Parker's Piece is a roughly quadrilateral shaped green space with: Emmanuel College to the North; The Bus Station (and behind it Christ's Pieces), the Police Station, and Newmarket Road to the East; Mill Road, Queen Anne's Place, Hills Road and the Catholic Church of St Mary and the English Martyr's to the South; and Regent's Street and beyond that Downing College to the West.

More importantly though is the Reality Checkpoint in the centre.  To mundane eyes it is an enormous cast-iron streetlight in the centre of the park with the words 'Reality Checkpoint' spray-painted or carved on it.

To those who can SEE however, it is a heavily guarded fortress meant to keep the Fae from entering into the reality bubble that is Cambridge University.  This means that the Fae consider any green spaces South or East of Parker's Piece to be fair game.

Of course, the checkpoint will not necessarily keep out vampires (that's the slayer's job) or demons.

It is one o'Clock in the morning and one by one the stars go out, soon enough the streetlights follow as fog arises from the ground and thickens around you.  Those who are awake feel a sudden cold, not a September cold but a December cold.  For those who remember, it's a December 1963 cold, an 1816 cold, a cold that sinks down through the bones and kisses the marrow.

Those who are sleeping dream, touched by malicious spirits, they find themselves struggling against a bitter wind that sings knives of a cold not seen before.  Behind them they hear the howling of wolves, ahead the raucous calls of hunters.  Neither seems a safe bet.

And then, though the fog remains, the frost begins to melt in the Northwestern half of Parker's piece and slowly, so agonisingly slowly, things return to what passes for normal in the University bubble.

The stone form of the golem made its way through the fog, the nature of the university's seeming safety prickled at his mind as he approached the divide between the north and south ends of Parker's Piece.  Sticking to the edges, and keeping an eye for any normal people that might be about.  Though given the night's chill, he felt that few who were not touched would be out at this hour.  Even fewer past the point of danger he could see through the fog.

A soldier comes to the lattice and salutes Goffery.  "Sir, we do not know you.  She has not come here for you." and then all formality fades and with a more natural stance and a human expression, he asks, "Why do you take the form of a golem?  Clearly you are not such.  You are a man."

First there was an owl and now there was this soldier saluting him.  Had he the ability to show expressions his eyes would have widened at the comment that there was a she here for others.  But the informal actions, that gave him an understanding this was not a hive mind at least.

"That is a story I am ill prepared to tell.  Suffice to say, the choice of spite over safety has left me with a most stiff upper lip."  He said, playing a bit on the saying.  "So if she hasn't come for me, which being unknown I understand, who is she here for?"  He asked still keeping some distance from the lattice.  "This seems like a lot of effort, has to be something big right?" He asked to see if he couldn't entice the creature to brag about what was going on.

The soldier giggles in a minimally martial manner (or not martial at all) and says, "This is nothing big, but in twenty four hours if Sir John fails to make his rounds, the walls will fall and the bubble will burst as it never has in several hundred years. That is not the reason for our presence though. We are Her Ducal guard. We are here because she is here, or as close as can be on this earth of yours and she is, at least metaphorically 'very big'".

There was again a moment where if he still had facial features, there would have been a widening of his eyes and reaction that just did not happen with stone.  So outwards was just the golem looking and silent for a few moments then he replies.

"Has something been done to make Sir John fail?"  He asks first but then considers for a moment, "And what might she be called to know how big she is?" he asks, not trying to get a name, those older stories leaving some general ideas of the rules to play by.

"She is the Duchess of course and no, the binder has not failed in his duty." said the soldier, "Yet".

[From Audley End]

From the depths of the fog, an echoing footstep oozed from it's misted depths. Certainly not feet clad in the more silent and popular sneakers of the day, nor where they the heavy impacts of boots meant to fight against the cold. They sounded sharper against the path than either of those, and somehow more...expensive? And it almost sounded as if there were three legs with each step, rather than two.

The light of the Reality Checkpoint eventually cut through the fog to reveal a tall, lanky form, almost entirely engulfed by a leather duster that looked like it belonged on the set of Gunsmoke, rather than on the campus of a modern-day English university. And the mystery of the third leg became apparent, as the lanky man was apparently using an old cane as he walked, despite his young age. As he came to a stop in the local glow of the Reality Checkpoint, two more facts were revealed about this individual. Thick rimmed glasses sat on their youthful face, and their feet were clan in rather expensive looking wingtips. Thus the mystery of the strange echo in the fog was revealed.

Seeing the Ducal Guard in conversation with a statue that clearly did not belong so close to the Reality Checkpoint, Percival did not so much as slow his walk or change his expression. As soon as he was standing beside the two, he inclined his head respectfully to the two of them.

"Good cold evening to you gentlemen. Would you be so kind as to inform your mistress that I have arrived, Guardsman?" he said politely, if not exactly warmly.

"And you my good sir, I do not believe I have had the pleasure of your company before. My name is Percival Galois, and it is my good fortune to make your acquaintance," Percival said with a warm smile, extending a hand to Goffery.

The title didn't mean all that much to Goffery yet, but it was something he would keep in mind.  Though it was somewhat secondary to the possible threat to Sir John, as that seemed to be more an excited idea than a vague hope.  Which was sad as this was probably one of the better conversations he'd had in the past few months, and that wasn't saying much.

