by C T Scribe
“Another fucking Den, moderate strength,” the tall man replied.
“Understood, well stay alert if you need backup the closest agent we have is 10 minutes away,” said the familiar voice. The tall man pondered the closeness of his aid. What was going on that they both were deployed in close proximity. The earpiece unexpectedly buzzed to life with more information. “It has been confirmed the human Claire was a familiar.” At that the earpiece went silent. Another piece to this all too intricate puzzle. He locked the information in his mind, and decided to make sense of it after he dealt with the growing den of beast. He pushed that thoughts aside as he finally noticed movement on the street. The itch in his index finger nearly overwhelming as the potential action. To his regret, the motion was only caused by a couple kissing and holding hands down the otherwise empty street. No doubt headed for a late night movie. The gun barrel whirred as he continued his game of loading and unloading it. Rhythmically throwing the six bullets into the air, snapping the wheel open, spinning it, and then somehow catching each bullet mid air while snapping the bullet chamber shut. He repeated this while contemplating when to strike. More beast were arriving. Each ominous presence felt for a brief moment before disappearing. He thought it best to wait until the activity slowed. Wait until they drink themselves into a stupor, then strike. It was a good plan. It would have been a great plan had he not noticed the couple. Still embracing each other, they had already walked past the theater. Nothing else was ahead of them aside from the bar. The bar he was all but certain was full of beast. The tall man would need to consult HQ again. He sighed deep as he spoke into the earpiece. “Situation update, please advise.”
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Chapter 20
Mari didn’t know why Tye wanted to go for a walk. She was content, no happy, to lay in that bed in his arms forever. He however was busy. He lay with her for an hour precisely, but then he began to dress. At times she hated her hunter training. No matter how great the moment she still kept her internal clock running to the second. She absently trained her keen senses on him as he fumbled around in the dark for his clothes. The air grew colder and more uncomfortable so she grabbed her clothes as well. As if sensing the shift he leaned in for a kiss saying, “I’m so full of energy right now.” She suggested he return to bed and burn it off with her, but he countered with a moonlight walk. It seemed odd, but romantic so she agreed. As they walked down the deserted dim street hand in hand, the couple paused often to kiss and embrace. He led the way knowingly. She thought he was headed to the theater he favored so much, but he kept walking. The butterflies grew In her stomach as she knew the true destination. Tye was headed straight for bar at the end of town. The one she liked to take him to dance. She really loved this man she thought. Still infatuated from the nights activity, she couldn’t help kissing him harder as they walked along the road. Hand in hand they walked earnestly. She listened closely for his heart beat, as if it was the most important sound she ever heard. His hand still felt oddly cold and clammy, and she wondered if he was feeling okay. He wanted to walk. She decided to follow his lead, as it seemed he had another surprise for her. His smile reassured her. As they walked and kissed, the sound of music grew louder. It filled the once quiet night with something more. Mari found herself hoping the jukebox cue wasn’t too long so she could play their favorites to dance to. It had been months since she first dragged him there. Months since she discovered he was missing his right foot. Months since she began teaching him, without actually telling him she was teaching him. The memories brought a grin to her face. On the dance floor he reacted well to gentle nudges and pulls to keep him in rhythm. Slowly she helped him find good footing in dance. Slowly she found herself longing to sway, rock, and step with him. As their connection grew, so did her longing to keep him as her dance partner. To find a rhythm that only they could follow. Her smile wide now as she became lost in these memories. Tye’s too cold hand pulled her in for one last kiss before they entered the building.
