The Gathering

by Michael Timmins

  He was no longer thinking straight and worse, Sylvanis had seen it happen to lycans before. Good people who allowed their animalistic nature of their lycan half take control. They went wild and although some were able to gain control of themselves, most had to be put down, for the safety of others. She prayed Clint would be capable of recovering his senses, for she feared for the group if they were forced to take that kind of action against Clint.

  Sylvanis scanned the other members of the group. It included Hank and Sim, father and stepson, with twin olive-green duffels they brought with them slung over their shoulders, the only similarity between the two. Hank, broad shouldered and wide, had chosen to trim his beard and hair and no longer looked as bestial as the first night they met him with his shoulder length hair and long scraggly beard. He still looked fierce though.

  Sim had also chosen to ‘clean up’ as well. He shaved his beard completely off after a teasing comment from Kat about how he appeared to have forgotten to glue some hair onto his cheek. He laughed about it but seeing him the next morning with it all gone let Sylvanis realize it stung a little more than he let on.

  Sylvanis saw Hank notice her scrutiny and watched her with his bright blue eyes. She smiled warmly at him to let him understand he had nothing to be concerned about. He gave her a quick upturn of his mouth before returning to his straight lipped look. Sorrow haunted his eyes, a loss which constantly dragged on his soul.

  Sylvanis managed to get their story from them both. Her heart wrenched to hear of the loss of Hank’s wife and Sim’s mother. The toll it had taken on the both of them, although completely different, had the unexpected effect of drawing the two of them closer. Sylvanis believed this bond was forged when Hank and Sim grieved her loss together and it saved Sim when Hank inadvertently passed lycanthropy onto him.

  She felt a deep fondness for them both as the love they shared for each other, their bond, was infectious and inviting. Hank, a private person, who, despite his obvious reluctance, found himself the eldest in a group of misfits who now looked to him as an adopted father figure, due to his and Sim’s relationship.

  Even though Sylvanis was technically older than Hank, she was still younger in perception, and, if she was being honest, in her disposition and worldly knowledge. She found herself deferring to Hank in some ways, although she had brought them all together.

  It didn’t bother her. She had never been one to need control over every situation. That had been Kestrel. Sylvanis’ thoughts strayed to her adversary, as much as she wished they wouldn’t be on opposing sides, it seemed their twinned destiny. Once again, they had been set on the path to war, a war like nothing this world had seen before, a war for which they were woefully ill prepared. Conventional battles were one thing, but armies of almost indestructible warriors? Sylvanis feared for the world of men.

  Kestrel, surprisingly, was the weak link in all of this. A powerful druidess, she still could be killed. She was more vulnerable than her lycan warriors, and while they might wreak havoc on the world for a time, without Kestrel’s passion and direction they would most likely go their separate ways and could be destroyed individually. Together they are far more powerful as a force, and Kestrel is who will keep them together.

  When they made their way out of the terminal, Kat stopped and turned to them.

  “We should probably find a place to stay first. Get our bearings before we try to find Clint,” her lips turned down in a frown, “and I guess, the others, if they are here.”

  The sun burned brightly, and the sky was crisp and clear, but the air was cool, cooler than it had been in Topeka. It occurred to Sylvanis, apart from the few places she had moved to for those short periods of time, she had never actually been anywhere else. In fact, given her father’s penchant for keeping her inside, she hadn’t truly been anywhere.

  Shielding her eyes from the sun which looked to be resting slightly above Kat’s head, she indicated her agreement. When it came to actions that would require money, she allowed Kat to take the lead. Or Hank. Both had accumulated vast wealth, though Kat was by far the wealthiest.

  Her parents, who foresaw the potential need for money if their daughter needed to help fight this war, went about increasing their wealth early on. It helped her mother’s family had also done the same throughout the years, knowing of this eventuality. Thankfully, at least one family had kept the knowledge safe and passed it on.

  Kat arranged transportation to meet them at the airport. It wasn’t long before they arrived at a hotel in downtown Chicago, one located near the street of shops known as the Magnificent Mile. It was the location in which Kat, Clint and the Wereboar fought and where they hoped to find either Clint, the Wererat, or both.

