The Edinburgh Network – Betrayal, Love and Ancient Power
By Lea von Löwenstein
Chapter 11: Ancient Blood
Part 1: Inheritance
Saturday, 07:30, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
The Council team’s weapons gleamed with merchant marks as they formed a perfect semicircle, trapping Jenny and Callum against the ancient passage. The phosphorescent fungi cast their ethereal light across generations of twisted authority.
“You don’t understand what you’re dealing with,” the Council leader’s cultured voice carried centuries of burden. “Our families have contained this power since before the Act of Union.”
“Contained?” Jenny’s academic knowledge merged with their new narrative power. “Or corrupted?”
“Careful, girl,” one of the other Council members stepped forward, his tactical gear barely concealing robes marked with medieval symbols. “You’re addressing centuries of sacred duty.”
“Sacred?” Callum’s Scottish burr carried dangerous amusement. “Is that what you call executing your own people?”
He nodded toward Mark’s body, still cooling on the cobblestones.
“Necessary sacrifices,” the leader’s tone was dismissive. “The lesser branches sometimes need… pruning.”
“And what about the Eastern European team?” Jenny pressed. “Were they your pruning as well?”
A flash of genuine concern crossed the leader’s aristocratic features. “That… that was something else entirely. Something new in the game.”
Saturday, 07:31, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
“You speak of sacred duty,” Jenny stepped forward, the narrative power making her voice carry centuries of untold stories. “But what’s sacred about murder? About betrayal?”
“The old ways require-” the Council leader began, but Callum cut him off.
“The old ways?” His Scottish burr resonated with new authority. “Or your ways? Because what we found in that vault tells a very different story.”
The phosphorescent fungi pulsed brighter, responding to their challenge. The Council team shifted uneasily as shadows danced across their tactical gear, revealing more of the medieval symbols beneath.
“You dare question generations of stewardship?” Another Council member raised his marked weapon. “Our bloodlines have guarded Edinburgh’s secrets since-“
“Since you betrayed the original covenant,” Jenny’s academic knowledge flowed with terrible purpose now. “Since you chose silence over truth, control over balance.”
“The entity spoke to us,” Callum added, his tactical stance carrying more than mere physical threat. “Showed us what really happened when the seven made their binding.”
The Council leader’s aristocratic composure cracked slightly. “It… spoke to you?”
“Aye,” Callum’s smile was dangerous. “And it had quite a lot to say about your families’ interpretation of the original agreement.”
Saturday, 07:32, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
“Enough of this,” the Council leader raised his hand, ancient symbols flaring to life across his tactical gear. The air grew thick with old power as the team began to chant in languages that predated the New Town.
“Containment protocols,” one of them barked. “Full suppression!”
But as their inherited power built, something else stirred in the shadows. Movement at both ends of the passage – swift, professional, and carrying a different kind of authority.
“MI5,” Catherine’s clear voice cut through the ancient chanting. “Everyone stand down.”
The Council team froze, caught between their ritual and the very modern threat of government intervention. Their leader’s aristocratic features twisted with fury.
“This is beyond your jurisdiction,” he snarled, symbols still glowing on his weapon. “The Council’s authority predates your organization by centuries.”
“Perhaps,” Catherine stepped into the phosphorescent light, her team moving with practiced precision. “But we’ve been watching your ‘authority’ for quite some time now. Waiting for you to make exactly this kind of mistake.”
Jenny and Callum exchanged glances as the two forces faced off, feeling their narrative power surge with new possibility.
“The old ways are changing,” Catherine continued, her agents taking position. “Whether you like it or not.”
Saturday, 07:33, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
The Council leader’s laugh echoed through the passage with cold authority. His team smoothly shed their tactical gear, revealing expensive suits underneath, each bearing subtle merchant guild pins that caught the blue fungal light.
“MI5?” He straightened his tie, aristocratic disdain dripping from every syllable. “You think modern authority means anything here? In Edinburgh’s old quarter?”