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Chapter 21
The tall man watched the couple meander their way towards the beast bar. Reaching out with all his perception he hoped for traces of power or magic, but he found none. Just two students out on the town on the wrong night. Focusing his eyes he took a closer look at the couple. It took awhile to make out their features, because they were constantly kissing. Humans in heat the tall man thought while he snickered to himself. Unsure of how to stop them from walking into a bad situation, he awaited instructions from the earpiece. The radio silence he often longed for was torturous. The thought of watching them walk into a certain death made him uneasy. He had stopped fidgeting with his gun minutes ago when the couple made their way past the old theater. Instead he put all of his focus into assessing this current situation. If the humans were hurt in the bar, breaking the treaty, he would have full reign to attack. The tall man believed he could save the humans if things played out that way. The beast should be half drunk by now, making them easier prey. Using the humans as bait would make everything go smoothly. As long as he could save them. As he fixed his sharp eyes on the couple’s features he finally identified them. These were the classmates of Claire. Grabbing his tablet of information he flipped back to their profiles. These were the two who stood out to him, and they were a couple? It seemed like too much of a coincidence, but the extended p.d.a. he witnessed on the street below made it hard to question. Claire, the missing girl he was sent to investigate, was a familiar. These two standouts were the only students heading into a bar full of beast. Are they familiars as well? It made sense the tall man thought. It all made sense. He leaned back into his chair, and began fidgeting with his guns once again. One thing was now certain, he would let them be his bait. He loathed familiars. Saving them however, became optional. He watched as they kissed before entering the bar. He would wait a bit longer before making his entrance. The bullets floated in the air until somehow the spin of his revolvers caught them once again.
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Chapter 22
M found herself at another supernatural bar, surrounded by supernatural beings, on another supernatural night. The seven great stars were aligned in the nights sky. In a way she felt the cosmos led her to this place. M drawn to places that attracted the other worldly, or perhaps they were drawn to wherever she set up shop. She had pondered this many times, over many years, in many small taverns such as this. She had long since abandoned bigger venues. Realizing that her pull on the darkness was unsafe in such high capacity. She did find this interesting. She found most things interesting. In her long life she had yet to grow tired of living it. She of course did have a potion for when the day comes, and she is ready to rest. She had long since decided her end would be on her terms only.
Traveling from place to place she communed with the Earth in a way that was forgotten by most. Perhaps forgotten by all except her. She treated the world as a goddess. She found it humorous how humans had done so little damage to the entity beneath her feet. For all their scientific claims and attempts to conquer the goddess, they had done little but incur a small amount of wrath. The droughts weren’t Earths doing, but surely the goddess could bring forth natural springs to compensate. The diseases running rampant on the globe were just another small showing of her true power. Humans were at a turning point where the goddess may purge them completely. In a way the daughters of rain had saved the humans by starting the drought. Only since the drought had they begun to treat the world properly. To roll back their policies of pollution and plunder. Their use to me more like her. More healers and potion masters to brew mother nature’s elixirs. More guardians of the globe. Often confused with witches, her kind had been hunted by both human and immortal across history. Those were dark times, but ultimately surviving them is what created her nomadic lifestyle she cherished in the present. As she traveled from place to place she communed with the Earth finding new ingredients for many things. With the right ingredients she had mended broken hearts, inspired poets and writers, cured
all manner of disease, given power to warriors, taken power away, cured curses, and so much more. Over the centuries she had been altering history and fate through her concoctions. She wondered if that was her purpose. On her journeys she tended to find the ingredients those drawn to her needed. As if the Earth herself was using her to do it’s bidding. She always kept to the natural way. That was her way, and it had yet to fail her. Once upon a time, long ago, their were others like her. At first they were pure as she was. They joined together, brewing potions more magical than anything the world had known. They made life elixir in those days. A rare potion she herself took. They were family. Over the years the others began to sell their gifts to warlords and the wealthy. They craved the material things of this world, and lost sight of their place in the world. Warlords paid handsomely for potions to heal fallen soldiers, and give them boost in strength. The advantages they gave an army were so immense it sealed their fate. Once the true power of her kind was known they were quickly targeted and murdered. Every last one of her family was killed in those days long ago. So here she was going place to place doing the Earth’s work, nothing more. Tonight she found herself in a bar full of beast. She could easily detect other worldly creatures. They called to her, but she especially didn’t care for wolf beast. So to amuse herself she made their drinks much stronger than expected, and watched them flail about to pop music. Music she was quite sure they usually wouldn’t admit listening to. She was content in her fate to roofie the beast until she walked in. The blonde haired girl draped all over some human boy. Of all the bars in all the world how did she end up here? As she walked inside, M lost sight of the beast around her. Their aura vanished as she focused on the blonde haired girl. Her hands were stirring and shaking the cocktail before she registered the movement. A simple but strong potion. M could not understand why she made this particular cocktail, but her hands had already done the work. The girl stopped at the jukebox before making her way to the bar. M found herself shifting uncomfortably for the first time in decades as the girl approached. Turning away she removed her signature name tag before facing her. The girl seemed less than M expected. Almost human as she pondered what to drink. The routine of her job stepped in offering one of today’s specials. At first the blonde hesitated, but eventually gave into the drink. She walked over to the boy, who refused his drink, and sat. M watched as she drank both cups. A small feeling of fear arose as she saw the girl take twice as much potion as intended. Whatever Earth willed of her tonight, she chose not to spectate. M headed to the back, and began packing her things. This place simply wouldn’t do.