  While Sylvanis was not worldly by any stretch of the imagination, and her understanding of expenses was limited to what she learned on her own, she couldn’t help but flinch when Kat paid for three rooms at the hotel.

  Kat saw her reaction and smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it. It is a necessary expense, and my family has been planning for this for ages.” Kat winked at her before continuing, “and besides, this isn’t even an expensive hotel.”

  Sylvanis’ eyes widened, and Kat chuckled.

  Sylvanis invited the others to join her in her room as soon as they were settled in theirs. The room was a simple affair. It held two twin beds, a dresser, a TV and a fridge. A small round table with two chairs sat by the solitary window. Plopping down on one of the beds, she almost bounced off it because of its firmness.

  She ran her hands across the bed sheets before standing and walking to the window. Pushing the curtain aside she looked out over the jungle of steel and brick. Soft, gray clouds had somehow blanketed the sky in the short time they took to get settled into the hotel. The effect on the landscape was sorrowful.

  As much as she was a product of today, her heart and mind still lingered two millennia ago, in a land of rolling green hills and vast forests that carpeted the land. Oh, she knew there were plenty of places like that still here, but it was easy to forget when looking upon a vast city like Chicago.

  She let herself reach out to the Earth, though only a touch for fear Kestrel would sense her if she did more. She reached out and found only faint whispers. She knew this was what men were capable of doing to the land; it was part of who they were, part of how they grew. It saddened her though. She hoped, when this war was over, if she lived, to help teach men to work with nature to preserve both.

  A faint knock at the door brought her out of her questing and she moved to answer it. Hank and Sim were the first to arrive and she greeted them both with a big smile.

  “I’m happy to see you both. Come in.” She stepped aside, and they moved past her, each smiling back in return. Before she could shut the door, Kat came jogging up and caught her. She gave her a tight smile and Sylvanis was reminded of the urgency to find Clint.

  Shutting the door once Kat entered, she turned to face the group. Hank and Sim had taken the two chairs at the table and Kat sat on the other bed in the room, so Sylvanis sat on the one she had rested upon earlier, facing them.

  “I am open to suggestions as to how we should proceed from here. As you all know, I am not as old as I look and when it comes to getting around big cities, I am at a loss.”

  The anxiousness Kat exhibited was not lost on Hank and Sim and so they sat quietly knowing Kat would offer up what she thought would be the best thing to do. Sylvanis knew, if Hank and Sim didn’t agree, they would make sure they were heard, but they were happy to wait and see what Kat had in mind.

  “I’m going out to find Clint.” The tone she spoke in left no room for argument, but Sylvanis still cocked her head in silent questioning of the idea.

  “Look,” she began, “it’s like you said. You are a stranger to large cities. I am not.” She gestured with a thumb back at Hank and Sim, “These two used to live in a forest as well, so they won’t be much help.”

  “I didn’t always live in . . .” Hank began in prot
est, but Kat didn’t let him get far.

  “Also, I have been in Chicago before. Have walked its streets for days before I ran into Clint and his girlfriend.” She faltered a little. Sylvanis knew, even though Kat only briefly met Clint’s girlfriend, she connected with the girl and she also felt guilty about leaving her to the Wereboar.

  Kat stared off for a moment before returning her gaze to Sylvanis. “I know where the battle took place, I know everything I need to know about how I might find Clint. None of the rest of you do.” A silent plea spoke in her eyes. “Let me do this.”

  Sylvanis sighed. While she didn’t like the idea of Kat going off by herself when the possibility of other Weres were around, she couldn’t argue with Kat’s points. She was the best chance they had of finding Clint. She would still voice her concerns. Hank beat her to it.

  “I don’t feel comfortable sending you out there by yourself, Kat.” When she turned on him, he held up his hands to ward off any verbal attack. “It’s not that I don’t think you are capable and can take care of yourself, but let’s face it, if that Wereboar shows up, with his friends this time, and you are alone . . .?” He left the question hang between them and despite Kat’s fierceness as a fighter, Sylvanis still saw the color drain from her at the thought of fighting three Wereboars by herself. She had been clearly defeated by one Wereboar, and if it hadn’t been for Clint’s shift and help, the boar would have destroyed them both.

