The Stone Dragon

by H. M. Gooden

  Mai looked at her thoughtfully. "Are you sure he is coming for you? How do you know?"

  Cat smiled at Mai sadly. "We know he is. We've come up against him before, but this time I think he's going to be coming for us. We'll have to be on our guard and ready for anything. The last time, he had a helper named Declan, who seemed to be a normal person but wasn't. I'm worried there'll be others this time too."

  Vanessa walked over from where she'd been standing by the window and chimed in.

  "He wasn't interested in us for some reason then and we still haven't figured out why. I agree that this time will be much different. We think the battle will happen somewhere in the city and we'll need to be familiar with the terrain. Are you interested in going out today? It would be fantastic if you came and compared the San Francisco of today to what it was like in your time. We need to be ready to beat him and the more we know about, him the better. He's darkness, evil, and death, and all our sources have told us it took a god to defeat him last time, so it we know it won't be easy. We totally understand if you don't want to join this fight."

  Vanessa looked at Mai seriously while Cat and Evelyn waited, holding their breath until she stood up with a defiant gleam in her eye and stubborn tilt to her chin.

  "If I do nothing, I am letting the stranger who destroyed my life get away without repercussions. If I can help, I am yours. I think I am ready to go out and see the city now. I have slept and eaten and there is no better time to begin than this moment. Where should we start?"

  The girls smiled and felt the final piece of their team click into place.

  THEY MANAGED TO WANDER down to the wharf that day after all, but nothing exciting happened, which the girls were completely okay with. Tourists flocked together, going in and out of the stores, surrounding available benches and eating, always eating. In Cat's opinion, there was very little difference between people and seagulls when it came right down to it. They both tended to swarm where things looked or smelled interesting.

  Mai was simultaneously awed by her surroundings, while commenting nostalgically whenever she saw an old street sign or a building that she recognized. At one point, Cat had to drag her away from a pedestrian crossing sign when she became obsessed with the flashing lights.

  "But how does it do that? Is this a new kind of magic?"

  Mai hit the button repeatedly, keeping the light above the street flashing until Cat had to pull her away from an angry smart car who was waiting for them to cross.

  "I'm sorry!" Cat mouthed at the irate driver, guiding Mai to the other side while Mai looked in wonder behind her.

  "The city has changed much over the last century. I'm not sure what to think of it now. It is not completely foreign, but it is much more exciting than my memories of home."

  Mai shook her head in bemused admiration as she looked at the scenery. Recognizing a building, she led the girls to the area she remembered from her showdown with Dub back in 1906. It was an older neighbourhood in the Mission area, named after the Spanish Mission Dolores that had been founded in 1776. The houses in the area had obviously undergone changes over the previous century, but Mai could still recognize some of the original ones lining the park, now called Dolores Park by the locals who used it. In her time, it had been called Mission Park. She went over to one old house that didn't look important to the girls, then stopped and stood staring at the building.

  Evelyn watched her dolefully before learning over to whisper to Cat. "This place is what I've been seeing in my nightmares. I can't imagine what Mai must be feeling right now. I'm terrified and I wasn't even really here."

  Cat looked at Mai, who appeared to be far away from present day San Francisco. She was obviously back in her memory and Cat waited to see what she'd do next.

  MAI WAS RESTING AT the park. She'd stopped to regroup, but found she couldn't relax with all of the destruction around her. So although she was still tired, she got up again. She had just passed in front of a simple white house when she first saw the dark man. He didn't notice her initially, but she felt a sense of foreboding and attempted to slip away before being seen, remembering her earlier premonition before the earthquake and hoping to avoid any unpleasantness.

  But it had been her movement that alerted him to her presence. She must have kicked a rock or some other piece of debris, but the small noise caused him to look at her. Falling into his dark, bottomless eyes, she'd felt her insides turn to ice. That was when their short conversation had taken place.

  "So, you have decided to be inconvenient, have you? Silly little child. You would have been well advised to leave well enough alone."

