It took us nearly four hours to get fully packed, because Scott took a cat nap, the damn hypocrite, and Elysif was hungover for another two hours before she could actually pack. I ended up vomiting out the window and ruining a stray cat's day while waiting for Scott and Elysif. Eventually, we were able to leave the apartments and run to the train station… only to learn that we had missed the train that we were supposed to be on by nearly twenty minutes.

Thankfully, we found another train that would be leaving in an hour, so we wandered around, looking at different shops, to pass the time. Had this been my modern day, we would have easily been mistaken for tourists. From the shops, Scott bought a fancy case of cigars that were rather expensive. and Elysif bought several pounds worth of bread and pastries. Sadly, a passerby knocked into her and much of her pastries fell on the ground, where it quickly became a feast for the birds.

We eventually calmed the already downtrodden Elysif by buying her some more pastries to replace the ones she lost. She did attempt to kill a few of the birds feasting upon her confectionaries before then, but thankfully, she only scared them off for a time. I myself purchased a hat similar to that of a newsboy's cap, a patch set to mend the holes in my coat, and a book to read on the train. By the time we had finished shopping, the train arrived with a bustling crowd and ringing bells. We almost missed it like the last one, but we boarded safely and were finally able to head out on our mission.

The swaying of the train was sickening, not to me or Elysif, but to Scott. Elysif and I had no problem adapting to the rocking of the train. Scott, on the other hand, had staggered to the end of the train and violently threw up all over the track behind us. It was not a pretty sight. To make matters worse, he kept attempting to drink from his flask, only to throw it up again. Couldn’t he wait just a while before getting drunk again? It didn’t make any sense to me, but there was no stopping him. Despite the fact that it was making him puke more, Elysif outright refused to say anything to him about his habit for reasons beyond me.

Once his spewing session ended, he returned to the room we were staying in on the train and plopped himself on a hard cushioned wooden seat, where he got as comfortable as he could. While he had been emptying his innards, I had asked Elysif where we were going. but she had no idea either. She assumed we were heading directly for wherever the mission was supposed to take place, thus we both waited to ask Scott once he returned.

“Scott, where exactly are we going? You haven’t told us much,” I asked curiously.

He looked up at the two of us before sighing. ”We are heading to the Table headquarters in Warwick for information on these Willowisps. Then we head for Haringey forest. They seem to be coming from there,” Scott explained between queasy smothered burps from his motion sickness.

“We're going to Warwick Castle? I’m guessing Silva’s dad would want to speak to you when you arrive?” Elysif asked with a suspicious frown.

“Hence the cigars. They’re his favorite brand, and a gift usually quells any chastising he was planning to give me,” Scott said with a sickly cough, but a smug look that didn’t quite match it.

“Wait, the Table headquarters is at Warwick Castle?” I asked the two of them with a confused look. I had been to the castle as a kid during a class trip, but I never knew it was secretly a base for the Table.

“In it, no. It’s underneath it. The historic castle is a front for the Table, which resides in the castle basement,” Elysif replied as she realized that no one had mentioned this to me before. This new information made me excited to actually see what the Table was like. Hopefully better than Scott’s building.

Our train ride continued through the night and into midmorning, before we arrived in Warwick. Scott got practically no rest, and threw up a few more times before we made it. We even had to stabilize him getting off the train like an old man, and he didn’t return somewhat back to normal until he had rested on one of the nearby benches for a while. The town of Warwick was slightly larger than I had remembered, and the homes were all made of plaster and wood in the cottage style. The road was made of small cobblestones, and the scenery was beautiful, with a river and many vibrant coloured plants. In the background, we could see the top of Warwick Castle, above the trees, with its magnificent stone towers.

As we walked towards the castle, we could see the soft morning glow illuminating the soft grey stones of Warwick castle. Ivy hung as if it were ornamental fabric draped over the side of the large castle walls. Towers adorned the corners of the castle like a crown, yet the jewel on this crown was the magnificent stone entrance, tall, covered in windows, and defensively effective.

Sadly, rather than going to the front door, Scott and Elysif led me to a gated garden entrance on the side of the castle, where two guards stood. They were dressed like butlers for a Lord or Lady, but each held a halberd with a runic symbol on the blade, and partially hidden underneath their coats was a strange chainmail. Initially, they refused to let us in, but after showing the guards our Table badges, they didn’t have any more complaints. One of the guards led us through the garden to the stone wall that made up one side of the castle. Pointing the tip of his halberd at the wall, the guard slowly pushed it into one of the many cracks in the stone. With a slight bit of concentration, he forced magic into the halberd. The glow of the halberd traversed from the crack in the stone to form a rectangle, and the wall swung open like a normal door to my amazement, but the others were less than surprised. It’s understandable since they had seen it before, but for me, it was fantastic.