  Reluctantly, Kat nodded. “You have a point. However, I will not be in my tiger form. I will just be another human, walking the streets. So, unless I am really unlucky, the chances of them attacking me for no reason are slim.”

  Hank face scrunched up in hesitation, but he bobbed his head in reluctant agreement.

  “Anyway,” she continued, “someone should at least attempt to see if they can find those guys, and you three are much better equipped at dealing with them than I would be.” Her eyes widened and sparkled with excitement. “In fact, I would love to see you go toe to toe with that piece of shit, Hank.”

  Hank’s smiled back at her with an equal look of excitement. It was obvious to Sylvanis, Hank relished a chance to fight the Wereboar.

  Sylvanis considered Kat. “When do you leave?”

  Kat considered for a moment. “In a few hours. I will catch some rest and head out earlier this evening. If Clint is stalking around, he will probably be doing so at night.”

  Sylvanis nodded her approval.

  “In fact,” Kat stood up, “I will head off to bed right now, so I can be fresh for later.” She nodded to Hank and Sim and left.

  Turning to the two men, Sylvanis spread her hands wide. “That just leaves us. I for one have no idea on how to locate three Wereboars in a city. Do you?”

  Sim snorted at the question. “Does anybody?”

  Sylvanis smiled. She liked Sim’s sarcastic humor, but Hank gave the boy a dry look, to which Sim smirked back. Ultimately, Hank shook his head at Sim and met her gaze and shook his head again. “It would help if we knew who we were dealing with. We know Kestrel, and of course Syndor? Samuel?” He gazed questioningly at her.

  “He went by Syndor when I knew him. It appears he has taken the name Samuel now.” She tapped a finger against her lips. “You are right though. We know of almost nothing of the other Weres. We don’t know their names, where they lived before this. Nothing.” The enormity of their task threatened to overwhelm her again.

  Hank seemed to sense it and released a soft sigh. “My wife, Jennifer, used to tell me to deal with the task right in front of you first and worry about the tasks that come after when that one is done.” He gave a reassuring nod to her. “Let us locate Clint and we will keep an eye out for anyone who might show an unhealthy interest in what happened here a few days ago. There is a decent chance the other Were . . . the rat . . . will show up. Whoever he might be.”

  Sylvanis bobbed her head in agreement with his assessment.

  “Very well.” Clapping her hands on her legs, she stood up from the bed. “We’ll let Kat work the streets tonight, and tomorrow, we will work them during the day.”

  The other two stood as well, understanding they were being dismissed. They each offered her a slight smile before heading out.

  “Hank,” Sylvanis called out to him as he reached the door. “A moment.”

  Hank turned his head to peer at his son for a moment and a quick silent conversation passed between them, and Sim departed.

  Closing the door as his son left, Hank turned to her and walked back into the room. Sylvanis sat back down on the bed and Hank moved to sit opposite her on the other. He waited patiently for her to get to what she called him back for.

  She dreaded this conversation but knew it to be necessary.

  “I need to speak to you about Clint.” The words died on her tongue. She barely knew this man; she knew less of Clint and she was about to ask of him a difficult task.

  Hank watched her intently as she struggled to put the words together to explain to him what he might have to do, if Clint couldn’t be saved.

  “You’re worried Clint might become dangerous?” he offered, when it became obvious she wouldn’t be capable of speaking the words aloud.

  She nodded. “It would happen . . . sometimes. A Were would go ‘wild’ and would need to be . . .” Sylvanis lowered her eyes to stare at her hands, anywhere to look than into Hank’s deep blue eyes, “put down.”

  This feeling of shame was unwelcome. When she had to order a Were to be put down before, she had done so with clarity of vison and purpose. This youth she was now, made making the hard decisions harder.