  The steel and ice in his voice more than matched what she'd imagined a ghost would sound like. He sounded utterly dark and full of contempt, and the ice that she'd felt at first was replaced by a wave of fiery anger, and a growl that surprised both of them had left her.

  "It is your fault that my city is in this state. You did this."

  Mai felt the anger roil through her, coiling in her belly in a hot and bitter brew. But instead of showing fear or distress at her furious words, the man gave a callous laugh.

  "So stupid. You could have stayed out of this, been far away and safe. But instead, I shall feed on your energy. So I guess in your stupidity, you have served some small purpose." The man sniffed dismissively, then made a sudden hand gesture.

  Mai's anger exploded outward and a hot tingle spread throughout her body as she watched a glow fill the man's hand. Then darkness fell around her.

  Mai blinked. Here she was again, standing in front of the last building she remembered seeing before waking up a century later in front of three girls who were tied to the evil man, all with their own reasons to hate and fear him. Ouroboros. Full circle, like a snake eating it's own tail. She returned fully back to the present and as she studied the house, she felt her fear drain away. It was just a house and had no memory or responsibility for the events of that day. She turned back to the girls, meeting their concerned expressions with a true smile.

  "It is okay. I had to see this to remember, but it does not hurt the way I thought it would. This is where I met the dark man and while I have no idea how I made it to the park where you found me, this place is innocent."

  CAT SMILED, SURREPTITIOUSLY verifying Mai's words with a little aura-vision and finding a peaceful blue tinged glow surrounding her, without the disturbances that she now associated with mental or physical distress.

  "Well, that's good to hear. Where should we head next? Or should we stay here and see if anything comes along?"

  Mai shrugged. "Either is good. I am a little thirsty. Perhaps we could sit down somewhere to rest and have a drink?"

  Vanessa and Evelyn nodded in agreement, so the girls headed across the street to a green space where there were plenty of people with the same idea. It had turned out to be a nice day, with the sun finally managing to break through the clouds during their walk earlier. Blankets dotted the grass like small flags, with people sunbathing, reading, or playing frisbee or football. The girls made a beeline for a refreshment stand where they bought drinks before claiming an empty shaded spot underneath a large oak tree.

  Cat again found her thoughts drawn to the strange shifting path they'd followed to get to this point in time. She was a persistently practical person, so myths and legends and magic hadn't been things she'd ever believed in before last year. Now, she continued to find herself immersed in such things. She looked around at the park, then back at the others she'd found herself bonded with and smiled inwardly. Her dramatic vivacious sister Vanessa, Evelyn, her smart, intuitive, and amazing friend, and now a new addition, who Cat knew would be important. Together, they'd been given the task of beating back the darkness. Somehow, they were supposed to be the equivalent of a warrior race of gods in their mission.

  Shaking her head with bemusement, she turned on her aura vision to practice, looking around the pleasantly crowded park. The auras were mostly contented silvers and golds, with only the occasional
low grade disturbances, nothing of concern. She looked idly over at a small duck pond and froze with surprise.

  There, innocently sitting on a bench, was the same darkness that she'd always seen around Declan. But this time, it was surrounding a pretty brown haired woman in her 30s or 40s. The intensity of the darkness hit Cat in the stomach like a medicine ball.

  She'd felt the same familiar prickling whenever she'd been near Declan and her heart sunk in her chest. The woman's attention was focused on a group of teenage girls that were giggling and chatting nearby, clearly flirting with a few guys tossing a football around. The woman outwardly appeared completely normal, wearing a plain sundress with a floral pattern, a large brimmed sun hat, and was holding a book in her hands. Nothing about the woman screamed danger, but Cat knew the situation was very, very serious. She turned to Vanessa, whispering under her breath.

  "Do you see that woman over there, on the bench?"

  Vanessa pretended to stretch and turned her head a fraction of an inch, looking at the woman through the corner of her eye. She stopped stretching and spoke at a normal volume as she turned to Cat.

