The Malevolent Witch: The Book of Khayin Volume 1

by Matt Gross

  She got up from her chair, walked over to Khayin, grabbed his hand and pulled him up for an embrace. It was a nice hug that lasted a couple of minutes.

  “Let's get some sleep. I have a feeling we are going to need a full night's rest,” Khayin said. “And thank you for your honesty.”

  Chapter 16 The Interrogator

  Chicago was considered the most high-tech in all of the Americas. The whole city ran on magically infused generators, which provided a faux electricity. It was magic that powered everything, but to the layman it was referred to as electricity. Lights, heat, and just about anything else that needed power to work just needed to be plugged in and directly linked to an infused generator. It took nearly two centuries and a whole lot of chips to achieve what Chi-Town had accomplished.

  Motorized vehicles rode the streets, though not as many as before the Cataclysm. It was a rare Tech Wizard who specialized in cars. It was dirty work, but it paid very well. Most couldn't afford to keep one on the road. The mechanical parts worked fine, but anything electrical needed that wizard touch. Also with no oil refineries, Tech Wizards had to come up with an entirely different kind of fuel.

  Joshua Dorne woke early. He loved the mornings. He had an early workout and a hearty breakfast. He kissed his wife and baby goodbye and headed off to work. It was a beautiful day. Dorne walked, as he lived only a few blocks from the Nueden Corporation Building where he worked for the security division. The Chief was his boss and he headed up security while Dorne was second in command and handled field operations, though he never personally went into the field.

  The Nueden building was only two stories tall, but had many sub-floors. Dorne entered the building and gave a polite smile and wave to the security desk just inside. He took the stairs down to sub-floor thirteen. Dorne nodded a greeting to the security guard just outside the door and he entered the lobby. A pretty, young woman sat behind the reception desk. She smiled when she saw him. He liked that. He never got that kind of attention when he was younger. He wouldn't have even gotten the time of day from a girl like her.

  “Good morning, Susan. How is my favorite secretary today?” he said warmly.

  She pouted. “I'm your only secretary, Mr. Dorne.”

  “Because God broke the mold after he made you.” Dorne poured on the charm. Susan blushed. “How's our guest?”

  “Not a peep,” she said in a chipper tone.

  “Excellent.” Dorne knew she wouldn't have heard anything anyway. Their guest rooms were all soundproofed. “I'll be entertaining our guest all morning so please see to it that I am not disturbed.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said with a flimsy, inaccurate salute that he adored.

  Dorne walked down a long hall and entered the door at its end. It opened to another hall with several doors running alongside both walls. He followed the hall until he found the door he needed, unlocking the three locks and entering. Dorne stood in a small cubicle-like lobby, only big enough to fit two people standing side-by-side. The door in front of him was solid metal filled with a sound-suppressing foam. Glued onto the other side of the door was more soundproofing foam. All four walls and the ceiling were covered in the same foam.

  In the center of the room in a chair sat a woman, badly beaten. She had once been beautiful, but that had never stopped Dorne before. She was tied to the chair with zip ties and the chair was fastened to the floor. On the far wall was a table with many tools and surgical instruments ceremoniously displayed. Dorne approached the woman.

  “Good morning, Maria. How are we feeling today?” Dorne said, all smiles. He could feel his excitement grow. Just the thought of what he planned to do aroused him.

  Maria's long black hair hung in her face as she looked at the floor. She said nothing. She never said anything. Maria was a hard one to break. He had gotten Jesus to talk, but the old bartender hadn’t really known anything of worth. Dorne had a feeling that Maria knew something.

  “The pain will end when you tell me what I need to know. It's really that simple.” She remained silent. He exhaled loudly. “Fine. I only have you until lunch today and if you're smart, you'll talk, because the Boss wants to have a chat with you if I'm unsuccessful.”

  She perked up and looked at him. “Your Chief don’t scare me, pendejo.” She spat at his feet.

