A Conjured Domain 01

One day I found two pumpkin seeds.

Chapter 1

It was a strange thing that happened.  They had been out, normal patrol, normal run around, normal run ins with scum.  They had stopped a mugging, left a would be rapist unconscious in the park for a policeman to find in the morning, and even managed to find a hot dog vender that they were able to steal a few dogs from.  All in all it was a relaxing night.  It wasn't until they got a phone call from April that things turned for the worse.

She had gotten a new item in her shop and wasn't sure about its origins.  She tried looking up but all she could get was that it was an object from Hungary but that was it.  She wanted them to come over in hopes that maybe Donnie would know more about it and since they were already out she invited all the brothers.  When they got there she let them in through the back door to her shop and stopped in the break room, "You guys hungry or would like something to drink?"

"Hot chocolate if you have it!" Mikey was quick to say.

"Sure."  

It was odd.  Not April's hospitality but the way she talked.  How she moved.  She was ridged.  Almost as if she had been spooked.  She deliberately took her time using a stove top kettle in the small kitchenette that Casey and her had installed in their antique store's break room.

"Is your electric kettle broken?" Donatello asked. "I can take a look at it for you."

"Oh, no, I just wanted to heat the water this way.  Sometimes it's good to use the old girl," she smiled, talking about the copper colored kettle that made popping and bubbling sounds as it heated.

"So... what did you need me to help you identify?"

April stopped moving.  She didn't freeze, she just stopped, like a wind up toy that ran its course.

"April?"  Leo asked softly, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"S-sorry. I'm..." She jumped when the kettle's whistle pierced the air.  She pulled it off and turned off the burner.  She pulled out a couple of cups and a canister of hot chocolate. "I guess I'm a little rattled.  Business has been slow and bills are starting to pile up and Casey got a second job so I hardly ever see him.  It's just getting to me."

"If you need company you know you can call us."

"Thanks Leo," April smiled softly.  She relaxed a little having taken comfort in his reassuring words.  She fixed the hot chocolate and handed out the cups.

"Come on, the statue is in the next room," She lead the way, the turtles holding their chocolaty treat following.  She then stopped and looked at Mikey, "Um... you may want someone else to hold that for you."

Puzzled he did as instructed and passed his cup over to Raph who deliberately grinned and took a big gulp of Mikey's just to mess with him.  When Mikey turned to yell at him the shop lights went on and all the youngest could do was scream and jump back.  He knocked against Raph who barely managed to make it so the cups didn't spill but still got his fingers burned.

"What the shell Mikey?!" Raph yelled.

"What is that?!" Mikey only screamed.

"Ooooh wow." Donatello stepped up to the huge stone carving.  His brown eyes drinking in all the corroded curves, how it stood up with a twisted back.  Raven claws twisted into hands that held the black blades of scissors.  It was grotesque and beautiful at the same time.  Twisted and warped, graceful and divine.  It was a creature pulling into another existence as a woman, that or it was a woman shape shifting into a large bird.

Donnie sipped his cocoa while stepping closer and looking under the spread wings.  "Very unusual, the feathers are coming out of bat wings.  April, when did you say you got this?"

"That's the thing.  It was just left at the back door."

"Left?" Leo's eyes narrowed.  He didn't like the sound of that.

"I think it was left by a supplier I have in Eastern Europe.  He's always so busy that sometimes he does either mail or just drop things off at my door.  I wire him payments after I sell the items.  But usually I hear from him before hand so I can expect what's coming."  April's fingers tapped against her mug.  The more she looked at the statue the more uncomfortable she looked.

"If you don't like it, why not get rid of it?" Raph asked.

"If it's from the century I think it is, she could retire after finding a buyer for this." Donnie answered for their friend.

"So, what do you think Don?" April asked softly, taking a step closer to Leo when Donnie set his cup down in favor of touching the statue.

"Well... I would have to say you have an old world item.  Part of the old Austrian Empire from the looks of it.  And you're right, it would be from the Hungarian region relative to the time period.  It looks like you've got a rendition of a Nachtkrapp or a Mumus.  April... do you have any idea what this means?"

"Retire early?" She grinned guessing.  She still had no idea what he was saying,  she knew some languages but not nearly as many as Donnie nor as much mythology.

"You have a connection to one of the oldest forms of storytelling!  You could sell this to a museum and get millions!"

"That's great!  But... why?"
Don was so gentle touching the piece of history, "You may have one of the earliest records as to the origins of folklore.  Nachtkrapp, the night raven that flew over head, so big it would snatch up children to take back to its nest and peck their limbs one by one before lancing them in the heart with its beak!  Mumus, the boogieman.  Possibly even a Boszorkány, a witch shell bent on evil spells."

"Whoa, whoa, the boogieman?!" Mikey yelped.  "No, no, nuh-huh, April get rid of it!  Anything that could even possibly be considered to being related to the boogieman or witches needs to be tossed out."

"Mikey," April rolled her eyes. "It's just a statue.  Sure it's... really creepy and I honestly don't want to be left alone with it, but I trust Donnie.  If this really is a Mumus, Nach-carp, or a Bjork, then Don's right I could retire and be able to spend a lot more time with you guys.  I'm certain I can find a buyer quickly.  I just need to find a way to prove its authenticity."

Don mentally sighed at the butchering of another language.  She wasn't even trying.  Then again when she was serious about learning another language she always got Donnie to teach her.  

He moved his fingers over a spot of dirt that was stuck to an eye of the statue.  He carefully brushed it off and winced when something stuck into his thumb.  He pulled away, his forearm brushing against the inside of the scissors that bit harshly into him.  He hissed and pulled back, holding his wound.

"Don!  You okay?" April was to his side, holding his arm up to help slow the blood flow.

"Yeah.  Whoever owned this before you really sharpened those scissors.  Oh, geeze, I'm sorry."

"For what?" April asked as the group took Donnie back to the break room where there was a sink.  "Leo, could you and Raph go up stairs into the apartment and get my first aid kit out of the bathroom?"

The two quickly left.

"I bled on your floor." Don explained.

"You're seriously apologizing for that?" Mikey asked while he and April gently washed Don's arm.  "We've done worse to her place."

"He has a point." April smiled softly. "Besides I should have looked at it better so I could have warned you about the sharp edges.

"Got the First Aid Kit." Raph announced.

Leo hung back by the doorway as the group looked after their kind brother.  He stared at the statue.  He didn't know what to think.  Was his eyes playing tricks on him?  Was it the fact it was so strange that every time one looked at it, it seemed different each time?  Or... had it really moved?

TBC...