However, as he was about to say something the sound of someone putting far too much effort into their entrance broke the night.  The effort of sound in steps was more than needed, and when the offending source made itself known the lack of facial features was probably a good thing for Goffery.  Looking up and down the form of Percival, this was a new look for him.  They had met back when he had still been amongst the naturally living, fought a few times in fencing club.  He had had an impression of Percival to be a bit foppish, and this didn't take much away from that feeling.

The over seven foot tall statue turned its vaguely features stone face towards Percival, the indentations of eye sockets with no detailing of eyes focused towards him, only a basic protrusion between them giving the impression of a nose but with no nostril marks, and merely a cut line that would stand for a mouth was directed at him.  The creature was motionless for several seconds, creating an awkward moment there.  In truth there was the time taken for an eye roll that could not be done, and a slight vibration of the throat which was unheard as there was no throat to vibrate, so after that long pause the golem lifted its thick arm, and wrapped thumb and thick three digits around the wrist of Percival and gave one firm shake, only slightly moving his arm so as not to strain the human.

Releasing the wrist of the man he finally said from no source on his form, "Good sir?  An interesting assumption.  Fortune seems to be a mixed matter at this point."  He said a hand gesturing towards the cold around them past the lattice, then his other hand gestured towards the warmth on this side of the Reality Checkpoint.  "What makes you see this as such good fortune?"  The golem asked, it's tone quite level if not a bit melancholy.

Percival accepted the lengthy process of shaking hands with this stone creature with social grace, and was appreciative that his arm wasn't torn off in the simple act of greeting.

"We are not enemies as of now, are we? You are not companions with, nor aligned with these Guardsmen are you? That makes you good in these eyes," Percival said with a cheeky grin.

"Meeting new people is always a bit of good fortune. For it is an opportunity to make new friends. To share new stories. To learn things one had never considered before. To leave at least a legacy of your personality when gone to those you've touched in life. To make merriment with your fellows while you still can. You'll find that life is nothing but a series of these moments, and it would be best to enjoy all they have to offer, would it not?" he said, a theatrical edge coming into his voice, but his face showing that he was being deadly serious.

The area around the Reality Checkpoint is divided by the Iron Lattice with Percival and Goffery on one side and the guards on the other.  Soon the Duchess, Morgan Le Fey herself arrives she looks like a character from fairy tales, in particular, either Snow White or the Wicked Queen.  She is dressed in a snow white and voluminous dress that sparks when she walks and from the hem of which snowflakes fall to the ground even though on the University side of the lattice, the weather is slowly returning to normal for the time of year.

"Good morning Sir Percival, Sir Statue, thank you both for coming.  I know that I didn't invite you Sir Statue, but thank you all the same."

The statue was again silent and unmoving as it focused on Percival, several seconds lasted after Percival's theatrical endorsement of meeting people.  Eventually the golem said with a very flat tone, "Interesting view point, Cival."

Before more could be said the Duchess arrived and made her greetings.  Goffery took in her visage, noting the details that were in the visible spectrum, then noting her appearance beyond the human visible spectrum, and more beyond that.  He took her in, trying to memorize all the details he could because this seemed like a chance to meet someone quite dangerous to the continued safe existence of the humans in this area.

"Greetings Duchess.  Your arrival brought about a need to investigate."  Was all he said to explain his uninvited appearance.

Before Percival began speaking, he shot a warning glance at Goffery, and he hoped the Golem would understand it's meaning: this was a dangerous woman, and that he should take care with his words and actions.

"Hail Morgan le Fey, daughter of Igraine and Gorlois of Cornwall, apprentice of the great Wizard Merlin, mistress of the Seven Arts, and half-sister of King Arthur, Lord of the Britains. Well met," Percival said with a deep and respectful bow, giving the Old Greeting.

Despite their preexisting relationship, she was a lady worthy of respect. Besides, she was the one who had called him here. It was only proper that he was respectful when under a banner of truce.

"Now that the niceties are out of the way, I received your letter and came as soon as I was able. Something vexes you that concerns both of our interests I gather?" he asked, rising back to his full height and cocking an intrigued brow.

Morgan nods to Goffery and then says to Percival, "Yes indeed, or rather Fae and Earth.  I am here because I have a foot in both of those realms and have seen what is happening.  Some years ago, as is their wont, someone from the Unseelie Court stole a human baby.  So far, so normal, as usual, they replaced the child with a goblin but, and here's the problem, the goblin survived puberty and returned to Tir na n'Og, helping the human child to return as a changeling, again, not all that unusual but here's the problem.  The goblin is insane, dangerously so, worse than my son in the days of our youths and plans to destroy both worlds.  Now it's possible that Fae can defend itself, but Fae is but a shadow of the earth and if Earth cannot defend itself, who knows what might happen."

Percival cocked his head and considered her words. Those in the court of the Queen of Air and Darkness could be a vicious lot, and their tricks were often cruel. Stealing a child away and replacing it was the standard diversion for a large number of them, that was true. Most people would be surprised just how man Changelings their were running around the world. So far the story checked out, but the particulars needed to be expanded upon a bit.

"This...insane Goblin...it has acquired some way to threaten both Earth and Faerie? Normally such creatures are no more than a nuisance. How is it that it can pose such a threat to both realms? And have you sent word of this to Queen Mab, Queen Titania, and the Erlking?" he asked, browns knitted in concern.