by Matthew Fish
The door slowly opened as a young woman dressed in a robe answered. She had medium length, straight blonde hair, tanned skin and brown eyes. Her makeup had run down her from her eyes in streaks. She wore a perpetually sad look; her small lips were pressed tightly together as she rubbed a red area beneath her small, sharp nose. “Come in…” The girl said softly as she cautiously looked around the hallway and closed the door behind William.
“Thank you for speaking with me,” William said as he entered the tiny apartment. It was a studio style room. The same old and worn blue carpet filled the sparsely decorated space that contained a rather rough looking brown sofa and a cheap wooden coffee table that was covered in alcohol bottles. A few nature prints covered some of the seafoam colored walls. A single window let in a dim light as it faced a rather depressing view of the brick wall of the adjacent building. He watched as the woman attempted to hide a baggie filled with a green crushed plant. “There’s no need for that…I’m not that kind of police Captain.”
“Yeah,” the woman said softly as she placed the bag of weed onto the table next to the alcohol bottles. “Suppose it doesn’t really matter—I’d be better off dead at this point, really. I know why you are here.”
“You work in the kitchen of the gathering hall over there at the corner of Main and Mercer St. Were you there approximately four days ago?”
“Of course I was…” The woman said as she began to cry. “I’m not like this…not normally. Sure I drink sometimes, and I get high—occasionally…but I’m not like this at all. I’m a good person. I’ve just been trying to forget.”
“It’s alright,” William said as he placed his hand upon the woman’s shoulder. “Jenna Walker…is it?”
“Yeah,” Jenna replied as she wiped away her eyes and smeared more of her makeup. “I know what you’re here for…but I really didn’t see much. I heard a lot—a lot of screaming. I saw what happened to them all…haven’t been able to sleep without passing out since.”
“I understand,” William said as he nodded. “Still, you’re extremely lucky to be alive. Anything you can tell me about that day will be very helpful.”
“Well,” Jenna said as she shook her head and attempted to gain some bearing. “As you know…I worked in the kitchen. I had heard that there was supposed to be some kind of job opening…that’s what everyone was meeting about. There was a man, odd guy in a suit…had a strange accent, but he talked for a while about joining up with an Ankou or something. That everyone there had a choice, to turn down the bad path and fight alongside him or…die. People laughed at him. He didn’t look like a Conductor. People know better than to turn to crime…they were looking for work…not a death sentence.”
“What did this man with the odd accent look like, exactly?”
“Couldn’t say I got much of a good look at him,” Jenna answered. “I was busy in the kitchen…I barely took notice until people started shouting at him. No one wanted to join him.”
“What happened after that?”
“He ran,” Jenna said as she wiped away another tear from her eye. “Then…a man, or creature, entered. Nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Had these terrible glowing blue eyes and a face like a creature—a fanged snout. He was muscular, but thin and compact. Still…really menacing…he didn’t say a word, just growled. He had one large antler…in the other hand he carried a wooden scythe, the blade was all jagged and sharp…looked like it was his other antler. In his other hand he drug in a man…I don’t know if he was a Mortal or one of us. Everyone got really quiet. The white one stood near the podium at the far end…I watched as he dropped the man to the ground. The guy got up and said something like ‘for the cause’ as the white one sliced into his back with his scythe. After that, the creature attacked. He was fast…cutting people up into two. No one escaped….”
“How did you get out,” William asked as he hung his head down and shook his head. He massaged his forehead with his hand as he let out a sigh. The Ankou that Lily had spoken of the night before was definitely here and already recruiting.
“I, well…” Jenna said with a heavy pause. “I ran into the freezer and barricaded myself in with the brick wall outside.”
“I don’t quite understand?”
“I was afraid,” Jenna said as she nodded. “I don’t know what I did, but the bricks…I was able to bring them away from the wall and…I know it sounds crazy—but I blocked off the door with them…I guess—so well that he didn’t know that there was a door behind it. I waited all night, freezing; until I felt it was safe enough to emerge…when I did I noticed that none of the other Perpetuals had come back to life. I got scared and left—never went back.”
