Created on: 2/04/98

Revised on:

All the usual legalese: nothing here is of my own creation.  Goliath and his crew belong to Buena Vista and Disney.  It's a really great show and I am just showing my enthusiasm by writing about it.  In no way will a profit be made from this.

WARNING!! May not be suitable for younger readers.

Chateau en France - 2/4/98 20h06

 As the sun set over the horizon, the normally calm and peaceful people of the nearby villages quickly scampered into their cottages, closing their doors tight behind them.  After all, according to the rumors, there was now a demon who roamed their lands during the night.  Flying far over the night sky, it's eyes glowing a stark white in color.. it was surely sent from hell.  In any case, as all of these people hid in their tiny cottages, the said being finally emerged from his stone slumber, roaring his awakening while stone particles flew in all directions.  Smiling in satisfaction, the demon listened as his roar echoed for miles around in the still night air, surely scaring the puny peasants cowering in their homes.

 Shaking his head, Thailog quickly jumped off of his perch and headed back into his home, leaving the stone gargoyles to be alone.  Once inside, Thailog immediately headed straight for his office like he had been doing for the last couple of days.  As Thailog threw his door open, his grin turned even bigger as he caught sight of a square envelope lying neatly on his desk, left by the day maid.  With wicked thoughts in his head, Thailog quickly scooped up the envelope and tore it open.  Inside he found what he had been waiting eagerly: four Kodak photos.  Tilting his head back, Thailog let his me... I hold all of the cards in the deck now.  Elisa Maza is finally mine."  Smiling to himself, Thailog quickly jumped up from his desk chair and hurried down the hall and into the large kitchen of the castle.  Waiting like always was a lavish meal that was being kept warm in the large oven, all thanks to his trusty maid.  ~Pay a person enough, they'd be willing to walk barefoot into hell~ Thailog thought to himself as he grabbed the tray and began the long walk up the spiral staircase.. time to pay his love a visit.

 Sighing, Elisa placed her bookmark into the novel she was reading as she heard the lock being turned to her prison door.  Looking up, Elisa watched quietly as Thailog entered the room and set the steaming tray he was carrying onto the cleared table.  "Man, you're looking especially cocky tonight," Elisa muttered as she took her seat across from Thailog and began to eat.

 "Yes, well something finally arrived in the mail today that I've been eagerly waiting for," Thailog said quietly, taking in Elisa's appearance.  Once more she looked absolutely stunning in one of the lavish gowns he had purchased for her.  At least she was obeying him when it came to wearing the gowns.. not that she really had a choice in the matter- it was either that or nudity.  At that thought, a large smile crept up on Thailog's face.

 "Hmm," was Elisa's only reply as she ate her food.

 Shifting in his chair, Thailog tried another approach.  "About yesterday..."

 "What about yesterday?" Elisa snapped, pushing her food around with her fork.

 Swallowing the great pride he had, Thailog decided to push ahead and test his theory.  "I... I apologize for being so rough with you... I lost my temper," Thailog said in his best sincere Goliath voice.

 Sighing, Elisa rolled her eyes and slumped back in her chair.  "Would you stop it?  God, Thailog!  We both know you're not sorry, and it's not like you're not rough with me every night!"

 This time it was Thailog's turn to sigh, only his was an exaggerated sigh.  "Elisa, Elisa, Elisa..."

 "What?" Elisa asked slowly, fear shrouding her heart.  As it had been for the last month, whenever Elisa talked back to Thailog, he had always lost his temper and left the room in a huff.  Compared to the anger in the past, the evident smugness that he was no displaying was more than enough to cause her worry.

 "Do we have to go through this every single night?" Thailog implored as he raised his arms in an exaggerated shrug.  "You should have realized by now that I don't appreciate it when you talk back to me or when you use such offensive tones and words."

 "Yes, we have gone through this before, so you already know how I feel about the subject," Elisa trailed off as she eyed Thailog warily.  Elisa knew that she was treading on dangerous waters, but for the life of her, she just couldn't figure out what Thailog was up to.

 "Yes, I know how you feel about the matter," Thailog said in mock sadness.  "You've decided that's the way it's going to be from now on and don't want to change.  Correct?"

 "Yes," Elisa answered slowly, still having no idea what this was all about.

 "Well, that's going to change- starting now.  You are going to be everything I've wanted you to be," Thailog replied, his usual evil smirk lighting up his face.

 By now Elisa was completely worried.  In the past month, Thailog hadn't really been thinking with his head, but more through his anger.  But, with his conniving smile and flashing eyes, Elisa knew that grace period was over.  Still, she couldn't back down on this little game yet... she had to keep playing, she had to.  "And why would I do that?" Elisa asked softly, mesmerized by the effect the flickering candles had on his dark eyes.

