...this human _filth_ had killed
one of the last of them.  With an earsplitting howl, he leapt into the air.  
The woman raised her strange weapon, but by then Gray-Beard's sword was 
already in his hand.  As he fell through the air, he swung at the woman with 
all of his might.  Before she could blink justice had been served.  Gray-Beard
trembled with staying rage as the woman lay dead at his feet.

	Deep in the heart of the Eyrie building, Xanatos watched the events 
take place on one of the many security monitors.  As the image of Gray-Beard 
delivered the deathblow, the billionaire closed his eyes and frowned.  "Damn,"
he muttered.  He hadn't intended on that policewoman sneaking back into the 
castle.  The fact that she had been slain on the top of his building would 
raise a lot of questions that he didn't want to answer.  *This whole thing is
going to get hard to keep a lid on* he thought.
	But perhaps it wasn't too late.  He could have the woman's body dumped
somewhere, and come up with some evidence, real or not, that she had left his
building and went there.  *I'll have Owen work out the details.  He's good at
that sort of thing*  Xanatos sighed.  Maybe he had bitten off more than he 
could chew.  He would have to be careful.
	Behind him, another stood watching the monitors.  Unlike Xanatos, she
could not be more pleased with what she had seen.  Gargoyles finally acting 
like true gargoyles.  She stepped forward and tapped a button on the display 
panel with a taloned finger.  The video rewound and replayed the death of the
human.  A smile spread across her face.  She looked down at Xanatos.  
	"I think it's time to reclaim my place in the clan."  At that moment 
the sun rose, and after a moment Xanatos was alone in the small room.  Only a
statue kept him company.  Xanatos looked up at its face.  It wore a smile as 
evil as the devil himself.

	The 23rd precinct was unusually quiet for an early fall afternoon.  
Captain Maria Chavez  sat at her desk, picking at her late lunch.  *Jesus, am
I bored* she thought.  She hated days like this.  While it was commonly 
believed that policework was a field in which those involved hoped there was 
no call for them, in reality she was dying to get out of her office and do 
_something_.  Even a domestic dispute would be better than this.
	A tall, lanky officer knocked on the glass window set into the office
door.  With a gesture Maria brought the young man in.  "What is it, Dan?" she
asked after taking a sip of her coffee.
	"Uh...Captian, I'm not sure how to tell you this..."
	Maria leaned forward in her chair.  "Dan, what's wrong?"
	The young man looked uncomfortable as he shifted his weight from one 
foot to the other.  "Ma'am, a body was found murdered in Central Park about 
an hour ago..."
	"Well, let's go check it out!" Maria said.  She stood up and began to
put her coffee mug away when the young officer stopped her.  She gave him a 
puzzled look.  He bit his lip before speaking again.
	"We've already identified the body, ma'am.  It's..."  His gaze fell 
to the floor as he summoned the courage to say what had to be said.  "It's 
Detective Maza."
	The coffee mug shattered as it hit the floor.

	Xanatos stood gazing over the horizon.  He had to admit, there was a 
certain romance is standing in a castle high above the clouds as the sun 
slowly sank below the horizon.  He sighed as he took in the view.  Although 
he had moved the castle in order to break the curse, he couldn't get over how
much he liked the new addition to his home.  The last rays of sunlight 
disappeared and the gargoyles burst to life with a roar.  Xanatos bolstered 
himself before walking up to them.
	Gray-Beard kneeled over the slain form of The Beast, tears flowing 
freely down his cheeks.  Web-Wing and Large One knelt down and sadly stroked 
the Beast's head, as Fire-Red placed a comforting hand on Gray-Beard's 
shoulder.
	"What now?" the young gargoyle asked.
	"Now..." Gray-Beard began, but the words caught in his throat.  "Now 
we say goodbye, with a proper ceremony."
	Xanatos stepped forward.  He began to speak when Gray-Beard growled.
	"Tis not for you..._human_."
	Gray-Beard glared at Xanatos.  The others followed suit.  Xanatos 
glanced from one gargoyle to another.  He sighed and nodded solemnly.  As he 
turned toward the stairs, his face twisted into a scowl.  They were definitely
becoming more trouble than they were worth.  *I think it's time to put them 
in my debt* he thought to himself.

	Hours later the gargoyles returned to the castle, without the body of
the Beast.  They had decided to bury it in Central Park.  In this new world 
of glass and steel, it seemed somehow fitting that it be laid to rest in the 
one area of nature and rustic beauty.  As they landed in the castle courtyard,
they met a smiling Xanatos.
	"Welcome back, my friends.  I have some good news for you."
	"We don't want any of yuir _news_" Gray-Beard said angrily as he 
walked past.
	"Oh, I think you do.  Tonight will prove to be a happy one for the 
five of you..."
	Gray-Beard whipped around at Xanatos, his eyes flaring.  "FOUR!" he 
roared.
	"Five."
	The gargoyles turned to the sound of the new voice.  Out of the 
shadows stepped the red haired second-in-command.  Web-Wing gasped, and for 
the first time that night Gray-Beard smiled.
	"Lass!"
	The three young gargoyles ran up to Red-Hair, each wanting to be the 
first to hug her.  She laughed as she embraced each of them, then gazed at 
Gray-Beard.
	"Hello, my old friend," she said.
	Gray-Beard was speechless.  After a few moments, he said the only 
word he could find.
	"Lass!"
	Red-Hair laughed again as she embraced her mentor.  Gray-Beard 
accepted the hug, confused, sad and joyful all at the same time.  He stared 
at her for a moment before finding his voice.
	"How...how did ye get here?"
	"We have David Xanatos to thank for that."
	The gargoyles all looked at Xanatos, who grinned and stepped forward.
"I saw her in her stone form a year ago, and was so impressed I acquired her 
for my private collection.  Then, after I woke you up, it seemed plausible 
that a trip to the castle might have the same effect on her."  It was all a 
lie, of course.  He had met Demona more than three years ago, completely by 
chance, and it had been she who told him of the location of Castle Wyvern.
	"But how did you survive so long?  We thought you were smashed by the
Vikings!" Fire-Red said.  The second-in-command smiled at him and recited the
story she had made up long, long ago.
	"I feared for Goliath, so I tried to follow him.  But I lost my way 
and the sun rose before I could return.  When I finally made it back, the 
Magus had already cast his spell on you.  Goliath had disappeared, so I begged
him to cast the same spell on me so that we could awaken together." 
	Gray-Beard listened to the story quietly, and nodded when she had 
finished.  "In that case...you are our leader now."
	Xanatos and Demona both smiled.

