Fisher And The Bears

by T Hodden

  Val knew nothing more.

  *

  The scream echoed through the entire town. It was as though the buildings themselves felt the loss and mourned for Val Liberty. Windows shook in their frame. It broke like thunder and span the weather cock on the tower of the church. It was joined by a second yelping scream from Ginger.

  “That does not sound good.” Wendy said.

  “It is not.” Sylas said bluntly. “Your friend needs help at the Police station. Go to him. I will watch the Skein.” He did not seem too enthusiastic until the bears had all gone scampering away to rescue their friend. Then he adjusted his collar and approached the casket, placing one gloved hand on the armoured shell. He glanced around, ensuring he was alone. “Hello my friend. I have such plans for you.” The casket shook. “No. You don't like the smell of my blood do you? Don't worry. Somebody very special is coming back soon. My gift to you. I just want to be sure that when you wake you know exactly what you want to do.”

  He did not notice there was a shaking, shivering Ted crouched low behind one of the gravestones listening intently. Ted ducked into the shadow of a stone angel, biting his lip to stop himself from whimpering. He strained his ears to try and hear what Sylas was whispering to the casket.

  *

  I ran through the corridor of the museum, throwing myself behind one of the ornate pillars as the fossilised dinosaur skeleton that had been magically reanimated slowed to a hunters walk and sniffed through the hollow skull. I tried not to think if bone shaped rocks were breathing and smelling, that kind of thing made my head hurt even more than it did already. Doreen was behind the pillar next to me. She shot me an encouraging smile and pointed me towards the trap that the bears had set in the long corridor. I tried to catch my breath and prepare myself for the sprint that would lure it onto a bed of marbles and send it hurtling down a flight of steps too steep for it to climb back out of.

  I tried to ignore the pain in my head. I reached out and touched Doreen, our touch giving us both strength. We entwined our hands and ran together. After three short steps my strength abandoned me. My whole body became a dead weight beneath me. I fell to the floor in a heap. I can remember one thought ringing in my head: Not now, not yet. I saw Doreen look back and scream for me. I could hear the dinosaur fossil growing near. Feeling it vibrate through the hallway. I clawed my way to my feet and ran forwards. I could not breathe so I did not try. I could not hear anything above the pounding of my heart. So I did not try. I passed the bears, I heard the sacks of marbles being emptied over the polished marble floor. I fell again and rolled around to see the dinosaur sprinting at me, jaws open for the kill. Then the flailing of bony limbs as it slipped, skidded, spun and teetered. Then it crashed down the gentle curve of the stairway.

  “Not yet.” I whispered to myself. “I'm not ready yet.”

  *

  Orbas was an easy kill. He span the sword in his hands and jabbed it between the bars of the cell, piercing the cultist through the heart. Lupine was less easy to kill. Lupine hurled himself out of the cell in a clumsy fury and tried to snap his arm with a palm strike. He moved faster than anybody Lupine could have ever known. He grabbed Lupine by the face and hurled the big man back to the cell and decapitated Lupine with out a break of sweat.

  Grace used her belt like a whip, snaring Val’s dead body and dragging it closer to her, reaching for the dropped pistol. He paused, crouched, loaded a single round into the revolver and kicked at her. Grace snatched it up and stared at it, trying to decide if she should use the chance she had been given. She stared at him hard.

  “Well?” He demanded. “Do you die on my terms or yours?”

  “Mine.” She said at last. She raised the gun, took a quick aim and pulled the trigger. He span his sword, sending the bullet back at her, killing her instantly. For a moment he had felt the most precious of sensations. A moment of genuine fear. That her skill and speed may best his. He had almost felt mortal. Almost.

  He looked at Ankh. She was still sat in her cell, crossed legged as though meditating.

  “Your turn.” He hissed. “You do not want me to come and get you.”

  Ankh smiled.

  “You don't like bears do you?” Ankh asked.