“There’s no such thing as an earth Elemental,” William said as he shot Jenna a strange look.
“None of my parents were gifted, I’ve never felt…different,” Jenna said as she took a handful of sand from a glass bowl full of shells and held it in her palm. She tossed the sand into the air and formed it into a compact ball. With a short gesture she launched the ball into the far wall as it punctured a hole that went straight through the brick and exposed a draft of damp air into the small apartment. “At least…not until that day…”
“Alright, I stand corrected,” William said as he stared into the hole in amazement.
“Doesn’t matter though,” Jenna said as she buried her face into her hands. “I’m dead—it’ll only be a matter of time before that white one comes for me.”
“I have a safe place,” William said as he placed his hand upon Jenna’s shoulder. “Safer than any place right now—with people who have gifts. I promise you that you won’t have to live in fear, and you will have a well paying job. When the time comes though, you might have to help us kill this white one.”
“Is there a way to kill such a creature?” Jenna asked as she turned her eyes to William.
“Have you ever heard of the White Stags?”
“Only as a fairy tale my mother told me when I was young,” Jenna replied with a nod.
“At this safe place, we have a girl who is one of the White Stags—she has been tasked with killing Ankou, the white one, but she needs help.”
“I suppose it is better than staying here,” Jenna said as she tightened her robe and got to her feet. “Better to die on your feet than afraid in your sleep.”
“Or…better to not die at all,” William added.
“Can I have a car…and a decent lunch? Jenna asked. “Life has not been easy.”
“We can eat right after we leave, and as for the car—we will go pick one out after lunch.”
“Let me pack a suitcase,” Jenna said as she headed towards her dresser and dropped her robe. “Don’t worry…it won’t take long—I don’t have much.”
“Take your time,” William said as he looked away. He had caught a rather revealing glimpse of the woman’s very shapely nude figure. He took a quick glance back as he caught a sight of her back end as she bent over and began pulling up a pair of pink panties. ‘1980…’ he mentally said to himself. She looked closer to twenty-four than thirty-five…she must be one of those Perpetuals that refused to age. Not that he could blame her—after all, she was a very attractive woman.
“An earth Elemental…” Cain said as he pressed his old-looking cell phone to his wrinkled head. “I’ve heard a whisper of a whisper of their existence—but nothing ever more than that. I do have to say though; it is a smart move to bring her onboard. If the Ankou is to assemble a force of his own, it would be very wise of us to increase our numbers. I do have some information for you, Captain—troubling though it is, it seems that two of my own Conductors have gone missing…I do not know how they went missing, they simply did not show up for our meeting today and they are not answering their phones. I do not know if it is an issue yet, but I will keep you notified. I have a meeting I must attend to, I appreciate the update.”
“Sorry about that,” Cain said as he tucked his phone into an inside pocket of his black and silver
robe. He sat back in his chair as he looked past as a flurry of activity was around him—workers were repairing the broken windows and fixing up the old council office building. “Also, sorry about the noise, the building I was left with was in desperately in need of repair.”
“It is not a problem,” a man spoke in reply. He had a youthful face, short spiky brown hair and a full matching thick beard and cold blue eyes. He had the face of someone that appeared to always be in a state of seriousness or deep thought. Or something people often call, resting bitch face—he wore a dark brown coat with the emblem of a white stag on his left shoulder. He had a silver Heart Sash and an earth toned tan shirt beneath. His pants were a matching brown to his jacket and he wore a dirty, old pair of jogging shoes—a strange contrast to his rather formal attire. “So I am to be sent away for my own safety?”