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Chapter 23
Mari felt drunk. The two cups of that special drink worked a bit too well. She thought it odd. She, who had gone through years of poison resistance training, would get drunk so easily. And Tye was still acting strangely. He wouldn’t drink with her. So she drank both cups hoping to nudge him into the activity. After the events of the night she was a bit nervous sitting next to him. He also wouldn’t dance. She had assumed that was the reason for coming to the edge of town to begin with. He was watching the others in the bar intently. Smiling and laughing as they did this and that. She wished he was giving her that attention, but he was having fun. She also remembered they would be walking back to her room, to her bed, in just a few hours when the bar closed. Maybe she’d drink some more. Glancing up at the bar, she noticed that girl bartender was gone. A muscular man now stood in her place. Unsure if she could get a drink without being carded Mari chose to sit there with Tye instead. She grabbed his arm, and almost recoiled from how cold his skin had become. It was a warm winter day. One of the better selling points of the university was its especially pleasant weather. The bar was old fashioned in the sense of not having an air conditioning unit. With so many people inside tonight the air was warm inside. She would make him see a doctor tomorrow she decided. They should both see one after all the germs they shared tonight. The thought made her face redden. Images of him taking his shirt off, of him thrusting inside her, flashing through her mind. Her face now demonic in color she felt flustered and hot. Needing to move and not focus on such thoughts, she grabbed at his wrist beckoning him to dance. To her relief he rose and joined her. She had played a long list of songs, and the jukebox was on their song. The first song they ever danced to. Every time they went to the bar dancing she would play it, and he would pretend he couldn’t dance all over again. Then he would sing in her ear the way he did the first night they danced together. He later told her that he hoped his voice, which was surprisingly gentle, would distract her from his two left feet. More happy thoughts. In less than a year this man made her full of happy memories. They took the floor, and began to dance. Tye didn’t stumble over his feet, and he didn’t sing. He was good at dancing tonight. Perhaps better than he’d ever been. He led her body tonight. Using his hands to grab her hips he positioned her song after song. Mari was sweating now and feeling woozy, but Tye still felt cold. His stamina perfect as he didn’t break a sweat. She went to sit down, but he pulled her back onto the floor. Dancing, on command now, she felt his hands move across her body. She didn’t mind, but found it odd for him to touch her this much. She wanted to kiss him and go sit down, but he held her with a too strong grip. When did he get so strong she found herself asking again. He was lifting up her shirt as they danced. She pulled it back down over and over. He spun her around. In the corner of the bar now she was positioned between him and a wall. Her back pressed against him he forced his hands all over her again lifting at her skirt. She wanted to pull it down, but he was too strong. She felt all the strength leave her as he stripped her. Spinning around she noticed the music had stopped. All eyes were on her flesh. She covered herself with her arms, but Tye grabbed them down. “Tye what the fuck are you doing, let me go,” she demanded. He didn’t budge. He stared at her with black eyes. “Tye,” she whimpered out. He pinned her arms around her back showing her exposed body to the bar. Unsure of what or how this was happening, she summoned her remaining strength into her legs. Pushing him hard into the corner she felt his head crack against the wooden wall. By the Seven what had she done? What had he made her do? The shriek that followed was inhuman. Even for someone gifted like Tye, she was still a prodigy. She was still too strong from her training. That shriek however wasn’t right. Turning to face him she saw the man she loved melting. Melting was the best way she could describe what was happening to his face. Layers of the features she’d grown to love drooped away. Brief moments passed as his face regained his form only to melt away again. In a matter of seconds