  “You are distracting me.” He decided, a moment too late. He span to see Ginger a little too late. The little bear had one half of the (no longer flaming) pitchfork and fire extinguisher. He swung his sword as Ginger hurled the fire extinguisher, causing the pressurised cylinder to explode in a cloud of freezing cold smoke and vapour. He roared, blind and surprised, unable to dodge the spiked fork that stapled his foot to the floor.

  “Ha.” Said Ginger. “Get out of that.”

  As Ginger spoke the door to the Police Station burst open and the rest of the bears swarmed in to the rescue. Ginger grinned and straightened his cuffs. Ginger pointed at the attacker.

  “Ah.” He said. “Three should be enough. Do you hear what I hear?”

  Ginger cocked his head. “Thunder?”

  He smiled at the crowd of bears and vanished as though dissolving into the shadows.

  Thunder cracked and lightning forked from a clear sky. In the middle of the street a tall figure in resplendent armour landed in a crouch that shook all the cars in the street and set off their alarms. Seraphine stood, turned to look at the Church and frowned.

  She had no pleasure in the duty she had been given. The residents of the town crept from their homes to stare at her, as she marched in the direction of the Sheriffs Office. Already more streaks of fire were tumbling from the sky, heralding the coming of the Overwatch.

  Six

  “Citizens.” Uriel said as approached the crowd forming around the band stand. He stopped and stared at the faces, his grimace turning sour as he saw through the magic that disguised their demonic heritage. Most barely had any taint, the wrong eyes or the wrong teeth, little touches that sickened him. “This town is under the protection of the Overwatch. Until we can ensure your safety you will obey. Is this understood?”

  Dad was in the crowd with Ginger, the little bear was bandaged and bruised, already looking the worse for ware. Other bears mingled in the crowd.

  “Why can't I see Ankh?” Wendy demanded. “She was almost killed by a meanie, and now you wont let anybody in there to talk to her?”

  “She is a danger to you.” Uriel said. “Once the Skein is secured for transport and moved to safety, she will be dealt with. I promise you this.”

  “She is in danger.” Wendy persisted. “And I would like to speak to her.”

  “I don't like this.” Dad whispered. “This all feels familiar in the wrong kind of way.”

  Ginger gave Dad a worried look. “Why?”

  “Just a nagging worry.” Dad said, in a low voice aware that one of the other Overwatch was staring directly at him from the rooftops, a pair of white feathered wings like an owls augmenting his armour. “I will tell you about it later.”

  “Why can't I see the Skein?” Wendy asked. “I helped dig it out. I put on oven gloves against the cold and helped tie ropes around it. Why can't I help now?”

  “Because it caused an agent of Hell, a murderous being of immense danger to attack you. And to kill Valance Stewart Liberty.” Uriel said. “Such dangers will not be allowed to continue.” He held his hands skywards. “You have prayed for your safety and the Singularity has answered you. He has sent you the Overwatch.”

  “I really don't like this.” Dad whispered.

  *

  Seraphine was flanked by three other members of the Overwatch as she strode into the church yard. She whispered a prayer as her eyes fell on the casket. Sylas was sat on the steps of the church, waiting for her.

  “How did you get that out of the ground?” Seraph asked, looking at the ropes that still sat around the base of the casket.

  “Carefully.” Ted said, pretending to have just arrived around the edge of the church. “With oven gloves actually.” He nodded at Seraphine. “Fish left me in charge.
”

  “Oh.” She said, straightening up. “Has he...?”

  “It is the funniest thing.” Ted said in a meaningful tone. “As soon as worked out where the Skein was the world started falling apart. Almost as though somebody were using his predicament with an appointment in Hell to draw him away.”

  “The bear is right.” Sylas gave everybody a look of innocence. “There is a smell of something rotten in the state tonight.”

  “There is no secret.” Seraphine spoke softly. “Somebody killed Lady Loretta and the Taxman. If my guess is right it is the same Somebody who killed most your prisoners and tried to kill Ankh.”