  "What about her?"

  Cat shook her head with exasperation, as Evelyn and Mai looked at them curiously.

  "Well, I was trying to keep it quiet, but since you've asked, she has a very 'Declan' feel about her, if you know what I mean."

  Both Vanessa and Evelyn became instantly serious, but Mai looked confused, not up to speed regarding Cat's aura reading ability or who Declan was.

  "Um, what?" Evelyn asked, with a resigned and unhappy expression.

  Cat nodded, feeling unhappy herself.

  "Yeah, I have a feeling this is the next hurdle we have to jump. Anyone want to do some recon?"

  Evelyn thought about it, before quickly giving an answer Cat didn't expect.

  "I think that you and Vanessa should keep track of her. If she's as dangerous as he was, we don't want anyone going alone after her alone, but my powers are pretty useless here. I also think that Mai's had enough for one day and she's not ready for anything big yet. I'll go back to the apartment with her and you guys stay safe. Don't engage if you don't have to and come back as soon as possible, once you find out where she's going and what she's up to."

  Cat and Vanessa began to argue, trying to cite the importance of sticking together, but Evelyn held up her hand.

  "No. You know I'm right, so just be careful. If you guys are okay with it, I may try to read either one or both of you later to see if you are safe, but I won't do that without your permission." She blushed slightly, adding, "I'm not very good at it yet, but I can at least try. And if I can't get you, at least promise you'll be quick so I'm not freaking out worrying about you."

  Cat and Vanessa weren't happy, but they didn't object further. Cat knew that Evelyn was right. Mai wasn't up for a fight today and they had no idea if she'd be an asset or a hindrance, because they didn't know what she could do and neither did she, from the sounds of it. And Evelyn, while a tough cookie for certain, wasn't able to help with any actual fighting with her current abilities.

  Reluctantly, Cat and Vanessa casually walked over to where the mysterious aura-deprived woman was sitting. Their timing was excellent. Just as Cat and Vanessa neared the bench, the woman stood up and slowly put her book in her large floral beach bag, before trailing after the teenagers that had been giggling across from her.

  Cat felt her stomach sink even further. As she watched the woman, she could tell that she was hunting, with the girls as her prey. Cat bent over, pretending to adjust her shoe and Vanessa stopped, arching her eyebrow questioningly at her. Cat jerked her chin in the direction of the girls and watched as comprehension dawned, followed by a quick flash of anger that was briskly smoothed out without a word. Cat and Vanessa trailed the woman carefully, staying far enough out of sight that they were able to still see the woman, but also managed to keep other people in between them so that she didn't notice them.

  They walked for about ten minutes before the teenage girls began to split up, laughing and giving each other hugs and air kisses. Three went one way while one headed off alone, down the left side of a tree lined side street, putting on headphones as she walked. Cat could almost sense the woman's excitement and saw her increase her pace slightly, catching up to the girl but not in a way that drew any attention on the unpopulated street. The girl opened a gate and entered a back lane, but before the door could close behind her the woman slipped in, latching the gate without a sound. Cat and Vanessa looked at each other with panic, rushing over to the gate.

  Tall enough to see over the fence without opening it, they watched mutely from behind it to avoid exposing themselves to the dark woman.

  "Hey, who are you? This is private property you know!"

  The teen looked indignantly at the stranger, clearly more affronted than afraid. After all, the woman looked quite average and old compared to her, hardly a threat.

  The woman smiled sweetly, disarming her anger easily. "I'm so sorry!"

  She smiled again and this time came closer with the careful precision of a rattlesnake sliding towards the young girl. "I fear that I'm a little lost. I was hoping you could guide me to my destination?"

  She looked up at the girl, innocently holding a map in front of her for the teenager to see. The girl relaxed and appeared to have decided it'd be easier to get rid of the woman by providing directions rather than arguing with her.

  "Yeah, sure. Where do you want to go, lady?"