 "Because if you don't, Fox and Angela die," Thailog said simply as he watched Elisa's reaction.  Disappointed that there wasn't one, Thailog quickly picked up the polaroids and stuck them in her face.  "Don't think they're safe up in their high castle... as you can see, I can get to them in their own home."

 Afraid to look but more afraid not to, Elisa hesitantly picked up the photographs that were thrown at her.  Staring at the glossy photo, Elisa's face turned white and then dark red.  From what she could see, the photos were taken at night... but the flash was enough to bring out the grisly scene.  Lying in a pile of red snow was Angela, her face bruised and swollen with blood covering her body.  The pain on her young face was evident.

 "According to some insider information, young Angela here suffered from a concussion, fractured jaw, four broken ribs, and numerous other contusions.  Thanks to her gargoyles nature, she only suffered this till sunrise, and was completely healed by sunset.  Then again, if you give me cause for a next time, her fate will be decidedly more painful and more permanent."

 By this time Elisa had heard more than enough.  "How dare you!" Elisa hissed as she climbed stiffly from her chair and faced Thailog, her body coiled in anger.

 "No!  How dare you!" Thailog roared back, standing his full height till he was staring down at her.

 "You went back on your word, you liar!" Elisa said, barely stopping herself from attacking him.

 "Yes, I..."

 "Now what's to stop me from going back on mine?  If you can break your promise at will, then there's nothing to stop me..."

 "Wrong my dear.  You no longer hold any cards in this game my dear... you never really did.  If you don't do what I want when I want you to, they die.  If you escape from me they die.  If you so much as talk back to me anymore, they die!"

 "No, but..." Elisa protested weakly, not wanting to believe his words.

 "Yes beloved, believe me," Thailog insisted.  Right before his eyes Thailog watched as the mighty Elisa Maza's will began to falter.  Grinning in satisfaction, Thailog stepped forward impulsively and took Elisa into his arms.  Without thinking, Thailog leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against Elisa's.

 In shock, Elisa stood there a moment before reacting.  Gasping, she quickly shoved Thailog back and slapped him across the face.  "Fuck you!"

 Reeling from the blow, Thailog stumbled back before regaining his foothold.  Just as he was about to blow, Thailog quickly got a hold of himself and glared at Elisa.  "I think it would be best if I took my leave of you me lady.  I will be back for lunch- hopefully by then you'll have had enough time to ponder the pictures and regain your common sense along with the care you used to have for your friend's welfare.  This is the last time that such behavior with go unpunished on your friends.  The last time," Thailog warned before leaving the room, locking the door tightly behind him.

 Now what was she going to do?  What else could she do but take his words to heart?  Sighing, Elisa walked quietly over to the table and picked up the scattered photographs.  Shaking her head as he glanced at the horrible pictures.  Clenching them in her fist, Elisa walked blindly towards her large canopy bed and laid till she was staring above her.  "What am I going to do?" Elisa murmured as she racked her brain for ideas.  Shaking her head, Elisa lifted her tired hand from her side and smoothed the crumpled photos.  Holding them one by one in the air above her, Elisa looked at Angela's battered figure- battered due to her careless mouth.  Where was her care for her friends?  She should have known what was bound to happen because of her loose tongue... Did she even have a choice to make?  If Elisa didn't do what Thailog demanded, then her friend's would pay the price.  What was more important... her friends or her spirit?  The answer to that was obvious- her friends.  So, at this point Elisa continued to stare up at the ceiling as she laid on her canopy bed and let the tears pour down her cheeks as she quietly mourned the loss of Elisa Ann Maza.

Four hours later

 Grinning in anticipation, Thailog balanced the tray of food in one hand and unlocked Elisa's tower door with the other.  Pushing the door open, Thailog quietly padded into the bright room.  Looking around, he quickly spotted Elisa, sitting in her high backed arm chair, reading like normal.  "Ah, good evening dear Elisa," Thailog greeted as he put the heavy tray on the table.  "I hope your night has been well?"

 Obviously holding her tongue, Elisa stood stiffly and walked to the table.  "Good evening Thailog," Elisa answered softly, no hint of malice in her voice.  As a matter of a fact, if anything, Elisa just sounded resigned.  Resigned to her fate- resigned to him.