  “It’s all right, Sylvanis.” Hank’s voice was soft and understanding. “I will do what needs to be done.” His voice took on a firm tone. “When, and only if, it truly needs to be done. Everything must be done to prevent that.

  “I don’t think our little group could take it,” he muttered to himself, but loud enough for her to hear, and she couldn’t disagree.

  She forced herself to raise her gaze back to Hank. What she saw there warmed her heart. No recrimination, no anger, only sadness and sympathy.

  “Let us hope we find Clint soon; for the longer he remains alone, the harder it will be for him to return to us.”

  Hank nodded understandingly and rose to his feet. Sitting still, he towered over her. He was an intimidating sight. Thankfully, he was on their side.

  “Goodnight, Sylvanis.”

  “Goodnight, Hank.”

  He left, and she was alone with her self-doubt and a growing feeling of ineptitude. She was out of her element here, and afraid the others would realize it and abandon her. She knew it was a silly thought the moment it entered her mind, but it proved difficult to dismiss.

  Chapter Six

  The room seemed to hold its own weight, a heightened sense of gravity pulling every occupant downward. The only one who seemed above it all, was Blain. Shae watched the man with wary eyes as he seemed unaffected by the mood in the room. Joseph radiated animosity, while Taylor sat in quiet unease. Sarah, who sat quietly next to her, held on to her strength, if only slightly. Her eyes darted around the room, a constant quest for a way out of this situation. Shae knew there was no way out. Not now. Not for Sarah.

  It hadn’t taken long for her to understand the dynamics in the room. Taylor and Joseph had been infected by Blain. So had Sarah. But, unlike the other two, Sarah had no interest in being Blain’s lackey. Though, it appeared Taylor was reluctant in this as well. Joseph, as far as Shae could determine, hated Blain, but was more than happy to follow him as long as it allowed him to do what he wanted to do. Shae had an inkling of an idea as to what it might be.

  Sarah, on the other hand, still fought, or, searched for a way out. Shae understood, there was truly nothing Sarah could do. She was caught in Blain’s control. She couldn’t help but think of Daniel and a sense of shame crept up on her.

  Shae shifted on the bed she sat on and caught Blain’s eyes snap toward her and she froze. Inwa
rdly, she felt a flicker of satisfaction that she made the man’s cool demeanor break, if only for a second. That he was, if for a moment, wary of what she did made her want to smile.

  All of this she kept hidden though. She wasn’t an idiot. There was little Blain could do to her permanently. She wasn’t immune to pain though, and she learned early, pain was one thing Blain was effective at giving.

  Her thoughts returned to Sarah. She felt a well of pity for the woman. She had been a doctor, well, Shae mused, she still is a doctor, but that life was over. She was pretty, successful and had been in love. Of course, that love ultimately brought her to this. Unfortunately for Sarah, she had been in love with a Were. A Were on the other side of some conflict with Blain, and as a result, she had been injured in a fight between the two and contracted lycanthropy from Blain.

  Sarah’s life had been blessed, and full of love and joy and it had been destroyed by lycanthropy. Shae’s life had been dark, painful and full of horrors and had been saved by it.

  Now they all waited in oppressive silence for the one Blain referred to as the ‘Lady’. The one who would explain the purpose of all this. The reason behind Shae becoming what she had become, and more importantly, what would happen next. Shae was anxious to meet this woman. She needed answers. She needed to understand what was happening. But, as anxious as she was, fear clung to her as well.

  Blain took up sentry duty by the front door. He leaned against the wall in the tight hallway. His attempt at looking unperturbed was almost convincing, but he constantly fidgeted and shuffled his feet in a vain attempt to look comfortable. Blain worried. He worried about what would happen when the ‘Lady’ arrived, and if Blain worried, Shae needed to be worried as well.

  Time crept over them all. Each of them found their own way to pass it. Taylor, his tall, lanky form sat bent over a book at the kitchen table, spent most of his time avoiding the group. The few times he tried to engage Shae or Sarah in conversation led to a quick reprimand from Blain. Since it was clear he, Blain and Joseph were not companionable, he kept to himself.