(I redid this early December 2024 as I reasoned that given I had to for my WoW fanfic, Adventures in Azeroth, it was only a matter of time until I had to do it here too.)
Before we get going, I want to give credit where credit is due. This is half a work of original fiction, half a work of fanfiction with elements borrowed from the work of other authors as well. Those are as follows:
The Wulfshead Club and several other elements are from the works of British author Simon R. Green. His stories are full of action, humor, and more campiness than a Cub Scout Jamboree.
One of the antagonists in the series is based on a character from The Hollows series by American author Kim Harrison. I loved her work so much I wanted to include my own take on him as tribute. If you ever read this Kim, I hope you like it!
Several of the elements used are from the various Pen & Paper RPGs from the World of Darkness universe. Their works are a great inspiration for storytelling and I love using them in this series. I tend to lean more New WoD than the older stuff mind you. (That said, it is not a 1:1 copy. I did add my own touches with some of the details.)
This is an ongoing work of fiction that is a collaborative effort between myself and my wife. Its actually why we're married now in fact. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. ^_^
In Memory of Dawn
Prequel: Case Files of Nelen Fullmoon
What if magic were real? What if the things that went bump in the night weren't just the objects of childhood fears? What if the boogeyman really was out to get you? In this world there's a BBS Board online where people who are plagued by threats that would be dismissed as paranoia or insanity can post requests, and the clientele of the Wulfshead Club will 'deal with their problems.'
This is the story of a renegade member of a monster hunting family and his feline companion and how their adventures began.
This actually wasn't part of the original text, but rather a prequel I wrote when I first began redoing the original RP sessions with my then-future wife to create this narrative. It sets the stage for what will come and introduces several protagonists.
Book 1: The Sword of Franklin Fullmoon
Clan Fullmoon, a family of monster hunters dating back to well before the rise of the Roman Empire, had protected Ireland for generations from the predations of inhuman creatures... but their current leader Franklin Fullmoon seeks to eradicate the supernatural entirely.
This is the story of his granddaughter, Stephanie Fullmoon, a young girl from India with a very famous ancestor, Arja Barjar, and their friends as they join together to save both Clan Fullmoon and themselves from Franklin's madness, and the dark power that allows him to control the family with an iron grip.
This was where we began doing the narrative via roleplaying online. It started out small, but for whatever reason we simply didn't stop. It just clicked for both of us and we kept on going until we realized we'd kind of created a modern fantasy adventure story by sheer accident.
Book 2: Revenge of the Rakshasa Prince
Franklin Fullmoon is no more, but the fallout from his defeat has yet to be fully realized. A new threat emerges in the jungles of India, one thought long vanquished, and now Arja and Simoni must race against this unknown foe to prevent the return of a being who could threaten not just India, but the entire world.
Whats interesting is... our RP kind of petered out finally midway through this, around what would become Chapter 20. From there on it's whole cloth based on what I wanted to do with that RP all the way to the end.
However all this is approved by my wife. She's basically my editor and I ran every chapter past her before I posted it. :P
Book 3: Bad Blood, Old Sins
After the events of the past year there's no hiding it anymore. Magic is real. Humanity has become aware that they are not alone in the world, and tensions run high. Back in the United States, a political coup among the vampires of Cincinnati threatens to upend everything.
The two changeling siblings, Stephen 'Stephy' Fullmoon and Prince Samuel of the Icebound Heart, along with Stephy's boyfriend John 'Tex' Smith, become aware of this threat, and how it could spell doom for their home if things get worse... but can they stop it in time even with their friend's help?
This is where the original RP stopped being a thing and everything from here was what we came up with after I started rewriting it. When we first began we lived across the country from each other, now we're married and living together so we can brainstorm ideas together whenever we like.
At time of writing my inspiration has kind of petered out, but I'm not giving up hope on continuing someday. The original RP was from over a decade ago after all. It'll be there when it comes back to me, and I'm thoroughly convinced its a "when," not an "if."
Side Story: The Hunter in Darkness
Clan Fullmoon is but one group fighting against the threats to humanity. France has it's own defenders in House Roche, a family trained in modern tactics of espionage, combat, and even diplomacy. A family of scholars who long ago made a pact with one of the fair folk. Every generation, two children a boy and a girl, will be struck blind at birth... but will gain superhuman hearing, agility, and more in the bargan.
This is the story of Alice Roche and her family, and how they keep their homeland safe from those who would do it harm.
This is actually not written by me, but rather by my wife. The characters in these stories came from both of us. Some were all mine originally (Nelen, Dawn, and such) whereas others are her creation (Arja, Natasha, and so on) and a few we created together (Isolde, for example.)
Alice and House Roche are her own creation however, and recently she's been bitten by the writing bug and has begun penning a backstory for them! This story takes place around the same time as Case Files of Nelen Fullmoon, focusing on Alice Roche and her allies as introduced in Chapter 2 of Revenge of the Rakshasa Prince.
At time of writing she's taking a hiatus, but I do hope she'll continue soon as I myself wanna see where this is going. :3
On December 23rd of 2024, the cat who was the basis for Dawn's character in Supernatural Adventures was put to sleep due to cancer. She had been with me the entire time I had written the original story with my then-future-wife, then through the revision and edits that made the Supernatural Adventures story that is here on Tumblr.
I adopted her when I was working at a local gas station, my boss having found her, her mother, and her littermates digging through his trash. He asked me if I wanted to take one of the kittens home. Having recently lost another cat (ironically to cancer as well, though a different kind) I immediately accepted.
That morning I walked home, carrying her in my arms as I tried to think up a name, and as I did the sun rose over the horizon... and that settled that matter. Her name would be Dawn.
I fully intend to continue the story of Supernatural Adventures with Dawn retaining her place as a prominent character. In this way, I want to keep that small part of her alive, even though the real cat is now gone where the cancer cannot hurt her anymore.
Rest in Peace Dawn, your story shall still be told.
In the mid-1800s, Cincinnati was the city for pork. The city was famous for it, even so far as to be nicknamed âPorkopolis.â
It was a prime location for it in those days. The Ohio River made transportation easy, and there was farmland all around the city perfect for raising livestock, and the city made its fortune off porkchops, bacon, sausages, and pig fats and oils for candles and soaps among other things. It was a rare day in Cincinnati to not see a herd of pigs being guided through the streets towards one of the many warehouses to be processed before being loaded onto barges and sent along the Ohio to Pittsburg, Paducah, Boston, and all over the map.
But, of course, herding dozens of squealing, confused, and nearly panicked pigs through a city street was difficult at the best of times⊠and sometimes they had to deal with escapees.
It was one such pig who made a break for it on a hot summerâs day in 1854, fleeing from the herd down a side street as the workers raised the alarm, two young men going after it. The pig fled in a blind panic, going down one side street, then another, then down one alleyway, then another, then another, and another alleyway, and two more after that, and again and again⊠until the sounds of the city grew distant.
The pig eventually slowed, exhausted from its flight, and were it a thinking creature it might have noticed that the alleyway looked wrong now. The buildings towered above it, and strange thorny roots grew up from the cracks in the cobblestones. There were odd posters on the walls in archaic languages or showing bizarre otherworldly beings⊠but being a simple pig, it did not realize anything was amiss.
Thus, the pig eventually trotted off in search of food⊠deep into the winding depths and madness of the Hedge. One might wonder how a simple animal could have chanced their way into such a realm, but the Wyrd and Fate are fickle and unknowable things.
However, the little pig never left⊠and over the years and decades of eating goblin fruit and living among the briars, it stopped being little. It grew strong and became⊠if not intelligent then at least very cunning. Some part of its piggy little mind remembered where it came from, and the likely fate of the other pigs⊠and its piggy little mind rebelled against that.
⊠and the Wyrd, in its whimsy, decided to help the little pig.
Now, the little pig is no longer little at all, and could barely be called a pig. It lived among the Hedgeâs reflection of the city, making its home near the riverfront that had seen the remains of so many of its kin off to their final destination as someoneâs dinner, light source, or bathing tools⊠and if anyone comes into its territory, well⊠they wonât be going home, but they will certainly be crying.
Maybe not crying âwee wee wee,â but crying all the same.
The Hedge, Present Day
Nelen stumbled out of the ruined van, clutching at his head and hissing through his teeth. âUhnnnâŠâ he gasped for breath, leaning against the doorframe as his vision swam into focus, then he looked around and shook his head firmly. âGuys! Sound off, anyone hurt?â he called out.
The backdoor of the van burst open, kicked firmly from inside by a pair of simian legs, as Arja scrambled out in her vanara form and pulled Simoni and Natasha free of the wreckage. âJust bruises NelenâŠâ she nodded.
Simoni flopped down onto the pathway, looking around with a shudder. Sheâd never seen this place before, but she knew what it was. Anyone who was part of Clan Fullmoon grew up knowing tales of the Hedge and its dangers. The goblins and hobgoblins who made their homes in the strange mirror-realm to Earth, the various goblin fruits which could be helpful or could be dangerous or even deadly, the ever-present threat of the briars themselves which could sap the very will and soul from an unwary traveler, and of course the chance of running afoul of one of the Fae themselves.
Natasha looked around, the vampireâs eyes narrowing as Dawn appeared ontop of the wrecked vehicle, the cheshireâs tail fluffed out. âHm⊠here againâŠâ murmured the vampire.
âQuite.â came a reply as Prince Samuel strode into view, his hand resting openly on his sword. Simoniâs eyebrows went up at the sight of him, and even Arja found herself having trouble looking away.
In the mortal realm a changelingâs true appearance was hidden by a sort of âmask,â an illusion to make them appear, if not normal, then passably mortal. The Hedge, however, stripped all such things away.
Sammi stood there, his eyes a shining blue like the sky on a clear day in deepest winter, his hair glistening like spun gold and waving as if caught in an unseen breeze. There was a strange chill about him as well. His steps trailed snowy footprints, and a dusting of snow gathered on his shoulders⊠though it was not currently snowing where they were.
âSorry about that everyoneâŠâ came an apologetic voice as Stephy flapped down from above, landing next to his adoptive sibling as he transformed back into his more humanoid form. Like Sammi, his features were more pronounced, more⊠elfin than they normally would be, and he too carried a trail of snow around him though, if anything, his was even more obvious than his brotherâs. âBut Sammi and I saw police cruisers closing in and, well⊠yeahâŠâ he sighed, âThere were at least eight of them that we saw. Probably more on the way.â
Nelen swore, then nodded to them. âI get itâŠâ he replied, fishing a bottle of aspirin out of his bag and downing two of them in one gulp, then stuffing it away. Heâd smacked his head on the steering wheel when the van crashed and it was only his inborn Fullmoon resilience that meant he had a nasty bump as opposed to a concussion or worse. âBut still, we need to find a safe exit point as quick as we can. Preferably somewhere far enough into the city to call the Wulfshead door or at least on the Kentucky side so we can get back to Covington.â
Sammi hesitated, âEr⊠it may be more difficult than that Nelen. Were it not for the direness of our situation, I would have preferred to fight off the mortal authorities personallyâŠâ
The group looked at the two changelings, even Dawn raising her eyebrow at that, then Nelen frowned. âOkay⊠youâd have rather fought mundy cops than risk travel in the Hedge. Why?â he asked pointedly.
Stephy whined, rubbing at his arm, âBecause thereâs something really nasty that lives in the Hedge along the riverfront⊠and weâll have to go through itâs territory to get close to where Cincinnati is.â he nodded.
Simoni stood up next to Arja as the vanara girl went close to her, her eyes darting towards the briars. Even Natasha seemed concerned, this was clearly a realm where she was no longer a predator.
â⊠and that something is?â asked Nelen.
Sammi shrugged, âWell, therein lies the rub NelenâŠâ he murmured.
Stephy nodded, âYeah, we donât⊠actually know. We just know that any changelings who try to travel along the riverfront through the Hedge⊠well⊠more often than not they donât come back.â
Nelen frowned, then sighed, âWell, can we go back out the way we came? Hide out in the van until sunrise and hitchhike or call an uber or something?â he asked.
Sammi shook his head. âAfraid not, it doesnât work that way. There are established gates to the Hedge, but what my sibling and I did was akin to prying open a window, which slammed shut and locked behind us.â he nodded, gesturing to the path behind them. There were a clear set of erratic tire marks leading back from the van right up to where they suddenly stopped in the middle of the path. âEasy enough to get in from the mortal realmâs side, but to leave⊠wellâŠâ he sighed, âThats always the tricky part.â
Nelen sighed at that, then nodded. âAlright, well, if nothing else Cernunnos was a fae lord way back in prehistory⊠maybe he can just, I dunno, outrank whatever lives here.â he shrugged, then shuddered a bit before adding, â⊠he says, âdonât count on it.ââ in an annoyed grumble.
The group looked around, seeing only a single path stretching out before them through the briars⊠but Sammi pointed up above the trees. In the distance they could make out what, at first blush, looked like the skyline of the city⊠though upon closer inspection parts of it looked wrong. The buildings didnât stand straight, and the lights in their windows made out odd patterns. âThatâs the Hedgeâs version of Cincinnati⊠as long as we can see that we can at least have a touchstone to where weâre going, but by the Wyrd be careful. Do not stray from the path, whatever you do or see, and try to stay as quiet as you can. Not everything here is dangerous⊠but it can be very hard to tell what is and is not.â he warned, turning on his heel and setting off down the path. âNow come on. We have a lot of ground to cover.â
The group filed along behind him, though Nelen kept a hand on his messenger bag as they went and Arja opted to remain in her vanara form. Simoni considered taking to the air, but a glance upwards dissuaded that pretty quickly. The trees here had long skeletal limbs seeming to end in wicked spikes with thorns wrapped around them, and she could just imagine them reaching out and grabbing a passing bird like a tomcat eager for a meal. Even then, it was winter in the Hedge as well, and the cold was already beginning to affect her badly.
Finally the garuda spoke up, âYou guys really donât have any idea whatâs such a big threat around here? Anything at all?â she asked.
The prince shook his head, âOnly rumor and hearsayâŠâ replied Sammi, âA few odd things from those lucky few who made it through unmolested, each time because they didnât encounter whatever haunts this stretch of the Hedge.â
Simoni glanced into the briars, and for a moment she thought she saw something running past in the gloom, darting between the trees⊠but a moment later it was clear it was just the wind knocking some snow loose from above. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise, her teeth chattering from far more than the winterâs chill.
â⊠things like the sound of metal grinding, or a faint snorting and snuffling sound in the distance, or a large shape among the thorns that they were fortunate enough to go unnoticed by.â he clarified.
The group glanced around, Natasha feeling uncomfortably like she was being watched. A vampire would still be a powerful foe in the Hedge for most threats, but she couldnât be certain of defeating something on its home turf⊠and if one of the Gentry showed up, all bets were off. They could only flee and hope.
They trekked on for what felt like hours, the van eventually vanishing behind them to be left to whatever fate the briars held. Maybe it would be broken down for spare parts by industrious goblins, maybe it would become some sort of strange hedge-creature itself over time, or maybe it would simply be left to rust.
Eventually, Nelen pointed ahead of them. To their left was the twisted Hedge-version of Cincinnatiâs buildings, but now to their right was a massive stretch of liquid that could only be this realityâs version of the Ohio River, with a huge bridge spanning it lit by strangely flickering lights. âThere. Weâre almost out.â he nodded, and the group heaved a relieved sigh⊠until a sudden shout came from behind them.
âHEY!â came a voice, the group jumping in shock, then turning to see someone standing there in the gloom.
Stephy started a bit, recognizing him⊠or at least, what was left of him. âYou! Youâre that vampire that was harassing our classmate!â he shouted.
âThatâs MALIK to you bitch!â he snarled, stumbling forward, his fangs bared.
His time in the briars had not been kind to Malik. The vampireâs skin was pierced through in several spots with thorny vines that he had clearly tried and failed to remove, wrapped firmly around his limbs, and half his face had been scratched away to reveal his teeth and gumline. He dripped blood as he walked, and not much, the vampire having likely found little to feed on among the thorns⊠but now his eyes glowed a baleful crimson as he eyed the group before him.
âBewareâŠâ whispered Natasha, âHe is but a child, but his fear and hunger have made him desperate. I cannot be certain what he will doâŠâ she nodded, preparing to block his way.
âDays⊠weeks⊠I dunno how fucking long its been⊠but Iâm so godsdamn HUNGRY!â he snarled, âAND IâM GOING TO TAKE IT OUT OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! FEEL THE WRATH OF THE LORD OF THE NI-âŠâ he began, then suddenly he jerked to a halt, his sentence ending in a wet sounding gurgle.
Malik looked down, and so did everyone else, to see a shiny metal hook sticking through his middle. âW-where didâŠâ he choked, then suddenly he flew backwards with a scream, the hook attached to a long chain stretching behind him.
âOh shitâŠâ whispered Nelen.
âSammi, was that the thing you were talking about?!â growled Arja, conjuring as big a flame as she could against the chill of the winter-locked Hedge.
âOak and ash it must be!â he exclaimed, drawing his rapier as a massive shape trundled forward into the moonlight.
The beings who lived within the Hedge were, by and large, known as either goblins or hobgoblins. The former were more civilized, intelligent, and favored making deals and doing business with changelings and others who knew of them. There was a reason it was called The Goblin Market after all. That being said, not all goblins were nice, and their deals had a nasty way of biting one in the rear. They sometimes did it for their own gain, or they did it because they found it amusing to do so.
Hobgoblins however, were a different breed. They were the Wild Things of the Hedge, the Unseelie to the goblin's Seelie. They were powerful, often moreso than their goblin cousins, and quite often very very wicked. The wolf who impersonated a sweet little girl's grandmother, the seemingly nice old woman who offered wandering children sweets and to come in out of the cold, and sometimes ones that didn't even bother with that pretense. These were the things that went bump in the night. These were the monsters that haunted the closets and the gap beneath the bed... and if a mortal creature stayed in the Hedge for too long, they may find themselves joining their ranks.
The little piggy was no longer little. Decades in the hedge had warped him from a small farm animal into a massive bipedal hobgoblin! His snout twitched eagerly as drool dribbled out between two massive tusks, the creature standing on its hind legs as its potbelly jiggled with each step. It held the chain of a meathook in one hoof-like hand, and in the other it held a huge and extremely sharp looking butcherâs knife! Its skin was pink, almost cartoonishly so, but its mouth and belly were stained a dark brownish red, where blood had dried and crusted over years and years.
Hanging over its back, from another meathook, was the struggling form of Malik the vampire, trying in vain to free himself.
The porcine monster cocked its head, snorting loudly. âMeat? Fresh meat? Lovely meat, tuppence a pound!â it growled out, sounding like a barker at the butcherâs market might. It didnât sound like it really understood what it said, more like it was just mimicking the words like a parrot might.
Sammi glanced at Stephy, âMy dear, there should be a glass jar full of what looks like honey in your bagâŠâ he said, âI want you to take it out, take the lid off, and toss it at him as hard as you can.â
Stephy nodded, reaching into his purse, then finding it. It didnât look like much, not even the size of a soda can, but he unstoppered it, then threw it towards the hobgoblin!
The pig-like beast squealed and his right arm was a blur, slashing out with the butcherâs knife and shattering the jar⊠then pausing and looking at the blade, now coated with the sticky honey. âHoneyed ham? Thruppence? Just the thing for Christmas Dinner?â it tried, then suddenly a buzzing filled the air.
âRUN! EVERYONE RUN NOW!â shouted the changeling prince as they turned and ran away from the beast and a massive cloud of bees emerged from the woods nearby! Normally they would slumber away the winter, but if one stole their honey the entire hive would swarm the offending creature!
They were huge things, as big as an adultâs closed fist, and each one had a wicked looking stinger that dripped a vile green fluid, and a disturbingly human-like face with huge multifaceted eyes and a long proboscis that flicked out of an all too human mouth!
âHoney thief!â the swarm buzzed in fury, âWretched filthy greedy thief! Sting them! Sting the thief!â
The pig-hobgoblin cried out in pain as it flailed itâs butcherâs knife, trying to slice away itâs insectoid attackers. âBAD BATCH! FLIES GOT TO IT! LEAVE IT FOR THE DOGS!â it squealed in agony as the group fled the scene, making as fast as they could for the Hedge version of the city.
The group had barely gotten a hundred yards when a furious squeal came behind them and the ground began to shake. Simoni dared a glance and screamed as the pig trundled into view, swirling a hook above its head menacingly.
âBREAKOUT! STOCK ESCAPING! CATCH âEM OR YOU PAY TEN PENCE A HEAD FOR EACH THAT GETS AWAY, LAYABOUTS!â it roared, lashing out with the hook as Simoni let out another scream, but a different sort. The wind howled through the thorns and a blast of air shot over their heads, knocking the hook off course and into a tree, hooking it through the wood!
The pig snorted in fury and tugged hard, trying to free it as its muscles bulged⊠but Stephy took this as an opportunity. He reached into his purse and pulled out another bellbomb pepper, âThis is my last one guys! Make it count!â he warned, tearing the stem off and throwing it as hard as he could as Simoni whistled up another gale, bouncing it up towards the hobgoblinâs face.
The goblin fruit exploded and the pig-hobgoblin squealed in fury and pain, thrashing about as it tore the hook free, the tree crashing to the ground as the violent act toppled it! âPEPPERED BACON! PERFECT FOR BREAKFAST!â it cried out, frantically rubbing at its reddening face and eyes as the group laid on the speed, and after another several yards they burst out of the trees and onto a maddened version of the riverfront!
Stephy and Sammi skidded to a halt, looking around frantically. âFind a gate, find a gateâŠâ whined Stephy, then he gasped, âEVERYONE! FOLLOW ME!â he called, running towards a huge building across a large parking lot. As he did the trees erupted as the hobgoblin burst free, sending a group of piskies who had been watching them curiously scattering in all directions.
They made it to the building and skidded to a halt at what appeared to be a metal turnstile, staring into the gloom.
âNow what do we do?!â shouted Arja as Nelen pressed against the metal with his full weight, but it refused to budge.
âIt needs a key! Hang on⊠lemme justâŠâ whined Stephy, focusing on it as hard as he could, then he snapped his fingers. âI got it! Okay, this is gonna look nuts butâŠâ he took a deep breath, then sang, âTake me out to the ballgame, take me out to the PARK!â and rushed the gate, which suddenly spun as he vanished.
The group stared, then looked behind them as the pig monster tore through the parking lot, upending cars as it went.
âAll together guys!â yowled Dawn, her eyes huge, and as one chorus they all sang the verse and shoved their way through the turnstile⊠and landed in a heap in a darkened and empty building, the porcine pursuer nowhere to be seen.
Nelen stood up, sliding his glasses back on, and looked around, â⊠uh, where are we?â he asked.
Stephy giggled awkwardly, dusting off his skirt. âGreat American Ballpark, gate number seven.â he nodded, âItâs a Hedge Gate that only opens during the off season, but most people donât use it because its too public.â
Arja looked around, âBallpark? Do they play that weird American version of cricket here?â she asked.
âBaseball, but yeah.â replied Nelen as he stretched his back, âFuck me Iâm getting too old for this shitâŠâ
The group picked each other up, then Nelen walked his way to the nearest wall and sighed, âWell⊠at least now we know what weâre up against. Fucking figures⊠its not that Al, but its still one who can send an entire cityâs worth of undead right up our collective ass.â he frowned.
âYeah⊠crazy co-incidence with the names though.â mrowled Dawn. âI mean, if we had a nickel for every time we had to save a city from some nutjob called Al weâd have two nickels⊠which ainât a lot, but its weird it happened twice.â
After a moment of silence she frowned, âReally? Not even a chuckle? Câmon! That was too perfect not to use!â she yowled.
âTiming DawnâŠâ grumbled Nelen as he put his hand on the wall. âMaybe donât make the joke just after we outrun some cannibal hedge-monster-pig.â he sighed, then said in passable Lemurian, âOpen up, you bastards!â
A second later, the Wulfshead door appeared on the wall, and the group walked inside to safety and several very well-earned drinks.
Their foe was now known, not the infamous and powerful demon Agaliarept, but another old enemy of Nelenâs returned to threaten them anew. Vampire Prince Alfred may not be the powerhouse that the hellspawn had been, but he still commanded the undead of Cincinnati and had three powerful allies remaining who would wish to see him remain in power.
The Peters Cartridge Company Building, Cincinnati Ohio
It had originally been an ammunition manufacturer founded in 1887 which supplied multiple countries with weaponry during both the first and second world war, but their fortunes had ended with the end of the second of those and the company folded. It fell into disrepair after 1968 but was soon put on the registry of historic buildings in the mid-80s. Today the building is home to a brewery and an apartment complex⊠at least on paper.
In private however, the old building is home to quite a bit more.
Nelen pulled up outside the building in the largest rental vehicle he could obtain on short notice⊠but the simple fact of the matter was not all of them could come. Drusilla would have taken up most of the back by herself, and then there would be the matter of Lupe and Natasha, as well as the changeling prince and princess, Tex, and their recently arrived Indian allies Arja and Simoni⊠so it was decided that Drusilla would have to remain behind to guard the Smith Household.
Tex stayed back as well, the only human of their party besides Nelen would have been an obvious target for their foes. Nicu and Lupe stayed as well, though Natasha had insisted on coming to see this prince who would encourage suicidal levels of exposure among the vampires herself.
As he found a secluded area to park in he looked behind him, Dawn sitting shotgun in the bus. âAlright, we all remember the plan? If we can expose Al for what he really is then its entirely possible the vampires will join us or run for the hills, either way that means we wonât have to deal with them.â he nodded firmly, the magus dressed in just a winter jacket over his jeans and teeshirt, with sturdy boots.
âQuite, few vampyr would be insane enough to willingly side with a being of Hell. Our souls are in a tenuous enough state as it is.â agreed Natasha. She had dressed as she often did, in gothic finery. Even going into a battle she would not demean herself by wearing different garb.
Stephy was dressed in the same outfit he wore to fight Clarence, the changeling princess checking their purse again. âGot a few nasty surprises. Some more of those sunflowers that I told you about, a few bellbomb peppersâŠâ he nodded as Sammi checked the edge on his rapier.
âWell, weâll just have to hope that this does not go against us NelenâŠâ murmured the princeling, âIf all else fails I can open a path to the Hedge, but we will have to come out somewhere, and the Hedge around here is⊠wellâŠâ he looked around, âLets just hope it is not needed...â
âWeâll take that chance when it comes⊠and Arja?â asked Nelen.
âYuth?â she replied, her voice muffled.
Nelen frowned, â⊠arenât you being just a bit melodramatic?â
Arja sat there bundled against the cold, the vanara girl wearing a sweater and a pair of jeans with long underwear under a jacket that was also under a winter coat, two scarves wrapped around her face, and a bobble hat pulled over her head, her hands covered in thick woolen mittens and her feet crammed into fur-lined snowboots.
â⊠nuh.â she replied, narrowing her eyes at the magus.
Sammi grinned, chuckling to himself, as the vanara glared at him. âWut?â she growled.