Going inside, I was surprised that the hallway beyond the door was lit with lanterns, rather than something magical. However, the walls and ceiling seemed to reflect the light of the lanterns, causing the hall to glow a relaxing gold. At the end of the hallway, it opened up to a massive circular room that had several hallways connected to it. Unlike the hallway, the room was a bright blue, with stones sticking out of the walls, glowing the same blue hue. A few people stood in the room, discussing who knows what. One of them was an older man who, upon seeing us, strode over to greet us with a smile. Instead of a normal handshake, he happily gave Scott a hug and patted him on the back a few times.

“How have you been, Scott? I see that you brought friends,” the older man said with a comforting smile. The man was dressed in a fine, hand-tailored, black suit, with a pocket watch chain hanging from his waistcoat pocket. Although he wasn’t clean-shaven, his beard and mustache were kept in a way that reminded me of a sinister villain old-man-style character, but his open smile broke that entire description.

Scott was still a little nauseous from the train, and looked as if the hug was going to make him spill whatever might be left in his stomach. That said, he didn’t mind it. “Please let go, you know how I am after train rides,” Scott requested queasily.

“Oh, sorry, my boy,” the old man said, letting him go. “So what brings you three here?” He asked.

“We need some information on Willowisps. I figured that the Table would have records of such a beast.” Scott said.

“Is one in London? If so, you should be keeping it from attacking civilians,” the old man said with a worried look.

“No, it’s not in London. Mama Louise is watching London while we take care of a few Willowisps in Haringey. They are currently moving towards London. Though, I thought you were the one who told Mama Louise to bother me about this?” Scott replied with a confused and tired look.

“I did hear something about Mama Lousie requesting aid, but that would have gone right to the Head Consul, and she hasn’t said anything to me about it. Though, what of the other clans? Are they staying peaceful back in London?” the old man asked with a hushed voice, as if the underbelly of London wasn’t their business.

“Yes, they had a meeting and all agreed that it was necessary for their own peace that these Willowisps be destroyed,” Scott replied.

“I see. Go speak with Arbus or Mary, but they are going through a rough patch, so don’t mention the other to whomever you see. Oh, and before you do, the Consul and Head Consul have wanted to see you and your new recruit for an official introduction,” the old man said in a tone that sounded more like a command than a request.

“Will do,” Scott agreed with a defeated sigh. It was easy to tell that he had no desire to see the Head Consul or the Consul.

“Speaking of which, I have yet to meet your new recruit,” the old man said to Scott, before looking at me. “I am one of the Table's Directors, Aaron Langston,” the old man said to me, extending a hand out formally.

I shook his hand with as tight a grip as I could muster without making it awkward. ”Lou Barrett, sir. It is good to meet you,” I said, introducing myself as well.

“You seem like a good man. You’ll fit in well here,” Director Aaron said, letting go of my hand.

“And Elysif, how have you been?” he asked cheerfully, turning and giving Elysif a hug with a hearty laugh, and picking her up off the ground while doing it.

“I have been good, but I see old age hasn’t weakened you in the slightest,” she said with a smile.

“Of course it hasn’t,” Director Aaron replied, before turning to face us and setting Elysif down, releasing her from the hug with a friendly smile. “Well, I have some business to attend to, but I shall see you later,” he said with a slight bow of his head.

We all nodded our heads in return. “Oh, I almost forgot. I brought your favorite,” Scott said, pulling out the box of cigars and handing it out to him.

“That’s my favorite son-in-law!” he said, taking the box gleefully.

“... I’m your only son-in-law,” Scott corrected.

“I know. That’s why you're my favorite,” he said without missing a beat, and sauntered off. The three of us waited awkwardly for a moment until the Director had left. Scott then began leading us down one of the hallways, marked with the crest of a dragon and a feather pen.

“So who are the Consuls that we are going to meet?” I asked, as Elysif and I followed him down the hall. The walls of the hall were a mix of perfectly flat surfaces painted white, and large stone bricks that were probably part of the castle's original cellar walls. The only source of light came from decorative oil lanterns hanging on the walls, some of which hadn’t all been lit, leaving patches of unlit hallway.

Scott continued to lead us down the hall without looking back, but explained who the Consul was, “The Head Consul is the leader of the Table, and the Consul is their second in command. Every member of the Table must meet the Consul and Head Consul so that they might be known personally by them.”

“Wait, the head of the entire Table wants to meet with us?” I asked, dumbfounded. It would be the same as a salesman meeting the CEO of the large company that they work for.

“Did you not hear him, or are you too stupid to understand?” Elysif asked rudely.

“I heard him, and I understand. But aren’t they too important to be meeting with us?” I wondered out loud, refusing to acknowledge Elysif’s snark.

“No, they want to meet with us because it’s necessary. Every agent is introduced to them as a sign of respect for joining. You have yet to meet them as a new agent because I didn’t want to ride the train if I could help it, and thus, it is my fault. I am probably going to get chewed out for this,” Scott said, before taking a few swigs from his flask. “Plus, you could call me lazy or a problem child, but I keep forgetting to send in the written reports, so usually, I come in person once or twice a year,” he continued to explain as if he didn’t care.