Bounty Hunter Inc_An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure

by Martha Carr

  The crowd went wild and jumped to their feet. Ogres plowed into each other, blood and grass flying into the air. The two main chasers—one from each team—hunkered low, using their elven speed to chase the fidgets. Fairhaven’s catcher ran up the side of the field. He ducked as an ogre leaped for him and flew past into the bleachers. A wizard seated next to a ton of humans waved his wand quickly, creating a rubber shield in front of them. The ogre bounced off the rubber, flying back into the field and skidding face-first across the grass.

  The Fairhaven elf chuckled and picked up the pace, racing around the edges until he finally had one of the black fidgets cornered. They danced back and forth as the fidget tried to escape and the elf tried to grab him. Finally, the elf lunged, wrapping his hand around the furry ball and jumping to his feet. The crowd cheered loudly as the elf jetted down the center of the field, barely escaping a tackle from an oncoming ogre. He leaped over two fallen players and continued forward, crossing over the center field marker and heading for the shiny trashcans at the end of the field.

  The ogres on his team did their best to block any oncoming Trailmores, but one slipped through. The elf looked behind him and saw the ogre closing in. The elf’s eyes grew wider, and he pushed forward, reaching his hand toward the cans. As the ogre leaped, he grabbed the elf’s legs. The elf threw the fidget as hard as he could toward the can before going down and skidding across the grass. Everyone was silent for several moments as the fidget’s eyes flashed during its flight toward the trash can. It hit the lip of the can and teetered back and forth. Every breath in the place was held in tightly, then the fidget slowly tipped forward and fell into the can.

  The onlookers’ screams and shouts of excitement could be heard everywhere in the city as Fairhaven scored their first points. Nothing like a game of Berserk to bring the people together.

  22

  Earlier in the day a shifter and his wife and son left their Georgetown home, excited to join the unity rally at the Mall. The son wore his favorite Fairhaven Berserk jersey, and his wife was draped in the colors of Oriceran. All three were shifters, descendants of the wolves who roamed the deep recesses of the Dark Forest on their home planet. They weren’t out to show their shifter powers, just to support the magical community and those open to their heritage.

  The streets were packed with excited people headed to the rally. Witches, wizards, elves, and Kilomea passed them in the streets, and the father couldn’t help but feel like he was back in Oriceran when he went to visit his extended family. It was something he had never thought he would see on Earth—not in his lifetime, and possibly not even in his son’s. He was so enamored by the day that he didn’t pay much attention to those around him, missing the gentle swipe of a dark magic hand against the back of his shirt.

  It left a smear of goo that shimmered for a moment before dissolving into his shirt and onto his skin. There was no odor and no hint of the substance so he continued on his way, talking and laughing with his family. When they reached the rally they walked up and down past the booths, talking to friends and watching the magic happening all around them. Finally, they stopped by to pay respects to their Alpha, Lucius.

  “Dad, the game is about to start. We need to get over there to get a good seat.”

  Lucius chuckled. “Go on. Hopefully, we’ll see you soon at home base.”

  The man nodded. “Of course.”

  As they walked away Lucius narrowed his eyes, feeling uneasy about something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. The sight of members of the Harriken drew his attention away, though, and he chalked it up to the aura of dark energy they emanated.

  The family found good seats in the third row of the bleachers and enjoyed the game, rooting loudly for Fairhaven. Two teenage boys sat three rows up, watching the shifters and snickering under their breath.

  “Fucking dog, coming here with his family. Hasn’t anyone told him that even among his own people he isn’t welcome?”

  Since he was a shifter the man’s hearing was impeccable, but he ignored them, focusing his attention on his family and the game. He had dealt with that kind of hatred from the magical community for many years, and though it had dwindled significantly since the resurrection of the wolves under Lucius’s care, he figured it would never fully go away.

  When the game was over the family left the stands, the two young wizards following them. The father sensed them back there and put his hand on his son’s back. His wife looked back, finally recognizing the feeling of dark magic near them. She looked at her husband, who just shook his head, glancing down at their son. One of the dark wizarding boys whistled, calling the shifter like a dog.

  “Here, doggie. Heel, pooch.” He laughed with his friend. “Filthy shifter, among all of these people. Don’t you know you’re not wanted?”

  “Who are they talking to?” his son asked.

  “Just ignore them. They are trying to start trouble.” He looked at his wife. “We should head back to the pack and let them know.”

  She nodded and took her son by the hand, stepping in front of her husband and hurrying toward Lucius. The man knew he had to ignore the kids. He understood very clearly what people thought of shifters, and if he were to give in, he could lose his job, his reputation, and with the size of the crowd, even his life.

  “Pooch, pooch, pooch! Filthy dog. You must have fleas.”

  The kid just wouldn’t let it go. He was there with the dark families, off to have some fun and find unsuspecting people to pick at. Just for fun, the kid pulled out his wand and flicked silver sparks at the man’s back. The shifter felt the sizzle of the energy against his skin and he took a deep breath, trying to hold back the anger. He had no idea he been poisoned by Humans First, earlier in the day and couldn’t figure out why he was losing control of his shifting abilities.