  “Yes.” Sylas said quietly. “I wonder how you happened to know about that? And how you happened to turn up just after the nick of time?” He held out an accusing finger. “Do you see now why my Father allowed a deal to be made over the soul of your friend? A trick. A heartless trick risking your friends soul to expose corruption and traitors.”

  “Well of course I see that.” Ted said chewing on his lip. “But I have to ask...” He gave Seraphine a meaningful look.

  “How would you know there was a deal?”Seraphine asked, drawing the sword from her belt and holding it ready.

  “Ah.” Sylas smiled. “Oops.” He flexed his fingers and a knife with a long silver blade fell into his fingers. He lifted it and pointed it first at Seraphine then at Ted. “You were supposed to be suspicious of her, not me Theodore. Would you care to try again? See if you can get it right this time?”

  Ted shook his head. “I think we should talk to your father Sylas. It is not too late to start putting this right.”

  “Putting this right?” Sylas smirked at the thought. “This is what is right. It is not too early for you both to join me.”

  “Uriel.” Seraphine touched her ear. “I need you at the church yard. Choose warriors you trust.” She looked the pair who flanked her. “Be ready. He may yet-”

  “Gentlemen.” Sylas sighed as though bored. Before he had finished uttering the word the pair who flanked Seraphine were kicking her to the floor and stamping on her hand. She lost her grip on her sword and had her gun taken away.

  “Uriel.” She gasped.

  “Do not fear.” The voice of her friend answered in her ear. “This will all be over shortly.”

  Ted shied away from the pair of pistols being pointed at him and started to empty his pockets. The closest he had to a weapon was a bag of peanut butter brittles that he offered around before putting his hands up.

  “Now let's all make ourselves comfortable shall we?” Sylas asked. “Fish shall be here soon. Then everything will change.”

  *

  The huddle of bears were in the parking lot of the town supermarket. They had chalked a set of goal posts on the wall and most of them were playing three-a-side with Dad in goal. Wendy and a few others were keeping a careful watch on the road. On the Overwatch warriors blocking the road and turning back the families who were understandably trying to head away from the trouble.

  “They say it is for our own safety.” One of the bears said.

  “And that?” Wendy nodded at the phone lines being cut.

  “What about the guy going around house to house,” one of the bears said. “He is really friendly to people. Even if they are like, proper demons and stuff. He just a clipboard and lots of questions.”

  “Like how many generations old the family is.” Wendy said. “And how many of those generations bred with outsiders and how many with others tainted with demon blood? He uses that word. Tainted. It isn't a very friendly word.”

  The bears turned to look back at Dad. He was unimpressed. “I wonder how long until those with the wrong blood have to wear a badge, or be concentrated in a camp?” He forced a smile on his lips as a member of the Overwatch walked past. He rolled the ball out so play could continue. It stopped when they saw a squad of Overwatch dragging Seraphine and Ted towards the Sheriffs Office.

  “I really don't like this.” Dad said.

  “Well, on the bright side, this is Texas.” Wendy said. “And we get to do a jail break.”

  Dad smiled thoughtfully.

  *

  “Loretta is dead.” The Grey King was sat on the floor of his walled garden. The games whispered around him, but he was staring at the silver spoons he was playing mournfully on his knee. “She was murdered.”

  “Who by?” I asked.

  “By whoever killed Scratch.” He seethed. His voice was so full of bile it made Doreen squeeze my hand until my flesh went white. I pretended not to feel like it, like I was pretending not to feel my head, lungs and stomach all burning with pain. The Grey King smiled coldly. “By the person we planned to draw out when we arranged for you to be doomed to hell.”

  “You?” Doreen said the word with that special calmness she reserved for when she was about to remove your head.

  “It was the only way.” The King insisted. “Whoever it was had plans on Hell and the House of Prices. We had to draw them into the open before they could claim the Skein, so we showed them you are the key to the Skein, and we made sure House of Prices would have you in their hand. It should have forced them to fold from the table or show their hand.” He stopped playing with his spoons and stared at me. “I thought I had her protected. I thought I had you protected. It seemed so simple. If I knew which of the two was my foe I could act against the threat and aid the other.”