âOh, nothing⊠just remembering all those times when I commented on how unpleasant the weather was in New Orleans, or Texas, or IndiaâŠâ he whistled innocently as he sheathed his weapon.
Simoni sighed at her, the garuda girl wearing a pair of woolen leggings under a denim skirt and her own snowboots, along with a sleeveless green sweater under a thick winter coat. She had to find a good balance that would allow for talons and wings if needed and had taken Stephyâs advice on leggings. All her legs really did was change shape, and leggings had no feet, so they worked as far as her transformation went. âArja, weâll just have to deal as best we can⊠if weâre fighting against vampires theyâll need someone who can use fire.â
Finally however, the group had to get moving⊠Dawn went in first, scouting the way invisibly as Simoni and Stephy managed to talk Arja down into ditching the coat and mittens. As a vanara her fighting often relied on agility, and it would be extremely hard to be agile in such bulky winter-wear.
Dawn crept her way through the building, her yellow eyes occasionally shining in the gloom as she made her way further and further towards what Dusty had told them. There was a hidden basement, all she had to do was know where it was and she could teleport them all in at once⊠and after a bit her sensitive ears picked up the sound of a lot of voices below her.
The cheshire focused, then suddenly was a good fifty feet straight down, standing on the ceiling, and wincing in shock.
There were a LOT of people down there⊠at least a few dozen that she could see, and she could tell that not all of them were human. A good chunk of ghouls obviously, or just mortal cronies hoping to get in on their masterâs good graces to get offered their blood⊠but on the stageâŠ
She narrowed her eyes, hissing, âGotcha⊠âAl.ââ she frowned, teleporting back to the bus and appearing in the front passenger seat.
âHeâs here, and I donât see his backup dancers anywhere so far.â she nodded.
Nelen grinned, cracking his knuckles, âAlright kids, lets go.â he nodded, taking Dawnâs hand and holding his back towards the rest. The other five put their hands on his and in a swirl of magic they all vanished!
The Hidden Basement under the Cartridge Company Building
âNow⊠I hear thereâs been some bitching about the new policiesâŠâ began Al, the vampire prince wearing the same suit as before, but now with several fancy rings on his fingers and a pendant around his neck. He wore a thick pair of sunglasses over his eyes and a fedora hat. The sunglasses he felt made him look impressive, and the hat went with the suit.
Heâd found Archibaldâs old jewelry box and had taken some choice items. His left hand had several solid gold rings set with large gemstones etched with the image of strange creatures on them. On his ring finger was one with a huge ruby showing a shape like some strange lizard, his middle finger had an emerald with a scorpion design, and so on. The pendant was a stylized dragon, a symbol of power among some circles of vampires. Even among the undead, some believed in the power of the âSon of the Dragon,â Vlad Dracul.
â⊠and I heard rumors that one of our big shots has been staked.â he added, âI checked with my advisors, and ainât nobody fuckinâ told me that the Mill Creek Monster got taken out! So those rumors stop NOW!â he slammed his fist down. âThe Rat can do what he fuckinâ wants! If he wants to go play hide ân seek I donât give a shit.â
There were several murmurs among the crowd, including among one very confused coterie who had been sent to the old Paper Mill personally by Astaroth⊠he had lied to the Prince about Clarenceâs death? They saw some pretty obvious proof that he was gone for goodâŠ
âBut the main thing is thereâs still little chicken shits out there who donât want to live like TRUE vampires!â he snarled, âWe ainât human, so stop pretendinâ to be! Weâre BETTER than human! Theyâre our goddamn FOOD! Theyâre LESS than us! They donât fuckinâ MATTER anymore unless they prove they do!â
The ghouls in the crowd shared worried looks at that, as did their mortal counterparts⊠as if they were just now realizing that they were swimming with the proverbial sharks. They looked to the vampires they served, but the undead refused to meet their gaze.
âI got Walter out tonight, ân heâs dealing with another group that was planning to ice me⊠so if anyone gets any dumb ideasâŠâ he beganâŠ
⊠and thatâs when the door to the basement was blasted off its hinges.
Wood splinters and embers soared over the heads of the crowd as a cry of alarm went up among the assembled undead and their minions and into the room rushed Nelen, a silver tipped stake already in hand, alongside Dawn whose hat and glasses were gone to reveal her feline features.
Stephy and Sammi came next, the changeling princess generating a swirl of ice and snow around his hand as the prince drew his blade and held it ready. Alongside them strode Natasha, her cane already opened to reveal her own weapon should it be needed.
Finally Arja jumped over the group and landed before them in her vanara form, her tail thrashing behind her as flames flickered behind her monkey-like fangs. She hated how cold it was here and was quite eager to turn up the heat. Simoni landed next to her, the garuda shedding her wings and scales to return to her human form.
âThatâs ENOUGH!â snapped Stephy, stepping forward as he reached into his purse, pulling out a fresh bellbomb pepper. âWe know who you really are! Did we not beat you badly enough last year âAl?ââ
The prince rose from behind the podium where heâd taken shelter when the door was blown apart, hearing the changelingâs declaration⊠though, his reaction may not be what Stephy expected.
â⊠the fuck are you talking about? Who the hell ARE you?â he asked.
Stephy glared back, âDonât play dumb! I heard Astaroth say your name and thereâs only one âAlâ we know who could cause this much trouble!â he retorted⊠until he felt Nelenâs hand on his shoulder.
âStephyâŠâ he frowned, raising his eyebrow at the prince. â⊠thatâs⊠not Al.â
âWhat?!â asked Stephy as Sammi faltered, his sword lowering a bit as Dawn stared at him. Arja and Simoni looked over their shoulders as well. Even Natasha looked surprised at this, glancing between him and the prince.
âUh⊠well, that is my nameâŠâ commented the Prince. He was able to hear them even in the back, the basement had very good acoustics, and vampires had excellent hearing. The crowd was stunned, not sure how to react yet at the sudden interruption by a gaggle of supernaturals.
Stephy shook his head, âThatâs the new prince! Thatâs the one who took over! We saw him in Dustyâs vision! Thatâs gotta be Al!â he insisted.
Nelen sighed, âYeah, well Cernunnos can sense demonic auras and he says this guy is just another bloodsucker⊠Thatâs NOT Al!â
âYes he is!â insisted the changeling.
âYes I amâŠâ commented the increasingly confused prince.
Stephy looked at the prince, then back at Nelen, âBut⊠But I heard AstarothâŠâ he started, Nelen held up a hand however.
âStephy⊠Did this guy say âAl,â or did he say âAgaliarept?ââ asked the magus in a rather strained tone.
â⊠er⊠he said⊠âAl.ââ replied the changeling, their cheeks coloring as they began to realize their error.
âStephy⊠do you know how COMMON a name like that is?â grimaced Nelen, âHe could have been talking about an Albert, or an Alan, or an Alberto, or⊠THEREâS A LOT OF DAMN NAMES THAT START WITH âA L!ââ
Dawn coughed, looking around, âWell⊠this got awkward in a hurryâŠâ she muttered, glancing back at Nelen, âSo⊠uh⊠Nelen, should I just yoink us outta here orâŠâ
However as soon as she said that there was an audible snapping sound.
The group looked up, as did the assembled undead and their minions.
The princeâs face was an enraged grimace, his hand gripping the podium so hard heâd broken a chunk of it away, crushing it in his hand with his vampiric strength. âWhat⊠did you say his name was?â he asked.
Nelen frowned, stepping forward and looking straight at the princeâs face. âIts Nelen Fullmoon. Whats it to you Dracula?â he asked.
The prince stepped down from the podium, grinning at them⊠and it was a very nasty grin indeed. âOh this is TOO fucking perfect! Iâve been waiting years for this!â he snarled, taking off his glasses and tossing his hat to the side.
Nelen squinted at his face, then his eyes widened, âYouâŠâ he glared back, âYOU MURDEROUS SON OF A BITCH!â he spat in fury as the rest of the group looked at the prince.
âWait, Nelen⊠YOU know him?!â asked Stephy in shock.
âOh I fucking know THIS piece of shit!â he growled, âHeâs the reason I wound up saddled with a demon for a fucking decade!â
The vampire prince slowed to a halt, flexing his hands, âThe little fag had it coming Fullmoon.â he retorted.
âSHUT YOUR GODSDAMN MOUTH MURDERER!â he snapped, striding forward as if heâd forgotten all about the other undead in the room. âHeâd never done anything to you, you wouldnât have even known his fucking name if you hadnât heard about him coming out⊠and what did you do?!â
Simoni stared, the pieces clicking together in her head, âOh shitâŠâ
âYou and your rich asshole friends CHAINED HIM TO THE BACK OF YOUR TRUCK AND DRAGGED HIM UNTIL HIS BODY FELL APART!â he spat, every line in his face showing nothing but blind fury. âYeah, I know exactly who this fucker isâŠâ he growled, âAlfred Ludsthorp⊠heir to one of the local political dynasties⊠and someone who should be trapped in the quarantine ward at St. Elizabeth for the rest of his pathetic life.â
There was silence all around. Nelenâs allies knew his story now, about how his friend had come out as gay in the days before it was even remotely safe to do so, how the wrong people had heard about it, and how he had been tortured to death by a group of their well-to-do classmates.
How, when one of them went to his father to protect them, he was able to get away without even so much as being arrested because his father put pressure on the police to ignore the crime. How this drove Nelen to seek revenge in the worst way possible. He could have simply beaten them to a pulp with his own inborn Fullmoon strength⊠but instead heâd gone with something much darker.
He wanted those who had tortured his friend to death to suffer for what theyâd done⊠and he made a deal with something awful to do it.
Standing before them was the man who had committed the murder that had sent Nelen down the road that led to him making a pact with Merihim, Demon of the Court of Wrath.
One Year AgoâŠ
Francis Ludsthorp was a broken man. He had spent every cent he had to try to cure his son, to no avail. Antibiotics were useless, gene therapy was a lost cause, theyâd even tried experimental radiation therapy without success.
He was running out of money. His political career was in shambles. About four years after his son wound up hospitalized his personal financial records had been stolen and leaked onto the internet showing how heâd been embezzling funds from the local government to line his own pockets. How heâd been using them to pay off investigators⊠there were even videos of the more recent meetings (god only knew how! The video looked like it was recorded from the ceiling!) A recall vote came shortly after, and when the dust settled nobody would trust him to run a gas station nevermind hold public office.
Then, one day, he got a call from the hospital. That year, just near the tail end of February, his sonâs disease had just⊠stopped. Itâd just vanished, all trace of it in his body. The virus cells were just suddenly gone.
Heâd almost called it a miracle, until the hospital told him the rest of the story. The virus was gone, but the damage had been done. His sonâs body was a disaster. The disease was akin to leprosy with a nasty grudge against its host and ten times more destructive than any strain theyâd ever seen. Alfred would likely never walk again, his arms were atrophied to the point of uselessness, he was almost totally blind, it was a miracle he was alive at allâŠ
Desperation took him. He wanted something, ANYTHING, that could help his son⊠and after weeks of searching, he found his chance.
The more superstitious doctors had commented that this disease almost seemed more like being cursed than sick with how little effect medicine had on it⊠and why not replace one curse with another. He was in politics, he always knew that there were some extreme ways to get power in the Greater Cincinnati Area⊠well, maybe that could save his son.
Thus, in the dead of night, he brought his son to a secluded warehouse, and met a man he would only ever know as William.
He didnât stay to watch the deed get done, he couldnât stand to see such a thing happen. Once it was over he insisted on taking his son home with him, despite William's warnings not to.
That next evening he went into his sonâs bedroom to find him sitting up in bed, looking straight at him.
Francis ran forward to embrace his boy⊠and found out why William had tried to convince him to leave his son with him instead.
When Alfred finished with his father, and facing the horror of what he had done, William was waiting for him⊠and that was where his life as a human being had ended.
The Cartridge Company Basement, Present Day
The room was deathly silent, Nelen and Alfred staring each other down⊠then suddenly there was a small snicker.
âWait⊠his name was Alfred all this time?â asked Dawn, âLike⊠Batmanâs butler?â she snorted as Sammi put a hand to his mouth, trying to hide his grin as he held his rapier ready. Even Arja had to let out a small chuckle at that.
The princeâs eye twitched, his vampiric hearing able to pick out several stifled chuckles from the crowd as a few others made the connection themselves.
Nelen ignored her though, âHow the hells did a worthless sack of crap like you wind up as the Prince?â he demanded.
Alfred sneered, âLike Iâd tell you Fullmoon⊠but youâre right, I am in charge here⊠EVERYONE!â he snapped his fingers, âThis is an order from your Boss! KILL âEM!â he shouted!
Nelen blinked, then remembered he was surrounded by the princeâs allies. âFuck.â he whispered, then an instant later he vanished and reappeared behind the others as Stephy and Simoni ran forward and tore the stems off a pair of bellbomb peppers.
âBOMBS AWAY!â shouted Simoni, throwing herâs to the right as Stephy threw his to the left, the plants landing amid the crowd of vampires and their minions.
âHope you guys like it spicy!â laughed Stephy as the peppers exploded into a massive cloud of capuchin and glamour, cries of pain erupting from within the mob as Arja moved forward, took a deep breath, and exhaled a huge cone of flame directly at Alfred!
The princeâs eyes widened as he grimaced, a wall of fire racing directly towards him! âSHIT!â he cried out, covering his face with his hands, and the flames hit home, blasting out around his form and scorching anyone too close to flee in time!
Several ghouls and a couple vampires went down, the latter screaming in terror as the flames ate away at their undead flesh⊠and then the flames died to reveal the prince crouching defensively⊠but totally unhurt.
Alfred looked up, clearly every bit as surprised as Arja was, a strange glow fading from the ruby ring he wore. â⊠uh⊠yeah⊠totally knew thatâd happenâŠâ he coughed, standing up, âWELL? DONâT JUST STAND THERE! GET THEM DAMMIT!â he shouted.
At this point the mob was quite likely to agree with them, several of them half blind and in pain from the peppery goblin fruit, the others recognizing that whoever they were they were definitely their enemies! All around them they could hear the cock of handguns, the sound of knives being drawn from boots or belt sheathes, and see the vampires assembled readying their own attacks.
Dawn nodded, then the group huddled together as she focused, and with a loud thunderclap they vanished from the room.
Plan Fifty Three: RUN LIKE HELL!
The group reappeared on the ground level outside, next to where Nelen had hidden their vehicle. âGO GO GO! GET INSIDE NOW!â he shouted, running towards the driverâs side as he fumbled with the keys, the rest of the group frantically rushing into their seats and bracing themselves.
Nelen stomped the gas hard and the van lurched forward, then he spun it around and gunned the engine as hard as it would let him go as the doors to the building burst open and after a few minutes several cars raced out of the parking lot after them!
Dawn glanced at the mirror and let out a low whining meow, âNeleeeeeeeeen! Theyâre coming!â she warned.
âYeah! I noticed!â snapped the magus, pushing the engine until it cried as he tried to gain distance⊠but this vehicle had been built for hauling, not speed! âShit, can SOMEONE slow them down?!â he asked.
Simoni whined, looking outside, but trying to fly in that chill would be borderline impossible! Sheâd be an ice cube before they got halfway above them...
For Stephy however⊠âDawn! Get me and Sammi onto the roof!â he nodded, shrugging off his jacket and kicking off his boots. The cheshire nodded and grabbed both their hands, then teleported them up ontop of the van before warping herself quickly back inside as Stephy transformed, spreading his wings and trying to hold onto the swerving vehicle with his talons as Nelen fought with the icy roads below.
Sammi took his siblingâs purse, then climbed atop his back and nodded to him, the changeling princess letting out a loud birdlike cry as they took to the air!
Stephy yelped in surprise as the cars shot past below them, then whistled up a sharp tailwind and shot forward after them as Sammi dug through his purse. âMoving too fast to freeze the roads under them⊠bellbombs are worthless, theyâll have the windows up⊠no⊠not this one either⊠AHA!â he nodded, pulling out what looked like a strange straw doll, but made from a thorny vine rather than straw. âStephy! Get ahead of them if you can!â he nodded.
Stephy focused, then let out another cry as they shot forward, the princess glancing below, then Sammi nodded and took the doll, gritting his teeth as he intentionally drew a thorn over his finger. âA little red water to help you grow mâdearâŠâ he whispered, then tossed it down infront of the cars. It missed the first two, landed right infront of a second pair, and by the time the two following them reached that spot the drivers found a rather nasty surprise! The road was suddenly covered with a huge mass of razor sharp, unnaturally strong, and four-inch-long thorns! There were several loud bangs and their cars spun out of control as their tires were shredded to ribbons!
âNice throw!â grinned Stephy, then he shrieked as several loud bangs came from below them. Their pursuers had realized they had enemies above, and theyâd come prepared for a fight! Bullets whizzed by them as Stephy flapped to slow down, narrowly dodging a hail of lead⊠but this meant the windows were open now.
âSammi! Get ready!â he nodded, shooting forward in the sky and angling downwards. They drew nearly level with the ground as Sammi pulled a bellbomb pepper out of his purse, biting the stem off⊠and as soon as they got close enough to one of the cars he threw it in through the passenger window and Stephy immediately flapped as hard as he could to regain altitude!
They were close long enough to hear, âis that a fucking pepper?â before there was a massive splattery sound and the windows were covered in pulp and spices, screams coming from inside as the car swerved out of control before crashing into a ditch!
The changeling princess yelped as another spray of bullets shot up from below⊠then they looked forward to see the backdoor of the van opening.
Dawn was there, holding onto a handle built into the back of the van, and she was holding something⊠She grinned, then opened a cardboard box and poured out what looked like a bunch of shining metal objects, and another car went spinning out of control before slamming headlong into a tree!
That still left two though, and they were close enough to get a clear shot now! Several gunshots rang out, but the shadows under the door suddenly stretched down and hardened, and the bullets bounced off the barrier of darkness it created!
Of course⊠all this chaos couldnât go unnoticed forever⊠and Sammi looked out across the snowy landscape to see something else on a nearby road. Several vehicles were approaching at speed, with flashing red and blue lights. âOh oak and ash⊠someone called the police!â he swore, âStephy!â
âI know I know⊠dammit what are we gonna doâŠâ he whined, looking around. Itâd be foolish to assume that the local vampire courts wouldnât have agents in law enforcement. They could easily arrange for an âaccidentâ to occur in custody, it happened often enough already!
Then they saw ahead of them, a large bridge, a covered bridge to be specific. âSammi⊠I know its dangerous around here⊠but we donât really have any other choice!â
Sammi frowned, âI fear youâre right⊠blast it all, weâll just have to take the risk!â he nodded as the two focused on the archway the bridge made and drew upon their own connection to the Wyrd.
Inside the van Nelenâs knuckles were almost white as he raced towards the bridge, bullets whizzing past on both sides of the vehicle as Arja and Simoni held on for dear life.
Suddenly, the space infront of him seemed to distort, the magus frowning. âWhat the⊠OH SHIT!â he swore as he realized what he was seeing, the view of the bridge shifting to reveal a pathway of thorn covered trees in a moonlit forest. âKIDS! HANG ON TIGHT!â he shouted as the van barreled over the bridge, the two cars behind it swerving to a halt as they saw the strange display⊠just in time for Sammi and Stephy to shoot past above them through the gateway, the portal slamming shut as the bridge returned to normal.
âThe fuck was thatâŠâ asked one of the drivers as they got out of the car, staring at where the van had disappeared.
âMan I got no damn clue⊠câmon, lets head back.â replied the other as they got back in their cars.
Soon the police arrived and took stock of the carnage along the roadside and the four wrecked vehicles⊠but of the van there was no sign.
Somewhere elseâŠ
Nelen slumped over the steering wheel of the van, the front end totaled from where itâd hit one of the trees. He raised his head with a groan, then looked aroundâŠ
Heâd grown up around here, he knew most of the area, but this was well beyond the fields he knew.
Stephy and Sammi had saved them from their pursuers and local law enforcement by sending them into the depths of the Hedge.
It had been a week, and Arja and Simoni returned home. Sadly however, Akul could offer little. A week of scouring ancient texts and examining their familyâs stockpile of magical artifacts offered nothing. No tools or spells or techniques to resist the cold or ice.
They were the Vanara, the monkey-folk of India, a part of the world that didnât even have winter but rather had a mild season that they called âwinter,â then Summer, then Monsoon, then post-Monsoon. Snow was something they only ever saw in the highest mountains or on television. Theyâd never needed a way to resist the cold before!
Simoni landed outside the house with a sigh, letting Arja off her back as she changed back to her human form. âWell, it was worth a try ArjaâŠâ she shrugged, âWeâll just have to deal with it somehow.â
Arja sighed loudly, looking upwards at the sky as she leaned back, âYeaaaaaaaaaaaah, just⊠uuuuuuughâŠâ she frowned, âIâm gonna have to bundle up like crazy just to keep from freezing already! How am I going to fight like that?!â
âI dunno, hell flying is gonna be impossible for⊠huh?â she paused, the garuda as she looked around⊠one of the bushes outside the house was moving.
Suddenly the bush burst open and a podgy man with a bad combover and a too small teeshirt burst into view. The twigs and sticks stuck in his hair suggested heâd been hiding there for a while. He raised his smartphone at them. âARJA!â he grinned widely, aiming the camera lens at her.
Arja scowled and immediately transformed, her hands bursting into flames, âOH HELL NO! I AM IN NO MOOD FOR ANOTHER ONE OF YOU TODAY!â she snarled.
Simoni looked around frantically, âGUARDS! HEY! INTRUDER! SOMEONE GET NELEN! HURRY!â she called out.
Arja began channeling a burst of fire, all worry about the cold forgotten. This had been happening ever since they got back from Sri Lanka and she was fed UP with it! âOne chance you freaking sicko! Put the phone away and leave, NOW, or youâre ash!â
Simoni whined, but she wasnât strong enough to hold Arja back and the girlâs temper was burning hot! âGUARDS! CâMON ALREADY!â she called out again, sheâd use her magic if she had toâŠ
Then suddenly there was a loud metallic CLANG!
The intruder jolted, then their eyes went crossed before they slowly pitched over, landing on the ground in a heap.
Standing behind them was a small girl with long dark hair and one massive green eye who looked like she might be in preschool, wearing a pink teeshirt with a picture of a Pikachu on it, a denim skirt, and a pair of pink sandals⊠and holding a folding chair with a large head-shaped dent in it.
â⊠âN 'ERE COMES SCYLLA WITH A STEEL CHAIR!â laughed a figure behind them.
Arja stared at the crumpled form of her would be paparazzi, then turned behind her to see Loren walking forward with a grin. âHoy there ye wee monkey. Nelen ainât in. âe had ta go back up yer faerie friends, so Iâm playinâ babysitter.â
Simoni looked between her and Scylla, then frowned. She had heard a few things about Loren from when they were working together at the Wulfshead before theyâd overthrown Franklin Fullmoon, and one of those was that she was a very big fan of wrestling. âLoren⊠why did my niece just clobber him with a folding chair?â she asked pointedly.
âSTEEWL CHAIW! STEEWL CHAIW!â cheered Scylla, waving the damaged object over her head as if it weighed nothing at all.
âLook, if our cous is gonna âave me babysit he canât expect me ta nae teach thâ wee âun a thing or twoâŠâ she laughed⊠then the three looked over as they heard a groan. The intruder was trying to rise.
Scylla frowned at him and CLANG! âNO!â she shouted, âSTEEWL CHAIW!â she insisted, pointing to it as he collapsed again.
Arja had resumed her human form, the vanara girl grinning, âWell, Iâm not going to complain if Scylla brains one of these idiots. What are they going to do? Press charges on a little girl?â she asked, âI mean, she wonât kill himâŠâ
Then the three jumped as another loud CLANG echoed around the area! âSTEEWL CHAIW!â shouted Scylla once more!
Then again!
Then again!
Then yet again!
Loren winced, âAh⊠Scylla lass! Thatâs enough! âeâs down! Ye win!â she called out.
Simoni looked around frantically, âWhere the HELL are the guards?!â
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
âOKAY SCYLLA! YE WIN! IâM RINGINâ THâ BELL! THAT MEANS YE WIN!â yelled Loren, looking worried now. Nelen would be VERY pissed off if she caused his daughter to commit unintentional homicide!
Simoni looked back and forth nervously. Scylla could get very grabby and shove-y when she got wound up, and she was strong enough to break her arm by accident! She couldnât exactly go in and pull her off him!
âSTEEWL CHAIW! STEEWL CHAIW!â chanted Scylla at the top of her lungs, then suddenly there was a loud CRACK and the top half of the chair snapped clean away from the bottom half, landing in the bushes! â⊠no moaw steewl chaiw?â asked Scylla, looking at it.
Both Loren and Simoni breathed a sigh of relief⊠then froze as they heard Scylla shout, âPILâDWIVUH!â
âSHITE! NO NO NO NO NO!â yelled Loren frantically as she raced forward, easily the only one there who could hope to be strong enough to stop her.
Simoni cringed as she saw what state their home invader was in. Whether he was there illegally or not, this was pretty bad as far as injuries went. âOh those guards are SO fired! WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE?!â
Arja just grinned, â⊠Iâm not complaining. I didnât do it.â she nodded.
Loren walked back over, holding the struggling form of Scylla tight to her chest as the cyclops child screamed and yelled, âEr⊠so⊠cannae ask ye lasses ta not tell Nelen âbout this?â she chuckled.
âFIGHT NO OVAH! WANNA WRASSLE!â screamed Scylla at the top of her lungs, trying to force herself free from Lorenâs grip as the Fullmoon warrior held her as tightly as she could.
Eventually the guards were located and after a lot of shouting back and forth about whose shift it was and Rajesh eventually cutting in with âI donât care whoâs at fault, get him to a hospital and then on a plane back to wherever he came from!â the group retreated inside, Scylla in her room now with an angry expression.
Loren had, as her babysitter, tried to explain to her that as fun as fights were that wrestlers had to stop when they heard the bell⊠but the young cyclops was refusing to accept it, so she had to be sent to her room for time out.
Simoni was mostly just annoyed that Loren thought it was a good idea to let her watch WWE when they already had enough trouble keeping her from breaking things by accident.
Arja howeverâŠ
Scylla sat on her bed and pouted as Simoni griped at Loren in the other room⊠then looked up as the door opened a crack and Arja winked at her, sliding a small bowl with three round pastries in it into the room. Gulab Jamin, an Indian treat that was effectively a doughnut dunked in rose sugar.
The cyclops child grinned and ducked forward as Arja said to her, âCanât do that to all of âem, but I wonât pretend I didnât like seeing that. Still, next time let the grown ups handle it okay? Maybe in a few years you can help us beat up the bad guys.â
Scylla smiled at her around a mouthful of pastry, nodding. âMmmpgh!â
âAttagirl.â replied Arja, ruffling her hair, then putting a finger to her lips and closing the door behind her, then walking back to the main area of the rec room, âI could get used to being the cool aunt.â she smirked to herself.