  He looked down at his hands, panicking as fur began to cover his skin. His bones shifted in his back and with each step he felt the tearing and stretching of his body. Several people gasped, forcing his wife and son’s attention back on him. She grabbed her son and pulled him back, not understanding why her husband couldn’t control his shift. She was worried about him, but she was also scared both for and of the crowd. Fear made people do crazy things, and she couldn’t bear to think that someone might hurt him.

  The man’s clothes ripped from his body, falling to the ground in shreds. People cried out in fear as a very large brown and gray wolf slowly stood up on his hind legs, lifted his head toward the sky, and let out a loud howl. His claws shimmered in the sun, and his shadow loomed over the people surrounding him. The humans were terrified, not knowing what to do or where to turn. They looked at the magical beings who had stepped up, trying to push people back and calm them down.

  “Just step back. Stay calm. This is not a normal occurrence.”

  Silence fell over the crowd as the shifter dropped to all fours and glared around the crowd with bright yellow eyes. His lips were curled up into a snarl, and he bared his sharp teeth. The crowd gasped again, backing up further, unsure what to do or say. Correk moved quickly through the crowd. He’d heard the howl from the other side of the lawn. He stepped through the circle and held up his hands, the shifter looking angrily at him.

  “It’s all right, I’m a friend.”

  He could see that the shifter’s temperament was bad, and he knew he needed to act fast. He lowered his hands to his sides and took in a deep breath, pulling energy up through his body. His eyes glowed brightly as symbols appeared across his arms and chest, flipping wildly, reading the possible outcomes of the situation. He whispered low enough for no one but him and the shifter to hear, “Shieldus Protectus. Give this Shifter Time to Calm.”

  White light shot from his hands, quickly creating a bubble around the shifter. The wolf growled loudly, lurching at the magic, only to fall back and try again. Correk held his arms out, sweat collecting on his forehead as he held the shield firmly in place. The wolf swiped at it with his long sharp claws, sending sprays o
f sparks to the ground.

  “Move these people farther back.” Correk ordered, feeling the weight of the shield like a boulder.

  A murmur moved over the crowd as Correk did his best to protect everyone from the wolf. “It’s the Fixer. He’s here.”

  The humans looked at each other, clutching their arms in fear. “What the fuck is a Fixer?”

  A witch leaned forward between the humans, staring at Correk. “He’s just that, a fixer. He has special abilities and goes around fixing dire magical situations, keeping people safe and saving magical beings who have found themselves in bad situations. We had no idea he would be here today, but then again, he always knows where he is needed.”

  “Do you only have one? Because this situation looks like it could use more than one,” a woman asked in a shaky voice.

  “Trust me, one is all you need. He’ll handle this and get the shifter under control. That’s what the Fixer does.”

  Correk looked to the right as Lucius broke through the crowd, standing tall at the edge of the barrier. He looked at the shifter and at his family, who had no idea how it could have happened. Lucius knew, though. He knew the man had been poisoned, just like the others, and at a time and place that would create the most fear and damage. He clenched his fists and leaned forward, whispering below the audible level of nearby humans.

  Slowly the shifter calmed, lying down and whimpering with his head between his paws. Lucius nodded at Correk, who dropped the shield and stepped back, watching the shifter change back into his human form. They draped him with a blanket and Lucius helped him to his feet, letting him know they understood that it wasn’t his fault.

  The Harriken nearby growled. They had hoped that would have been the opportunity they needed. The leader turned to the others and straightened, nodding to one of the warriors. The warrior smirked and two of them faced each other, staging a fight in the center of the crowd. They lunged for one another, throwing punches before backing up and pulling out their wands. That act alone frightened the people around them, forcing some of the magicals and non-magicals to attempt to break it up.

  All across the Mall, the perfectly situated Harriken lashed out at each other, turning their fight toward the crowd. Arguments broke out amongst the people and humans threw punches while streaks of energy flew across the field. Everything started to fall apart quickly. Leira looked at the pods of people through the crowds fighting with magic. Her eyes went wide, then narrowed when she saw smirking Harriken backing away.

  “Motherfuckers,” she growled angrily under her breath.

  As the fights got worse, an air of panic spread quickly through the crowd. People started to run, pushing down others and trampling tents and chairs in their attempts to get away from the violence. Screams echoed across the field, drowning out the music. Children cried loudly, trying to find their parents through the wild and panicked crowd. Leira bolted through the mob, making it to the first fight—two wizards battling back and forth. Leira took in a deep breath and pulled in energy from the ground.

  Small orbs formed in both of Leira’s palms and she pulled her arms back, tossing them at the wizards. The light wound down both of their arms and rolled over their wands, encapsulating them in a shroud of magic. The wizards stopped and looked at Leira angrily.

  “Don’t you see? They are trying to make you fight. The Harriken and the dark families. Get it together and go help where it is really needed. Don’t fight amongst yourselves.”

  The two wizards stood for a moment, staring at Leira before turning back to each other. They looked around the crowd and spotted Harriken scurrying off to another section of the field. The two wizards nodded and gripped their wands, the protection melting away.

  “Good, now help me put out these fires before it gets out of hand.”