  Dorne smiled. “My, what a beautiful voice, I can see why he likes you.” He turned away and walked toward the table as a small shiver ran up his spine. “But I'm not referring to the Chief. I'm talking about the boss's boss. The one in charge of the corporation. I guarantee you, you will not like her, especially that pet of hers. No, you are much better off talking to me.”

  Dorne stopped at the table and examined his toys. He caressed them, gently and softly with his fingertips. He picked up a speculum, a scalpel, and a pair of forceps. “I think we are going to try something different today.”

  ****

  Dorne stood in the waiting room of Chief Rantz's office. Elizabeth sat behind her desk doing paperwork. She looked at him and he smiled with a wink. An alarm buzzed on her desk.

  “The Chief will see you now, Mr. Dorne,” she said politely.

  “Thank you, Elizabeth.” He marched right into the office, closing the door behind him.

  “Well?” the Chief asked as soon as the door shut.

  He took a deep breath. “I am afraid all I was able to extract before her untimely demise was a name,” he reported. There was a long pause while Dorne waited for the Chief to speak.

  “Do I have to beat it out of you?” he barked. Lawrence Rantz had a full beard and wore a military uniform. Dorne never understood why. He couldn't remember the last war, or Chicago ever having an army.

  Dorne tried to stay calm. He hated Chief Rantz and the man scared him. He could go off suddenly and Dorne would become part of the wall decorations. He sucked in his gut and stood tall.

  “Codex,” he said.

  “What?” the Chief asked.

  “Codex, sir. That's all she knew.”

  “Are you sure?” he huffed.

  “Yes, sir. I am quite sure. She was telling me all kinds of personal stories at the end.” He was proud of himself.

  “Hmph! We already questioned this...Codex.”

  “And we got nothing.” Dorne reminded him.

  “Let's send a squad to Vegas this time. Maybe she'll listen to brute force.” Chief Rantz started to pace.

  Dorne hated to question the Chief's tactics, but he knew a direct approach on Codex would be bad. He tried to suppress his body shivers. “Sir, is that wise? All reports suggest that she is a quite formidable wizard. As powerful, if not more so, than the Boss herself.”

  “What do you suggest, Dorne?”

  Dorne was in shock. He's asking my advice? “Isn't the Boss already involved, sir?”

  “Yes, but she must remain behind the scenes for the time being.” Rantz played with his beard.

  “We can send some battlemages,” he suggested. “Don't go after this Codex directly. We'll do some recon; hit the people close to her.”

  “I will run this by the Boss, but I like the way you think, Dorne.” A smile stretched across his face. “I think you should lead this expedition.”

  Dorne nearly choked on his own saliva. “R-really, sir?” He wasn't thrilled with the idea. The field was definitely out of his comfort zone.

  “Yes. I think the field experience will do you good. You need to see our battlemages in action. And it'll be more effective to issue commands and make quick decisions.” Chief Rantz took a seat. “And don't worry, we'll hire some more of those Black Tempest Mercenaries. They were highly effective on that island.”

  “I...” Dorne began.

  “Look at it like a promotion, Dorne. You succeed at this and we'll have a serious talk about your future when you return.” Something on his desk caught his attention and he took his eyes off Dorne. “You may leave. We'll talk soon about the details on this mission.”

  “Yes, sir,” Dorne said with hesitatio
n, then he turned and left.

  Chapter 17 The Ogre

  Panama's a shit hole. Khayin had never liked it much there. The city attracted all kinds of scum and even with all the legitimate business in the big city it didn't stop the pirates from making port. They even had their own bar, One-Eyed Pete's. The morning was overcast. The air smelled of rain and the streets were busy with traveling Alchemists and Artificers setting up shop. The gypsies brought in a crowd.

  Tippy's office was just off the port. Tippy was a water faerie and he pretty much ran the port in Panama. Most people, and probably everyone in Panama, didn’t know Tippy was a faerie, which Khayin found hard to believe. Tippy was anything but human. And one would think that the name Tippy would set off some red flags. It surprised Khayin that with the return of magic people could be still so ignorant.