Sammiâs Apartment, Covington Kentucky
Nelen sat at the bar with Dawn next to him, the magus dressed in his usual teeshirt and jeans. Hardwearing cheap clothes that could be easily replaced. Dawn was in a teeshirt and jeans as well, but without her sock hat or glasses and with her tail untucked. No need to hide her true nature here.
Across from them were Stephy, Tex, and Sammi. The changeling princess sighed at him, rubbing his temples. âGreat, so they attacked our house again. Thank goodness goblins are good at repairsâŠâ he murmured. He was dressed in a white silk pullover top and a long pale blue skirt, along with strappy heels today, his nails painted to match his skirt and his hair held back by a hairband.
âYouâre welcome.â chuckled Sammi. The prince, by contrast, had on a deep blue tunic and a pair of black tights, along with a pair of slip-on house shoes. He was currently enjoying a rather fruity decoction consisting of a goblin fruit not entirely unlike pears that made the sound of weeping when juiced, a generous helping of gin, and garnished with a herb that only grew in the depths of Winter in the Hedge, on the rocks (of course.)
Tex rolled his eyes, the mortal boy wearing a warm red woolen sweater and blue jeans at the moment. âStill, good thing yaâll showed up when ya did⊠Reynard told us âbout thâ fight. Guess now we at least know what they all look like.â he nodded.
âMmm⊠would have rather you guys waited for me to take on the Mill Creek Monster though, but at least thatâs one of them down.â commented Nelen.
Dawn grinned at him, her tail swishing, âOh lighten up ya grouchy olâ wizard. These guys are practically adults themselves. Heck Simoni and Stephy were sorting out problems around here before they even met these two.â she pointed out.
Stephy blushed, âYeah⊠before I even knew I could use magic infactâŠâ added the changeling princess. âMostly I just told her where to go back then, I mean I know the area really well.â he shrugged, then looked at Nelenâs tablet which showed a map of Cincinnati. âWish I knew it better though⊠I mean, I donât know where exactly we should even look for their new Prince. Cincinnati just has too many places.â he sighed.
âYeah⊠in a newer city like LA or something weâd have better odds, but Cincinnati is one of the oldest in the country. Thereâs places here that predate the Civil War that a vampire could have a haven in.â frowned Nelen as he looked over it. âI mean, we can narrow it down⊠butâŠâ
Then all five of them looked up as the doorknocker echoed thrice...
They all shared a glance. âDid Natasha or anyone say they were coming?â asked Nelen.
Sammi frowned, âNo⊠they did notâŠâ he replied, setting his drink down on the bar and striding to the door, drawing his rapier. He took hold of the doorknob, then jerked it open and held the blade ready⊠only to take a step back as the acrid smell of fresh skunk hit his nostrils.
Standing in the doorway was a hunched figure in a huge trenchcoat under another heavy winter coat, held up by a cane. Under his jackets was a teeshirt with âI didnât vote for your godâ printed on it. He had wild grey hair and a scraggly beard.
âYaâll gonna invite me in or am I just gonna freeze my dick off?â asked Dusty the Hedge Mage.
âDusty!â grinned Nelen as he sat up, âHey man, thanks for helping the kids out.â
âNo problem. Burned a bit but I got better.â he chuckled, limping his way in and sliding into the bar stool next to Dawn, then looked at Grabkins as the goblin glanced at him. âSurprise me.â he smiled toothlessly.
Sammi was still by the door with a rather annoyed expression, âHow the bloody hell did you know how to find the door?!â he demanded.
âSquirrels told me.â he nodded.
Sammi frowned and slammed the door, âI think weâre all getting very tired of that joke.â he snapped, sheathing his rapier as it vanished.
âPity, âcause its true.â he grinned.
âIt is the truth Sam. Dusty has been able to talk to them ever since we were kids. Used to use them to play pranks on kids who were assholes to us back when we were in Elementary School together.â he replied.
Stephy looked at him with a raised eyebrow, âWait⊠that rumor about trees that shoot acorns at Hinsdale was you guys?!â he asked.
Dusty laughed, grinning wide to show his mostly empty jawline as he nodded. âCouldnât let Nelen just beat thâ shit outta âem or else heâd get suspended⊠sooooooâŠâ
Sammi frowned in annoyance, then glanced at Grabkins who was watching him expectantly. He always made sure with that order. The changeling prince smirked, nodding, âYou heard him Grabkins, surprise him.â
The goblin shrugged, âRight ye are mâlord.â and set to work.
âHang on⊠if he could do stuff like that when he was a kid he canât just be a hedge mageâŠâ murmured Stephy, âHeâs got to be from some sort of supernatural bloodline. Learning an animalâs language can take an entire lifetime.â
Nelen shrugged, âNope, heâs human. Mom made a point of checking when she found out he could do that in case Franklin caught wind of it. Heâs just some sort of prodigy when it comes to certain tricks.â he replied, âSo, why are you here though? You wouldnât limp your twisted up spine all the way to Covington in the dead of winter just to say hello.â
Dusty nodded, âAye, well⊠âcause thâ squirrels heard somethinâ important.â he nodded, waving for them to pass over the tablet. He zoomed around the map a bit, sticking his tongue out as he concentrated, then tapped a spot on it and nodded. âThere! Squirrels heard some of thâ vampires talkinâ. Big meetinâ there night after tomorrow night, ân their new boss is gonna be there.â
Nelen looked at it, then raised his eyebrow. âThe Peters Cartridge Company building? Huh, but thatâs not even abandoned. Theres still businesses working out of there.â
Dusty nodded, âMmmhmm⊠ân who do yaâll think owns âem?â he asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.
The group nodded at that. âVampires.â replied Dawn. Maybe not directly, but it would mean that they could use the premises as they saw fit after hours and nobody would complain about it.
âYup. Theyâll be there in two days though. Squirrels know. They donât think they listen, but they do.â he grinned, then he looked over as a large margarita glass was put down next to him with⊠something in it.
It was a very strange cocktail. It was pea soup green, it was thick and syrupy, there were⊠things floating in it⊠and it smelled⊠well⊠it just smelled.
Sammi watched him with a smirk, âYou did ask a goblin to surprise you.â he teased.
Dusty raised his eyebrow at him, then smirked right back, took the large glass in both hands, and drained the entire thing in one go.
Sammiâs eyes went huge, his mouth falling open. Heâd seen what Grabkins had put into that one. Some of those ingredients shouldnât be safe for humans to drink! Some of them were still alive!
Dusty put the glass back down, then burped and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, âCoulda used some vodka.â he shrugged.
Dawn cackled so hard she fell off her stool onto the floor as Nelen turned to look at Sammi. âYeah⊠Dusty isnât going to shy away from most drinks. Iâve seen him down all sorts of things. Even brought him some Angelâs Urine from the Wulfshead once.â he nodded.
âIt tasted like piss!â commented Dusty.
âDusty, it was piss. The name isnât a joke.â he replied.
âStillâŠâ shrugged the hedge mage.
Sammi raised a finger, âEr⊠you might want to⊠um⊠I mean⊠some of those things are going to lay eggs soonâŠâ he stammered.
âEh, I ainât worried.â Dusty shrugged.
âHeâll be fine. With all heâs done to himself his body is too toxic to support them.â added Nelen.
Stephy and Tex were staring at him, the two of them stunned into silence. Stephy could tell what sort of mischief Sammi was planning and Tex⊠well⊠he could see things moving in the glass, he could tell it wasnât something heâd want to drink. The thing had its own ecosystem!
Sammi opened his mouth, then closed it, then put his fingers to his lips and looked down, and finally he took a seat as far away from Dusty as he could at the bar and said, âGrabkins, a âMidnight Summerâ with extra rosethorn absinthe pleaseâŠâ and went to pretending very pointedly that Dusty was not there.
Grabkins nodded to the prince, then turned to Dusty, âWell done sir.â he smirked, then got to work. While some might assume Grabkins to be akin to a certain type of elf in an unfortunately popular series of fiction, he was infact a paid employee. It had to be that way. No goblin would serve without a contract stipulating some form of recompense⊠but that didnât mean he didnât enjoy seeing Sammi get rattled on occasion. Goblins did have a rather twisted sense of humor.
As Sammi got his drink, Dusty got something that wasnât likely to poison a normal person, and Dawn got back up off the floor the group made their plans. They knew where to strike now, all they had to do was get there.
Hopefully they could all go in together. If Arja and Simoni were with them theyâd have a much better chance. Fire was lethal to vampires, their undead flesh highly flammable, but they would still have to worry about being outnumberedâŠ
As they discussed plans however, Nelenâs phone rang. He looked at it, then nodded and answered. âRajesh, whats up?â he asked, a moment later he sighed. âUgh⊠dammit I was afraid of that. Look Iâm sorry, but we had an emergency and I had to help. I did find Scylla a babysitter. Loren should have been able to run interference forâŠâ he paused as he heard Rajesh speaking again.
â⊠uh huh⊠uh huhâŠâ then he grimaced and sat up straight, âSCYLLA DID WHAT?!â
He groaned as he took off his glasses and covered his eyes, âUuuuugh⊠at least heâs not dead⊠godsdammit Loren⊠okay, Rajesh? Weâre going to need Arja and Simoni here by day after tomorrow⊠so hopefully thatâll discourage her fan club from this shit for a while. Just⊠tell them, Iravati, and the staff⊠whatever they do, DRUSILLA CANNOT KNOW THIS HAPPENED.â he nodded firmly. âThanks⊠byeâŠâ he sighed, hanging up.
Stephy, Tex, and Sammi looked between each other, then Stephy cleared his throat. âUh⊠what happened? What did Scylla do?â he asked.
Dawn was grinning ear to ear, her sensitive hearing having picked up every word Rajesh had said, âDamn near pulped one of Arjaâs stalker boys with a steel chair after she and Loren spent a morning watching old WWE reruns.â
Tex snorted as Stephy giggled a bit himself, Sammi having to quickly put down his drink or risk inhaling part of it as Dusty let out a loud cackle.
âYeah⊠and for the record NOBODY. TELLS. DRUSILLA. She made me promise her as soon as Scylla first drew blood from a foe sheâd get to start teaching her how to fight⊠and that guy was pretty smashed up so it definitely counts.â he nodded, âIâd like my daughter to not learn how to massacre people until sheâs at least in high school dammit.â
Then he turned and looked directly at Dawn, âNOBODY TELLS.â he nodded firmly.
âI didnât say anything!â she yowled, her tail trashing behind her.
âYou thought it.â he said in a warning tone.
Dawn shrugged, âYeah, I did.â she admitted.
And with that exchange, the meeting broke up. Dawn, Nelen, and Dusty went out to catch up over dinner at a local chili franchise while the others went about their day, preparing for the inevitable conflict with what may well prove to be a dire foe indeedâŠ
âGive us... one week Nelen. Then, ready or not, weâll go.â
That had been six days ago.
Six days prior Arja and Simoni had gone to the Temple of Hanuman in the nearby jungle to travel across realities into the supernatural world to seek her grandfather Akulâs help at overcoming their inherent weakness to cold. While it wouldnât be lethal to her, it would severely hamper her own fire-based powers.
Still, they didnât exactly advertise sheâd be out of Jaipur for this, which meant a certain problem was still occurringâŠ
Nelen stormed his way towards the front door, wearing just his pajama bottoms with his glasses hastily stuffed over his face, snarling under his breath. âBy all the bloody gods and demons would it kill people to check someoneâs social media before they issue them a passport?!â he growled angrily as the sounds of a fight came from outside.
He wrenched the door open and shouted, âDAMMIT THEYâRE NOT EVEN HERE! WILL YOU PERVERTS JUST GO THE HELL⊠awayâŠâ he trailed off, looking out at the yard and seeing what was there.
âLOOK OUT!â shouted one guard as he fired his pistol, missing by a hairâs breadth.
âNELEN! THANK GODS! WE NEED SOME HELP!â shouted another as they saw him in the doorway.
âYOU!â shrieked the intruder, seeing him as well, âYOU WERE ONE OF THEM! MURDERER OF OUR PRINCESSSS!â it hissed in fury⊠literally hissed.
Nelen grimaced and dove out of the way as a talwar sang through the air an inch from where heâd been standing, rolling to the side as he scrambled to his feet and ran to a tree in the nearby yard. âCernunnos! Stop dozing dammit!â he shouted, tapping his forehead frantically as he grabbed a branch, âThis one isnât some mundy with a monkey fetish!â
The person fighting with Rajeshâs guards wasnât their usual intruder. With all the annoyances, Nelen had almost forgotten that Arja had real enemies too! A naga assassin was in the middle of the yard, hissing furiously as it slithered towards Nelen like a streak of lightning in snakeskin.
âMURDERER! YOU AND ALL OF YOUR ALLIESSS WILL PAY FOR HER DEATH!â it roared.
For centuries the naga believed their princess, Sulochana, had died with Indrajit⊠but the truth of it was they had both been imprisoned within Claiomh Dorcadas in the years after Clan Fullmoon had lost the mundane blade. She had been freed along with her husband when the sword was destroyed by Arja and Simoni, but then was slain in truth the previous winter after a failed attempt to steal the Arrow of Rama on her husbandâs behalf. Her death had several witnesses though, and word had spread among the naga that Nelen was among those who had fought against her the day sheâd died.
Nelen shuddered as his eyes became as giant emeralds once more, a pair of glowing antlers sprouting from his temples as the branch he tore off the tree became a hard wooden spear. âHmph, at least we can just kill this oneâŠâ snorted Cernunnos as he raised his weapon.
He jabbed forward hard with it, but the naga was a humanoid serpent and âsnakelike reflexesâ wasnât just a figure of speech for it! The warrior dodged to the side, raising his weapon. âVENGEANCE FOR SSSULOCHANA!â it cried in triumph, aiming for his shoulders⊠then suddenly it shrieked in pain as Cernunnos stumbled, the naga yanked back from him in a blur of scales.
It flew backwards as someone grabbed itâs tail and pulled on it harder than the serpent man would have thought possible, then it crashed to a stop as a hand closed around itâs throat.
âOi⊠âs me cous ye be swinginâ yer stabber at hissy.â spoke an annoyed voice with a very thick Irish accent. The naga got a glimpse of fiery red hair and a wide grin before the hand around its throat squeezed with bone-crushing force, a snap echoing across the field like a gunshot as it went limp.
Nelen straightened up as Cernunnosâ antlers faded and his eyes returned to their normal color, adjusting his glasses. â⊠uh⊠thanks for the saveâŠâ he mumbled. âDidnât know you were in the neighborhood.â
The newcomer shrugged at him. âMe ân a few oâ thâ lads were helpinâ out over by Bangladesh ân I figured its been a shiteâs age since I seen me cous, why not pop in?â
They dropped the dead naga to the ground and dusted off their hands, walking up to Nelen and giving him a playful jab to the shoulder that almost knocked him off his feet. Standing there in a black tanktop, dark green cargo pants with pockets full of all sorts of nasty tricks, a pair of combat boots on their feet, and a large sword in a sheathe on their back. Their hair was sheared short as it often was anymore (âlong hair just gives thâ ghoulies somethinâ else ta grab, aye?â) and they were wearing their chest binder as always.
They were tough as nails, strong as several oxen, and thought gender norms were âa load oâ olâ shite.â The gender-non-conforming âMavenâs Avatar,â Loren Fullmoon, had come to Jaipur.
âNow, ye gonna just stand there in yer jammies or are ye gonna invite me in Nelen?â she smirked.
Meanwhile, in CincinnatiâŠ
It was early morning in India, but on the East Coast of the US the night had just begun.
Astaroth was not a happy vampire. He didnât dare send his ghouls back to his former haven for fear of what might be waiting there, not knowing if a faeâs glamour could overwhelm the bonds of blood heâd formed with them.
A ghoul wasnât quite as undead as it sounded. Rather, they were human, but bound to a vampire by drinking their blood. It kept them from aging and gave them unusual strength and stamina, though nowhere near as much as a true undead would have, but since they were still alive they could go out under the sun without fear. They were the daytime hands of vampires, many of them hoping that one day their masters would see fit to pass the curse of vampirism onto them as well.
However drinking a vampireâs blood also allowed the vampire to influence their thoughts and emotions as well⊠and he couldnât be certain that a being like Lady Sera would be able to overpower that bond. He knew about vampirism and blood of course, but of other supernatural matters he knew precious little, a fact that he was now cursing himself for as his ghouls were, instead, scouring local booksellers for any tomes of faerie lore with a hint of legitimacy to them.
Whats worse, the changeling that heâd held captive had vanished again. His men had tracked them to an alleyway near Madison Avenue in Covington behind an empty storefront⊠and then it was as if theyâd simply disappeared into thin air. He suspected this was another facet of their mysterious âglamour,â but he had no way of knowing it.
He paced the floor of his backup haven, his brow furrowed and his hands clasped behind his back. He hated waiting, he itched to do something, anything⊠but he couldnât risk it with that faerie out for his blood.
His phone rang in his pocket and in a blur it was in his hand, pressed to his ear.
âWhat do you have?â he asked into it pointedly.
âWe canât find the changeling SirâŠâ came the reply, âBut we did find their house. Had to beat it outta some of the locals, but we got a name. Stephy Smith. She lives with her adoptive mom and brother in Covington. Weâre pretty sure it ainât empty either. People have been seeing lights in the windows at nighttime.â
âHm⊠yes that was likely where the Rat had attacked them. He could have told us, but Iâm not certain he knew how to read a street sign in the first placeâŠâ he muttered in annoyance. He wasnât entirely certain how Clarence had found them, but it wasnât like he was going to get an answer now that the Mill Creek Monster was quite literally dust in the wind. âDo we have any idea whoâs inside?â
âScouts said two kids, one boy and girl, and a large dog⊠but they couldnât get close, every time they tried the girl stopped whatever she was doing and went straight to the window, like she could tell they were thereâŠâ the caller replied.
â⊠did they see what she looked like?â he asked.
âUm⊠small, maybe not even a teenager yet. Goth kid. Think Wednesday Addams.â the voice said.
â⊠that would likely be Natasha Kernovich if I recall the name correctly.â frowned Astaroth. âDo not be fooled by her appearance. That girl is a vampire, and a very old one. She said that her sire was âthe Butcher of Clujâ and from what I could gather from our own history heâs been dead since the sixteen hundreds.â
âWoah⊠that wouldâve made her older than Archie was!â replied the caller in a shocked voice, âUh⊠what should we do?â he asked.
âStand watch for now and send a runner to find Walter. Now that we know where they are, we can send in the muscle.â he sneered.
Covington Kentucky, the Smith residence, two hours later
Natasha sat on the couch next to Nicu, the two of them looking as different as could be despite both of them being undead.
Nicu appeared as he had in life, a young boy who favored teeshirts and bluejeans. Comfortable and easy to move in. The teeshirt he had on was black with a picture of Spider-Man on the front.
By contrast, Natasha was dressed in a wine-red silken top with a high neck and long sleeves, along with a long black skirt that went down to her ankles over high stockings and a pair of heeled boots. Her hair was in an immaculate bun as well, with an elegant hairpin sticking out of it.
â⊠you know, you donât have to dress like that all the time Natasha. I mean, you could just wear something comfy around the house.â he pointed out.
Natasha shrugged, âI am quite comfortable like this Nicu. This is how I have dressed for hundreds of years.â she replied.
âI mean, you could still dress kinda like that but⊠at least in clothes that were made this century. Iâm sure Stephy and Sammi could help you find something. Hell Iâd be genuinely shocked if they didnât know every clothing store in the area by name.â he pointed out.
She chuckled, âI am certain they do⊠but no. I tried wearing more modern thingsâŠâ she paused, â⊠last year⊠and it just does not feel right to me. Like I am not meant to wear such things. You would not ask our friend Stephy to dress like a boy again, would you?â she asked.
Nicu winced a bit. If he could blush, he would be. â⊠guess when you put it like thatâŠâ he mumbled.
She chuckled, then looked at the remote for Taraâs Blue Ray player. âNow⊠how does one⊠umâŠâ she picked it up and held it sideways in both hands, looking at it in a confused way.
Nicu grinned, then took it and turned it on, hitting play as the movie they had borrowed from the local library (using Stephyâs card) began to play. âSo⊠you say this is about a vampire⊠who is also what you call⊠a super-hero?â she asked.
âWell, sort ofâŠâ replied Nicu, âHeâs not really a vampire, it was more of a science experiment gone wrong. Heâs got powers like ours, but heâs not killed by sunlight. He is weakened by it though. Its⊠really dumb in parts, but thatâs kinda why its fun too.â
â⊠I see⊠and the story is called, what, âMorbius?ââ she asked.
Nicu nodded, âYep.â he grinned as the opening began playing.
Outside the house, a single person sat at the bus stop despite the busses having already stopped running in this area of Covington for the night. He was too well dressed to be a hobo, but the locals mostly figured he was waiting on a ride of a different sort and picked the bus stop because it was easily recognizable from the road and offered a bench to sit on.
The truth was, he was watching the Smith residence.
As he watched a large truck pulled up next to the stop and the passenger side door opened, and out came a very large man indeed. He had a face like a cinderblock, thick muscular arms, and wore a button down shirt tucked into a pair of slacks but left half-unbuttoned to show his barrel chest.
âHey lick, is this the spot?â grunted the large man.
âYessir.â he nodded, âTheyâre inside. The girl is the leader. She looks young, but Astaroth said sheâs gotta be at least a few hundred years old, probably older than Archibald was.â
The man grinned, showing a pair of long sharp canine teeth. âGood⊠getting bored of kicking around weak shits.â he nodded, cracking his knuckles. âGo ahead ân hop in the truck lick. Iâll handle this.â
The ghoul nodded gratefully, climbing into the heated cab of the truck with an audible sigh of relief as the huge man walked around the front and headed towards the house. âSuppose I should knock, its only politeâŠâ he shrugged.
On the TV, a young Michael Morbius limped through a hospital on a pair of crutches as the movie began describing his life afflicted with a degenerative disease that would lead to him seeking a cure that would transform him into âthe Living Vampireâ as the two unliving ones watched, Natashaâs eyebrow raising as she took it in. â⊠a living vampire? That is⊠rather absurd. One cannot be a vampire and alive. It is not how this⊠works.â
âIts just what he calls himself. His powers are like ours, but he didnât actually get turned by anyone. I told you, itâs a science thing.â replied Nicu.
âHmph⊠nonsense. I cannot fathom mortal fascination with such drivel⊠it isâŠâ she paused, then looked up, âNicu, get behind the couch.â she said in a warning tone.
âHuh? Whats wrong?â he asked⊠then he heard a growling sound.
Lupe had been napping on the rug in her animal form, but now she was standing up and already changing shape into a full werewolf as she stared at the front door.
âThat is wrong.â replied Natasha as she rose to her feet.
A second later there was a single knock on the door, then another, then on the third knock a fist punched clean through the wood, splitting the door in half!
âKnock knockâŠâ came a voice from outside as the hand groped around, found the lock, and undid it⊠then gripped the hole it made and ripped the door right out of its frame.
Standing there, silhouetted against the night, was the barrel-chested man with a face like a cinderblock. âHeard you guys were a real pain in Astarothâs keister⊠he wants me to do something about that. Canât say I like pickinâ on little kids buuuuuuuuuutâŠâ he shrugged dramatically, grinning to show his fangs, âEh⊠got nothinâ better to do tonight.â
Natashaâs eyes flashed crimson as she began to channel the power of her blood, and in a blur of yellow fur Lupe tackled him, throwing her entire weight and every ounce of werewolf strength into the charge!
He stumbled back into the yard, but that was all. He didnât even grunt. âDown pup!â he snapped, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck and throwing her back against the porch with a loud pained yelp from the lupine!
âOughta teach your dog some manners⊠Natasha I think he said?â he rumbled as she emerged from the house, staring him down.
âCorrect. You would be this⊠Walter? They described a Thomas to me⊠but you do not look like what they spoke of.â she replied icily as the shadows seemed to darken around her, her eyes flashing dangerously.
âHAH! If I was as scrawny as that little asswipe Iâd let the sun burn me up out of shame!â he replied, âTom thinks heâs hot shit, but heâs our gofer. We just keep him around âcause heâs too useful to get rid of. Now câmon girl. You may be a tiny little thing, but we both know youâre not what ya look like and I came here for a fight!â
âVery well, a fight you shall have.â she hissed, thrusting her arm out, and the shadows surged forward around her, becoming a wall of jagged spikes.
Walter grinned wickedly, holding his arms infront of him to absorb the blow.
Inside the house Nicu fumbled with his phone, the still-young vampire in a bit of a panic. This guy had thrown Lupe around like she was just a rambunctious puppy, and he knew how strong she was! They needed help!
Jaipur India
The rec room in the Barjar Residence had a bar, and Loren was working on drinking most of it. Nelen was beginning to worry about that, debating if itâd be worth trying to cut her off or at least take it to the Wulfshead⊠but she could likely empty their entire stock and still only be lightly buzzed. Fullmoon warriors were resistant to all poisons, including alcohol. It took a LOT to get her drunk.
âSoooâŠâ he nodded to her, now wearing jeans, a teeshirt, and his ballcap. âTheyâre not sure what it was?â he asked.
Loren shrugged, âAye, lotsa fuckinâ limbs is all we could tell ye. I thought they meant giant bloody spiderbeast at first, but nope. Probably some weird local boogum.â
Nelen nodded, âIâll ask Rajesh and Arja when I get a chance. Theyâd probablyâŠâ he paused as he looked up to see an annoyed Drusilla standing there in a huge teeshirt and her underwear, her hair all over the place, holding a smartphone between her thumb and forefinger.
âMany-scars⊠make your damn toy shut up. It woke me up.â she growled, rubbing her large eye with her free hand.
Nelen took it from her and looked at the front, â⊠shit, its Nicu. I gotta take this.â
He stood up and answered the phone, âNicu, whats go⊠WOAH WOAH! Slow down! What the hell is all that noise in the background?â he asked as Loren sat up at the bar, her drink suddenly ignored as Drusilla cocked her head.
âA vampire is attacking⊠and its one of the four that we heard about?â he asked, âWalter?â he nodded, then his face blanched, âHe did WHAT to Lupe?!â he demanded, putting it on speakerphone.
âShe tackled him ân he just threw her right off into Taraâs porch! Natasha is fighting him now but this guy is tough! Her shadow trick isnât doing ANYTHING!â came the frantic reply.
Drusilla grinned widely, âOh I know what that meansâŠâ she nodded, then rushed off to their bedroom as Nelen looked at her retreating back.
âDammit Drus! We canât just⊠I mean⊠someone has to watch Scylla and none of Rajeshâs housekeepers can handle her! IâŠâ he paused, glancing at the barstool next to him as Dawn dove out of the bedroom with a yowl.
âHey, Loren? Howâd you like to earn some quick cash?â he asked.
â⊠doinâ what?â she replied, raising an eyebrow.
Covington Kentucky
Natasha snarled and shot around Walterâs bulk in a burst of speed, the shadows swirling around her as she did. She lashed out again and a massive blade of darkness shot towards him, but his fist snapped out and punched it into pieces, his veins pressed out against his skin.