Tye had morphed into a woman’s face and frame. His body now slender yet curvy. He was their age in this woman’s frame. Mania hid just beyond the facade before her. This wasn’t Tye. This hadn’t been Tye all night. The thoughts of her apartment flashed into her mind. The way this woman touched her. The way she gave her flesh to this shifter. Mari could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. The tears steamy as they rolled from her face. Complicated tears flowed freely with shame, disgust, and rage wet her face. She knew this feeling. She knew when her power was beyond her control. She felt the sizzle as her body now hot to touch evaporated the water from her eyes. She was going to kill this bitch. Accepting the challenge this stranger grabbed her by the throat. Mari could not move. With beast like strength she shoved her to the ground. Mari felt like a plaything in her hands. Her power flowed beneath her skin, but she couldn’t call upon it. She summoned as much strength as she could muster to stand, but was returned to the ground from the strangers foot. She was not only weaker, but she had become completely ordinary. The tears continued to flow. Fear overpowering the mixture of wetness on her face. Her skin cool to touch allowed the water to slide down her cheeks. Looking up Mari saw the entire bar shift into beast. She was in a den of wolves. Fear overtook her mind, but not for herself. The woman hit her hard in the back of the head. Her last thought before fading was panic. With tears and snot streaming from her face she croaked, “where is Tye?” Everythin
g went black fast.
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Chapter 24
Tye awoke in the bushes. He had been walking the path to plan his ring giving for Mari when he was attacked. His attacker, a slender girl, had surprising strength and speed. Under the guise of an ordinary student, Tye was overpowered in an instant. Patting the dried blood on his head he wondered how long he’d been out. A better question, why was he alive? The thought flickered in his mind. It teased him as he searched for the meaning in this attack. He was attacked, but alive. He wasn’t the target. He wasn’t kidnapped this time, and carted off to some magical place in the forest. He was simply tossed into the bushes for anyone to find. Putting his hands to his head in frustration he noticed his ring missing. The void took over. It’s long silence ended as the panic increased. The pit in his stomach confirmed it’s taunts. Mari was the target. Mari was in danger. His legs were in a full sprint before he cleared his mind. Even the void knew she was more important than their ongoing battle. His phone was in his hands pushing on her number. Running through campus he collided with anyone in his way. Jumping the rail at security. The usually lazy guards shouted in protests, but his legs wouldn’t slow down. He had never been to Mari’s apartment, but he knew where it was. She had pointed it out to him several times as they walked to the movies or the bar at the edge of town. Rounding the corner he saw the furniture shop. It was well past business hours. Unsure of how to enter the building, Tye found a rock on the pavement for a key. Without giving it a second thought the glass was shattering from the throw as he jumped inside the building. It took him a minute to find the steps leading to the upstairs apartment. Bounding the steps four at a time Tye found himself at the door in an instant. With no hesitation he lowered his shoulder into the wooden barrier leaving it splintered feet away from the frame. The apartment was small and empty, and it smelled. The mixture of sweat and something else lingered in the air. His thoughts faltered for a moment. Tye didn’t know how to process what his nose was telling him. The void laughed, but it lacked it’s usual strength. Whatever had happened here he could sort it later, once he knew she was safe. The town was small. It was too late for a movie now. If she was with someone else, the thought shook him, she would have to be at the bar. His legs were moving again before his mind could process anything else from her apartment. Jumping down the steps and back through the shattered window, Tye found himself racing towards the bar. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as he ran, but he had to make sure she was safe. His legs continued to work on their own, as he raced down the street.