Overshadowed

by Graveyard Greg

  *

  “I'm not comfortable with this,” Robey said while approaching the warehouse. It had all the looks of being abandoned. Broken glass in the windows. Patches of flaked off paint surrounding the walls. The parking lot losing its battle with the grass growing out of the cracks. The waning sunlight didn't make it look any better.

  Jolly held up a piece of silken thread, the crystal tied at the end making a slow arc back and forth between him and the warehouse. “The magic in this crystal is tied to the giant's blood.”

  “It's not like us to rush into things.”

  “We don't have time to plan and research. It was bad enough we had to go to Roald to find out what we'd already suspected.”

  “We should call for backup.”

  Jolly was already walking towards the warehouse, stashing the thread and crystal in his pants pocket and balling up his fists. “You can stay here if you want.”

  Robey hurried to catch up to the giant panda. “No, but if they have guns, I'm standing behind you.”

  “Fair enough. Let's go make some noise.”

  Jolly didn't pause his stride once he reached the door. He simply shoved his shoulder up against it and forced it open. His eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom, and he approached the only source of light.

  A group of four teenagers were surrounding a table filled with various paraphernalia related to making drugs. At first they seemed surprised to see the giant panda, but then their reaction changed to something which then surprised Jolly.

  They got on their knees and bowed before him.

  “What the hell?” Jolly said, blinking his eyes, as if the sight before him would fade. It remained as solid as ever.

  “The great one said you'd come,” one teen said, a white fox with tattoos dyed in his fur. He barely looked old enough to drive, much less be making berserker drugs.

  “What's going on here, Jolly?” Robey said.

  “I...don't know.”

  “The great one said you would send us off into the realm beyond, where we would be rewarded for our services unto him,” another teen said, this one a doberman with several piercings along one ear.

  Jolly tried to push down the anger which boiled up inside him. “He said I would...send you? Kill you?”

  “He said it would be your gift,” the white fox said.

  “He lied to you,” Jolly said, walking over to the table. “But I'm going to send this stuff away.”

  A swipe of his hand sent the paraphernalia flying off the table, sending shards of broken glass everywhere once they hit the floor.

  “If we see you again, we're going to call the police on you,” Jolly said to the quartet of now-frightened teens. He then went back the way he came, Robey following behind him.

  “Is it a good idea to just let them go?”

  “It's not like we can call the police. The blood would be studied, and who knows what they might find out.”

  “So what was the deal with them worshiping you?” Robey said. “That was really weird.”

  “I have no idea, but I'll be damned if Roald wasn't right.”

  *

  “You knew I'd be back,” Jolly said, glaring up at the frost giant.

  “I DID.”

  “You gave those teens some of your blood,” Jolly continued as if the giant hadn't spoken, “because you knew we'd get involved.”

  Roald smug grin was all the answer Jolly needed.

  “How did you know our friend was going to take the drug?”

  Roald shrugged, the thick chains rattling. “DOES IT MATTER?”

  “He was a cultist, wasn't he?”

  Roald shrugged again. “THOSE TINY ONES ALL LOOK ALIKE.” He squinted down at Jolly. “EVEN YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BUG TO ME, ALBEIT LARGER THAN MOST.”

  “Why? Why do all this? What do you have to gain from any of it?”

  “YOU.”

  Jolly frowned. “Excuse me?”

  “I WANTED TO SEE MY SHAME ONCE MORE. TO BE REMINDED OF WHY I ENDURE THIS PRISON.”

  Jolly folded his arms. “Seeing you reminds me of a lot of bad things as well.”

  The giant leaned forward until the chains grew taut. “I WILL ESCAPE THIS PRISON ONE DAY,” he said, “AND WHEN I DO, I WILL FIND YOU. I WILL CRUSH YOU LIKE THE INSECT YOU ARE.”

  Jolly didn't flinch under the fierce gaze of the giant's. “Don't forget who was able to catch you in the Netherlands.” He thumbed his chest. “That was me, by the way.”

  “YOU HAD HELP.”

  “I could have done it without their help.”

  “I WILL CRUSH YOUR ADOPTIVE FAMILY AND ALL YOU LOVE, INCLUDING THE TINY LION.”

  Jolly smirked up at the giant polar bear. “I thought you said all those tiny ones looked alike to you.”

  “YOU SHALL WATCH AS I TAKE THEIR LIVES, AND THERE WILL BE NOTHING YOU CAN DO.”

  Jolly's smirk thinned into a tight frown. “That might be true,” he said, “unless I do something about it now.”

  Roald paused a moment, then his eyes widened. “YOU WOULD DO SUCH AN ACT?”

  “No, because that's what you want me to do. You can't escape this place, not with the intersection of ley lines here, and if you did, the traps we set would keep you here until the lava did you in.”

  Roald frowned. “YOU ARE LIKE YOUR MOTHER IN MORE WAYS THAN THE PHYSICAL.”

  “Yes. I'm glad of that, too.” Jolly turned around and began to walk away.

  “BUT YOU ARE STILL YOUR FATHER'S SON,” Roald added.

  Jolly paused a moment, then walked out of the chamber.

  “Don't remind me...father.”

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