While Natashaâs powers were focused on shadows, his were all about his body. Heâd always wanted to be strong, ever since heâd ran with a gang of hoodlums back as a living boy in the late 1800s, when heâd worked as a strikebreaker for the Pinkerton Detective Agency in the 1920s as a young man, and when heâd been found by his sire bleeding out in an alleyway when some workers heâd been sent in to ânegotiateâ with had been better prepared than heâd expected.
As a mortal heâd broken legs and shattered arms, as one of the undead he could juggle dumpsters and outrun trains (and had, until his sire had patiently explained to him why we donât do that.) He didnât care about hiding from the mortals, he just wanted to be strong and use his strength. A fighting junkie to the core, and a bully in the truest sense of the word. He loved finding someone who thought that a righteous cause was as good as armor, then snap them in half like a twig and drain them dry.
âTHAT ALL YA GOT?!â he chortled, diving forward in a boxing stance and lashing out with his fist. It was only Natashaâs vampiric agility that kept the blow from connecting, but the sheer force of it was like a cannonball, causing the smaller vampire to spin a bit as it passed her just from that alone! She stumbled in her heels and almost fell, but Walter caught her and dragged her to her feet by the front of her shirt.
âCâmon! Astaroth said you were some powerful elder, even if you do look like a little goddamn kid! Enough with the shadows tiny! Here!â he dropped her on the ground and held his arms out wide, then tapped his chin and leaned in. âShow me what an âelderâ like you can do. Gimme yer best shot! Câmon, free hit! Do it!â he laughed, folding his arms behind him and closing his eyes with a sneer.
There are some acts that simply invite certain outcomes, whether they are done in a form of media or in real life. Whenever a large boastful and powerful fighter lets someone take a âfree hitâ to demoralize them to show just how powerless they truly are, one of three outcomes will likely happen.
One, their opponent will try, wind up hurting their hand, and then wind up getting hurt far worse when they move in for the kill.
Two, they will stand there for a minute or two, then open their eyes to find that their opponent has fled the battlefield entirely.
Or three, they will wind up with their face turned concave by a much more powerful blow than they expected.
Walter felt the blow connect, felt his head snap back, felt his feet leave the ground, and felt the wind underneath him.
He felt confused. Why werenât his feet on the ground anymore? Why did it feel like he was moving? Was this another shadow trick?
And why did his face hurt so much?
Then he landed with a loud metallic crash in the garbage bins of the house across the street as dogs began barking all up and down the road!
He struggled his way out of the pile of refuse and back to his feet to see three newcomers to the battlefield.
A man stood there wearing a jacket over a teeshirt, bluejeans, a baseball cap, sturdy boots, and glasses. A messenger bag was draped over his shoulders. He had brown hair that was greying in streaks, and a full beard.
To his left stood a young girl with dusky brown skin and a shock of bright red hair, wearing a pair of sunglasses and a sock hat with a long winter coat thrown on over a teeshirt and baggy jeans as well. She was grinning widely, almost too wide⊠and her teeth seemed oddly sharp for some reason.
To his right however was a woman that stood taller than even Walter himself, cracking her knuckles as she grinned at him. She wore a purple tank top and jeans under a black cloth jacket and was looking right at him.
âWell? Get up, or are you going to just let me punch your face in?â called Drusilla as she stepped out of the yard towards Walter.
âWhere the fuck did you come from?!â he demanded, resetting his jaw with an audible click.
Natasha straightened her top, then glanced at Nelen, âThat is an excellent question Nelen⊠do not tell me you left your daughter at Rajeshâs house aloneâŠâ she frowned.
âBelieve it or not, we found a babysitter.â replied the magus.
Natasha blinked in surprise, â⊠for Scylla? W-who?!â she asked.
Jaipur India
Loren grinned as she watched TV with her cousin, the little cyclops still in her pajamas. Normally sheâd watch cartoons in the morning, but Loren had something she thought Scylla would enjoy even more.
The TV showed a large fighting ring where a huge musclebound man in a white teeshirt and kilt roared into a microphone, flipping off the audience as they jeered at him.
âAlright Scylla, thatâs Rowdy Roddy Piper⊠ân heâs a âheel.â That means heâs a bad guy, ân we donât like bad guys aye?â she nodded.
âBOOO! BAD GUY HEEL!â called out the cyclops, making a face at the screen as Loren grinned, then another wrestler came up behind him and grabbed him by the shoulder, slamming him down onto the mat. This one had long blonde hair and a large mustache, wearing just a pair of yellow briefs and boots to show off his muscles.
Rowdy Rody Piper struggled to his feet and glared at his opponent, then charged him, but the other one grabbed him, flipped him upside down, and then jumped into the air and slammed him down into the floor of the ring headfirst with his head trapped between his legs.
âOkay, so what Hulk Hogan just did ta âim is called a âpiledriver.â Can ye say âpiledriver?ââ asked Loren.
âPILâDWIVUH! PILâDWIVUH!â cheered Scylla, waving her hands in the air above her head.
âAttagirl!â she nodded.
Nelen wanted her to babysit his daughter⊠well⊠fine, but he should have really known better. Heâd find out soon enough, and she wasnât going to complain about some quick cash.
Covington
Drusilla roared loud enough to rattle the windows of the houses nearby as Nelen scratched at his beard, â⊠Loren, but Iâm sure itâll be okay.â he replied.
Natasha raised her eyebrow at him but shrugged. âI will certainly not complain about the aid. This foe is powerful despite his relative youth.â she frowned, then walked to the porch where Lupe had landed to inspect her werewolf companion. She knew that she was likely not dead, but it was rare for Lupe to not get right back up after a blowâŠ
Out in the street the powerful vampire clashed with the giantkin, Walter using his cursed blood to enhance his muscles to match Drusillaâs inborn cycloptian power⊠but he was rapidly finding out that this was no ordinary foe!
Drusilla looked human, albeit very large, but that was thanks to a bracelet she wore to hide her inhuman features when among the mundanes. A tall woman was easier to explain away than a one-eyed one, so the enchanted bracelet Nelen had crafted would give her the illusion of having two eyes instead of one.
Walter was the strongest of their little group, even the Rat wouldnât have been able to match him in outright muscle. Unlike other vampires he didnât worry about stealth or subterfuge or anything like that. He was a freight train with fangs.
Drusilla, however, was born strong. A cyclops was a force that even the warriors of Clan Fullmoon had trouble dealing with. Walterâs blows hurt her, but she shrugged most of them off and countered with her own that were capable of punching through concrete!
Walter stumbled back after a sudden blow, focusing on his blood to restore the damage that Drusillaâs attack had inflicted on him as he straightened up. âDamn lady! Ainât ever met a woman who could punch like that!â he laughed, âBut I could go all night, think you could?â
âHEY DRUS!â called Nelen, âWe should wrap this up! The neighbors probably already called the cops!â he shouted as he tossed his bag to her.
She caught it and sighed, âFiiiiiiiiiine⊠canât have any damn funâŠâ she grumbled, reaching into the bag and gripping something inside.
Walter looked confused, and even moreso as her hand came out with a massive wooden club with a ring set in the base, the top half covered in wicked metal spikes! It was huge, and way too big to have ever fit in the bag!
She smirked, then reached down to her wrist and hooked a finger under her wristband, pulling it off.
The vampire stared, not sure what to make of this⊠but suddenly the woman he was fighting wasnât a woman at all but a huge one-eyed monster! He grinned wildly, bracing himself, then charged at her!
Drusilla smirked, then as soon as he was close she moved with rather surprising speed and brought the club around, smashing it into him!
Walter screamed in pain as the wood struck him, the vampire landing on his side in the snow with smoke coming from where it hit! âWHAT THE FUCK!â he coughed, gripping his side. His skin there was covered in painful blisters, as if it had been burned somehow!
âCustom made big guy!â called Nelen, âWith blessed wood!â he added.
The vampire gasped, struggling to his feet. That was bad⊠he glared at her, then at the other newcomers. He liked a good fight, but this was the vampire equivalent of taking a knife to a gunfight. If the club was blessed, he wouldnât even be able to touch it!
âShitâŠâ he spat, then he focused his blood into his legs and leapt into the air, landing in the cab of the truck with his ghouls inside. He slammed the truckâs back with his hand, âGO!â he shouted, and the tires squealed as the truck shot off.
Nelen watched him go as Drusilla put her club back in his bag, then slid her bracelet back on and walked back over to him. âHmph, coward. Second I pull out a weapon he runs away.â she grumped.
âBlessing the wood makes it holy Drus, holy objects are deadly to vampires, remember?â he pointed out.
âI can confirm this Drusilla.â nodded Natasha as she roused Lupe, the werewolf back in her animal form and looking rather embarrassed that she got taken down so easily. âWalter would have been a fool to fight you with such a weapon.â
Drusilla just shrugged, âEh⊠soâŠâ she glanced at the front door of the Smithâs household, or rather where the door should have been. âWhatâre we gonna do about that?â
âDonât worry yerselves luv.â said a voice by her ankles.
âWez got it.â came another.
The group looked down in surprise as a trio of small creatures walked past them. One appeared to be a humanoid frog, another was some sort of gnome-like creature, and the third was quite possibly a domovoi (or something similar.)
âUhâŠâ he muttered as another one of them walked up to him.
âGood evening, am I correct in assuming you are the magus Nelen Fullmoon?â they asked, bowing low, then looking up at him with a literally foxy smile. âI am Reynard, scout and ally to Prince Samuel of the Icebound Heart. His lordship asked me to notify him if you were to arrive in the city.â
âYeah thatâs me.â he nodded, glancing back at the door as the goblins got to work mending the damage of Walterâs entry, then back at Reynard. âTell Sam that weâll met him, Tex, and Stephy around noon-ish. Taraâs house wonât fit all of us, so I need to get us a hotel room.â he nodded.
âRight you are magus.â nodded the fox-like goblin, who turned on his heel and vanished in a swirl of snow.
âHuh, didnât know Sammi had goblins on his payroll besides that one bartender Stephy told us aboutâŠâ commented Dawn as she raised her sunglasses, looking at the ones working on the front of the house, the door already almost mended. Goblins worked fast when they were paid well.
âAinât gonna complain.â nodded Nelen, looking up as he heard sirens in the distance. âNow as our old friend Shaman says, âlets get the fuck outta here before the cops show up.ââ he smirked as Dawn grinned and grabbed both him and Drusilla by the arm, then the three of them vanished in a burst of magic.
Natasha sighed as she watched them go, then shrugged and walked back up into the house as the goblins put the finishing touches on the repairs, nodding to them respectfully as they nodded back. âSo, Nicu. Shall we continue the performance?â she smirked.
Content Warning: This chapter contains a graphic description of a character's death. Reader discretion is advised.
Jaipur India, late morning
Nelen stood in the middle of the rec room of the Barjar Estate, the magusâs arms folded over his chest. âSo thatâs what happened according to Tex. Stephy was captured and they rescued him, but during his captivity the vampire who had him let their new Princeâs name slip⊠and, yeahâŠâ he nodded, glancing away at the wall.
Arja was grinding her teeth, looking down at the floor. This was bad, really bad. Al had come very VERY close to killing them both times theyâd encountered him. â⊠dammit⊠I mean⊠I donât want to not help, but if itâs the middle of winter thereâŠâ she grumbled.
Nelen nodded, âBelieve me I get it. If I could call for backup from Clan Fullmoon, or hell even get Aisha or Alice, I would⊠but the way things are now I have no idea when or if Loren will be free, and I know Alice is busy busting her ass.â he replied, sighing.
Dawn let out a low mrowl, the Cheshire sitting on the couch with her tail thrashing. âI mean⊠I saw that new prince in Dustyâs vision⊠he sure as hells didnât act like Al.â she frowned, âBut if heâs pulling some sort of scam, I mean he fooled us for years. We know heâs a good actor.â she nodded.
âBut why?â asked Simoni, âWhy show up again now, and why there?â
Nelen sighed, âRevenge probably. He probably knows our parents live there. Demons can be extremely spiteful⊠and after the thrashing we gave him, nevermind ruining the plans they had with the Heavenly Host to restore Yahweh and solidify their power again⊠yeah, he probably figures wrecking our hometown to be good payback, or maybe even wants to use it to try to accomplish what he failed to start in New Orleans.â he nodded.
Simoni whined, âYeah, a horde of âunholy bloodsucking monstersâ getting wiped out by the angels⊠thatâd be pretty close to what he planned for the Hyde.â
Arja growled, looking at her hands. She was a member of the vanara folk and a fire magic user, but it was the middle of winter in Cincinnati. Her powers would be at their weakest there, but if they didnât goâŠ
â⊠let me and Simoni go talk to grandpa. Maybe he knows something about how to get around my weakness to cold.â she nodded, âGive us... one week Nelen. Then, ready or not, weâll go.â
Nelen nodded back, âOne week. Iâll work on some prep while youâre busy. Weâre up against vampires mostly, so thereâs shit I can do there.â
Then the group looked up at the sound of shouting from outside, and several loud thudding sounds.
Nelen sighed, âFor fuckâs sake⊠again?! Girls, stay here. Iâm going to go deal with this.â he frowned, heading upstairs to explain, calmly and patiently, why trespassing and taking photos without consent was illegal⊠and exactly where the line was drawn for how much injury one could inflict before it became âtoo muchâ on a trespasser.
He hoped they could find some way to stop these idiots soon.
Sammiâs Apartment, Covington Kentucky, A Few Days Later
Stephy examined his neck in the mirror, then looked at his wrists. Not even any discoloration remained. It had been almost a week since he was liberated from Astarothâs haven but thanks to Grabkinsâ ministrations he was all but healed. He walked out into the bar area of the apartment where Sammi and Tex were waiting, along with Lupe who had curled up on the floor for a short nap, and nodded to them. âAlright, I think Iâm good.â grinned the fae princess.
Stephy was dressed for a fight, but in a stealthy sort of way. A white leather skirt going down to his knees, black leggings, and slip on black shoes, with a blue silken sleeveless top under a white leather jacket. The skirt and jacket were sturdy enough to offer some protection (they were crafted from the hide of an Arcadian beast rather than one from the mortal realm) while not getting in the way should he need to transform. His hair was tied back into a secure ponytail as well, and he had something else with him.
He had decided to take a cue from Nelen, and over his shoulder was a small white clutch purse with the inside magically altered to be as big as a carâs trunk. Inside it were several useful tools that Sammi had gathered at the local Goblin Market during his recovery.
The Goblin Market of Cincinnati was quite the sight, though Stephy hadnât had the chance to go before. In the city proper there was a large public market known as Findlay Market. A popular destination for both tourists and locals that sold locally grown produce and specialty foods⊠though it was always closed on Mondays.
That was, in part, because Monday evenings, from sunset to sunrise, the goblins came to hawk their wares.
While the mortal market would sell various fruits and veggies, jams and jellies, and other such treats and delicacies, the goblins sold the bounty of the local Hedge in the form of the magical fruits that grew there, as well as any trinkets or esoterica they could pick up and stranger things besides⊠of which Stephyâs bag now carried several.
It had always been a major failing of theirâs that their team did not have anyone versed in healing arts, and their encounter with Astaroth really drove that home, so among the other finds Sammi had acquired were several smaller vials of the same hedge fruit mixture that made up Grabkinsâ restoratives. It wouldnât be as effective as magic, and they would still have to drink them, but it could mean the difference between life and death.
Sammi and Tex were ready for battle as well, the changeling prince in his own white leather tunic, black tights, and knee-high boots with his rapier at his hip and Tex wearing his long sturdy duster coat with the Very Useful Deck tucked into the inside chest pocket.
âSo, remember the plan everyone.â nodded Sammi, âWe know where the creature makes its haven. Reynard and my other goblins will guard the exits while we go inside and do battle. Our best chance is to force them into the sunlight. If we can manage that, the fight will be effectively over.â
âEasier said than done SamâŠâ nodded Tex, taking a drink from a can of Dr. Pepper, the can looking extremely out of place in the princeâs apartment. âThat thing is strong ân fast, weâll have to be really on our toes even with Lupeâs help.â
âOh ye of little faithâŠâ tutted Sammi as he finished his own drink, a rather strange cocktail of wine brewed from the same clear grapes Stephy snacked on at lunchtime and the tears of those whose hearts had been broken.
âWeâll handle it Tex. Nelen said heâll be here in a couple days, but I wanna make sure at least one of those four is dealt with before they realize weâre not really in Texas.â nodded Stephy, putting his hand on the cowboyâs shoulder.
Tex sighed, then smiled at him, âWell, ainât gonna pretend I donât wanna give âim a bloody nose for what he did to yaâll darlinâ.â he nodded, finishing his drink and standing, then whistling.
Lupeâs head perked up, the werewolf barking as she got to all fours, still in her animal form as the group headed out of the apartment.
âGood huntinâ to yez.â nodded Grabkins as they left, the goblin busying himself with cleaning up.
An Abandoned Paper Mill, Mill Creek Cincinnati, a couple hours later
In the depths of the old mill, in a windowless room, was Clarence the Rat, the Mill Creek Monster.
He lay there in the deep deathly sleep of the day that took the undead when they laid down as the sun rose, but his dreams were fitful. It would be more accurate to say that his memories were. Rather than dreams, most vampires remembered events of their lives and unlives when they rested.
His memories often returned to the day he was turned, seeing the horrible monster that he now knew was his sire emerging from the trunk he had stolen with the rest of his crew of river pirates, remembering how it tore them limb from limb, then turned to him and forced him down, burying its fangs in his neck.
He remembered how everything seemed to slowly go dark, how cold he had felt, how he could hear his heart slowing down as it tried and failed to keep beating⊠then a taste in his mouth⊠thicker than any syrup, richer than any wine, and how he wanted it, all of itâŠ
⊠and then waking up that night and seeing what had become of him.
He hated those memories he hated remembering how weak and terrified he had felt⊠and now he reveled in bringing that terror to others. Every night he could he drowned those memories in blood, knowing no matter what he would never be human again, or even seen as human.
Suddenly, his eyes opened, and he sniffed at the air.
â⊠someone come to visit olâ Clarence?â he hissed, his head rising.
Someone was inside his lair he could feel it. It was still daytime, but it wouldnât be the first time a would-be vampire slayer had tracked him down.
Slowly, he went on all fours, then began to slink out of the room as his body became invisible once more. There were windows of course, places where the sun could get in, but this was his domain and he knew it better than anyone.
At least heâd have a snack before he went back to bed.
Inside the old mill the group stood ready. Tex had the Very Useful Deck in his hand, ready to draw as soon as their foe showed himself, and Sammiâs blade was already unsheathed.
Stephy had opened his purse and pulled out something himself. A goblin fruit that looked like a large bell pepper, but with black leaves and stem instead of green.
Next to them all was Lupe, the werewolfâs eyes scanning the room⊠then suddenly the lupine figure arched her back and growled in warning.
âSmelled me did yeh?â came the voice of the Mill Creek Monster⊠then suddenly they heard rushing footsteps! Stephy spun around and tore the stem off the pepper with his teeth, looking towards where they were coming from.
âCOVER YOUR FACES!â he shouted to everyone as he threw it, then quickly ducked down and clamped his hands over his mouth and nose as he shut his eyes tight.
The pepper bounced towards the source of the sound, and after a moment there was a tremendous splattering sound as a huge cloud of raw spice exploded into the air!
Plants from the hedge were odd things. Some had restorative properties, some could be highly toxic, but some could be weapons! The Bellbomb Peppers were one of those, tear the stem off hard enough and it caused the glamour inside to ignite, making a powerful peppery hand grenade!
Clarence shrieked as the spices bit into his eyes, the vampire becoming visible as he clawed at his face. He was undead, but he still needed to be able to see! âAUGH! W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!â he snarled, trying to clear his vision.
Stephy stood and whistled sharply, a gust of wintery air blasting through the mill and blowing away the remaining cloud as his allies raised their weapons, Lupe letting out a roar as she transformed from an animal into her massive werewolf form. âNOW! WHILE HEâS BLINDED!â he called out.
Lupe snarled and raced forward, her fangs bared as she drew close to the Mill Creek Monster, but Clarence snarled and lashed out with his claws, sending her flying with a yelp!
Tex drew a hand from the deck, then the cards vanished and a crackling ball of lightning appeared in his grasp. âAinât seen this in a whileâŠâ he nodded, rearing back and throwing it like a fastball towards the vampire.
The lightning shot out of his hand in a flash, and Clarence couldnât move in time, the bolt hitting home! The vampire screamed in pain as lightning arced across his body, but it didnât seem to hurt him as much as it would a living foe.
Sammi ducked under him, coating his sword in a sheet of ice, and tried to thrust upwards towards the vampireâs heart as he attempted to freeze it like the one they encountered in the alleyway at the start of all this, but Clarence roared and smacked him to the side, the sword falling from his hands as Sammi went rolling against one of the old rusted machines in the mill, crying out in pain as he slammed into it.
Stephy gasped as he saw him land, then looked at Clarence and let out a loud bird-like cry as the air inside the mill sparkled with frost and became a sudden gale, slamming down into the vampire. It snarled, but while the cold did slow it a little it didnât have much effect otherwise. He was a living corpse after all, hypothermia wasnât a threat to him!
The Monster leapt, and Stephy immediately ran to the left, throwing off his jacket and kicking off his shoes as he transformed and took to the air, then soared over the Monsterâs head. He landed near the far wall of the building, flapping his wings as his talons scratched at the floor. âOVER HERE UGLY!â he shouted.
Clarence hissed, then sneered. âNice try snackâŠâ he grinned as Stephy hesitated. âTryinâ to get olâ Clarence by thâ doors so you can shove âim out in thâ sunlight ân watch âim roast? You think youâre thâ first one to try that?!â he laughed.
Stephy hesitated, that had indeed been his plan! They would lure him by the doors, then Stephy would use his wind magic to blow him outside where the sun would finish him off⊠but Clarence was almost two hundred years old, this was far from the first attempt to end the legend of the Mill Creek Monster!
Clarence looked around. Sammi was struggling to his feet, his side injured where heâd hit the ancient machinery⊠but he was still a changeling and likely had some tricks, and the werewolf could match his strength easily⊠but the other oneâŠ
He sneered, then turned towards Tex and charged. âCâMERE SNACK!â he laughed.
Tex gasped as he ran forward, but as he drew close he grinned, then reached into his jacket pocket. Stephy wasnât the only one who had some goblin tricks! As soon as Clarence was within armâs reach, he pulled out what looked like a sunflower with glowing petals, then crushed it in his hand. There was a snapping sound and a burst of light erupted from his palm like a flashbulb as the Mill Creek Monster screamed and fell backwards, smoke erupting from his face!
âGotcha!â laughed Tex as he drew a fresh hand from the Very Useful Deck, getting a revolver that seemed to tremble slightly as if caught in a minor earthquake.
Sunburst Flowers, another goblin fruit that, as the name suggested, exploded in a flash of light when put under pressure. Not just any light, but sunlight! Clarence wouldnât take Stephyâs bait and go to the sun, so Tex brought the sun to him!
Texâs revolver cracked off three times, the bullets pounding into the Monsterâs midsection as he writhed on the floor, clutching at his face! âWe knew youâd go fer me first chance yaâll got. Two changelings ân a werewolf, but Iâm thâ only human! Not as easy a target as yaâll thought eh?â
Clarence roared in fury, clawing his way to his feet. His face was blackened and burnt as if itâd been pressed to a hot stove, his eyes shining with malice as he raised his claws. âK-KILL YOU!â he roared, baring his fangs as he leapt only for Lupe to tackle him in midair and send him crashing to the floor.
The werewolf barked in fury, clawing at him as Clarence snarled and tried to shove her off, but Lupeâs strength was second only to Drusillaâs! The two rolled across the floor of the old mill, snarling at each other in rage, then suddenly a sharp whistle echoed through the building and Lupe jumped back from him, landing on all fours nearby.
Clarence growled and tried to get to his feet, then fell down as he slid on something. âWhat theâŠâ he looked down, seeing a sheet of ice under him.
Sammi was sitting next to the machine heâd thrown him into, clutching at his side, but grinning mischeviously at the vampire. His hand was pressed to the floor and a trail of frost radiated out from it, freezing the ground under Clarence.
âWaitâŠâ hissed the vampire, looking around, then looking behind him and realizing where he was.
âNOW REYNARD!â shouted the fae prince!
Outside the mill Reynardâs ears twitched. âTHEREâS HIS LORDSHIPâS SIGNAL! PULL YE SONS OF MOTHERS!â he cried as the assembled goblins tugged hard on the ropes theyâd attached to the large metal delivery doors on the millâs front, wrenching them open!
Inside Stephy landed next to Sammi, still in his avian form, took a deep breath, and let out a loud raptor-like shriek! The wind howled in response, slamming into Clarence and sending him sliding across the frozen floor!
âNO!â roared Clarence as he tried to dig his claws in, but the floor was totally frictionless! He was moving too fast and he couldnât gain any footing on the ice! His fingers scrabbled, but the ice had coated everything around him for several feet! There was nothing within reach to grab to stop himself!
Then he hit the snows outside with a thud, tumbling head over heels as Stephy and Sammi both raised their hands, and the ice heâd slid on raised and thickened, freezing over the entrance!
âScatter!â yelled Reynard as the goblins ran out of the yard and Clarence scrambled to his feet⊠then he began to feel it.
It was almost noon, on a beautiful cloudless winter dayâŠ
Vampirism was a curse. While it offered one the chance to⊠well, not live forever, but continue forever⊠there were some major drawbacks. The biggest and most well known of course, being sunlight.
The morning that Natasha received Cernunnosâ blessing, which granted her protection from âSolâs Baleful Glareâ as the spell went, she had almost cried upon seeing the sun without fear for the first time in centuries.
But Clarence had no such protectionâŠ
The vampire screamed as his body began to smoke, his skin blackening and cracking as he looked around for any cover, anything, but the yard was huge and empty, surrounded by a high brick wall on all sides. There was nowhere to hide!
âNO! NOT THIS!â he wailed, slamming into the icy barrier as he tried to flee back into the mill. "IT BURNS! IT BUUUUURNS!â he cried as smoke began to rise from his form, the smell of burnt meat filling the air.
He clawed frantically at the barrier, the sun hanging overhead in a clear blue sky, reflected all around him by the snow in the field. He slammed his hand into the ice, and with a snap his arm broke off and crumbled to ashes.
He screamed wordlessly, turning and trying to flee somewhere, anywhere else, but with another snapping sound his knee cracked in half and his left leg crumbled as well!
Clarence fell onto his back, his remaining arm over his eyes as the sun glared down on him like a vengeful deity, his skin blackened and cracked with embers like a stick of charcoal as he whimpered in terror.
âNot this⊠not poor olâ ClarenceâŠâ he gasped out, his arm cracking away as it scattered on the wind, â⊠whoâll mourn olâ misbegotten⊠ClarenceâŠâ he wheezed as his chest caved in, then his face, crumbling into ashes and dust.