“We’ve maintained order since before your organization existed,” another Council member stepped forward, his Oxford accent carrying generations of privilege. “Through wars, unions, and revolutions.”
“Catherine,” Jenny’s warning carried urgent understanding. “Your team needs to fall back. This isn’t what it appears.”
“Listen to the lass,” Callum’s Scottish burr was tight with recognition. “These people… they’re not just old money. They’re old power.”
The Council members spread out with practiced efficiency, their movements suggesting training far beyond mere corporate security. Their leader’s aristocratic features hardened into something calculated and cold.
“We are the true inheritors,” his voice carried absolute conviction. “Our families have guided Edinburgh’s development for centuries. Through legitimate channels and… otherwise.”
Catherine’s team’s weapons remained trained, but the situation had shifted beyond simple law enforcement. Before she could order a tactical adjustment, Jenny stepped forward, her academic knowledge becoming a weapon of its own.
“Show them,” she whispered to Callum. “Show them what real inheritance looks like.”
Part 2: Lines of Power
Saturday, 07:34, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
“You speak of inheritance,” Jenny stepped forward, her voice carrying the weight of their new covenant. “But you’ve inherited nothing but lies. The entity in the vault showed us the truth.”
The Council leader’s aristocratic composure wavered. “Whatever that thing told you-“
“It showed us the original ledgers,” Jenny cut him off, academic precision merging with their new authority. “Not your family’s edited versions. The real records, written in blood and truth.”
Catherine’s team maintained their positions, weapons ready but waiting as the confrontation shifted into territory no tactical manual covered.
“The merchant guilds didn’t just make deals with money,” Jenny continued, feeling Callum’s steady presence behind her. “They made deals with story itself. And you’ve broken every one of those agreements.”
“You know nothing of our arrangements,” one of the Council members stepped forward, his Oxford accent tight with tension.
“We know everything,” Callum’s Scottish burr carried dangerous certainty. “The entity didn’t just speak to us – it chose us. Made us part of the narrative you’ve tried so hard to control.”
The phosphorescent fungi pulsed brighter, as if responding to their words. The Council leader’s aristocratic features showed the first signs of genuine fear.
“You can’t possibly understand what you’ve done,” he whispered. “The power you’ve accepted…”
Saturday, 07:35, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
The Council leader’s aristocratic facade cracked completely, revealing something desperate beneath the generations of privilege.
“You don’t understand,” his cultured voice turned pleading. “We’ve contained it for centuries. Kept it manageable. If you’ve truly bonded with it, then you know – you know what happens when the story gets out of control.”
“Out of your control, you mean,” Jenny’s academic tone was sharp. “Because that’s what this has always been about, hasn’t it? Control.”
The other Council members shifted uneasily, their expensive suits suddenly seeming like poor armor against the truth.
“The Eastern European team,” another member burst out, his Oxford polish cracking. “They weren’t the first. Others have tried before – Russians, Americans, Chinese. All wanting access to the power. We’ve protected Edinburgh from that!”
“By killing your own people?” Callum’s Scottish burr carried cold judgment. “By executing Mark’s team? That’s not protection – that’s paranoia.”
“You have no idea what’s out there!” The Council leader’s hands shook slightly. “What would happen if the wrong people got hold of the narrative. The chaos it would cause-“
“The chaos you’ve already caused,” Jenny stepped closer, the phosphorescent fungi brightening with her movement. “How many others have died to maintain your family’s grip on power?”
Catherine’s team watched in professional silence as centuries of authority began to unravel before them.
Saturday, 07:36, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
“Enough,” Catherine’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “MI5 has watched your Council’s activities for decades. We’ve documented every ‘accident’, every mysterious disappearance, every convenient death.”
Her team moved with practiced precision, taking new positions that subtly shifted the power dynamic in the ancient passage.
“The Crown has maintained its own observers,” she continued, her professional tone carrying institutional weight. “Watching, waiting, ensuring that Edinburgh’s… unique heritage… remained protected. Not from exposure, but from exploitation.”