 His smile grew even larger, but there were still many nagging doubts whether or not he had truly 'won' her over.  Deciding to dispel those doubts once and for all, Thailog attacked the problem as he did all others- straight forward.  Moving slowly, Thailog walked across the room till he was standing face to face with Elisa.  Reaching one taloned hand out, Thailog gently tilted her face up till he was gazing into her beautiful dark eyes.  Bending down, Thailog firmly pressed his lips to Elisa's.  To his utter amazement, she didn't fight back.  She was his... she was finally his.  Growling low in his throat, Thailog wrapped his arms around Elisa, pulling her closer while wrapping his wings around her.  Completely lost in the deep kiss, Thailog's thoughts swirled in his mind.  This was his first real time kissing a human, at least the first time the human didn't fight back, and Thailog was finding a lot of pleasure in the experience.  He had kissed only two others before- Demona and Delilah, and while that was... diverting, this was definitely more so. Groaning, Thailog pulled Elisa even closer, finding a strange delight in Elisa's slim frame pressed tightly against him, allowing him to feel every contour of her perfect body.  Getting excited, Thailog began to run one claw gently through her long black hair while another began to rub her back.  Sighing, Thailog parted her sweet lips with his tongue and explored, breathing her breath and she his.  Still, Elisa didn't flinch or pull away.  Truly a happy gargoyle, Thailog's gentle probing became more insistent and his movements hurried as he tightened his hold on her.

 "What are you doing? This isn't in accordance with the plan!" an inner voice shouted.

 "Fuck the plan!" Thailog yelled back mentally.

 "Do you want the special night ruined?"

 Half growling/half sighing, Thailog finally finished the one-sided passionate kiss and stepped away, knowing that as usual, his inner voice was right.  Sighing once again, Thailog let his gaze travel slowly up Elisa's body, barely containing himself from fulfilling his desires... that would have to wait for the special night, which wasn't that far away now.  Finally reaching Elisa's face, Thailog noticed with some curiosity that she had no emotion on her beautiful face.

 "We shall have to continue this another night.  For now though, I should take my leave me lady," Thailog said quietly as he performed a quick bow and headed for the door.

 Running a hand through her dark hair, Elisa was about to turn away when she remembered the promise that she had made herself only hours ago- the promise to do whatever it took to protect her friend's from further harm.  Facing Thailog's departing back, Elisa got back in her role by curtsying like she saw done in movies and said, "Till later me lord."

 Turning around, Thailog nodded and smiled.  "I'm glad to see that you're taking our talk earlier to heart.  If you keep this up, your friends will have nothing to fear from me... although next time I want you to be more responsive and less like a dead fish.  Got it?" Thailog asked, his eyes glinting as he portrayed his usual smirk.

 Nodding her head, Elisa watched as Thailog left the room.  Five minutes later, satisfied that he was gone, Elisa finally broke down and rushed for the bathroom.  Leaning over the porcelain sink, she quickly began washing her mouth and face with scalding hot water.  Satisfied, Elisa stared at her dripping face in the mirror.  "Dead fish my ass," Elisa muttered darkly.  "Who does he think he is?  Definitely not Goliath..."

 Ah, and then the thoughts of Goliath emerge... was she ever going to forget about him and get on with her life?  But what life did she have to get onto?  Shaking her head, Elisa quickly dried her face off with a towel and headed back into the main room.  Sighing, Elisa shuffled over to her favorite window and stared out into the dark night.  Slowly she lowered herself onto the window seat and bunched up her long skirts till she could draw her knees up to her chest.  What was she going to do about Thailog?  Nothing of course- what could she do?  From this point on, things were definitely going to get worse as Thailog gets more personal.  Her true trip into hell was about to begin- for as of this morning, Elisa had become fair game to everything she had been dreading.  "Let the games begin," Elisa muttered quietly to the dark night sky.

Castle Wyvern - 2/4/98 5:00pm

 Making sure that there was no one around, Fox quietly slipped into Owen's office, closing the door tightly behind her.  To anyone else, it would almost seem like Fox was up to something sneaky- she was.  Glancing up from the piles of book work that was lying on his desk, Owen frowned briefly at the sight of a harried Mrs. Xanatos.  "Can I help you?"

 "Owen.. ah, how are you feeling?"

 "Fine Mrs. Xanatos.. but was there something I could help you with?" Owen asked in his dry monotone.

 "Yes...... well, I was wondering if we could try it yet," Fox asked quietly, an anxious look in her eyes.

 "I'm sorry Mrs. Xanatos, but we're not ready yet.  As I've already informed you, we will have only one shot at this, and then we're out of luck.  Because of this, I want to make sure we're all ready."

 "Well, when will we be ready?" Fox implored.

 "In a while.  All I know is that we can't wait any longer than the middle of this month..."

 "But why?" Fox asked, fear edging her voice.

 "I have the feeling that if we wait beyond then, the Elisa that we know will be lost to us forever."