Slowly the ice barrier melted away and the group emerged, finding only an empty set of clothes amid a pile of ashes in the snowfield. As the wind blew over them the ashes scattered, not even bones remained. A vampire would leave a skeleton if destroyed by other means, but the sun claimed all. Other than the clothes he wore there was nothing left to show that the Mill Creek Monster had ever been.
â⊠huh⊠well that was⊠uh⊠gruesome.â muttered Tex, staring at the pile. He wanted to end the Mill Creek Monsterâs threat, especially after what had happened to Stephy⊠but it was one thing to want it, quite another to hear a vampire screaming in terror as it was consumed by sunlight.
âQuiteâŠâ nodded Sammi, twirling an empty glass vial in his fingers, one of the restoratives Stephy had brought in his purse. âYou always think theyâll just go up like a Roman Candle and thatâs that⊠but its never as quick as you expect.â
Stephy nodded, âYeah⊠wow⊠um⊠we should probably head back home guys. I donât think we wanna be in Cincinnati when the other three figure out heâs dead dead.â he pointed out.
âRight.â nodded Sammi.
âMmhmâŠâ agreed Tex.
âWoof.â commented Lupe, in her animal form once more.
Astarothâs Backup Haven, 2:00 AM
âWHAT DO YOU MEAN âHEâS DEAD?!ââ demanded Astaroth into his phone.
âSorry boss!â came the reply, âWe went to the Mill like you said, but it looks like there was a fight here and the Rat ainât here, but thereâs a pile of clothes outside and ash all over the damn place. I mean, what else could it be?â
Astaroth frowned, "Just ashes? No bones?" he asked.
"No bones... not even a tooth... um... so yeah..." the caller trailed off. They both knew what that meant, the only thing that would destroy a vampire's skeleton as well as their body was sunlight... that or maybe something like a blast furnace, but a ruined paper mill wouldn't have that.
The vampiric mage steadied himself, taking off his glasses and rubbing his face firmly, then sighed, â⊠just⊠get back here dammit.â he snapped, hanging up and turning around.
Thomas was leaning against the wall, staring at him, â⊠they got the fuckinâ Monster?â he asked in a disbelieving tone.
âSomeone did.â nodded Astaroth. âI donât know if it was them⊠my ghouls say they left from CVG four days ago, but they also say that they saw them getting off a bus this afternoon. So they both left Cincinnati and didnât.â
Thomas looked very worried at this, the younger vampire adjusting his tie, âYeah, but⊠the Rat of all damn things⊠how the fuckâŠâ he swallowed.
âI DONâT DAMN WELL KNOW! They have one of the godsdamned Gentry on their side! Maybe she got him!â he snarled, stalking to a wall and resting his arm against it, then pressing his forehead to his arm and sighing loudly. âWhereâs Walter?â he asked, looking over his shoulder.
âEr, last I heard he was up in Price Hill. We got wind that there was a coterie up there who wanted to off the Boss and stick up a new prince who was more like old Archibald, so heâs⊠sortinâ them out.â replied Thomas.
âSend someone to find him once heâs done having his fun. He loves a good fight. If they really did kill the Mill Creek Monster, heâll be all over that.â he nodded.
Thomas nodded, âYou got it AstarothâŠâ he replied, quickly making his way out.
Astaroth sighed, glaring at the wall. âThis was supposed to be simple. Replace Archie with a puppet, get what we want⊠but the only one dumb enough to actually try to kill him was this loon who wants to play Vampire LordâŠâ he grumbled.
While Clarence and Walter reveled in being a monster and a tyrant, Astaroth and Thomas knew better. They knew damn well that they were hidden from the humans for a reason, and that reason was that humans outnumbered them and had access to powerful weaponry. A vampire had to fear pitchforks, torches, and wooden stakes in days of old⊠but the modern era had automatic weapons, incendiary grenades, and napalm.
â⊠the must have other help. Two changeling children and a mundane canât possibly have handled him on their own, and the only one who would have been able to fight with them in the daytime would have been the werewolf I sawâŠâ he nodded, âIâll have to tell my agents to follow them in the day, see who else is getting involved before this spirals too far out of control.â
Edgewood Kentucky
In the woods behind his house, Dusty hummed to himself and roasted some marshmallows over a campfire, on a stick. Sitting on his shoulder was a squirrel, chittering in his ear. âWell hot damn.â he chuckled, nodding to the furry creature as it nodded back.
Sammiâs Apartment, a Hollow adjacent to Covington Kentucky
Stephy blinked slowly, surrounded by softness. He heard voices, but he couldnât quite make out what they were saying. He reached up and felt over his throat, hissing in discomfort as he felt bandages under his fingers, then raised his arm shakingly to see his wrists, seeing the same, before letting it fall back down to the mattress with a flop.
He saw something move out of the corner of his eye, then turned to see Grabkins the goblin standing there with a red potion in a glass bottle. He almost started, until he recognized it was a decoction of hedge fruits rather than blood, then nodded and opened his mouth for it.
The goblin pulled out the stopper, holding the bottle so the liquid flowed past Stephyâs lips, and he slowly felt life return to his limbs. It wouldnât heal him right away, but it would speed things up so that his recovery would take days instead of weeks.
âGlad ta see yer back with us Princess.â nodded the goblin as he let the bottle drain, then took the empty vial away and walked around the corner to where the bar area was. âMâlord. Yer sibling is awake.â he called around the corner.
The voices stopped, then two figures walked into view. Prince Samuel was there in his usual finery, the changeling boy looking satisfied and more than a little relieved (though he was trying not to show how much.) The other one however made no attempt to hide their emotions.
Tex quickly walked to his bedside and knelt down next to it, the young man wrapping his arms tightly around Stephy as he took a deep breath. âThought weâd lost yaâll fer a minute there lilâ fillyâŠâ he whispered.
âOh come now Prince Cowboy. Astaroth was clearly intending to use Stephyâs blood for his research, he wasnât about to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Still, taking all that blood did you no favors my dearâŠâ chuckled the prince ruefully, sitting on the bed next to Stephy, âYou blacked out in the back of Taraâs truck halfway back to Covington⊠yesterday.â
Stephy coughed weakly. His throat still burned where the iron had touched him. â⊠did Mom get him?â he asked in a hoarse voice.
Sammi frowned and shook his head. âMother has her agents scouring the area, but he has gone to ground. A vampire and a mage, he must have had several boltholes prepared in advance. Truly I have rarely seen her so furious. I almost pity Astaroth once she finally catches up to him.â he grinned wickedly at the thought.
Tex released Stephy and straightened up, his hand going to the fae princessâ as he gave it a squeeze. âI sure as heck donât⊠after what he did to my Stephy I was ready ta stake thâ fucker myself.â he growled.
Stephy shifted uncomfortably as he felt the raw emotion coming off Tex, Sammi whistling and fanning his face, âOh my⊠you may want to turn that down a hair, Stephyâs constitution isnât what it normally is right now.â he warned.
Tex hesitated, then saw Stephyâs reaction and winced apologetically, taking several deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down. In his weakened state Stephyâs changeling nature would try to harvest whatever glamour it could to restore himself, but emotions that ran âhotâ like anger wouldnât exactly be easy to handle right now. Like eating a plateful of spicy food after suffering a stomach virus.
 âShit⊠sorry darlinâ⊠Iâm okay now⊠just⊠when that thing grabbed ya ân ran inta thâ sewersâŠâ he shuddered. âIâm alright! Iâm alrightâŠâ
â⊠Its okay TexâŠâ whispered Stephy, his eyes still showing a deep bone-tiredness as he lay there, his voice raspy. â⊠but⊠I heard something in his lair⊠I know the name of the new princeâŠâ he glanced between them.
Sammi raised his eyebrow, âOho? Do tell my dearâŠâ he nodded, leaning in as Grabkins returned with a fluted glass full of what looked like some sort of champagne for the prince, though the bubbles formed complex patterns in the liquid rather than simply going to the surface.
âThatâs great news darlinâ⊠if we know who he was as a human, we might be able ta find somethinâ to use against him!â grinned Tex.
Stephy shook his head weakly, â⊠guys⊠he might not have been human⊠Astaroth said his name was⊠âAlâŠââ he gasped out.
There was a tinkle of glass and a splash as the champagne glass fell to the floor from Sammiâs suddenly numb hands, the princelingâs eyes wide as Texâs eyebrows rose so high they threatened to vanish into his hairline.
Tex and Sammi shared a look, then Sammi nodded, âGo home, wake Natasha and Nicu, and call Nelen. NOW. Grabkins and I will tend to Stephyâs wounds.â
Tex nodded, then gave Stephyâs hand a squeeze and leaned in, kissing his forehead. âIâll be back as soon as I can darlinâ.â he whispered, then he jumped up and ran to the door, throwing on his coat before disappearing out into the snow. He wanted to stay by Stephyâs side badly, but there was only one Al they knew of who could cause chaos on a city-wide scale like thisâŠ
About an hour later, Jaipur India
Nelen had his phone pressed to his ear, the mage still in just his pajama bottoms. It had been nighttime on that side of the globe, and he had been in bed. He was annoyed to be woken up, but as soon as he heard that name, he was wide awake!
âTex, youâre CERTAIN that he heard this guy call the new prince that?!â he demanded, âFrom what you said Stephy was really out of it, he might have heard wrongâŠâ he warned.
âDammit Nelen I know mah filly wouldnât say it unless he was sure!ââ came Texâs voice from the other end.
Nelen scowled, his palms beginning to itch where Merihimâs old scars were. He knew that it was likely he could have escaped the Wild Hunt, or at least survived the attack to some level. Even if they did kill him they wouldnât have âkilledâ him, just destroyed his corporeal form and sent him back to Hell. He always knew, deep down, that he wasnât finished dealing with his demons yet.
Nelen scowled, then glanced towards Arja and Simoniâs room. âLook, Iâll have to convince Arja to come. If I come without her then the first damn stalker who shows up is going to get char broiled and as much as I would REALLY love to see thatâŠâ he took a deep breath and sighed, â⊠it still counts as murder.â
As he said this he became aware of something near his legs. He looked down to see a small girl with long black hair and one huge green eye looking up at him, the child wearing a purple cotton pajama set. She looked like she could be about three or four years old, though in truth she was only one year so far. âThey grew up so fastâ wasnât a metaphor with her species it seemed. They likely had to grow up fast to survive in the old days and it just never changed for their biology.
âPoppa?â asked Scylla sleepily, rubbing her eye, âWhy yellinâ?â
âHang on Tex, gotta be a dad.â he said, then Nelen knelt down and put his hand on her head, stroking through her hair. âGrown up stuff kiddo, go on back to bed or your mom will give us both a smack. Donât worry, dadâs got this.â he nodded with a smile to his daughter, then looked around and saw a pair of eyes in the corner watching them. âHey Midnight, can you keep Scylla company until she falls back asleep?â he asked.
The eyes vanished, and then a Cheshire kitten with all black fur appeared sitting atop Scyllaâs head, cocking its own head at him, then nodding. Unlike Dawn and the rest of her siblings, Midnight rarely talked and was easily the best at turning invisible on demand out of the others. Scylla giggled at the kitten, then picked her off her head and held her in her arms as she nodded at her father, then walked off back to her bedroom.
Nelen smiled. Scylla was a literal monster to raise, half-human and half-cyclops but with a Fullmoonâs genetics. They didnât know if she was going to wind up like Simoni or Loren yet, she was still very young, but even if she didnât inherit the physical prowess of the Clan she had her motherâs muscle⊠and yet there was never a time she treated the Cheshires with anything but the utmost of care and gentleness despite her ability to already punch holes in walls without trying.
⊠then he stopped smiling as he remembered what had almost happened to her, and what his haste and desperation to contain Merihim nearly caused. He put the phone back to his ear, âIâll be there. Might not be for a couple days, but Iâll get Arja to come if I have to drag her by the scruff of her godsdamn neck. If this is Al then we need to shut him down, hard.â
Sammiâs Apartment, the Next Day
Stephy was sitting up in bed now, still looking weak but doing better than he had been. While his life hadnât been in any danger Astaroth had taken a lot of his blood and the iron burns were certainly not helping matters.
Sammi had to return to Arcadia to obtain the incense burners that had been used to restore him when they discovered his unusual condition. Sammi was not like normal changelings. Most were taken by the Gentry as adults, or at least older children, but Sammi was snatched right out of his cradle as an infant.
Growing up in Arcadia made him more powerful and knowledgeable than the average changeling, but it came with a price. Having lived there so long, his body was now dependent on the glamour of the realm to stay alive. He could manage time in the mortal realm as long as he had a steady source of glamour and access to his apartment, which existed partially inside the confines of the Hedge, but he would have to regularly return to Arcadia or risk losing his powers, and eventually his life.
Sammi was well over a century old now, as far as he could tell, and his unnatural youth required the magic of Arcadia to keep going.
The incense burners were set on either side of the bed Stephy occupied, a sparkling blue smoke drifting lazily up from them. The smoke smelled of pine and spruce, and of something he couldnât quite place⊠a nostalgic smell that smelled different to everyone and spoke of precious things lost and the memories they left behind.
Stephy took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, the bags under his eyes had shrunk from before and the bandages had been removed from his wrists and neck, though the skin there was still noticeably red. âSo, you got through to Nelen?â he asked Tex.
The cowboy nodded, âYeah, as soon as I told him that it could be Al he was all in. He says he gotta get Arja out here too so it might take a few days to convince her, but he ainât gonna leave this one lie.â
Stephy nodded, âGood⊠thatâs goodâŠâ he sighed, âBecause weâre going to need him. Both Astaroth and the Monster got away, and they know who and what we are.â
Tex sighed, âYeah⊠but⊠weâve got a few backup plans. Mom is heading back to Texas now.â he nodded as Stephy looked up at him quizzically.
Tex grinned, âShe knows she canât stay with all this shit goinâ on, especially now that thâ vampires know where we live. Sheâs called into thâ school citing a family emergency and is flyinâ back out to Grandadâs ranch today, ân âweâllâ be going with her.â he nodded.
They looked up at the sound of footsteps to see Sammi walking into view, the fae princeling wearing an elegant blue dressing gown and holding a glass of something probably quite alcoholic, and possibly hallucinogenic. âThe âyouâ that are going with her are two of my goblins, glamoured to look like yourselves. Meanwhile, you two will in truth stay here so we can prepare our own battle plans.â
âMom ainât happy âbout leavinâ me behind⊠but⊠well she knows damn well I ainât gonna abandon yaâll.â nodded Tex, giving Stephyâs hand a squeeze, âBut sheâs got nothinâ of her own ta fight with besides a pistol, ân those vampires can dodge bullets.â
Stephy nodded at that, the princess settling back into the pillows as he took another deep breath of the glamour infused incense, feeling a tingle of power going up and down his limbs. It wouldnât be much, but the idea was that it would restore him gradually as his body recovered enough to allow it.
âSpeaking of, we need to deal with those four that are either pulling the Princeâs strings or believe they are while Al manipulates themâŠâ nodded Sammi as he sat down at the foot of the bed. âAstaroth is not an option for us yet. If motherâs agents cannot find him I daresay weâll not be able to, and Thomas and Walter could be anywhere⊠nevermind that we donât even know what Walter looks like⊠which leavesâŠâ
Stephy winced, âThe Mill Creek MonsterâŠâ he nodded. He was not looking forward to fighting that thing again.
âQuite⊠that one however, I was able to track downâŠâ grinned Sammi, âMy goblin Reynard was quite eager to redeem himself after showing up here battered and bloody, so he led a scouting party to this Mill Creek andâŠâ he chuckled, âWhile he certainly had some comments to make about the smell, they are reasonably certain they have located where his haven lies.â
Stephy sat up at this, then winced and leaned back again, âReally?â he asked.
Sammi nodded, âOh yes. Reynard is an expert tracker, and whats more⊠there were no guards. No ghouls or anything. Perhaps a creature like him does not want them, or perhaps he canât find any potential recruits that wonât just run away screaming.â
Tex nodded, âSo⊠whatâll we do?â he asked.
Sammi leaned back and took a drink from his glass, shivering a bit at the heady concoction as it went down his throat. âMmnn⊠well⊠Natasha and Nicu will mind your home for now⊠but while they wished to assist, I suggested that we make a go of it with just Lupe by our sides. Now that we know where he makes his lair, we can strike him at a time of our choosingâŠâ he grinned, â⊠namely, daytime.â
Tex grinned back, âI getcha⊠stake thâ vampire while heâs nappinâ!â he nodded.
Sammi chuckled, âCorrect. If the vampires are watching us, and we have to assume they are, theyâll see Tara leaving town and âboth of youâ going with her. This will get their guard down. Theyâll believe you are fleeing rather than face them.â he nodded, turning to look at Stephy, âThat gives us time for your recovery from what Astaroth did to you. Once youâre at full strength again, we make for Mill Creek and sort out our rodent problem.â he grinned.
Cincinnati Ohio, a hidden basement beneath the Hilton Cincinnati Hotel, that night
Astaroth paced the room, grumbling under his breath. Not only was his main haven compromised, but he had also lost all his tools of research and most of his sireâs stockpile of blood. His backup haven under the Hilton had really been meant to be more for when he couldnât make it back to Ft. Mitchell before sunrise, but he hadnât expected to need it to become his main hideaway.
There had been a couple mirrors hanging in the haven. He had taken a hammer to them as soon as heâd arrived and melted the shards. Unlike the legends, vampires could see their reflections by and large and it helped to sort out a knot on a necktie... though some couldn't. Natasha couldn't due to her own shadow manipulation powers causing light to behave oddly with her (she also couldn't show up on cameras either, or at least not well.)
âBlast it all⊠a changeling whose keeper came to their rescue? Iâve never heard of such a thing! Normally the idea of seeing that creature again terrifies them.â he scowled, compulsively touching his pendant. âA mortal enemy I could wait out, go into torpor if I must⊠but an immortal faerie?â he sighed, âWell, if nothing else, my ghouls can at least gather as much raw iron as they can, and one of them works for that machine shop on Steger. They should at least get me SOMEthingâŠâ he nodded to himself.
He sighed, then gasped as he felt a chill breeze, his head snapping around until he saw the vent in the wall. The heating system for the hotel had kicked on, but it wasnât producing warm air yet. Astaroth frowned, gripping his pendant. He hoped his agents had gotten word to Walter. They may need his strength soon.
This story contains a depiction of captivity and torture. Blood plays a heavy theme. Reader discretion is advised.
Clarence⊠be reasonable⊠so usefulâŠ
Mine! ⊠caught this one⊠MINE!
Now now⊠what ifâŠ
There⊠finally⊠get them into the trunk, nowâŠ
Slowly, Stephy awoke, his head spinning. He remembered being attacked, then a feeling like he was grabbed before it all went black⊠and nowâŠ
âAh, back with us are you?â came a manâs voice.
He opened his eyes, coughing a bit, âWhereâŠâ he tried to move, then gasped as a hissing sound came from around his throat and wrists.
âMmm⊠best try not to do that⊠We had to take certain measures for my safety. Canât have you using any of your faerie tricks now can we?â the voice said.
The world swam into shape in Stephyâs vision, he was in what looked like a very very old stone room, and all around him were holes in the walls just big enough for a human body. The floor and walls were old stone brick, as was the ceiling, though it was lit by electric lights⊠and all around him were various tools and esoterica. Books, journals, crystals, vials and bottles of something red and thick⊠and as he woke more he realized what it must be.
Blood, they were bottles of blood. He whimpered, struggling again, but again the pain and the hissing sound came until he ceased. He was restrained by the wrists and neck, held down to a wooden surface. He couldnât move at all!
âMust still be a bit out of it to try that again. Clarence was likely not gentle.â spoke the voice as a man walked into view. âWhen I got more details out of our men I realized what you must be, and I simply had to have you.â he nodded. He was a mature man wearing a pair of horn-rimmed glasses with wavy auburn hair, dressed in a black dress shirt with a blood red tie, red pants held up by matching suspenders, and black dress shoes. A pendant hung over his tie.
Stephy whimpered, trying to call upon his power, but he couldnât feel it! His magic was somehow shut off, as if blocked off from him!
The man tutted, âIts your restraints, cold iron. Itâs a pity they must harm you as well, but so be it. Iâd rather keep you as intact as possibleâŠâ he nodded.
Stephy recognized him though, heâd seen him in the fiery vision at Dustyâs house. â⊠AstarothâŠâ he croaked out.
The man paused, looking up at him, âWell well, you have the advantage of me then.â he chuckled, âNot my birth name of course, I mean what mother would name their child after a duke of Hell, but hiding oneâs true name is necessary in my profession.â
He walked over to a wall, taking out a syringe and a plastic medical vial, preparing to use them on his captive. âI am, what you might call, a practical blood magician. We vampires use it of course, but thereâs so much more that we can do with the blood beyond just using it to break things or frighten humans, donât you agree?â he looked to Stephy, who was eyeing the needle fearfully.
âOh now chin up, I have no desire to kill you if I can avoid it. Youâre far too valuable. Behave yourself and you may even learn something.â he smiled, walking forward, âBut⊠I will need a few samples. You will live, but I canât promise youâll enjoy this.â he nodded, tapping Stephyâs arm at the elbow joint until he saw the veins, then he aimed the needle and Stephy let out a yelp as it entered, the vial rapidly filling up.
âHmm⊠silver? Interesting⊠I didnât expect it to be silver. Iâd have to assume that humans would just see red like they would for anyone elseâŠâ he mused, âWell, couple of these and we can get right to work.â he nodded, âMaybe a few more. Always best to have extras.â
Stephy gasped as the full vial was removed, then replaced with an empty one as it began to fill as well. By the third he was beginning to feel lightheaded.
âYou are lucky I got to you first you know. Walter and Thomas⊠well⊠theyâre not as openminded as I am. Likely would have just treated you like a fresh bottle of beer and tossed you in the gutter as such... and our lovely new PrinceâŠâ he chuckled, âWell, Al is very much not a fan of your type⊠but⊠we donât have to tell him what I found under that pretty little dress, do we?â he winked.
Stephy grimaced, the vampire adding, âOh not like that! I had to examine you before we began. Proper medical examination, nothing suspicious! One does not often get to work with a changeling after all. For all I knew Iâd find flowers down there.â he smirked, âBesides, Iâve been one of the undead for nigh on a century now⊠I havenât been in that sort of mood since before you were born young lady.â
That wasnât why he grimaced though. Al⊠the new princeâs name was Al?!
He remembered an Al. He remembered who they had fought that day in New Orleans. He remembered Dawn telling him that they âtraded their forms like baseball cards.â Just because he looked different now didnât mean it wasnât him.
The last time heâd seen an Al, he had almost had his heart cut out⊠and that Al was VERY much not a fan of his âtype.â
He had to escape now, he had to tell Nelen! The vampires were acting as if they were the power behind the throne, but what if the true mastermind was playing dumb?
What if this âAl,â they were following was Agaliarept in disguise?!
Cincinnati, early afternoon
The group walked through the city, Lupe in the lead as she sniffed at the air. It was daytime, but after a year of having Cernunnosâ blessing Natasha was doing much better. The vampire was still having a somewhat difficult time during the day, not able to call upon any of her vampiric powers or abilities while the sun was up, but she was no longer confined to a wheelchair.
She walked along with them, using a cane with an solid steel handle shaped like a stylized bat, still almost brand new. Nelen had gotten it for her as a Hannukah gift and, like Aliceâs cane, it held a hidden surprise for anyone who attempted to attack her. She didnât often need such a tool, but if a fight got face to face it could come in very handy.
It also made things much easier when it came to Lupe. If questioned about her lupine companion, Natasha had an excuse now. She was handicapped and had trouble walking, so Lupe was her service dog!
It helped that Lupe seemed to like wearing the jacket.
However, things were not going well. They got as close to Mill Creek as they dared⊠and yetâŠ
Lupe looked back at Natasha, then whined and shook her head.
âStill nothing? Could they be hiding their scent somehow?â she wondered.
âIâve never heard of a vampire doing thatâŠâ commented Sammi, the fae princelingâs hand resting on his rapier. He wore the same leather ensemble from last night, the armor hidden from mortal eyes as a pair of leather pants and a jacket.
âDammit⊠Lupe câmon girl! Stephy needs us!â insisted Tex, the cowboyâs frame hidden under a heavy leather duster jacket, tied tight against the winter chill.
Lupe barked at him, nodding in response as Natasha put a hand to his shoulder. âMy darling Lupe understands your concerns John⊠but she cannot smell him.â
As she said this, Texâs phone suddenly buzzed. The boy reached into his pocket, âShit, that might be mom. She said sheâd try to raise Loren.â he nodded. Loren hadnât answered last night, owing to being near Calcutta dealing with⊠well⊠they werenât sure what it was, but it probably shouldnât have had that many legs. It had a lot less now though.
The number wasnât Taraâs however⊠it wasnât in his contacts, just showing a local area code.
Tex glanced around, then answered it, âHello?â he tried.
âYaâllâre lookinâ in thâ wrong spot.â said a familiar voice.
Tex started, âHey, youâre Dusty ainâtcha? Howâd yaâll get my number?!â
âCalled Nelen, he gave it. But yah, yaâllâre lookinâ in thâ wrong spot.â he said again.
Tex looked at Natasha and Sammi, then put the call on speaker. âOkay, everyone can hear you. How do you know?â he asked.
âSquirrels told me. Yaâllâre up by Mill Creek ainâtcha? Monster got stopped on thâ way back last night, they did a trade. Stephy is in Ft. Mitchell. Thereâs a big graveyard there, across from a Krogerâs. Heâs under it, hidden base for one of âem.â replied the eccentric mage.
âSquirrels?â asked Natasha, raising her eyebrow quizzically.
â⊠donât ask.â replied Tex, âYaâll sure on this Dusty?â
There was a chuckle from the phone, âTake that puppy over there ân call me a liar.â he replied, then the line went dead.
Tex glanced between the others, âWell, we donât got any better leadsâŠâ he shrugged.
Ft. Mitchell Kentucky, Sunset
It was actually three cemeteries technically. St. Maryâs, Highland, and a small plot known only as âStevenâs Graveâ (which Tex was trying VERY hard not to think about,) though in this case Stevenâs Grave was the name of a pet cemetery.
It was also quite big, which is likely why it was easy for him to hide.
Astaroth valued his privacy, and while the city was a fun place to visit he certainly didnât want to live there. Thus his haven was tucked neatly away under the local boneyards, accessible only via hidden doors built into a handful of mausoleums.
He walked out of his quarters that evening looking quite cheerful, the vampire dressed in a white dress shirt, long black slacks, and a red tie with his pendant hanging in place as it often was. âGood evening, did we have a nice nap?â he asked, leaning in with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face as if he were a doctor asking after the comfort of his patient.
Stephy didnât reply with anything other than a frown and a glare. His eyes had deep bags under them and his face looked unhealthy. Astaroth had taken quite a bit of blood, not enough to kill him but definitely enough to seriously inconvenience him.