  Leira rushed through the field, helped the fallen up when she could, and tried to stop the fights before they could injure each other or themselves. There were so many fights and arguments that she struggled to keep up with it all. Every time she stopped one, another sprang up. The Harriken were one step ahead of her the whole time. She growled, threw her hands up high in the air, and rained shimmering balls of light over the crowd in an attempt to calm them.

  Some of the screaming and crying stopped and two of the fights quickly broke up, but there were many more. Leira sprinted to the left, where a group of elves was throwing fireballs at another bunch. She lifted her hand to her lips and whispered a charm. “Calm them. Let them see the truth.” The light blew from her hand like a mist, circled the elves on both sides, and brought their fighting to a halt. They looked at Leira and nodded in thanks, immediately teaming up to try to get some of the people out of there.

  The Harriken moved from area to area, picking fights and sending out angry and vicious spells that created fear and anxiety. When they were done with one they moved to another, then another, until there were so many fights Leira could barely make out where they started and ended. Her bracelet tingled strongly on her arm as she pulled more energy until she was so full she felt she could float away.

  As she let out a deep breath she stomped her foot, sending out a wave of calming energy. It pushed through the crowds, slowing them in their actions, but that wasn’t the end of it. The dark wizards and witches saw their opportunity to create even more havoc and began to pick fights with other magical beings there.

  The blue skies overhead filled with dark clouds, and thunder crackled across the sky. Shots of dark magic blew through the crowds as dark families pulled out their wands, attacking the light magicals. Leira ran to the center of the Mall and met up with Brittany, Jackson, Yumfuck, and Correk. They looked around them and saw some people fighting and others running. Groups of people dashed for the streets, trying to make their way to the nearest Starbucks to escape the carnage. Others fell to the ground, struck by stray dark magic flying through the crowd.

  “We have to do something,” Brittany shouted.

  “We do,” Leira whispered, keeping a calm tone. “We fight. Drive the Harriken and dark families out of here. Spread out and do what you can.”

  Yumfuck slapped his paws down onto his legs as he grew to eight feet tall, letting out a crackling growl. He looked to his right at a little girl, who was staring at him with wide eyes. He softened his face and reached down, picking her up in his paw.

  “Are you lost?”

  “Mmmhmm.” She trembled.

  “Don’t worry, I’m a good guy.”

  He looked around and spotted the woman from the beginning of the rally. He moved through the crowd and knocked down three dark wizards who had surrounded the woman. Slowly, he set the little girl down next to the woman, who looked up in terror and nodded. She grabbed the girl’s hand and made a run for it while Yumfuck turned back, ready to fight.

  Leira and Brittany fought back to back, doing battle with the Harriken and the dark families. Surrounding them was an oversized crowd of panicked humans and magical beings, all mixed together and hard to parse. A dark wizard sent a fireball straight at Leira, but with a wave of her hand, she created a shield that raced forward to meet the ball of dark energy and dissipate it into thin air. She raised her other hand and shot a stream of light, hitting the wizard in the chest and sending him sprawling back.

  Brittany pulsed out small balls of light that soared through the crowd. “Find your targets,” she whispered watching as the orbs hunted down any dark beings in the crowd and striking them in the heads and chests. The Harriken began to close on the two of them, sending wave after wave of dark magic. As they were overwhelmed Leira and Brittany clasped hands, creating a bubble around them that gave them a moment to think.

  “We send this one out like the last time,” Brittany stated. “It’ll at least create a space around us to move.”

  “On three,” Leira replied. “One... Two... Three!”

  They both closed their eyes and gave as much as they could, sending the bubble outward, knocking anyone in its path off their feet. It was
n’t strong enough to damage anyone, but Leira had done that on purpose. She didn’t want to accidentally take down a human or a friendly in the process, so the distraction only gained them enough time to run from the corner of the field back into the crowd to regroup.

  Leira rushed into the center of the Reflecting Pool, the fish and colors now gone. She looked up at the stage and saw a group of journalists ducking streaks of magic. Not only had the rally been ruined, breaking out into an all-out battle, but the entire thing was being broadcast live all over the world. People would see it as some kind of warning. Evidence that all magicals were bad.

  Leira wanted to stop them, to turn them away, but there were lives on the line. She had to pull her focus back and get people out of harm’s way. The Harriken had come, and this time they weren’t backing down. Leira felt the same way.

  23

  “I need you to gather as many people as you can and get them to safety,” Leira told George and Marcy. “We’ll do the fighting, but we can’t protect everyone. The fewer people who are here, the easier it will be to battle the evil ones.”

  “Got it.” Marcy nodded. “We’ll do our best.”

  Marcy turned to the other regulars, including Remi and Alison, and nodded. “They need us to get as many people as we can to safety. Move the humans and the non-fighting magicals out to the streets and lead them quickly away from here. If you have to use magic, do it. Just make sure we get them to safety.”

  “We need to get the Harriken to retreat first,” Jackson protested, standing at Leira’s side. “The dark families aren’t what they used to be, and if they see the Harriken dying or fleeing they will begin to retreat as well.”

  “We should stay together,” Brittany urged, swallowing hard. “We do better fighting as a team.”