“Yes Christopher,” Cain said as he nodded and rubbed at his eyes for a moment. “I do not know why Conductors are suddenly not showing up—but I fear foul play is involved. Two council members are missing, both Conductors, the other Perpetual members are scared. It is hard enough to keep things together with this Ankou beast running about killing my kind—I pledged that I would provide a conductor when it came time to do battle with the Ankou, I was to send an older member—a more experienced one.”
“But…I’m all you have left,” Christopher said as he let out a short sigh and shrugged.
“Yes, to put it honestly,” Cain said as he nodded. “You will be safe at this location I am sending you—there are two other conductors there, and a handful of Perpetuals, and a White Stag…you seem to have a fondness for them.”
“It’s an old crest that my family abandoned,” Christopher replied as he patted the patch on his shoulder. “Don’t really care much for my family.”
“Which…is something that you might have to convince them of,” Cain said as a troubled look came over his face. “You see, your father was not particularly trustworthy.”
“I am not my father—and I do not share his corrupt morals,” Christopher added quickly. “I only share the family name Littcott, and if I could sever myself from that—I would do so as well.”
“Do not let one person ruin the famous Littcott lineage of Conductors,” Cain said as he shook his head and turned his attention to his cell phone. “I never quite figured out how to send a text—but I shall attempt to do so, a Captain William of Perpetual Affairs will pick you up and escort you to the safe location.”
“And what will you do? The other council members will fear coming here—at least until this strange matter is taken care of.”
“I will be heading to the safe place later tonight,” Cain said as he nodded once as he continued to fidget with the cell phone. “I have a lead I must follow up on, but I will be there by evening. Just introduce yourself as the Conductor that Cain promised.”
“Thank you for this chance for me to clear my name,” Christopher said as he nodded. “I will not fail in my duties as a Conductor.”
“Do not hide your last name,” Cain added as Christopher got up from the chair. “The man who runs this operation is very keen on truth—and no secrets. He is merely eighteen, but do not let his age fool you—he is a more than capable Conductor, and a leader. I hope that taking orders from someone seven years younger than you will not prove to be a problem.”
“It will not be,” Christopher said as he bowed to Cain and maneuvered his way past a worker carrying a large piece of broken glass.
“Where are you three headed today?” Bradley asked as he caught Maddie, Mark, and Emily at the bottom of the spiral staircase. He plopped down a large duffel bag onto the ground as he got to his knees and began to rummage through the contents within.
“We’re off to practice riding White Stags,” Emily said as she paused and watched Bradley pull out a piece of dark clothing from the duffel bag. “What ya got there?”
“Stopped by a few places when I was in the city,” Bradley said as he tossed Emily the hoodie and returned to his bag. “Figured you wouldn’t be able to find one of these in the clothing that Caesar had picked out for you…”
“Oh my nits,” Emily said as she held up the black hoodie. The inside had a white and pink striped design. She examined the hood which had a large pair of black cat ears sewn onto the top. “I adore it! Thanks, spanky…”
“Maddie,” Bradley said as he handed her a silver automatic pistol with a rose design upon the grip. “Something with a bit more power—for what’s the come….”
“Thanks,” Maddie said as she felt the weight of the gun in her hand. It was a bit heavier than her usual one, but she figured that it probably had a bit more stopping power as a result. “What is this, Christmas?”
“Just supplying you with what you might need,” Bradley said as he handed Maddie a pair of double holsters. “Should fit well beneath your Heart Sash…”
“What did you get Mark?” Emily asked as she peeked curiously into the bag of gifts.
“Formally…” Bradley said as he pulled out a small envelope and handed to Mark. “The title to the Charger…”
“I can always get a new car,” Mark said as he shook his head and attempted to hand Bradley back the gift. “It’s not like we’re poor.”
“I picked up a new black SUV…boring I know, but much more practical,” Bradley said as he held his hand out and rejected Mark’s attempt to return the envelope. “She’s yours now.”