âI do hope it wasnât too uncouth of me to sample the goods last night, but I really couldnât help myself. I swear changeling blood is marvelous! I think I actually dreamed today, thought of when I first read about Crowley back when I was but a childâŠâ he smiled wistfully, âAh, old Alastor Crowley⊠heâs the reason I was so interested in the occult to begin with you know.â he grinned. âMade me the man I am today, set me on the path to meet with my sire. This was his old haven. Heâs gone now, ran afoul of a local werewolf pack one night, but he was a marvelous man and a scholar as well⊠oh how I wish he was here to see thisâŠâ he grinned widely.
â⊠do you ever shut upâŠâ croaked Stephy, sounding exhausted. He hadnât slept at all. He was shackled in place with cold iron on a hard wooden table. He had blacked out for a bit after all the blood that Astaroth had taken, but it wasnât sleep.
The vampire paused, then sighed, â⊠and here I was trying to be personable⊠I suppose youâre just going to be cranky after yesterday.â he shrugged, then went to a nearby table, âNow⊠lets begin⊠hmmâŠâ he mused as he poured one of the vials into a bowl, then set it in a circle and began to work, taking a small pinch of some powder, then stirring it together. âFirst we need to determine exactly what about your blood makes it so unique from a humanâs, and from there we can determine what it can be used forâŠâ
Stephy slumped in the restraints behind him, too tired to do anything else. Weakened as he was by lack of rest and loss of blood, he could only hope that the others could find him⊠but he didnât even know where he was and cut off as he was from his glamour he couldnât even try anything to free himself or call for help.
Aboveground howeverâŠ
A bus squeaked to a halt outside of the Krogerâs as two teenagers, a young girl, and a large dog exited. âNumber 1, Covington Transit Center to Mall Road Florence.â said a mechanical voice from the speakers on the bus as several people got on from the stop itself, then the doors closed with a hiss as it drove off towards its destination.
They watched it go, then Natasha nodded to Lupe. The werewolf sniffed at the air, then suddenly her ears perked up as she looked across the street and barked loudly.
âShe smells him⊠Stephy is here!â gasped the vampire, sounding genuinely surprised. âHe said⊠squirrels told him this?â she asked Tex in an incredulous tone.
Tex shrugged, âApparently, he can talk to squirrels. He can also see thâ future by eatinâ pepper seeds ân throwinâ up a fireball. I dunno!â
Natasha nodded as she followed Lupe as quick as she could. The sun was still visible on the horizon though so she wasnât able to move as fast as normal. âNelen has the most unusual friendsâŠâ she murmured.
âYes, I had my doubts about the hedge mage as well Natasha, but he does seem to have his uses.â nodded Sammi as the group made their way across the street to the graveyard, following Lupe as she wandered through the rows of tombstones after Stephyâs scent.
They had left Nicu at Texâs house when they set out. They wanted him to stay behind to call for help if they didnât check in and he was easily the most inexperienced of them at this point. Natasha had done what she could to teach him how to fight over the past year, but mastering the power granted by the curse of vampirism could take entire lifetimes.
Eventually their path led to an ancient stone masoleum, the name carved into it so many decades ago that it had been worn into illegibility. Lupe stopped, then whined and clawed at the entrance.
âIn there?â asked Tex.
Lupe barked, nodding.
âAlrightâŠâ he nodded back, then shuffled his deck and in a flash he had the lightning revolver once more. âSeems like I keep gettinâ this one⊠ainât gonna complain!â he grinned, taking aim at the lock on the door.
Downstairs Astaroth glanced up, hearing a loud banging sound. âHm? Sounded like someoneâs car backfired upstairs or somethingâŠâ
Stephy glanced up as well, barely able to keep his eyes open⊠then he grinned weakly as he heard a loud crash from above.
Astaroth frowned, turning from his table and taking hold of his talisman as he moved to face the tunnel leading out of the room⊠and the shadows rushed forward to greet him. He spoke a word in some long-forgotten language and three of the bottles of blood nearby shattered, forming a huge shield of clotted blood before him!
The shadows slammed into it, but the barrier held, the vampire smirking to himself⊠until he felt a cold breeze. He looked to his left to see a trail of ice along the floor⊠and then Prince Samuel came skating along it, his arm around the waist of Tex as he took aim with his revolver.
Astaroth swore, ducking down as the gun rang out twice, twin bursts of electricity coming from the walls as Sammi released him and leapt forward, thrusting out with his sword! Astaroth jumped back and gasped as it bit into his midsection, cutting open his shirt and severing his suspenders as he stumbled backwards. âAUGH!â he gasped, blood seeping out of his middle as he looked up to see Natasha, Sammi, and Tex standing between him and his prize⊠and then he saw Natasha whistle.
A loud angry growl came from the tunnel, and a wall of muscle and fur burst forth from it. âLUPE KILL!â snarled the werewolf as she charged towards Astaroth, then leaping and aiming her jaws at his throat!
The vampire grimaced. Nelen had once commented that vampires and werewolves were natural enemies, and it was worth mentioning that your average werewolf was usually FAR stronger than a vampire in a direct fight! The Mill Creek Monster was an exception to this, but Astaroth most certainly wasnât! He cried out and dove to the side as Lupe soared over him, her claws missing him by inches as she slammed into a display cabinet behind him, the vials inside shattering and spilling their crimson contents all over her.
Astaroth glared at her in fury, âDo you have ANY idea how valuable those were?! The vintage of them, bigods!â he snarled, taking hold of his pendant again and speaking another strange phrase, and the blood soaking Lupeâs fur suddenly clotted into massive, hardened clumps! The werewolf struggled, but her movements were severely hampered now! She growled and Astaroth sneered, but then he heard the click of a gun behind him.
âLet Stephy go Dracula. I ainât askinâ twice.â growled Tex in a warning tone.
Astaroth looked back over his shoulder, âI think not.â he replied, then he gestured with one hand.
Tex and Sammi cried out suddenly, their veins pressing out against their skin as they fell to their knees, the gun clattering to the floor before transforming back into a handful of playing cards.
Astaroth turned to face Natasha, the blood sorcerer holding his pendant in one hand. âA vampire siding with the mortals, and one I donât recognize. You must be the one Clarence was talking about. Who are you?â he asked.
Natasha glared at him, twisting the handle on her cane, and drawing a long thin sword from it. âYou speak to Natasha Kernovich, Scion of Lord Dimitri Renault, the Butcher of Cluj. Now, release your captive and begone child.â
He looked her over, but he could tell she was far more than she seemed. She looked like a small child yes, but he could feel how ancient she was. He stepped slowly back⊠then in a quick motion he spun, grabbed a bloodied dagger from a table, and thrust out with it. As one the vials of blood in the room began to shatter as the blood erupted from within them, forming into darts in midair and aiming towards Natasha!
She swore, then gestured with one hand and the shadows rose before her and the others to block them, but Astaroth had been stockpiling for decades, and his sire long before that! He had blood to spare!
Sammi gasped, pushing himself up as he tried to focus. It felt like his veins were going to burst. âLupe!â he called out, âStephyâs restraints! Break them!â
Lupe growled, then slammed into Astaroth from behind and stumbled towards Stephy as quickly as the clotted blood holding her would allow, her powerful clawed hands gripping the wrist cuffs and ripping them free in a single tug. The metal broke with a snap as the werewolf reached for the captive faeâs neck, tearing the collar free as Stephy fell to the floor, gasping for breath, his body reddened where the iron had burned him.
Tex managed to look up, âG-good job girl, but⊠we gotta get outâŠâ he coughed, his heart feeling like someone was trying to squeeze it as hard as they could!
Sammi grinned, âDonât worry⊠thereâs no way sheâll miss this⊠just⊠had to get rid of that ironâŠâ he chuckled.
Tex looked at him, âWho?â he asked.
Sammi smiled, a rather nasty smile indeed, âAfter my episode following Franklinâs attack on that temple in India, and all the destruction Indrajit caused, she made sure to work a magick on both of us to tell her if we were mortally injured⊠and given the state my poor sibling is inâŠâ he looked up as he felt something, âAh⊠THERE she isâŠâ
Tex looked up as well, then his eyes widened.
The walls of the room were frosting over, the temperature dropping like a rock!
Astaroth didnât notice it at first, being a vampire he wasnât very sensitive to temperatures⊠but after a moment he looked around and hesitated. The walls were coated in ice now, the vials of blood still unbroken beginning to freeze, and suddenly a furious voice echoed through the room.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER?!
The world seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then, standing between Astaroth and Natasha, was a tall blonde haired woman in a long gown as white as snow, in a very literal sense. She seemed to radiate cold, her hair flowing behind her as if in an unseen breeze, and she was looking at Astaroth with utter hatred in her eyes. Standing there, before the vampire, was Lady Sera of the Icebound Heart in all her otherworldly glory.
Astaroth stumbled back, his dagger held ready as his other hand clutched at his pendant, but this was no changeling! Lady Sera was a full-fledged faerie, one of the Gentry of Arcadia!
âTheir blood stolen, their flesh burned with iron⊠Wretched LEECHâŠâ she snarled, striding forward as the air around her sparkled with frost, her face showing a cold fury in the most literal sense possible as she held her hands up like claws, ice and snow swirling around her before she thrust a hand outwards, and a volley of ice spears soared towards the vampiric magus!
Astaroth gestured and the blood around him formed a new shield, but he knew he was outgunned now! A werewolf was bad enough, but one of the True Fae as well?! He hissed, then stepped back and pressed on a brick on the wall behind him, and the wall spun around in a fast circle, slamming shut with him on the other side!
âHeâs gettinâ away!â shouted Tex, gasping as he was suddenly able to breathe again, clutching at his chest as he stood up and began to shuffle his deck rapidly to conjure a new weapon, but Lady Sera held out a hand.
âStay with my daughter, all of you.â she nodded and vanished in a swirl of ice and snow.
Aboveground Astaroth was running through the snow towards where he had a car hidden. He had to get the hell back across the river or else he was done for! âBlast it all⊠Whereâs Walter and the Rat when I need them?!â he snarled as he made it to the carâs hiding spot. It wasnât a fancy car, or a very distinct one, just a Ford Taurus like one youâd see anywhere else. A reliable model that everyone had⊠which was the entire point. Nobody would look twice at it!
He got inside and started the car, then pulled out of the hiding spot and aimed it towards the street⊠only to see the air infront of him swirl with frost and snow. âDAMN!â he swore, gunning the engine. Heâd modified it in some subtle ways, and so what if a few tombstones got in the way?
He raced through the sudden storm, barely seeing the gates of the cemetery as he passed through them and hit the road outside, turning sharply amid a cacophony of car horns as he made for the interstate. If he got there he was as good as home free!
As he hit the onramp, however, the car suddenly swerved, the ground under him frozen in a sheet of ice! He gripped the wheel tightly and slammed the brakes, but the road had become totally frictionless! He gritted his teeth, trying to regain control as it spun out, narrowly missing a semi truck whose horn echoed across the highway, the car slamming headlong into the dividing wall.
He shook himself, sitting up as the stars went away⊠then he looked in the rearview mirror to see if anyone was behind him⊠only to see a pair of pure black eyes glaring back out of a bone-white face, their teeth like fangs made of ice.
âSHIT!â he shouted, diving out of the car as Lady Sera crashed her way through the rearview mirror, the plastic frame seeming to distort to allow her passage.
âBE STILL LEECH!â she commanded emerging from the car and gliding towards him across the snow, her fury transforming her from a haughty fae queen into a manifestation of winterâs wrath as she advanced.
Astaroth looked around frantically, then grinned and reached down, scooping up a handful of the slush lining the road, then throwing it hard into her face.
Sera didnât bother to dodge. It was just slush and snow, a desperate attack by a desperate vampireâŠ
Suddenly she cried out in pain and fury, clutching at her face! The slush was sliding off, but it seemed to be taking her skin and muscle with it! She was melting!
âRRRRRRAGH! BLAST YOU! DAMN YOU! IT BURNS!â she screamed as Astaroth grinned, then focused and with a burst of speed he leapt atop another semi as it drove past, sitting on the roof and giving her a cheery wave as it vanished into the distance.
She was a fae of ice and snow, but she clearly didnât know about how mortals dealt with such things, at least as far as roads were concerned. The slush on the sides of the road was full of rock salt, used to melt the snow and ice covering the streets!
Sera cleared the last of the salt and mended her face, looking back at where heâd been, then scowled and vanished in a swirl of snow, reappearing outside of his evacuated haven as the others made their way outside, Tex and Sammi carrying Stephy between them.
âPoor childâŠâ she whispered, âAbused so⊠do you not wish me to make the pain stop? To make it all stop?â she asked, leaning in.
Stephy looked at her, then held up one hand weakly, his fingers laced around Texâs, and shook his head. âNot⊠the way⊠you would do itâŠâ
She hissed and leaned away, as if suddenly near a burning bonfire, then looked to the other one holding him up. âYou have somewhere safe to take them?â she asked Sammi.
The princeling nodded, âHe will be cared for. You have my word Mother.â he replied.
She sighed, then gave a single nod, âI am satisfied then. Fare you well children. I must find where that leech fled to. He has dared to harm what is mine, he will suffer.â she snarled, then vanished in a swirl of ice and snow.
The group looked between themselves, then Tex took out his phone and dialed his motherâs number, putting it to his ear, âHey mom? Um⊠we found Stephy, but⊠we kinda need a ride.â he chuckled awkwardly.
âI have their arms!â shouted Nelen as he held a struggling figure as hard as he could in a Full Nelson.
âDonât let go! Theyâre ready to kill this time!â shouted Simoni as she stood infront of them, her arms outstretched as wind swirled around her hands.
âLEMME GO NELEN! IâM GONNA ROAST THIS ONE! HEâS GONNA BE CHARCOAL WHEN IâM DONE WITH HIM!â roared his captive, already in her vanara form.
Arja was NOT a happy girl, the letters had been amusing and maybe a bit flattering at first (some of them were genuine fan mail and even letters of thanks for saving Sri Lanka from Ravana and Indrajit) but those ones had died off quickly and now it was all creepers all the way down⊠and unfortunately when you have a father in politics you also have an easily Google-able address.
Several of Rajeshâs security team had a man on the ground, his arms behind him. He was dressed in nondescript clothes and had a head of shaggy wild hair that suggested he hadnât washed in a while, and a high-powered camera. âARJA I LOVE YOU!â he cried out, âCâmon baby! Show me those monkey tits!â
Arja shrieked in fury as flames flickered around her fangs, Nelen snarling at the man, âSHUT UP YOU FUCKING NUTJOB! ARE YOU TRYING TO PISS HER OFF?!â
One of the security men walked over to Nelen, making sure to keep away from Arjaâs front, with the intruderâs wallet. âHis ID says heâs from⊠somewhere called Dubois?â he tried. The man could speak and read English fairly well, but heâd never been outside of India before.
âWhats the two letters after it?â asked Nelen as he held the struggling vanara as tightly as he could, using all his inborn Fullmoon muscle to keep her from breaking free.
â⊠um⊠It says âID.ââ nodded the guard.
Nelen sighed, âIdaho. Where the hell does a skeevy little fuck from Idaho even get the money for international plane tickets!?â he growled, then looked up at the sound of sirens. âOh thank gods. Get him outta here!â
Two cops emerged from the cruiser as it pulled to a stop and between them and Rajeshâs men they dragged the intruder to his feet and towards the back of the car. âCâmon Arja! Lemme at least get a picture of those freaky monkey feet! Imagine all the likes!â he called out.
Arja roared and took a deep breath as Nelen grimaced, âSIMONI!â he shouted.
âON IT!â she cried and as soon as the vanara exhaled she summoned a wall of wind infront of her. A gout of flames erupted from Arjaâs mouth into it, shooting up into the sky and away from the crowd.
The cops and guards swore, a couple falling back in shock, but the rest managed to shove Arjaâs stalker into the backseat and close the door with a loud click from its lock. âGo! Go!â shouted the cop to his partner as they dove into the front and sped off away from the house.
Nelen sighed, then shook her a bit. âArja! ARJA! Heâs gone! Heâs going to lock up, and then theyâre going to deport him BACK to America and blacklist his passport! Turn off the damn barbecue!â
The flames slowly died down and Nelen released the vanara girl, Arjaâs chest still heaving as she slowly took a deep breath, then her golden fur receded and her tail shrank and soon a teenaged Indian girl with short hair wearing a Soccer jersey and baggy jean shorts was standing there. âDammit NelenâŠâ she growled, âJust let me burn ONE of themâŠâ
He sighed, âI get it Arja. Believe me, if I had my way Iâd be helping you instead of holding you back⊠but unless they try to physically attack you then itâs still considered murder.â he nodded walking over to where the guards had him pinned. The struggle had been intense, he was a wiry guy and had kicked and fought before theyâd pinned him. Nelen knelt and scooped around in the dirt, then stood up holding a small white object, âHey guys? Anyone missing a tooth?â he called out.
All the nearby guards shook their heads and made comments such as ânope,â and âIâm fine here.â
Nelen grinned, and it was not a nice grin, âArja heâs at least going to get a parting gift, I can promise that.â he nodded. There were laws for what was considered âself-defense,â but while magic was now known to be real the governments of the world were still just as slow and bureaucratic as ever, so no laws existed to regulate it yet. Nelen was worried as to what could happen when that eventuality came, but right now it meant that he could send out a rather nasty curse to their peeping tom.
Simoni looked back at him, the garuda girl wearing a green tube top and a loose black skirt at the moment. âMake it a painful one. Iâm getting really fed up with this too you know.â she nodded, walking over to Arja and putting an arm around her. âIâm in every single picture with her and yet NOBODY gets it through their heads that weâre a couple!â
Arja glanced at her, âExcept for that one who said he could âcureâ me.â she pointed out.
Simoniâs eye twitched, âBeen trying to forget that one.â she sighed in an annoyed way.
Arja grinned at her, âYeah, because Nelen had to grab YOU that time so you wouldnât send him flying all the way to the Himalayas.â
Simoni grinned back, âYeah, yeah⊠well, I had to hear enough of that crap back when I still lived in America.â
Then the trio looked up at the sound of a small thunderclap, a familiar feline form appearing before them.
âAw maaaaaaaaan!â yowled Dawn, âI missed one! What was it this time? Crazy camera guy? Panty raid? Did he bring an electric razor and keep talking about being ânaaaaaaaaaaaughty?ââ she grinned widely.
Nelen sighed, âDawn, read the damn room.â
âNever.â she smirked, âNeed to give you an update anyways big guy. I got them to Dusty and we saw some shitâŠâ
A bit later they were all down in the rec room as Dawn recounted the story of their visit to Nelenâs hedge mage friend.
â⊠and yeah. There is a new prince, but heâs apparently just a figurehead. Probably doesnât know he is given how up his own ass he was in the vision. We heard that thereâs about⊠four guys supporting him. We saw two of âem, someone calling himself Astaroth and another named Thomas, but thatâs it. They mentioned someone named âWalter,â but the big thing is that they were talking about The Mill Creek Monster.â she nodded.
Nelen had been seated on the couch with a can of soda, Arja and Simoni sitting infront of the TV playing Mario Kart, but all three of them looked up at the mention of a monster.
â⊠wait, the Mill Creek Monster? I remember those old stories⊠are you telling me that thing is a vampire?â he asked.
Dawn shrugged, âThey didnât say it specifically, but that Astaroth guy said something about him being a mortal once so, probably yeah. I think heâs probably one of the twisty ones.â she nodded.
Nelen frowned, scratching at his beard, âThat would explain the urban legend. Most of the stories describe him as being pretty horrifying, so itâd make sense if he couldnât pass as human.â he sighed, âWell⊠might not be a bad idea to get out of the country for a bit given all this idiocy⊠you guys wannaâŠâ he began but Arja cut him off.
âNo way.â she nodded firmly.
The others looked at her, âWait what?â asked Nelen, âYou⊠donât want to go help out against a bunch of renegade vampires?â
Arja shook her head, âThis is back in Kentucky right? We were just there for Christmas with your parents a bit ago and I almost froze to death. No way.â she said firmly.
Simoni chuckled nervously, âI mean⊠Arja has a point. Our powers donât really work so great in cold weather and Stephy told us about how he got things set up so that Cincinnati is having a real winter for once instead of just a couple days of snow.â she pointed out. âI wanna help Stephy, but if its that cold then we wonât really be much help.â
Nelen sighed, leaning back in the couch. He had to admit she was right. Even ignoring that they were definitely more acclimated to the tropical climates of India, Arja was a fire user and Simoni had to fly to fight effectively, both were exceedingly difficult during cold weather. âThen I sure as hells canât leave. I need to be on hand for the next freak who tries to sneak in here.â
âWhat about Drusilla?â suggested Simoni, âI mean she could probably just pulp those guys.â
âNope⊠we need her here on mom duty.â he nodded. It wasnât that he didnât want to help with the child rearing, but as it turned out cyclopti children matured faster than humans. Scylla was already on par with a preschooler in terms of size, and strength-wise on par with a human teenager who hit the gym a lot. Even Nelen had a hard time handling her.
âYeah⊠I saw what was left of her bed after the tantrum she threw when you had to tell her she couldnât have any more cookiesâŠâ giggled Simoni a bit nervously. âI mean⊠sheâs a cute niece but⊠um⊠yikesâŠâ she nodded.
âExactly.â he frowned, âWeâd have to drop her off in Sicily first so her grandmother could watch her, and Drusilla said she doesnât want to do that. Apparently its considered a bad thing if a cyclops canât handle their own kids.â
âGuys guys⊠weâre ignoring the obvious choice here.â grinned Dawn as the others looked at her. âTheyâre having a vampire problem right? Send in the experts!â
Nelen thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers, âOh shit, yeah.â
Cincinnati Ohio, early evening
In a small room in back of one of the local nightclubs, a discussion was taking place. It was a pokey room, mostly used for storage, but also for things that⊠well⊠had to be covered up. There was a trapdoor hidden in the floor, leading straight into a hidden and walled off part of the Cincinnati Sewer System. A veritable oubliette, where leftovers were sent down⊠sometimes before they were all the way dead.
Standing in the room was Astaroth, the older vampire wearing a black shirt with a blood red silk tie, along with red and black pinstripe pants held up by red suspenders and shiny black dress shoes, his pendant hanging openly over his tie. He could never dress like this until recently, but now he was just seen as an eccentric with his own style rather than a cause for concern. Gods bless the hipster movement.
He paced infront of a chair, the vampireâs brow wrinkled as he listened to the story that the occupant of it told him.
âSo, youâre telling me that one of them froze you solid, another summoned some sort of⊠âcowboy knife guyâ who killed your allies, and then when you caught up with them and the others they vanished through a door that shouldnât have been there, and suddenly wasnât?â he asked.
Seated in the chair was a rather strong looking man, muscular and wearing a tank top and baggy jeans. âYeah⊠the door looked like it was made of silver, and it had some sort of animalâs face on it.â he nodded.
Astaroth paused, glancing at him. â⊠silver with an animalâs face⊠what kind of animal?â he asked.
âI⊠I donât fuckinâ know, I didnât get a good look.â stammered the vampire.
Astaroth walked closer, leaning in as his eyes seemed to glow red. âListen to me young man, this could be very important. Think hard now. What sort of animal was it?â
The vampire leaned back, feeling a sudden tightness in his veins as the elder got close. âI⊠er⊠um⊠some kinda⊠dog maybe? Something like that.â
âA wolf perhaps?â he asked.
The vampireâs eyes darted left and right, then he nodded, âY-yeah sure, couldâve been. Wolf, coyote, something like them.â
Astaroth straightened up, then scowled, âThe Wulfshead Club⊠they have ties to the Wulfshead. That is badâŠâ he nodded, turning away and stalking towards the wall.
Thomas was standing nearby, the younger vampire wearing a more nondescript white shirt and suit pants, along with his own black leather shoes. âWhats that?â he asked.
Astaroth shook his head, âWe donât often deal with it, most undead donât bother. After all, the clientele is very much able to take care of themselves so they make poor prey⊠but itâs a sort of travelling bar for all sorts of troublesome sortsâŠâ he sighed, then glanced between them, â⊠hunters, mostly.â
Thomas hissed through his teeth, âFuckinâ hunters? Thatâs bad⊠and the bar⊠travels?â he asked.
Astaroth nodded, âIndeed Thomas. The door can appear in any major city in the world if one knows the correct passphrase and is on the approved list, the bar itself likely exists in a pocket dimension of sorts. If those three spread word of what weâre getting up to things could go very badly for us⊠Cincinnati could become flooded with all sorts of would-be Van Helsings.â
Thomas frowned, âYeah, we ainât ready for that yet. Too many of the other elders would just stand back and watch, then decide on a new prince once theyâre done dealing with our guy.â he glanced at the neonate in the chair, âSo what the fuck do we do?â he asked.
Astaroth nodded, âThe fact that weâre not dealing with a sudden mob of supernatural misfits with stakes and garlic suggests they havenât spread word yet⊠so there may still be a chance to silence them.â he looked to the chairâs occupant. âIâm going to go write a letter, and when Iâm done I need you to deliver it to a certain address near Mill CreekâŠâ he grinned, then paused and added, "... though, you may need to read it to him."
The vampire in the chair went rigid, âMill Creek?! Wait, youâre not talking aboutâŠâ
Astaroth grinned, his fangs shining in the light, âHe wants to indulge his bloodlust, weâre just suggesting where he can aim it.â
A Hidden Apartment in Covington
Prince Samuel stretched out on his rather luxurious four-poster bed, flipping through a novel he picked up at a local bookseller the day before. It was supposed to be about faeries living in the modern era, but it was more infuriating than anything.
âWrong⊠all wrong⊠you think you can do that after making a promise? The Wyrd would strip the skin from your back as repaymentâŠâ he snorted, lounging in bed in a pair of blue pajamas made from some sort of silk-like material, one arm resting under his head as he flipped through the pages. â⊠and that. Ugh, that wonât work unless you speak in rhyme! We call it âdramaturgyâ for a reason!â
He looked up suddenly, feeling a strange sensation from the door, then heard a frantic knocking. He put the book down and quickly got out of bed, then went to the door, picking up his rapier as he passed by an umbrella stand, before opening it and stepping back with a look of shock.
A goblin was there, barely able to stand. It was a rather bestial one, with a face like a white fox and long clawed hands, dressed like a Victorian era highwayman, but it was badly injured! One of its arms was bent wrong, and its face was slashed open as if by some sort of claws, its blood staining itâs otherwise pristine fur. âM-message for you mâlordâŠâ it coughed, collapsing over the threshold.
âGrabkins! A restorative, quickly!â he called out, pulling the goblin inside, looking out the door, then slamming it shut.
His house goblin jogged over, carrying a bottle of some crimson liquid which he unstoppered, then poured into the foxlike creatureâs mouth as Sammi held its head steady. The goblin highwayman coughed, then sat up as its bones began to snap back into their correct shape, the gashes on its face closing, leaving only the bloodstains to show they were there before.