	Two hours later, the five gargoyles stood around Xanatos' desk in his
office.  A monitor set into the wall switched from image to image, each one 
complimented with notes and diagrams.   Xanatos glanced at each member of the
clan before concluding his speech.
	"I've explained the strengths and weaknesses of each fortress and 
given you what I think are the best plans of attack.  I've also given you 
precise directions for finding the disks.  I'm sure that those thugs plan to 
use the information on them for some terrible purpose."
	"And we must stop them," Demona concluded.  She lead the gargoyles 
out into the courtyard before giving them instructions.  She would take the 
air fortress.  The trio would go to the skyscraper complex, and the underground
area was Gray-Beard's.  They were just about to leave when she stopped them.
	"I still do not trust Xanatos fully.  He has done much for us, but I 
feel he wants something.  Let us meet on that rooftop."
	The others looked to where she had gestured and agreed.  Without 
another word, all five gargoyles leapt into the night.

	An hour later, Demona landed on the designated roof.  After a quick 
check revealed that she was the first to arrive, she sat down and turned the 
small disk over in her hands.  *Whatever is on this disk* she thought, *it's 
far too important to simply hand over to that fool Xanatos*   Ever since 
Xanatos had told her of the importance of the disks a few days ago, she had 
been putting plans into work to exploit them.  
	All she knew was that they contained some sort of robotics technology,
so she had quietly bought a foreign robotics corporation using some of the 
wealth she had accumulated over the past thousand years.  It had been a 
remarkably simple task.  She simply conducted a transfer under the name she 
had used with humans from time to time: Dominique Destine.  With that done, 
she was free to use whatever she found on the disks at her leisure.
	Demona's thoughts were interrupted by the trio, who landed a few feet
from her.  They walked over to her smiling.  She returned the greeting.
	"Did you get the disk?" she asked.
	"Easily," Web-Wing replied.
	"Well, I wouldn't say _easily_," Fire-Red corrected, "but we got it.
Where's the Elder?"
	"He has not yet returned," Demona answered. "I hope he's all right. 
Perhaps I should not have sent him alone."
	"I dinne think ya' need to be worry'n about me."
	The four gargoyles looked up just in time to see Gray-Beard swoop out
of the sky.  He handed his disk to Demona.  She gazed at the three disks, a 
smile crossing her face.  Gray-Beard saw her smile and frowned.
	"I suppose we'll be givin' the disks to Xanatos now," he said.
	Demona looked at him for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
	"No," she replied.  "Even though he has broken the curse that bound 
us in stone, I still do not trust him.  I will keep the disks for now, and we
will tell him that we were unable to recover them."
	Gray-Beard raised an eyeridge.  "What use are such things to us?"
	Demona smiled reassuringly.  "I'm sure we can find some use for them.
Or perhaps you would like to simply hand them over to Xanatos.  As of now, we
have something he wants.  Without these disks, we have no leverage over him."
	Demona walked over and put a hand on Gray-Beard's shoulder.  "Surely 
you don't want to be controlled...by a human."
	Gray-Beard's eyes flashed for a moment, much to Demona's delight.  
She was saddened, of course, by what had happened to The Beast.  But at least
it gave her the advantage of bringing the others closer to understanding her 
point of view.
	From where they had stood quietly whispering, the trio approached 
Demona and Gray-Beard.  Fire-Red cleared his throat.
	"Leader, these disks belong to Xanatos.  If we keep them, aren't we 
stealing?"
	Demona fought back the urge to roll her eyes at the young gargoyle.  
Instead she looked into his eyes.
	"I know under most circumstances what I propose we do would be wrong,
but answer me this.  After what has happened, both last night and a thousand 
years ago, do you trust the humans fully?"
	Fire-Red's eyes fell to the ground.  "No...I suppose not..."
	"I'm glad you understand," Demona said.  "Now...let's go home."

	Xanatos slammed his fist down on his desk.  All the work, all the 
planning he had done was lost because the gargoyles weren't capable of 
handling a simple task.  In retrospect, it was obvious that he should have 
sent his own people.  *Don't send a gargoyle to do a man's job* he thought.
	The billionaire paced through his office, fuming.  He had counted on 
getting the disks from CyberBiotics.  They contained the design specs for a 
type of robot that was years ahead of its time.  Decades, even.  Xanatos had 
desperately wanted that technology, and now it was lost.   He sighed and 
looked to Owen, who had been standing quietly in the corner.
	"Ah well," Xanatos said.  "At least I still have the gargoyles at my 
command, right?"
	Owen cleared his throat and walked over to his employer.  "Sir, may I
remind you of the death of the policewoman.  The gargoyles seem to be becoming
harder and harder to control."
	Xanatos frowned.  "Yes, you're right of course.  You had better make 
plans to deal with them, just in case."
	Owen nodded and left the office.  Alone, Xanatos walked over to the 
window and watched the rising sun, lost in thought.
	*It just seems like such a waste...*

			TO BE CONTINUED...