Chapter 25

“Okay, mistakes were made.”

“Yes, mistakes, something you are quite accustomed to making by now.”

“…Well…you didn’t exactly specify what you wanted.”

“Come again? That new attitude of late has allotted you an impressive lack of respect for your owner, tool.”

“…Sorry. I’ll get something else to eat. Uh…can you be more specific this time though? My savings won’t last us forever.”

“Honestly. We shall go together, as the shop is not far.”

“You’ve been wanting to go into town anyway to scout things out, right? Everything works out in the end.”

Part 1

A large crescent moon glowed magnificently in the cloudless night sky, peppered with twinkling twinkled about. Below the dark evening canvas sat a town so small it could fit within Greenville’s main streets twice over. The humid air lingered, provoking me to shed my jacket in favor of the tee-shirt underneath. That action drew interested glances from some townsfolk. “I hope they’re staring at you.” Laughing it all off, I knew where their gazes laid. My scar, always that tree root like mark spread across my neck.

“Ignore them.” Anesha and I walked the streets in search of a market I’d come across before. The whole time, she squinted her eyes, glaring off anyone foolish enough to be caught gawking, though I couldn’t blame them. “There, yes?” So small it fit into an alleyway, Anesha pointed at the quaint store with a face plagued by doubt.

“That’s it! Maybe you’ll find something better than I did.” Despite a limited stock, the fresh scents of meats, fish and vegetables graced my nose upon entering. Anesha browsed on her own, immediately inspecting the food in cold storage and leaving my side.

“Hello there.” A kindly voice called out from behind the counter. The elderly clerk spoke to Anesha but was ignored as she was deep in thought. “Umm…hello!”

“Sorry about her.” I quickly interjected! “She’s very particular about her diet.”

“Okay then. You two ain’t from around here, huh? Hopesburg never sees tourists, especially not ones like her. She a celebrity or something?”

“Sort of…” If all plans were to go correctly, Anesha would likely end up as the most famous, or infamous person in history, so it wasn’t untrue.

“Two beautiful ladies from out of town, both dressing like some Hollywood types at the same time? Bet the old coots love watching her walk around.” None of that was wrong, but hearing people praise Anesha never got easier. Dressing with such extravagance, sometimes I wondered if Anesha seriously wanted to remain under the radar. Her own style always winning out, the abundance of accoutrements on her black leather jacket reflected the store’s dim lights. All silver, a multitude of crosses, keychain sized weapons, and small chains were hung from her sleeves, or around her waist via a belt. Matching her beloved jacket, Anesha wore shin high laced platform boots, and brown tights leading up to a pair of cutup jean shorts under a black and silver mini-overskirt.

“You, clerk, I’ve made my selections! Come retrieve these items; he shall compensate you.” The woman rushed over to grab food for Anesha, while I checked my phone hoping to see enough zeros in my bank account to afford whatever she hungered for.

Unread messages sat on my phone’s taskbar. They weren’t ignored, some weeks old, in fact. Seeing them come in over and over filled my heart, so I’d yet to swipe them away as a pit filled my stomach even considering it. “Oh, we’re done?” Two large bags filled to the brim with food were shoved into my arms, as Anesha pulled the wallet from my back pocket, ignoring my own personal space.

“Let us be off. There are preparations I wish to make.” After paying, and taking a chunk out of my savings, Anesha and I left the store.

Part 2

Our nearly deserted motel sat firmly on the outskirts of the Hopesburg, surrounded by a serene forest on a hill. The isolation was perfect for us. “Gotta’ hurry…” I could hear the exasperation in my own tone, happy Anesha wasn’t around to catch it. With the groceries loaded into the mini fridge, I hustled down the hallway of empty rooms. My next goal was meeting up with the witch herself. “Hello Miss Leroy, I’ll be right back!” Peeking into the lobby for only a second, I didn’t bother awaiting a response from the old receptionist, asleep at the wheel.

Fireflies danced around the knee-high grass reflecting the stars in the sky above, and crickets chirped filling the silent path through the woods with picturesque splendor. Each step of my sneakers on the ground almost elicited a slip through the squishy muddy mess, though I maintained pace, knowing Anesha waited. Deeper into the ever-darkening forest I trekked, bugs buzzing, squirrels scurrying about, and even large animals growling all reached my ears. My senses at that time were heightened absurdly, even when unfocused, sounds, smells, sights, tastes, touch, even the sensation of mana moving throughout the air vividly perforated my psyche. It had only been a short time, but training with Anesha had changed how I viewed and interacted with the world.

Waves of mana, even output by my own body, rolled toward a single source, Anesha. Leading me through the woods, around trees and past bushes so sufficiently, I felt I could close my eyes and still walk the path; so, I did…then tripped and fell. “…I’m glad no one saw that.” A clearing with a small pond and large tree was at the epicenter of the moving mana. On the edge of the lake sat Anesha, cross legged, eyes closed, and hands outstretched with five purple crystals floating before her. “…” Stopping just short of announcing myself, I instead remained quiet and walked over to the tree branch she hung her jacket from.