âReynard. Talk to me, what happened? I sent you to guard my brother and his paramour!â demanded the prince.
The fox goblin sat up, shaking itself. âI was on outer guard duty with Leafrose, doing a quick patrol same as always, and the manhole cover near us suddenly crashed open and this⊠thing⊠came out of it. It tore me up, then Leafrose tackled it and told me to get word to youâŠâ nodded Reynard.
âI see⊠Leafrose?â he asked, looking questioningly at the goblin.
Reynard shook his head, âHe did his duty mâlord.â
âBlast⊠he was a good scout.â he nodded, standing up and walking to his wardrobe, then beginning to change into a leather tunic and trousers. âGrabkins, see to Reynardâs remaining injuries. My other goblins should be able to at least slow this thing down I should hope. Iâm going to my brother.â
Sammi buckled a sword-belt around his waist and sheathed his rapier, his magic hiding it from mortal eyes as he stepped into a pair of tall boots, then walked out into the snow and closed the door, looking off in the direction of the Smith residence. âOak and ash⊠dear sibling you had best be readyâŠâ
Across the City
Stephy was not ready.
The changeling princess had been in bed when he sensed it and barely had time to throw on something that wasnât a nightdress before he heard the sounds of battle outside! Tex and Tara immediately emerged from their rooms as they heard raised voices and fighting coming from the yard, the trio rushing downstairs as Stephy opened the door to find a scene out of some bizarre monster movie!
Several goblins were fighting some sort of huge shadowy figure in the yard. The goblins features were a mishmash of animal and humanoid shapes, but their foe was shrouded in darkness⊠unnaturally so as the nearby streetlamp should have illuminated him, but it wasnât!
âStop the beast! For the Icebound Heart!â croaked a froglike goblin as it leapt into the air, shooting well above the shadowy figure before aiming downwards with itâs lance. Two red glows in the shadows looked up and a clawed hand slashed out, sending the goblin flying with a loud cry of pain to land in a pile in the street.
Another goblin, this one with a human-like face except for its massive bat-like ears and pointed chin rushed forward with a spiked club, aiming for the monsterâs legs, but it too met the fate of its ally as the creature batted it away. Whatever they were fighting was very strong, at least on par with someone like Drusilla!
Tara swore at the sight, âKids, try to keep it busy! I got Lorenâs number, Iâll see if I can get her out here!â she nodded as she ducked back upstairs for her phone. She didnât like sending them out to do battle with that thing, but while Tex was at least able to fight using the Very Useful Deck the most she could do would be shoot it with an ordinary gun.
Stephy nodded to Tex, then ran outside and spread his arms as feathers erupted along them, his jog turning into a hop as his legs snapped back into bird-like talons. He let out a cry to summon a gust of wintery air which caught under him and lifted him up. Simoni had trouble flying in wintertime, but Simoni wasnât the adoptive child of a fae queen of ice!
Tex shuffled the deck quickly and drew a hand, and in a flash of glamour he was holding a double-barreled shotgun that seemed to radiate with bloodlust. He aimed the gun, then fired off a round of buckshot at the monster, but it seemed to pass through the mass of shadows that hid it. âShit! Darlinâ watch out! Those shadows are hidinâ where its body is! I missed!â
Stephy nodded, then flapped his wings and let out a loud birdlike cry as a blast of frost and wind blew downwards, the remaining goblins falling back as the Princess of Everfalling Snow began their assault. The shadowy monster stumbled a bit but kept pushing forwards regardless.
âHmmm⊠Astaroth wasnât kidding⊠They found a fun one for olâ ClarenceâŠâ chuckled the shadows. âCanât reach the pretty bird⊠butâŠâ the glowing red eyes turned towards Tex⊠âYou canât fly.â it laughed, then suddenly surged forward!
Tex swore, leveling the gun again and firing, but the shadows leapt to the right, then right back infront of him as a claw was raised. He froze, the gun vanishing. Double barrel meant two shots, and when the guns the deck conjured ran out of ammo they vanished!
âLOOK OUT!â came a cry as a hand grabbed Texâs shoulder and the ground under him froze, the boy flailing as he was suddenly dragged off the porch and into the snow, the ice acting as a ramp to speed his escape as the claw bit only empty air. Sammi had him by the shoulder, his rapier already drawn as he stared down the shadowy creature. âWhat on Earth is that thing?!â he demanded.
Tex let out a sigh of relief, âI dunno Sam! Arenât yaâll thâ expert?!â he asked as he quickly shuffled the deck anew and a cavalry saber that crackled with lightning appeared in his grip.
âOn matters of Arcadia yes, but that is not one of ours! I sense no glamour coming from it!â he nodded.
The two boys raised their swords as Stephy swooped lower, preparing another blast of ice and snow⊠but the shadowy mass just laughed.
âHmm⊠that smell⊠Clarence knows that smell⊠ainât smelled it in a while. Faeries?â it asked, âBeen so long since Clarence got to have faerie blood⊠Astaroth gave me a good one!â it cackled, then surged forwards again...
⊠and as it did the shadows under Sammi and Tex suddenly rose outwards and formed a solid wall! The monster, moving too fast now, couldnât stop in time and slammed right into it! âAUGH!â it roared in pain as they heard a loud crunch from the impact.
Suddenly the shadows under the porch of their house shot out as well and formed into a series of spear-like protrusions, aiming towards the mass. It hissed in fury and leapt back, the attack landing in the snow.
âIt would seem that we have arrived just in timeâŠâ came a voice with a deep European accent. Romanian specifically.
Standing there in the snow, dressed in her usual Victorian finery and long cape, was the child-sized vampire Natasha Kernovich. She wore a deep red silken top and a long black skirt with heeled boots, a confident smirk on her face. Next to her was Nicu Luminita, the vampire boy in jeans and a teeshirt with sneakers on his feet as he stared at the huge shadowy creature. Growling in fury before them was the huge form of the werewolf Lupe, already transformed and glaring at their attacker.
The shadow creature hissed, âA vampire? Must be from out of town⊠nobody would protect these snacks now. New Boss would kill âemâŠâ
The group looked at the shadows, then Natasha nodded, âI thought as much. Nelen appraised me of the situation before I left for America. You would be this âMill Creek Monster,â yes?â
The creature laughed, then suddenly the shadows around it faded as everyone but Natasha and Lupe cried out, the werewolf only barking in anger.
Clarence the Rat, the Mill Creek Monster, stood revealed⊠and it was clear where his name came from. A twisted and deformed head with all but four teeth missing, the two front ones on the upper and lower jaws, jutting out almost three inches each and razor sharp with wicked claws where fingernails should be. It was almost totally bald with baggy skin and patch-like hair, and its eyes were beady and jet black. It looked like nothing more than a massive nearly-bald rodent in the shape of a man!
The Mill Creek Monster snarled and surged towards his targets as Natasha pointed a finger out and commanded, âKill!â
A loud howl came from her companion before she raced forwards on all fours to meet the monster head on! âLUPE HUNT!â snarled the werewolf as she slammed home into him, slashing with her claws as the monster did likewise, the others falling back as Stephy landed.
âNatasha, thank godsâŠâ he whispered as he got close to their undead ally.
She nodded to him, âNelen could not come, but he would not forsake you⊠and if one of our little family is able to assist in matters vampiric⊠wellâŠâ she smirked, showing a hint of fang as she did.
Stephy nodded back, âYeah, yeah good thinking.â
âHe could have warned us a bit more about what that thing mightâve been thoughâŠâ said Nicu, staring at the display as Lupe and the monster fought, the werewolfâs power a good match for the monstrous creature.
âMm⊠a rarer breed of vampyr, but not unheard of in major cities. They use the power of blood to make shadows to hide their inhumanity, then strike from them to feed⊠and they can be quite powerful.â she nodded, striding forward as Lupe slammed into Clarenceâs bulk.
âLUPE! HEEL!â she commanded as she gestured, her eyes glowing red, and the shadow underneath the Mill Creek Monster suddenly spiked upwards into him, the vampiric creature roaring in pain as he was impaled upon his own shadow!
She nodded then looked up at him. âLook at me monster. You may be ancient in the Americas, but I was turned before the colonies existed. I am likely far older and more powerful than you⊠and I have questions for you.â she nodded, narrowing her eyes menacingly.
Clarence snarled⊠then grinned and suddenly disappeared entirely. Natasha stepped back as she heard his hissing laughter all around them.
âYou got powerful friends snacksâŠâ he taunted, the shadowy trap vanishing. It used his shadow, but if he was invisible then he didnât HAVE one to use! âAstaroth didnât warn me about them⊠maybe he didnât know⊠but olâ Clarence ainât leaving without some sort of prizeâŠâ
Then Stephy looked down and saw footprints appearing in the snow⊠âHEâS COMING!â he warned, preparing to send out a blast of frost, but the monster was faster!
Clarence appeared before him and slammed his fist into the changelingâs midsection, Stephyâs eyes bulging as the wind was knocked out of him! The Mill Creek Monster snatched him around the waist and slashed at the others with his claws as they tried to stop him.
âHEâS GOT STEPHY!â shouted Tex, running forward with his sword as Sammi joined him, his rapier at the ready⊠but Clarence just sneered as his eyes glowed crimson, and both he and Stephy vanished! A moment later the manhole cover in the middle of the street flew out of itâs hole⊠and they heard faint splashing sounds as something disappeared into the tunnels.
âOh bugger and blastâŠâ swore Sammi as he sheathed his rapier, glaring at the sewer entrance.
âThatâs all ya got to say Sam?!â demanded Tex, pointing towards it with his own saber, âWe gotta go after him now!â
Natasha shook her head, âWe cannot. His kind will know the sewers of a city better than any, and they will not be found.â
Lupe whined at them, shifting back into her more animalistic form. Her werewolf form was better for fighting, but she preferred four legs to two. Natasha stroked the werewolfâs head, âJohn, bring us something of Stephyâs. My darling will be able to track their scent. This creature makes its lair in the city nearby, yes? If anyone can find our friend, it is Lupe.â
The unspoken thought they were all having however was the same⊠would they find Stephy in time?
Long ago, in a small village that never existed as far as history cares, two children were born.
A boy and a girl, siblings close as any. Their lives were difficult, as most were at the time, their home was harsh in climate and politics alike and children grew up fast.
The girl, blessed with an almost inhuman beauty and understanding for the world beyond the mundane, became the apprentice of the wise woman of the village. She was respected and loved by her people for her empathy and kindness she showed to even the lowest rungs of their small society.
The boy, strong and cunning as any soldier could dream of being, became her guardian. He protected her from the threats both mundane and supernatural, but for all his power and skill he was only one man.
The supernatural was easy, they had rules, ways of doing things, banes and boons. The local dangers were just as simple; the occasional wolf or bear, an overly aggressive roadman or a handsy drunk at the longhouse. The world, though, was much bigger and more complex than their little nameless home.
They came out of the mists one morning, raiders in skins of great wolves bigger than any that grew around the village. They spoke a strange tongue and wore odd clothes, but worst of all they fought with a fury and rage that overwhelmed the small village without even a single loss on their end.
They knew things, too. Not simple brutes, they knew how to truly hurt their victims. Fields burned, livestock slaughtered, the wisewoman and her student were high priority targets, they would leave their prey with nothing to rebuild.
The boy, a man now, fought with all the strength he could muster but was thrown aside, battered and bleeding, by the raidersâ leader. He was a massive and beastly man who wore the pelt of a bear. He said something in his strange tongue, something harsh and spiteful, before his blade came down.
Death did not find the man, though, as in a final act of love and desperation the girl, a woman herself now, threw herself over her beloved brother to take the blow for him. The raider simply laughed, his goal accomplished, the man was nothing to him now, leaving him to succumb to his own wounds from the battle as he cradled his bleeding sister and wailed with rage and sorrow.
âAt least we are together, brotherâŠâ she whispered. His sisterâs voice was weak as she wiped his tears with her hand as she had so many times growing up, though her hand was already growing cold as her lifeblood stained the ground under them, mixing with his around them. âI couldnât bear to live without my other halfâŠâ she whispered her final words as her body went limp.
The man felt his own death approaching, slower though, left holding his sisterâs body and sobbing into her.
âWe could do it betterâŠâ he finally whispered, voice raw and rasping with strain. âIf we just had more time! We could have wonâŠâ
âThatâs the curse, isnât it?â A voice behind the man spoke with an almost casual tone despite the blood and death around them. âHow many have gone to their grave saying the same thing? âOh if only I had one more chance Iâd be a better man!ââ The voice laughed.
âShut upâŠâ the man hissed, this voice clearly wasnât human, that was all he cared about in this moment. âThis land will be empty soon enough, your kin can have it thenâŠâ He continued, knowing full well this was the final day for his home.
âOh, you misunderstand. I donât care about⊠what do you even grow here? Turnips, I assume? You look like a real âturnipâ personâŠâ The voice continued as it stepped around the siblings.
She was honestly not that impressive. Short, plump, dressed in the finery of a wealthy woman from a much larger city than theirs. Maybe there sheâd be impressive but to a man raised among more hearty farming and hunting stock she looked so weak even as she smirked at him so confidently.
âNice fruits though.â she continued, one hand holding a pile of black berries that she must have picked from outside. âI like berries, kinda fun to eat, almost like gambling you know? Some are sweet, some are bitter, some nourish you, some make you shit to death. Fun, right?â
âI am not in the mood⊠for jokesâŠâ the man groaned, feeling his body weakening, unable to even move his sisterâs limp form off him if he wanted to.
âYea, those guys fucked you up huh.â the small woman continued as she popped another berry in her mouth. âKnow what a âvikingâ is? Nah probably not, well in a few centuries theyâre going to be remembered and you and that one are⊠not. Sucks to suck huh?â
âTo the Hells with youâŠâ the man spat back angrily despite his drooping eyes.
âMmm, wrath. Not my thing but I dig it.â The woman grinned, her lips and teeth stained with liquid much redder than the berriesâ flesh and juice. âGluttonyâs mine but Iâm a complex sort of lady, lots of interests, like gambling.â She continued casually. âSo, before you join your sister, you were saying?â
âWhat?â The man asked, genuinely confused by the womanâs casual attitude and the loss of blood fogging his mind.
âSomething about more time and being better? Not a great bet, truth be told youâre kinda dull⊠but a combo deal. Thatâs rarer, and could be fun⊠What do you say? Wanna prove it?â
âHow would I prove it?â The man spoke in a softer tone than before. Heâd never entertain a creature like this normally, but he could feel his heart slowing and his lungs running out of air, things were different than ânormalâ by a lotâŠ
âJust what you said. More time to prove it. You want to show me you two can be âbetter?â Fine, Iâll give you a go at it, and when you do Iâll reward you properly. Easy deal right? You sounded so confident after all.â She smirked, stepping forward at that, holding a red stained hand out for him. ââŠ. ooooor you can die with her and be forgotten by sunrise tomorrow. Your call big guy.â
The man stared at that hand. He could feel his rational mind screaming to not listen, and hear his sisterâs voice warning him that whatever this creature was nothing with the power to do such an act was trustworthy enough to agree to itâŠ
A moment later his hand grasped hers. âDo it.â
Time is one of the few constants in the universe. It may operate in different scales in some realms, different rates of flow and such, and some beings may SEEM to be beyond it, but no matter how diminished its touch is, time is a constant that flows through everything. Sure some beings can manipulate it and alter it, but it remains consistent in a few ways. Most importantly for this deal, the fact that thereâs only one real way to get a âsecond chanceâ in life.
A little less long ago, in a different small village that existed as a small footnote in the surrounding areaâs history, two children were bornâŠ
Thus was the cycle, live, die, be reborn as their infernal patron deemed them ânot enoughâ yet. Many faiths simply believe this is the natural course of oneâs soul, but unlike the traditional views of such things, despite her amusement at watching her new âentertainmentâ try and fail, the pair were blessed with one advantage.
They remembered everything. In a sense, they never truly died. The consciousness that was the young soldier and witch remained unbroken through time.
Not to say things were perfect, of course. Obviously for the first few years of life all that knowledge was functionally useless as affairs such as âlearn to walk againâ and âuse the toiletâ were a bit more pressing, but even in those regards the two would prove shockingly quick studies at least. Young prodigies who took to schooling and training like a duck to water.
Things didnât always go smoothly, naturally. Despite their close bond the two couldnât always ensure they died together after all. Still, their patron did know they were more⊠amusing when kept mostly together, and in the times when one didnât âtake matters into their own handsâ she at least ensured the twin was born near them. Not always siblings, not even always on the same side of history, but always closer than even blood relations could be, the twoâs eternal cycle of rebirth began to define them.
They came up with rules, agreed upon in secret and never recorded properly, but meant to make life smoother for them. For one, at the top of the list, ânever repeat an identity.â There was more room to wiggle in the early days, but as records became better kept it became impossible to remain the same person through multiple lives.
Thus, their old identities were lost to history, just as the demon told them would happen, and they became like cuckoos in a new nest each time.
Much less long ago, in the heart of Russiaâs booming revolution, the twins were thriving.
The man, now called Alexi, grinned as he sat at the table, feet kicked up on the polished wood as he ate an apple, his crisp and pressed military uniform and surrounding luxury a strong contrast to his casual attitude as he relaxed.
âNow see, this is life. Generations of toil and struggle under pigs like village elders, emperors, and czars and now finally we get our chance to live properly.â
The woman, now called Sasha, couldnât help but chuckle lightly as she walked around the large houseâs kitchen. âI admit I donât think Iâve seen a stove this large in a home beforeâŠâ she mused, running a finger along it slowly. âAnd they said we could just have this house?â
âMhm.â Alexi smirked. âA reward from the general, turns out Comrade Lenin wasnât wrong about many of these White Army sorts being parasites, though I donât think he meant it as literally as a vampire⊠Still, heâs not using it, only right it goes to the people, yea?â He chuckled as he stood, walking to his sister. âA few others are moving in too, theyâre like us⊠well not like us in that way but theyâre hunters as well. The general says weâll be leading our own group of hunters in the area from here, a symbol of the revolution for everyone to see. What once was a manor of excess and oppression now serves the people.â
âAnd I wonât complain about indoor plumbing.â Sasha smirked, slapping Alexiâs chest lightly. âThis suits you, though. This talk, this uniform. You could be a great leader you know. Thereâs no time like now, I heard theyâre assembling a vanguard leadership council in the capital, you could probably make itâŠâ
Alexiâs face twisted a bit, waving a hand dismissively. âMy place is here, if I want to lead Iâm about to have a whole team of hunters under my command. This end of the war isnât just an opportunity for us, many monsters are seeing the vulnerabilities and exploiting them while they can.â
âI supposeâŠâ Sasha sighed lightly, waving a hand and lighting the stove with a spark from her fingers. âStill, donât you ever get⊠tired? We fight for so long only to die and⊠fight more. Is this really the âbetterâ weâre striving for? Better killers?â
âI donât care what that demon views as âbetter.ââ Alexi answered curtly, frowning at her. âWe learned long ago she has some likely unreachable standard just to ensure weâre always âamusingâ her. Iâm sure we could walk on water and cleanse the lepers and sheâd say âwell you could have waltzed on the water insteadâ and send us back. Why should we care what her standards are?â
Sasha frowned but nodded a bit as she walked to take some eggs from the basket nearby, going to work cooking as she often did when distracting herself. âStill, thereâs more to life than hunting. Did you see the way Sophia looked at you when you rode into town after we liberated it? Itâs beenâŠâ
âIâve lost five loversâŠâ Alexi spoke quickly, stepping away from his sister. âWhy are you so interested in adding a sixth?â
âBecause a life without anything like that isnât a life at all!â Sasha finally raised her voice, crushing the egg she held in her hand. âDonât you see that thatâs the game that demonâs playing? She doesnât need to ever collect our souls, we make our own Hell every time we ignore actually LIVING just toâŠâ
â⊠just to fight the monsters that hurt people like us constantly? Is that not a noble enough purpose for you anymore?â
âMaybe itâs not! You act like losing your lovers was some unforgivable thing but⊠Isnât their memory still with you? AnatolyâŠâ
âDonât call me that.â Alexi growled. âAnatoly is dead, as is Alla.â
âWe are NOT!â Sasha responded just as loudly, hitting his chest again, harder this time. âPlease, brother, when itâs just us, why wonât you call me the name mother gave me?! The name she carved on my little wooden bed so carefully, the name I learned my crafts under⊠I AM Alla, no matter the names I take I will always be her!â
âAlla died in my arms!â Alexi shouted, slamming his hand on the counter hard enough to shake it. âI held Allaâs body as it went cold, I felt her blood soak my lap, she died to save me because I was too weak! She died because of me and because of my weakness I condemned both of us to this endless Hell! She would be ashamed of what a weak, worthless, coward her brother was!â
âShe is notâŠâ Sasha answered quietly, holding her brotherâs crying face in her hands. âShe loves her brother, her Anatoly, the morning sun. Born just before her to clear the way, and always tending to her needs. How could she hate her brother who was willing to defy time itself to remain with her? How could that love ever be anything but pure?â
âShe shouldâŠâ Alexi whispered. âShe was going to paradise and I tore her away.â
âYou are my paradise, brotherâŠâ she whispered, pressing her forehead to his. âI can never be denied what Iâm bound to forever. Thatâs why I want more for you than this endless bloodshed and pain. Please⊠for your Alla, just⊠go check in on Sophia, make sure sheâs okay after everything? Maybe let her make you some tea?â
Alexi sighed softly, but put his hand on his sisterâs head, kissing the crown of her head lightly. âI suppose I could use some tea, yours is always so weakâŠâ he chuckled, pushing his sorrows away as he did so many times when she comforted his darker moods.
âMhm, I already told her you like it far too strong to show how tough you are.â Sasha teased, blinking her own tears away.
Thus another cycle turned.
Alexi would go on to be a great hunter, never having the taste for politics but becoming a hero of the revolution nonetheless for his dedication to protecting the people from threats mundane and magical alike.
Sophia made a good wife, kind and loving but a fighter in her own way, they raised children they could be proud of, carrying on their legacies well before Alexi died peacefully in his sleep.
Sasha would pass away only a few days later, dying as peacefully as her brother did in the bed she shared with her own husband, surrounded by children and community members alike.
While modern Russia tried its best to move away from titles such as âwisewomanâ and âwitchâ, the role of a respected elder who knew the old ways to care for her people remained an important one, and she and her heroic brother were buried as honored members of the community deserved, a more noble life and death than many of their past.
Yet, after just a week past Sashaâs death, in a small fishing town, a pair of twins were born just like many times before.
âNot enough, letâs see what we can do againâŠâ a familiar voice rang in both their ears as they were brought into the living world.
Only a few short decades ago in a suburb of Oslo, born to a Russian immigrant family, a pair of twins entered the world for yet another turn.
Ilsa was a beautiful young woman, though many said a sadness could be seen in her eyes if one looked too long in them. It could be explained easily though, she and her brother lost their parents at a young age.
Not to some dramatic event or grand horror of the hidden world, a simple tragic car accident. Nobody to blame, nobody to call vengeance upon, simply a random and cruel loss that even eternal beings never fully got used to. Their grandmother raised them well, though, and Ilsa took to her teachings with a surprisingly open mind and quickness to learn.
She had a bright future ahead of her, but like so many people her plans changed when a twist of fate happened.
Ryan Roche, a young man from France came through the same campsite she and her brother were using, hunters like them tracking a rogue troll that had been harassing local natives. He was charming, and worldly, and while not quite as âwell-traveledâ as the twins he certainly had a more global view of his work than many others.
Her brother, Yuri, liked him as well. The two bonded over a similar background of both military work and scientific studies, and to be frank a similar taste for bravado and foolishness when it came to challenging the supernatural. Ilsa silently cringed when she watched the troll send them both flying across the snowfield with one sweep of its arm.
âGreat⊠two of them now.â she couldnât help but laugh as they both hopped up to run right back at it.
âYou gonna be in town longer?â Yuri asked Ryan as the trio relaxed at the campfire, wounds bandaged, troll defeated, and a grateful native tribe sent on their way without asking for payment.
âWell, I SHOULD get home, my siblings are expecting me⊠butâŠâ he grinned, looking at Ilsa with a sly grin. âPerhaps I could tell them I need to stay a few more days, gotta make sure this is the only troll after all, you know how it can be, they tend to look alikeâŠâ
Relationships were hardly new to the twins, theyâve both loved and lost many times, but their ârulesâ always kept them close to their homes together. âLocals onlyâ, as it were, the two never wanting to be too separated without a major need, and France was a good bit away from Sweden.
Still, what started as a simple fling began to burn more intensely. Ryan and Ilsa were so alike in many ways. Their devotion to family, their genuine curiosity at the supernatural, their desire for somewhat of a ânormalâ life even while maintaining their work. She truly never expected Yuri to react so harshlyâŠ
âWhat do you mean France?! You canât go to France, weâre working here! I have research grants here, but I can't go to France!â
âWell⊠then you stay here?â Ilsa spoke in genuine confusion. âI mean, itâs a bit of a trip I admit but there are so many ways to travel now, we can see each otherâŠâ
âWhat, holidays? Then maybe every other year? Then I donât hear from you until that damn Frenchman calls to say you died from some foul thing they have down there?!â
âAnatoly, be calmâŠâ Ilsa whispered, stepping closer to put her hand on his face like she did so many times when his emotions surged like this. âItâs me, your Alla, Iâm never going to leave you. I just⊠Iâve never met someone like him, so aware of the other world but still⊠grounded. Have you heard about how he talks about his siblings? He almost sounds like you sometimes with how much he loves them.â she laughed faintly, not even noticing the anger in Yuriâs face until he shoved her back.
âHeâs nothing like me! He doesnât know what love is! Heâs never had to watch his siblings die time and time again! He didnât bind his soul to the pit of Hell to stay with them!â
Yuri had always been emotional, but he had never put his hands on Ilsa like that, in all their centuries together he never could muster the anger or spite to do thatâŠ
âYuriâŠâ she whispered, his true name feeling so false to associate with this rage. âYouâre scaring me. Iâm not leaving you forever I just⊠why can I not go live how I want?â
âBecause I need you!â Yuri yelled, surging forward, grabbing her arms. âI need you by my side, I canât DO this without you, Iâm not⊠I canâtâŠâ his face was an alien blend of anger and fear, an expression she never saw on him as she wrenched herself free.
âEnough!â She matched his tone, she hardly ever raised her voice to him before. âI will not let you put your hands on me like that, and I will not let you dictate how I live my life! If you wish to stay, stay, continue your research, Iâll be happy to support you how I can⊠from France. Iâm going with Ryan tomorrow morning. If my Anatoly is still in there at all I expect you to see us off at the airport like a good brother should when his sister finds love.â
He didnât go with them to the airport.
Ilsa sobbed quietly on the plane, face buried in Ryanâs arm, grateful that the Roches traveled by private plane at least to avoid others seeing her like this.