  The woman smiled again and Cat could see that as she angled the map, ostensibly so the teen could see it better, the woman brushed the girl's hand with her finger. Cat saw the girl's aura begin to change, much faster than she'd ever seen Declan work. This woman must be really powerful, Cat realized with dismay. Knowing that the girl didn't have much time, she nudged Vanessa and mouthed "now", before opening the gate and walking through.

  The woman and the teenager didn't notice Cat and Vanessa at first, with the girl dazed and the woman occupied with her efforts. But before they'd gone much further into the lane, the woman's head snapped up and around, pinning the girls with an eerie black gaze with red-rimmed pupils.

  Her eyes narrowed as she spat words at them. "What do you think you're doing here? This is none of your concern. I command you to leave!"

  Cat could feel power behind the words and almost took a step back, until she heard the crunch of gravel behind her. Vanessa had already turned around and started to leave. Cat touched her sister, sending a pulse of light into her and felt the fog lift from both of their minds.

  Vanessa's attitude instantly transformed from docile to pissed off. She threw her hands up towards the stranger, sending a furious blast of air at the woman which broke the awful connection she had with the girl. The teen almost fell to the ground before Vanessa waved her to safety beside the fence, lowering her gently with the same gust of air.

  The black-eyed woman seemed to grow larger, although Cat thought it was probably just a trick of the light. She puffed out her chest and threw up her chin regally, putting her hands on her hips. Once again, she attacked them with her words.

  "Who do you think you are to interrupt my business, peasants!"

  The word fell like the insult it was and Cat found herself becoming irritated. As her temper grew, she could feel her power starting to bubble inside and a faint glow appeared around her.

  The woman noticed the light that had begun to sparkle on Cat's fiery locks and now looked confused and a little uncertain.

  Cat answered the woman's earlier question deliberately, with all the defiance that only a sixteen year old could manage.

  "Well, my name's Cat and I think I'll do whatever I want to. You have a problem with that, old lady?"

  The woman's head snapped back as if she'd been slapped and her dark eyes grew even more fierce.

  "How dare you! I am Erzsebet Bathory de Ecsed, countess of my lands, and I will not be addressed in such a manner by a peasant girl."

&n
bsp; She bared her teeth at Cat and leapt forward, her hands drawn into claws aimed at Cat's face. Cat was shocked, not expecting a frontal attack so abruptly.

  Vanessa reacted first, again throwing her hands towards the woman and with another powerful gust of wind, she slammed the body that had been racing at her sister face first into the ground at Cat's feet.

  Cat looked at her sister, impressed.

  "Nice!" she said, with a small smirk, then put her hands on the woman's back, forcing her bubbling light into her as the darkness tried to block the effect.

  It may have been a few moments or hours, but Cat could feel the darkness begin melting, like shadows in the sun, as she poured every ounce of energy she had into the dark woman. Yet unlike with Declan, Cat could feel no absence of a soul that could be repaired or even a small fragment of one remaining. Instead, the soul she found was whole, but twisted and gnarled like a sick tree, and completely beyond redemption. Like dried branches, she felt it catch and light up with her power, still resisting any attempt at regeneration or healing. With one final thrust of light, Cat felt the dried black thing of a soul catch on fire.

  She let go, falling to her knees, hardly even noticing when Vanessa grabbed her arms and pulled her over to the teenager. With the aid of another strong breeze, Vanessa blew the gate open, pulling Cat and the girl through, before slamming the gate behind them while the screams from the dark woman grew louder, then stopped abruptly.

  Cat stayed that way for awhile, dazed and exhausted, worse than she'd felt the first time she'd used her powers in the hospital. Vanessa had taken care of the teen and managed to convince her that the woman was an escaped psych patient and they'd let the police know, if she wanted to go on home and avoid any questioning. The girl had jumped at Vanessa's explanation and took off without any further encouragement. They could hear her muttering furiously under her breath as she put her headphones back on and walked away with more haste than she’d been walking before the altercation.