The Council leader’s aristocratic features twisted. “You dare speak of exploitation? Your government has-“
“Has allowed your families significant autonomy,” Catherine interrupted smoothly. “Until you began eliminating your own people. Until you started drawing international attention with your power plays.”
Jenny and Callum exchanged glances, feeling their new narrative authority pulse beneath the political maneuvering.
“The old arrangement is over,” Catherine stepped forward, her team moving in perfect coordination. “The Crown is assuming direct oversight. Unless…” She glanced meaningfully at Jenny and Callum, “our new story-keepers have a different suggestion?”
Part 3: Chaos Unleashed
Saturday, 07:37, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
The explosion came without warning – a sudden flash of light and devastating force that turned the ancient passage into hell. The Council team disappeared in a bloom of fire and shrapnel, their centuries of authority meaning nothing against modern explosives.
“Contact!” Catherine’s team reacted instantly, shifting to defensive positions. “Multiple hostiles, north entrance!”
“Down!” Callum pulled Jenny behind a stone pillar as gunfire erupted through the smoke. His tactical training recognized the weapons immediately. “Professional hardware – definitely not local!”
Through the chaos, they heard voices shouting in Russian and something that might have been Chechen. The Eastern European team hadn’t been eliminated after all – they’d been waiting.
“The Council wasn’t paranoid enough,” Jenny’s academic mind raced as she pressed against the ancient stones. “They were right about outside interests.”
“Quite right,” a heavily accented voice carried through the smoke. “Though they failed to mention how many of us were actually here.”
Catherine’s team engaged the new threats with professional precision, but they were caught between multiple forces in a confined space.
“The old families thought they could keep this power to themselves,” the voice continued as more explosions rocked the passage. “Time for some… redistribution.”
Saturday, 07:38, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
“Fall back!” Catherine’s command cut through the gunfire and smoke. “Defensive withdrawal, Pattern Echo!”
Her team moved with practiced coordination, laying down covering fire as they began their tactical retreat. Callum recognized the MI5 protocol immediately.
“This way!” He grabbed Jenny’s hand, following Catherine’s lead through a side passage. “Stay close to the wall!”
More explosions rocked the ancient stonework as the Eastern European team pressed their advantage. Russian and Chechen voices echoed through the chaos, mixed with the distinctive sound of military-grade weapons.
“They’re herding us!” One of Catherine’s operators shouted over the din. “Multiple teams converging!”
“Keep moving!” Catherine’s voice was steel under pressure. “Secondary exit point in thirty metres!”
Jenny’s breath came in gasps as they ran, the phosphorescent fungi casting wild shadows through the smoke. Behind them, the sound of pursuit grew more organized, more determined.
“They’re not just after the Council anymore,” she managed between breaths. “They want what we’ve become!”
“Aye,” Callum’s Scottish burr was tight as he helped her over fallen debris. “Though I’d say they’ve got a rather aggressive negotiating style!”
Saturday, 07:39, Edinburgh’s Hidden Depths
They reached the exit point – an ancient service tunnel that connected to Edinburgh’s more modern infrastructure – just as their pursuers launched another coordinated assault.
“Contact rear!” Catherine’s team maintained disciplined fire as grenades bounced off centuries-old stonework. “Multiple hostiles, well-armed!”
“Got movement ahead too,” one of her operators warned, thermal optics scanning the darkness. “They’ve predicted our route!”
Through the smoke and chaos, the heavily accented voice called out again: “You cannot run from this, story-keepers! The power belongs to those strong enough to take it!”
Jenny felt their narrative authority pulse beneath her skin as the phosphorescent fungi cast wild shadows through the gun smoke. “They don’t understand,” she whispered to Callum. “The power isn’t something you take…”
“It’s something you become,” he finished, his tactical mind racing through options. “Catherine! Your exit’s compromised – we need an alternative!”
Catherine’s professional composure never wavered as she assessed their situation. “Secondary route through the old brewery cellars. But we’ll need to split their forces.”
“Then let’s give them something to chase,” Jenny’s academic knowledge merged with their new purpose. “Something worth pursuing.”