  “Of the two?” I said.

  “Uriel or Seraphine of the Overwatch.” The King explained. “One or both is the Assassin. Those I could deal with. There was an unseen hand though. Somebody even I could not follow. Somebody who was playing the game before I knew the board had been set.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “He wasn't playing a game. He was playing me. That was why they had to kill Loretta. You were handing me to her.” I looked at how the board had been set. “The prisoners in the cells are dead?”

  “Apart from Ankh.” Doreen realised. “About the same time Hell broke loose?”

  “Because he needed to be alone with the Skein.” I said. “He needed to draw the bears and Val away so he could do... Something.”

  “Sylas?” Gwyn asked.

  “Sylas?” Asked Polly at the same time.

  “Sylas.” Doreen whispered. “There from the beginning. When you found me. The Angel of Death?”

  “From his lands. Given, not stolen. And leading me to the code in the church because it means me right? That DNA code is mine?” I looked at the King and he confirmed with a nod that the genetic code had been mine. He did not want to agree anything else. “He got me to touch the sword. He has been testing me, learning about my abilities.”

  “He has been slipping between realms without being recorded for so long.” The King groaned. “Can he be stopped?”

  I nodded.

  “So when there was meant to be a trial, they had a facet of the Singularity?” I said.

  The King nodded. “Yes. Perhaps it is time their god looked on what has been done in his name.”

  “Do we know why Sylas or Uriel would want the Skein? Who they will want to kill with it?” I asked.

  “They could shape the world however they desire it.” The King said. “I suspect Sylas will want to inherit his birthright.”

  “But we will know for sure.” I said. “Just as soon as-” I stopped. “Did everything go wobbly then or was it just me?”

  They all just looked at me. Then time slowed to a crawl as the floor decided I needed a nice lie down, and my eyes rolled back into my head.

  “Are you... Well?” The Grey King stood. “Oh dear no. This is far too soon. Far far too soon.”

  His voice echoed as darkness claimed me.

  *

  Uriel shoved Ted into his cell and flicked his fingers. The gesture itself seemed to lock the door. Seraphine did not resist as she was shoved hard enough to send her to the far wall of the cell. With out her armour she was dressed in simple white fatigues that left her feet bare. She held her h
ead high.

  “No mask this time?” Ankh asked from her cell. Uriel tried to ignore her. “It hides your features but not your little trick Or your body language. You are playing a dangerous game.”

  “His time will come when he looks upon the Singularity and it looks upon him.” Seraphine said. “Such is the problem when you know what lays beyond this life. You know that if he kills me, the Singularity will-”

  “The Singularity will know?” Uriel shook his head. “He may use a distant touch these days, but I do not fear him. I do his work. I will see his word made true.”

  “What is it you plan to do?” Ted asked politely. “Because I can't see many things you can do with a weapon like the Skein. Other than kill.”

  “Cleanse.” Uriel said. “Set this world and many other back to the image they were made in. Prune away the rot and the mutation that soils them and leave only the perfection my creator intended.”

  “Oh.” Ted looked at Seraphine and gave her a knowing nod. “Do you get this sort of thing as often as I do? You know somebody being... In need of help from a Doctor with a couch.”

  “Enjoy what is left of your existence.” Uriel said, walking away and gesturing for one of the other Overwatch to keep a careful eye on them.

  “They may have been nothing to you.” Ankh said. “But they were my friends. They do not deserve the contempt you have shown them.”

  “You are right.” Uriel adopted a jovial tone. “They were beneath my contempt.”

  *

  I was in the darkest corners of a nightmare. That empty space filled with shadows that is only possible in our dreams. Floating in the endless darkness I had tried to make sense of what had happened, to make sense of what I needed to do.

  But in time I realised I was not alone in this dreamless void. There was a presence with me. Cold as winter, devoid of kindness or compassion it was a mass of heaving, roiling, twisting bile and hatred. It was a hunger. A hunger that could not be filled, a thirst that could not be slaked.

  “You must come to me.” The presence insisted.