âHeâll come aroundâŠâ Ryan tried to reassure her, rubbing her head softly as he kissed the crown of her head. âHe just⊠you know how siblings are. You spend your life with someone, it hurts when they go even for good reasons. He just needs time, yea? Just wait, by the holidays heâll be coming down and saying heâs sorry for being an ass.â
He never came for the holidays. He stopped responding to Ilsaâs letters as well. She tried to keep writing, but when he couldnât even respond to being told he had a niece she knew her beloved Anatoly was gone.
In a way, Alla also was gone soon after, fittingly enough.
âThatâs a cute lil grubâŠâ that familiar demonâs voice grinned at Ilsa as she sat up one night feeding her child.
She gasped, about to shout for Ryan before the demon held a hand up. âUh uh uh, relax. Iâm here with good news. You did it. You finally won.â
âI⊠won?â Ilsa asked, her child turning to regard the strange visitor with a curious coo.
âMhm, by the Morningstar it took you FOREVER to figure it out but you FINALLY did it! You win, and you get your prize as promised!â laughed the demon.
âWait!â Ilsa asked quickly. âHow did I win? I⊠I didnât do anything different! Iâm not even done living yet how can I have been better?â
âUgh you things are so⊠how can you live as long as you have and still be so stupid?!â The demon groaned. âDidnât do anything different⊠Look at you! Look where you are! Look whoâs NOT with you!â
â... Anatoly? I had to⊠leave him?â she whispered.
âWell, ideally there were other ways. I mean I was REALLY hoping youâd kill the dumb fuck but⊠yea this works, Iâll count it. Point was you had to figure out that little creep was codependent on you and go out for your own life for once. I mean, for the Pitâs sake, the guy bound your soul to the living world and you never even got upset until now?â
Ilsa was quiet for a moment at that, only the babyâs cooing and gurgling carrying through the cold night air.
âIâm afraid I havenât won, then. I donât hate him for it, I donât even resent it still. He did what he did out of love, and I still love him just as much even ifâŠâ
âEven if his love has been twisted?â The demon continued her thought. âYou still love that thing back in Sweden? The man that grabbed and shoved you? That screamed in your face because you dared to want something not involving him for one time in your eternal life?! Is that love, kid, or is that obsession?â
âBut I still love himâŠâ Ilsa answered almost pleadingly, as if trying to assure herself of that.
âYea, thatâs the problem with giving a bunch of barely grown apes free will, your stupid monkey brains are still dumb as fuck.â The demon shrugged. âYou love Anatoly, sure, that guy seemed like an alright sort even I gotta admit. Do you love Yuri though?â
âNo.â she whispered, looking down with damp eyes at her baby. Her brother was always thrilled when she had children, just as she was for him. It was one of the few âno attachmentsâ exceptions they allowed, these little pieces of their legacies that would live a hopefully normal and free life beyond the identity they used to sire them. He wouldnât even acknowledge the letter she sent with this oneâs photo in it⊠she didnât even trust that he read it at all.
âNo, I canât love this⊠Yuri heâs become.â she admitted finally.
â⊠and thatâs why youâre better than the Alla that was so devoted and attached to another she was willing to destroy herself just so he wouldnât be alone. Would you do that for Yuri? Leave this little rat without a mother if Yuri were to die tomorrow so you can join him?â
âNo⊠No I wouldnâtâŠâ she admitted, the words hurting to say though she knew they were true.
âThus, Alla Rybolovleva, I, Igniz Evermaw, Baroness of Endless Hunger, release you from our contract! Your prize is thus: When the life of Ilsa Roche ends, so will Alla Rybolovleva, and I make no claim to your soul. I also make no promises where it will end up, but I can give you my word that it will at last be free to go wherever the fuck it wants to. Enjoy your final life, Alla, make it one worth remembering⊠or make another deal with me, frankly I donât care, Iâm bored now that our game is done and will likely never think of you again.â sneered the demon.
She smirked, ever so slightly. Sure, the demon would never admit to LIKING a human, that would be disgusting, but she had to admit she was happy this one was the one that figured the game out first at least.
â⊠and Anatoly?â Ilsa whispered, the weight of her now mortal life slowly washing over her.
âHe is still bound by my game, and frankly knowing him likely will be my thrall for eternity with how dense he is. If you want some advice, consider it a parting bonus prize for entertaining me so long, forget him.â the demon stated bluntly.
âYour Anatoly has been gone for a bit. The hollowness in his soul where Anatoly once was has taken over fully. Thereâs not even much left to torture in there anyway. Live this life and rest easy⊠as gross as it is to say youâll probably be rewarded in the afterlife for so many lives of goodness.â she said in a mocking tone, though the words did seem honest despite her obvious disdain for the conceptâŠ
âReally thoughâŠâ Igniz continued. âMourn your brother. He died a long time ago, donât you dare waste your prize by spending this last life obsessed with whatâs left of him or so help me Iâll find a way to drag you down regardless."
With those rather⊠aggressive last words of advice the demon vanished, leaving Alla, now truly Ilsa for the first time, to sit and contemplate her own mortality for once.
Doctor Simmons was not a man who lost his composure easily. Years of academic study and training honed his mind into a scalpel, and he took pride in suppressing the same emotions that often led his peers to failing. For example, many would blanche at the thought of using a newly discovered type of creature, one with mythical origins, as a crude science project more than anything.
Simmons, though, was one who saw that as the only logical path to take. Age was beginning to wear on him, thin lines around his eyes and mouth, whitening hair that was once blonde and bright, and those once rich brown eyes had begun to dull. Still, as he stood in front of the containment tube that was humming to life he felt like a young man again.
Here on this off the books research base, even for the normally amoral Cheiron Group, he ruled over it like a lord given a fief by his king. Freedom to study what he needed, as long as he brought profit back to the mainland nobody questioned him. It was perfect for a man such as him. Now he could feel the project he wasted who knows how many lifetimes on before finally coming to an end.
Outside the facility things were much less calm. A storm was washing over them, winds powerful enough to make the sturdy support legs of the converted drilling platform rock. Lightning was crashing into the metal frame nearly every second. The good doctor and his team safely grounded inside, but outside every strike was sending jolts, even dulled ones, through the team at work.
They had to contain the storm, but first it had to be weakened. Simmons didnât care how, that was for the âoutside teamâ to handle, led by those young⊠contract workers. They promised him results, and like his corporate masters he didnât much care how those results came about as long as they could be exploited.
Present day
Doctor Simmons was starting to lose his composure.
âSeal the damn doors, I want guards on every entryway, windows too! If ANYTHING not in a lab coat moves, destroy it!â Simmons shouted as he slammed his hand down on the console he stood at, glaring at the screen that showed that once again a storm was rolling over his research station.
âIt shouldnât be coming this soonâŠâ he hissed, rich brown eyes narrowing as he ran a hand through his bright blonde hair that almost shone in the fluorescent lighting of the command center. âIt could barely swim when it left⊠unlessâŠâ He squinted, slapping the guard running the consoleâs arm. âPause, pause that frame and rewind it five seconds.â
His eyes widened in horror as he saw the sight on the screen. Lit by an explosion of lightning it was still hard to make the figure out fully, but he could see certain things. Long black hair, dark blue eyes, fangs like a serpentâs that were grinning with sadistic gleeâŠ
âGod⊠thereâs another?!â
Twenty years ago
âAnother!â Ryan shouted from the hook of the crane he was hanging off, pressing the magazineâs quick release on the rifle he was shooting, sending the spent container falling down into his waiting wifeâs hand. âHurry up! Weâre wearing her down!â He added as the crane swung around, piloted by Ana who was still recovering from her last fight with this storm.
A sigil painted on the magazine with blood and soft chanting later Ilsa sent the now filled clip up to Ryan again, carrying on a cool breeze that did the work of sliding it back into place for him as he used both hands to simultaneously hang off the hook and hold his gun.
âDamn itâŠâ the northern witch hissed softly as she watched the bright blue trail of ice infused bullets sail into the storm. âHurry up with that containment, Simmons! I swear to the ancestors if you try to fuck us on this Iâll haunt your childrenâs childrenâŠâ
The bullets were working, at least. They learned long ago that conventional weapons were of little use against this target, but like most beings of the sea it was sensitive to temperature changes. The ice bullets didnât do much damage proper, in fact they mostly shattered against the creatureâs skin and scales, but the enchanted chill that soaked into its bones was more effective at slowing it than any mundane bullet hitting the target could be.
Inside the station it seemed that Simmons was at least being a man of his word, watching the newly designed containment tube slowly come to life.
It was a prototype, a design once just a theory meant to contain the most dangerous âmaterialsâ by putting them into a form of stasis. âFormâ being the key term there, due to the intended tests for this creature they needed its blood and nerves and other functions to be performing as normal even if it was contained, so this tube was designed to functionally trap its inhabitant in a state of full sensory helplessness.
Unable to move or communicate, itâd be feeling and experiencing everything regardless. Again, a proposition that any ethical scientist would consider too horrific to humor. Simmons, however, knew that âethicsâ and other such concerns were just emotional appeals that held progress back. The creature would endure it, even if they had to pump it with enough healing solutions to keep an entire mundane hospital supplied for a year. It had to! This was his only shot!
Present day
âI donât understandâŠâ Nessa frowned on the small boat that was currently bouncing along the waves and foam of the churning sea around them. âWhy is she sending a storm already?â
Nessa and Alice had changed from their formalwear to âwork clothesâ, both dressed for more comfort and ease of movement than anything else. Nessa, after drying off, changed into simple jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt under a heavy matching coat. Alice had changed into a long black skirt and green turtleneck sweater to keep her warm in the cold ocean wind.
âIsnât this going to scare your auntâs agent off?â Nessa continued, flexing her gloved hands.
Next to the boat, keeping up with the breakneck speed that Harlow was piloting it at, was their âguestâ from before. Thea Aquamarine, princess of the sea, was swimming through the boatâs wake like a dolphin, body twisting and rolling as she cut through the water with speed. The main source of this speed was the large blue fish tail that replaced her legs the moment she stepped into the ocean water. Sparkling blue scales shimmered in the moonlight like gems every time that powerful tail breached the surface to propel her along. If not for the rather rude first impression she made, Nessa could almost confuse her for the more traditional stories of âmermaidsâ and their beauty and grace.
âThe storm is not to keep them out, foolâŠâ Thea huffed angrily, instantly destroying any illusions of tact and sweetness one may have about her people. âMy auntâs agent is already within the walls of your peopleâs tumor on the sea. The storm is to keep them in!â
Indeed, currently inside the station, watching in horror as the guards and other scientists ran around her to take up positions, a young scientist by the name of Theresa was trying her best to look as busy as possible.
She never expected things to get this far out of control when she took the offer. It was supposed to be a harmless, easy, job. She was approached by someone claiming to speak for some kind of⊠well truth be told Theresa didnât really follow. She had a lot of titles, but she sounded like some kind of nobility. They just wanted her to smuggle something out of her bossâ office for them and sheâd make enough to pay off her student debt and take care of her family for life! It wouldnât even matter if Simmons fired her after that if he found out!
Now there was a storm shaking the building, and the guards had taken out their heavy-duty weapons. She quietly ran a hand along the bundle pressed against her side under her clothes, taking a deep breath to calm herself as she felt the small leather pouch was still secure. Just had to get out, get to the drop off, and sheâd never have to think about this job again!
Twenty years ago
âJust gotta get home, one more good hit and we'll never think about this againâŠâ Ryan groaned, his arm wrapped in the chain for support, having lost his ability to hold it proper about five swings ago.
Ana was good at avoiding the strikes of lightning that would kill him instantly but the endless torrent of wind, rain, even razor-sharp sleet in a few passes, was wearing him down. He heard the click of a fresh magazine sliding in, his eyes heavy with exhaustion as his muscles burned. âOne more⊠good hitâŠâ he repeated as ice streaked through the darkness around them once again.
âItâs ready doctor!â One of Simmonsâ assistants called, the containment tube glowing brightly as it was finally primed to accept its occupant.
âWait for the signal! We only get one shot!â Simmons growled, gripping the edge of the console tight enough to make his knuckles white as he watched the fight outside. âDamn it Roche, you promised me results, donât fuck me on thisâŠâ
One final swing was all Ryan could handle, his last few shots going wide as he slumped, gun splashing into the sea as he dangled helplessly in the chain. Ilsa grit her teeth as she signaled Ana to bring him down. She couldnât see if any of those hit home. The storm was less severe but still going, she had no idea what âweaknessâ even looked like in a being this powerful! Still, Ryan was spent, Ana was recovering, her magic was strong but not nearly strong enoughâŠ
âNow!â She called, waving her hand at the camera behind her.
âNow!â Simmons repeated as a flurry of activity around him as the tube dropped into the ocean under the facility and opened to suck in the seawater around it. âCome onâŠâ Simmons whispered, for once in his life sounding genuinely desperate as he watched the monitor.
For a long moment it looked like nothing would happen, the tube simply dangling in its supports, filled with water and glowing but doing nothing else. After a tense minute, though, movement would be seen on the sonar.
âItâs moving!â The scientist manning it called.
âAway or to us?â Simmons asked quickly.
âTo us, but itâs jerky, like itâs trying to move away! I think itâs working Sir!â
Simmons felt the manic smile crack his normally stoic face as he watched with rapturous delight. It was happening, he saw a shadow at first before a glint of red scale, a flash of red hair, a hateful green eye glaring at the camera as if it knew, and then the call came.
âSubject secure!â
âReel it in then! I want to see my prize up close before those mercenaries come looking for payâŠâ
Present day
âWonder how much it wasâŠâ Nessa asked casually as the boat came up on the center of the storm where the empress was waiting for them. âI mean, taking the wrath of all this must have been expensive right?â She asked as the boat got a good view of the empress at last.
She looked quite beautiful really, the upper half of a human was all that could be seen as her tail kept her upright under the dark water. She looked young for her power but still older than anyone else who had come to her at least. Matronly even, her creamy, almost pale, flesh contrasted so starkly with that oil black hair and intense green eyes. Yet, despite those features and the storm around her she smiled so warmly when she saw Thea, holding her arms out to embrace her daughter even in all the chaos.
âBeloved daughter, Iâm glad you were successful.â Her voice was so calm, and sweet, the voice one associated with a siren, and Alice could feel her body relaxing around the woman as she heard itâŠ
âOf course mother.â Thea said in a softer voice as well, burying her face in her motherâs chest for a moment before âcomposingâ herself again, straightening up with that haughty smirk back on her lips as she turned to face the boat. âSir Harlow, knight of the Roche family, Lady Alice, heir to the Roche family, and⊠the otherâŠâ
âNessa is fine.â Nessa glared back. âIâm sure your snake tongue struggles to speak a language like Nahuatl.â
âYes.â Thea huffed. âPrimate languages are so vulgar to learn anyway, Iâve done well enough with the handful Iâve needed. Nessa⊠guardian of the Roche heir, may I present Empress Azhu, queen of Lemuria, archduchess of the eastern seas, viscountess of the frozen south, first spawn ofâŠâ
âEnough, my heart.â Azhu said, placing a hand on Theaâs shoulder. That voice remained so calm and serene, yet there was authority in it now as she cut her daughter off. âThese are not titles the land recognizes. Simply Empress Azhu, or Azhu alone, will do. Your family is sworn to mine, we should speak as equals.â
Thea let out an annoyed sigh at that, clearly not a fan of such a view, but not daring to argue with her mother in front of âcompanyâ.
âI trust my daughter has explained things?â She continued, smiling at Alice. âMy, a blind one. Forgive me but I donât think Iâve ever worked with a fully blessed member of your bloodline. I am humbled you came personally.â
Alice was actually taken aback by that, so used to Theaâs superiority and aggressiveness, to have her even higher-ranking mother act so⊠down to earth⊠was genuinely shocking.
âY-yes, of course.â Alice coughed lightly as she composed herself. âAccording to my father this was a huge undertaking for him and his, itâs only right we send our best to finish it.â she smiled lightly before looking to the empress with a more sympathetic expression. âYour daughter also mentioned the losses your family took, may their memories be blessings.â
âThank you, dear.â Azhu responded as a cold, clammy, yet still somehow nurturing, hand took Aliceâs. âThat means a lot, I know both our families are no stranger to loss at her hands. Yes, Theaâs father was one of my most beloved mates, and her sisters⊠well one never forgets their first spawning. We will avenge them, and the losses your family took.â
Alice could see this womanâs danger up close now. Without sight she could hear that voice so much more clearly than the others.
Thereâs genuine empathy there, kindness, softness even, but under it all is the voice of a predator. Thea is a shark, crashing through a school of fish to fill her mouth as best as possible and relying on raw power and passion to win. Azhu, though⊠this womanâs an eel.
She lies in wait, hidden in a rock, so calm and serene looking⊠right up until prey passes by and lets their guard down. Then Alice could imagine her striking with deadly accuracy, the kind you only get when your victim trusts you completelyâŠ
âOf course.â Alice said as she took the womanâs hand in return. âSo, Iâm told you believe her agent is in there already?â
âYes, I can feel my sisterâs artifacts, and I felt the one within moving already. I know these humans are too stupid to understand the power it holds⊠it must be her agent within them taking it.â
âI see.â Nessa nodded. âGood logic, so you want them alive for questioning?â
âIf possible⊠I have many ways, though.â the woman grinned softly. âTheir life is⊠appreciated, but not required. I do not wish to tie your hands. Simply keep their head intact and I will be happy.â
âI have your father on the comms.â Harlow spoke up, having been working the radio equipment since they came to a stop. âHe has experience with these facilities and likely can guide you to the object.â
âAs much as I dislike having a babysitter I agree, he likely knows the artifact weâre looking for.â Alice huffed, clipping the camera he gave her onto her sweater and hooking the communicator into her ear.
âThe elder Roche is with us then?â Azhu asked, sounding genuinely pleased. âWonderful. Please tell him I am thankful for his assistance again, and I apologize for any rudeness my daughter displayed in his home.â
Alice chuckled softly, putting a finger to her ear for a moment. âHe hears you, and he says she was fine, by her standards at least.â She smirked as Nessa laughed next to her.
âI shall dull my storm thenâŠâ the empress nodded. âYouâll have an easy trip to the station proper and I will keep watch for any escape attempts.â
Alice was about to ask if she needed help keeping watch before an elbow from Nessa snuffed that question out. Alice couldnât see the glowing yellow eyes that lit up the water around them like stars in the night, only seeming to open when the empress acknowledged them⊠Probably for the best she couldnât see them, as Nessa shuddered softly.
âThereâll be guards.â Ryan said into Aliceâs ear as the pair hopped off the boat, only to be met with rifles thrust in their face by black uniformed Cheiron security.
âYea, finding that out.â Alice frowned behind her glasses, using her cane to push the gun barrel from her face. âIâm a hunter! Iâm here to solve your security breach! Tell whoeverâs in charge that Alice Roche is here and stop pointing guns at Nessa and me before you lose a hand.â
Aliceâs voice was firm, not just because she knew the best way to handle nervous security was with authority, but also because she truly hated this situation. Helping Cheiron, even to help herself, left a bad taste in her mouth. She still couldnât imagine her father and mother working with them, even in desperation. They seem to actively do everything they can to give hunters a bad name in every community possible. Profit driven, exploitative, downright cruel even, they only cared about the supernatural world as a means to an end.
âDoctor Simmons will see you.â one of the guards said after listening to his own communicator.
âSimmons?â Ryan whispered just loud enough for Alice to barely hear. âDid he have a kid? A sibling? Impossible, none of his recordsâŠâ
âShhâŠâ Alice hissed as faintly as she walked, following the footsteps of the guard ahead of her. âThis place is like a maze. I need to hear to get my bearings, I donât care who this guy is.â
âNo, Alice this is important.â Ryan responded before they turned a corner to reach the central command center. There Ryan saw him through the camera. Doctor Yuri Simmons, in all his youthful prime, stood in front of Alice with an annoyed look on his face.
It was impossible, if Ryan and Ilsa hadnât researched him so well before taking the deal. It'd look like it really was the son of the Simmons he worked with, the spitting image of the older man. Ryan knew he didnât have a spouse, though, or family on file. Moreover, he had seen the pictures of Simmonsâ past works, his initial projects that got him the respect and authority needed to oversee such a secret location, when he was a younger man. This wasnât the spitting image of Simmonsâ youth, this WAS Simmons, just⊠young!
âAlice, get out of there! Weâll find a new way, this is bad, abort the-âŠâ
Ryan was cut off by Simmons chuckling softly, tapping his own communicator in his ear.
âSame frequency as always, Roche. Enough though, youâve come to do a job, and I expect the job to be done⊠Just like old times, right?â Simmons sneered a bit, voice dripping with spite before he focused on Alice.
âDid your father ever talk about me by chance? His old pal Yuri? Itâs a shame really, if he just stayed in contact I could have been uncle Yuri with how close we used to be⊠Well, I guess thatâs what happens when you kill a guy, though. Leaves a bit of a rift in the relationship. Well, bygones. Letâs begin. Youâre here to snuff out my rat infestation, yes?â
Alice felt her blood run cold as the men behind her and Nessa cocked their rifles.
Twenty years ago
Yuvia roared in anger as her fists banged against the glass in vain. Every time she touched it a shock ran through her body. Not like electricity proper, more like her nerves themselves were lit aflame for just a moment.
Even out of her storm she was the picture of âthe wrath of the seaâ. Fiery red hair and gleaming ruby scales went with her light skin and dark green eyes to make her almost too bright to fully look at in the labâs lighting. Still, as the containment device went to work pumping the water with the solution Simmons had created her movements slowed. Theyâd stop, finally, as she hung there, still glaring out with hate, but unable to move even a finger as she bobbed helplessly in the water.
âExcellent, sheâs just how I imagined herâŠâ Yuri smiled, putting a hand on the glass. âYouâre the secret, the wrath of the sea that never dies⊠youâre the missing puzzle piece Iâve been looking for all this time. So donât hate me too much. Iâm doing this for a greater good, your sacrifice will be remembered, my vodyanoy.â He sounded almost dreamy as he spoke before stepping back, adjusting his coat before nodding to an assistant. âPrepare the first test, Iâll need five centimeters of flesh, seven scales, and thirty milliliters of blood.â he smiled as he made his way out to the now calm night outside, taking a deep breath of the sea air as Ana and Ilsa worked to keep Ryan on his feet.
âWonderful work, all of you! Ilsa, as terrifying as ever, and Ryan⊠well I doubt he can hear me in that state so I can admit his little acrobatics display was impressive.â he chuckled, nodding to Ana as well. âAnd you, good work with that crane, useful all around⊠We should make this a more permanent agreement, shouldnât we?â He smiled, looking at Ilsa again. âCome on, Ilsa, wasnât this fun? Like the old days, all of us, hunting? What do you say, while Ryanâs not awake to be a stick in the mud. He listens to you, you can tell him my team isnât bad. I donât give a shit about the rest of Cheiron⊠those idiots are just tools, but Iâd like to have people I can trust on my team.â
âIf you cared about trust you wouldnât work with Cheiron at all!â Ana spat back angrily, Ilsa nodding as she did so.
âYes, Yuri you know I love you but I cannot support what youâre doing here. I⊠I understand your circumstances, believe me, if anyone does itâs me, butâŠâ She sighed softly, shaking her head. âThere are right and wrong ways to do things, and Cheiron is the wrong way.â
Yuri felt his jaw clench, glaring at her as she spoke. âWRONG way? The wrong way is living like this! Itâs thisâŠâ He stopped himself, taking a breath to refocus. âWhen youâre ready to be an adult, call me. I can always use more intelligent people on my team, and despite your narrow-mindedness you three are that.â
âHeyâŠâ Ryan groaned as he woke up, staggering to his feet fully. âWhat about the pay?â He called as Yuri had already turned his back on them.
âOh Iâd never dream of insulting you, my old friend, with my filthy Cheiron money. Your pay is the helicopter waiting for you, keep the fucking thing for all I care.â
âFuck youâŠâ Ryan spat back, pushing away from the women to shove Yuri. âYou think you can treat us like that because we donât agree with you selling your soul?! You promised us money at least for all this crap, donât you ghouls have a finderâs fee?â
Yuriâs face twisted in anger as he turned back, returning the shove to Ryan. âGhoul?! I am working for a better future for HUMANITY! You know, the beings you come from too? If you want to get weepy over the fate of a monster that killed your siblings go ahead but donât you dare accuse me of selling my soul when youâre defending the âdignityâ of th-âŠâ
Whatever else he was going to call the creature in the tube was cut off by a shockingly harsh punch from the barely standing Ryan landing right across his jaw.
âKeep my siblings out of your mouth! You have no idea what itâs like t-âŠâ
Again his threat was cut off as Yuri lunged at him, grabbing Ryan around the neck and slamming his back into the railing behind him. âTell me, tell me what I have no idea of! Is it watching family die? Is it seeing these things victimize me and my loved ones? Go on, Ryan, finish the sentence! Show me how stupid you really are by thinking I donât know anything about what you went through!â
âYuri, stop! Let him go!â Ilsa shouted, hitting him on the back but unable to break his grip as Ryan choked for air.
âNo! I want to hear what this glorified mercenary you abandoned your family for thinks we donât know about loss! How many siblings have you lost, Ryan?! How many parents?! Children?! Lovers?! CITIES?! Iâve lost ALL OF THEM and you care more about the creatures that would take them from you than me?! For godâs sake Ryan weâre fami-âŠâ
This time it was a gunshot that cut someone off. Ana stood behind the struggle, holding a smoking pistol as she panted. She had meant to aim for Yuriâs side, a bad hit for sure but one his medical team could patch up right away.
The struggle was intense, though, and she was having trouble standing so long thanks to the still fresh scar up the side of her bodyâŠ
The bullet had gone up too far, hitting him right in the back of the head. Blood splattered against Ilsa as she screamed in horror, Ryan groaning as Yuriâs limp body covered him.
âFuck⊠get him off me⊠heâs gonna knock me overâŠâ he coughed as he pushed Yuri off, Ana running over to help.
âI⊠I meant to⊠I was aiming forâŠâ
âItâs⊠Itâs okay,â Ilsa said, tears welling in her eyes even as she said that. âItâs okay. He was⊠I donât know what, he was going crazy. I justâŠâ She let out a ragged breath, wiping the blood off her face as best she could.
âDamnâŠâ Ryan sighed, looking at Yuriâs dead body with surprising pity for someone who was just being choked by him a moment ago. âWhat happened to you man?â was all he could say.
The three left quickly after that, they knew Cheiron couldnât exactly call the police over a technical self-defense shooting that happened on an off the books highly illegal research lab, but nobody really wanted to stay around after anyway.
The hunt was, despite everything, a success. Yuvia had been contained, Cheiron got its âsubject,â and the creature that killed Ryanâs siblings and so many others was no longer a threat. Still, it didnât make the hollow victory any better as the trio rode home on the helicopter in silence.
Somewhere across the world, at the same time as that silent helicopter ride, for a brief moment over America a glowing aurora could be seen despite being far from where it should be. Shortly after, a baby was born, as so many had been before, and somewhere deep in the void of the abyss, a voice laughed.