  Khayin definitely felt better about Kira, but he was conflicted. Yeah, he was attracted to her, but it would only end in disaster if they were ever to give it a shot. He was happy to have met her and learn some about a culture he had never encountered before and that had only lived in myth. It amazed him there were still things in this world that could surprise him.

  They left the hotel after having a small breakfast in their room. The lobby was full and they felt like fish swimming upstream. They made their way toward the port side of the city. Khayin decided it was best to walk and leave their horses in the stable. He sent Millennium ahead to scout their path. He wanted to avoid pirates or any other criminals preying on the tourists. In a city like Panama they prowled the streets at all hours.

  They were stopped briefly when a tiny beggar boy tried stealing Kira's new scarf. His little hand grabbed the dangling corner of cloth, but he came to a jerking halt when he realized the scarf was tied around her waist. The boy wasn't fast enough to escape Kira's grasping hands.

  “You little shit.” She seethed.

  She let go and Pulled him off the ground about a foot. The boy's eyes went wide, and his head darted from side to side as he started to tremble. Khayin had walked a few feet away before he noticed the confrontation. He hurried back.

  “You thought you'd steal from me?” Kira was turning red.

  “I...I'm...sorry...miss,” he barely uttered. “I...just, just...wan' to eat.”

  “Kira,” Khayin whispered in her ear. “Let him go. Look around.” He gestured with his eyes. “There are homeless everywhere. Starving kids too. He's only trying to get by.”

  She looked at Khayin and her eyes began to soften. Khayin reached into his chip bag to produce some chips, but as soon as Kira let the boy down he ran off and got lost in the crowd. He replaced the currency and retied the bag to his belt. Kira's face went from anger to sorrow within seconds.

  “I'm sorry, I didn't know.” She looked at Khayin.

  “How could you have?” He shrugged. “Don't worry about it.”

  With the help of Millennium they made it the rest of the way to the port without incident. The shipping yard was large and the last time Khayin was there Tippy had set up shop in a warehouse that he had constructed out of wood. Khayin couldn't help but admire the ships. Schooners, frigates, brigantines, and a Man-of-War took up every last inch of the harbor. He noticed Kira's wide eyes as well.

  “I was a sailor for a while,” Khayin said.

  Kira's mouth fell slightly open. “Really? I can't see you as one. You seem to love the dry land too much. You're good with horses and you get queasy every time you teleport anywhere. I figured you had a motion sickness thing going on.”

  “Look at you, being all observant,” he said with a smile. “Actually, that's got more to do with magic than motion.” He looked out over the water. “It's quite freeing out there.”

  They slowly approached a fenced in area with a guard post. Khayin walked straight to the post like a man with a purpose. The guard was a head taller than Khayin. He was large. Muscles bulged in an inhuman display and he didn't look happy.

  “Who you?” The man said with his massive arms crossed over his chest.

  “I Khayin, her Kira.” Khayin spoke slow and deliberate as if he were talking to a child.

  “You not funny.” He pointed a kielbasa sized finger at him.

  “And you not very intelligent, but I bet you do your job well.” It was hard for him to stop mocking the poor guy. Kira took a step back.

  “You leave now. Drokk don't like you.” His arms went back in their crossed position.

  “Well, it's a good thing I'm not here to impress Drokk.” Khayin shifted back to his usual tone. “I'm here to see Tippy.”

  “Tippy no want to see you,” the guard replied.

  Khayin sighed. “Tell Tippy that Khayin is here to see him. Go, I can wait.” Khayin shooed him with his hand. The guard just stared at him. Khayin shooed him with a little more authority.

  The big guy's large shoulders slumped. “You wait here.” And he left.

  “What was that about?” Kira asked.

  “Faerie enforcer, an ogre in a piss-poor human guise to be more precise.”

  The wait wasn't too long. The ogre returned about fifteen minutes later. He wore a big grin. “Tippy said he don't know you and to tell that bounty hunter to fuck off.” He was obviously proud of himself.