“Thanks, Bradley,” Mark said as he nodded. He knew how much that car meant to him. He remembered even joking at one time that it was his main love interest. He realized that Caesar had given him the car—but getting the blessing from Bradley made him feel more comfortable calling it his own. “It means a lot to me.”
“Just doing my part,” Bradley said as he smiled. “When you get back you really should check out something I found in the cases—a god damned shoulder mounted RPG…I know it ain’t going to kill any Perpetuals, but it will sure make one hell of a mess.”
“Just don’t let Emily get a hold of it,” Maddie said with a laugh.
“I kinda wanna play with it though….” Emily muttered as she poked Maddie in the side. “I’ve learned when the safety is on or off…I think.”
“Well,” Mark said as he nodded. “Let’s not keep our new friends waiting. Thanks again, Bradley.”
“Happy riding,” Bradley said with a nod as he zipped up the duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder and headed off towards the ball room.
The three headed out the heavy metal door and out into the soft rain of a cloudy, grey day. The winds were blowing about wildly through the trees. They met Lily just at the side of the property—right next to the woods that lay beyond.
“This is as far as I can go while staying safe,” Lily said as she nodded to the three.
Maddie let out a gasp as a beautiful snow white stag with green eyes emerged from the woods. It stood in front of her and bowed, huge antlers adorned the stag’s head. “Justin…is that you?” Maddie asked as she reached her hand out and the stag pressed its snout against the open palm of her hand. The stag’s skin felt smooth and soft beneath her fingertips.
“Justin will be your mount,” Lily said as she placed a hand upon her brother’s head. “Climb atop him like you would a horse.”
“Usually there is a saddle,” Maddie said as she walked to the side of the white stag and placed her arms upon the square of its back. She vaulted herself upon the animal as she steadied herself and grabbed a hold of the stag’s antlers. A second white stag with grey eyes emerged from the woods and stood beside Justin.
“This one’s name is Leaf,” Lily said as she placed a hand upon the forehead of the newcomer. “He does not wish to show his human form—he is not comfortable doing so. He will be your mount, Mark and Emily.”
“Well…” Mark said as he walked to the side of the stag just as Maddie had done. He placed both of his hands upon the creature’s back and pulled himself up as he slung his right leg over the ani
mal. He slid for a moment as he reached for the antlers. After a precarious moment, he finally gained his balance. “I guess that went alright.”
“Shit…” Emily said as she walked beside Mark and placed her arms onto the back of the beast and attempted to pull herself up. Her legs flailed a bit as she slid back down to the ground as the stag made a horrible bleating noise and nearly threw Mark down to the ground. “What did I do?”
“Do not flail your feet around like that,” Lily said as she shook her head. “You kicked Leaf in a very…uncomfortable place.”
“Sorry…Leaf,” Emily said as she shook her head. “Might need a hand here, Dances with Wolves….”
“Sorry, should have thought about that,” Mark said as he nodded. He attempted to balance himself with one hand on Leaf’s antler and used his other to pull Emily up. She wrapped her arms around Mark’s chest as she scooted forward.
“For practice,” Lily said as she handed Maddie the recurve bow. “Try and pretend you are aiming when you are between passings through time—you’ll know when you will need to hang on. There will be visual cues, a road or something manmade will be visible ahead—there will be a slight shimmer in the air and Justin and Leaf will lower their heads. That is when you must hold on and lower yourselves down. Once you are through and you feel comfortable with your balance—that is when you can release your hold and act.”
“Doesn’t sound too complicated,” Mark added.
“Easy for you to say,” Emily muttered. “You didn’t just kick the White Stag in the dick.”
“And here is my mount,” Lily said as she gestured to a large white stag with bright yellow eyes. “His name is Sun, he and Leaf are brothers…he is named for his bright yellow eyes—it is an unusual trait amongst our kind. He will lead the way, when you see him disappear that will be the first clue that you are approaching a passing.”
“Got it,” Maddie said as she placed her hand upon Justin’s side and adjusted herself against his back.