Gargoyles: Sisters- Part One

Elisa stood on the the parapets of Castle Wyvern as the sun sank lower into the horizon, and smiled as she surveyed the nine stone sentinels that graced the tower.  She could hear the young woman behind her shifting around nervously.  

"You've seen this before," Elisa remarked casually, with her eyes still on the gargoyles.  The last rays of the sun finally disappeared and the distinct sound of cracking stone permeated the air.  The young woman gasped as the first cracks appeared on the surfaces of the gargoyles' skin.

"Yeah, but I don't think I could ever get used to it!"

Elisa chuckled.  'Neither can I, kid,' she thought to herself.

"They're so beautiful," the girl whispered almost reverantly, not for the first time, as the last vestiges of stone skin crumbled away from the silent guardians; silent no longer as they let forth their instinctive animal cries and stretched to greet the night.  Elisa found her gaze drifting upwards towards the highest tower to the large gargoyle that roosted there, shedding his own skin and letting out a thundering roar to take this place amongst the gods of the night sky.

"Yeah," the detective remarked softly to herself in reply to her sister's quiet pronouncement.  "In more ways than you could ever imagine."

"Beth!"

The joyful cry broke Elisa's reverie and caused her little sister to spin around to see the smiling face of the lavendar female.  "Oh, it's so great to see you again!" remarked Angela happily as she strode over to give Beth a gentle hug.  "You too Angela!" Beth replied gleefully, returning the embrace.

Elisa watched bemusedly as Beth and Angela greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries.  Beth and Angela had really hit it off when Avalon brought the skiff to Arizona, and now they chatted like old friends.

And then a thought came to Elisa; she didn't have just on little sister, she had two-and she loved them both equally.  

She turned as Goliath alit gracefully upon the courtyard stones and shared subdued evening greetings with the others.  He gave Elisa a warm smile, which didn't escape the notice of her observant little sister. "Beth," he said amiably as he walked towards the girl, extending his arm for a handshake.  "It is good to see you again.  You are always welcome among us."

Beth smiled and took his hand, which engulfed her own completely.  "Hi Goliath," she replied.  "I'm glad I can meet the rest of your clan."  Even though she had already met the lavendar leviathan in Arizona, his demanding presence and quiet dignity never ceased to amaze her.  She wondered briefly if Elisa knew a different side to him.

"Hey Beth," Broadway approached her with Angela at his side.  "Would you like something to eat?"

Far be it for a college student to turn down an offer of food!  "Sure!  Whaddya have?"  Elisa laughed as she watched Beth's eyes grow bigger and bigger at each delicacy that Broadway listed.  Anything she would eat here would be a feast compared to the ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese she'd been living on for the past few months.

Elisa patted Broadway on the arm, interrupting him.  "Just surprise her."  The brawny gargoyle smiled sheepishly.  "One thing I've got to say about Xanatos," he remarked, "he sure knows how to stock a kitchen!"  The others laughed and groaned good-naturedly at Broadway's usual passion for food, and Lexington pointed out that Xanatos probably had an army of people who stocked his kitchen for him.

"Go on with Broadway and Angela, Beth," Elisa said as Bronx casually loped up to her for an ear scratch.  "They'll take care of you."  The three of them began to depart to the kitchen, Bronx and Fu-Dog trotting in front of them eagerly, hoping  for a snack.

Beth stopped and turned around to watch her sister for a moment.  She was standing in a semi-circle with Goliath, Hudson, and Brooklyn, speaking casually with them.  Beth smiled when she saw Goliath cupping Elisa's chin gently in his huge talons, and their eyes met meaningfully.

'You're in way over your head, aren't you sis?', Beth thought to herself.  'You go girl.'  She followed her hosts and the hungry gargbeasts into the castle.