  Khayin sighed again. He looked at Kira and shrugged. Faster than even Kira thought was possible, Khayin pulled a kukri from his belt and placed its sharp curved edge on the ogre's crotch. The ogre let out a small yelp that was almost inaudible.

  “Here's how this is going to play out. You're going to let us walk past and I won't have to cut off your...” He twitched his blade.

  “Drokk let you walk pass.” The ogre stepped aside.

  When they were a few yards away Kira said, “He fell for that? He's not very tough.”

  “Most males aren't when you threaten their manhood.” He smiled. “But I'm also pretty sure that Tippy told him more about me than he let on.”

  Khayin saw no more guards between the gate and the warehouse. Apparently Tippy thought the ogre was enough. Containers scattered the yard and the smell of salt water seemed thickest there. The warehouse itself was enormous and appeared, from a distance, to be in good repair. A pair of bay doors stood ajar. Khayin and Kira entered there.

  It was a two-story building. The warehouse was filled with clutter. Khayin couldn't see any rhyme or reason of how things were organized. He couldn't even tell what was stocked. Everything was in boxes. Wood boxes, cardboard boxes, and plastic boxes all were haphazardly placed around them. In other words, chaos. Faeries. He shook his head.

  Tippy made his home on the main floor. He had engineered a small canal that connected to the ocean, making him an impressive force to reckon with. With a direct link to water he'd have access to all his faerie magicks. Faeries’ control over nature was uncanny and many a wizard tried tapping into that magic, with or without faerie help. Faerie folk didn't cast conventional magic. Everything they did was related to the element they were part of. The kicker was that if a faerie died, that element was hurt. Woodland faerie died, trees died. Water faerie died, and rivers or lakes receded or dried up.

  There were several pixies flying around. Khayin couldn't be sure on the exact count. In one corner of the room were couches and chairs. A table with assorted foods sat in the middle of them. Three other sprites relaxed on a sofa. A young woman sat on another couch. Khayin recognized her immediately-- Rosa. He couldn't worry about that; he had other things to do first.

  A geyser sprung from the canal in the middle of the room. It shot straight up and hit the ceiling, effectively making it rain. A spout of water shot out from the geyser and directly at Khayin. It hit him square in the chest, knocking him down several feet from where he once stood. The water kept coming, pinning him to the floor. Other than making him wet and annoyed it did no other harm. Kira reacted. She Pulled at the geyser, the water exploded and dispersed everywhere.

  A figure of a boyish man stood on the water. He wore nothing. He stood before them in al
l his naked glory. His hands were balled up into fists and resting on his hips. His face wore a scowl as he stared at Khayin. He raised a hand to point at Khayin, when he finally took notice of Kira.

  “Yous!” Tippy jabbed a finger toward Kira. “What're yous doing here? My's part is done. I's don't owe you anything. I's done.”

  Her eyes and tattoos were aglow and her stance indicated that she was ready for whatever else Tippy may throw at them. Kira's face squinched up in confusion. She glanced at Khayin who was getting back up to his feet. He reflexively brushed himself off as if that would dry his clothes. He looked at Kira and to Tippy. The fairy now pointed at Kira.

  “I's out. I's told that boss lady I's done.” He screeched. “Go! Gooo!”

  Khayin looked back to Kira. “Let me handle this. You obviously freak him out.” She nodded and shrugged.

  “Tippy, buddy, pal, it's been awhile. You've done well for yourself.” He gestured to the room around him.

  Tippy crossed his arms in front of his chest, he also shifted his weight to one foot taking a more relaxed posture. “Khayin.” Tippy's eyes kept darting from Khayin to Kira and back. “Why are yous here and with that witch? Yous don't travel with partners and she don't look like a bounty.”

  “That's because she isn't. This is Kira, Tippy.” Khayin walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “She is a friend and we need your help.”

  “Ha!” Tippy busted out in a loud laugh. “Yous don't have friends, Khayin.”

  “I have you and Codex.” The faerie tilted his head in thought. “And now I have Kira. I only make friends with the most powerful people. That is why I have so few.”