“Vanguard…rise…vanguard…rise…” She repeated five times, and each crystal began to glow in sequence. Mana plumed forth from her body, crowding around the crystals. Following every movement of her hand, the particles danced as directed by their conductor. Clinging to the crystals, half the mana changed black and the other white as the stones levitated away from Anesha. With a flash, the mana extruded wiry limbs and heads! One horse head, a round tower, one with a Mitre cap, another with a crown, and finally a single featureless orb head, a new set of chess piece familiars were formed. “Wonderful…if I do say so myself.” Her smugness overwhelmed any waves of mana still haunting the air. I could perceive the smirk on her face, even from behind. “For how long do you plan to sit there enjoying the view of my backside?”

“What?! I wasn’t!” I was a little. “Here.” I handed Anesha her jacket, noting that recreating those familiars must’ve been stressful, as she was caked in sweat. “Am I crazy, or do these look different? Also, weren’t there more of them?”

“Perceptive. During our excursion to those vile swamplands, I’d lost some; their encasements were obliterated, thus losing their souls as well. I have altered the remaining familiars’ shells. Originally, they were constructed as I fled Graewood, and neither the formula nor a proper shape was decided. Equipping them with those spears alone was foolish. As such…” She spun around, theatrically giving a grand gesture to unveil her upgraded chess piece familiars. “I’ve bettered them!” Two black and two white pieces, equipped with unique weapons. Replacing the right hand of the black knight, a straight sword, and taking the left, a shield. A surprisingly ornate crozier staff was given to the equally black bishop. The white rook had its right hand replaced with a massive tower shield, larger than either of us standing before it. Meanwhile, the pawn, white as porcelain was left with, sadly, with only a sword. Among all of them, the crowned piece stood out. The half white and black familiar was equipped with a crossbow and a special, dual-edge, heavy sword.

“Is this one the queen or the king?”

Anesha shrugged. “Both, and neither. It makes little difference to me.”

“You really like weapons, huh? Do you prefer them over just using magic or something?”

“Not exactly. I simply do not have the ability to expend mana frivolously. Even reconstructing these took far longer than I would’ve liked.” With a snap of her fingers, the chess pieces vanished. “Unlike you, my internal mana takes time to replenish, also the shells I needed to construct them are wholly different.”

“I thought Magekin had more mana than people.”

“True, lo’ that cache will not replenish in the blink of an eye, especially when our focus is elsewhere, as mine is now.”

“The barrier over Graewood, right? Why not just use my mana, since you always say it regenerates quick and I have a bunch, or the mana in the area?”

“A familiar must be made mostly with one’s own mana, internalized mana. Now, enough of your endless questions. I wish to sleep. Loyal pup, rise.” The spiral of mana at her feet grew into the old dogman familiar, Bramble. Anesha yawned, stretched and began her walk back down the path. “Bramble, I’ll leave shielding Fate to you. Make sure to clean up the trace amounts of the seed’s mana as well.”

“Of course, My lady.” He bowed his head to his master as she bid us farewell. “…Young Fate…” His eyes tracked the bag I’d discreetly held behind my back.

“Hang on…” With the witch gone from the clearing, I silently passed a bar of chocolate along to the dogman. “Now that I think about it, is it okay for you to eat chocolate?”

“I may appear in this form, but I am no mere dog.” His mouth opened and devoured the entire sectioned candy bar in a single gulp. The area became awash in stifling energy, like the altitude suddenly rose. “This should work; the barrier is in place. You may begin whenever you like.”

“Quick question…”

“You so do love questions, young Fate.”

“Well…” It’d be a lie to say I didn’t enjoy learning more about how magic, mana, and Magekin worked. “How do barriers work exactly?”

“Simply put, they are shield meant to protect the erector.”

“Like a ward?”

“Similar, yes. Barriers are physical, however. They create a shield using mana, and that sheild’s strength is based on the caster. Of course there are things that will pass through a barrier regardless, light, air, mana, etc. Well, that is in most cases anyway. With special cases, one may alter the properties in unique ways…” The dogman laid down on a patch of grass, signaling he was growing tired of my questions, much like Anesha.

“Sorry for bugging you. I’ll…uh…get to work.” With a deep breath, I focused on the seed somewhere beneath my collarbone. The match was lit, and my body ignited with energy! Feeling my body burn with the seed’s power never felt natural, neither did the sudden growth of my hair, nails, sharpening of my teeth, or swelling of my muscles. In the mirror, I’d have to remind myself that it was me looking back. Sometimes, I would bring up my darkened phone screen just to check that I hadn’t transformed unintentionally or forgotten to clean up my appearance. “OK. First…”

Stretching, into burpees, into bicycle crunches, into high legs, then leaping pushups. I moved through them all so fast and without breaking stride or a sweat, I stopped paying attention to the count. “You’re doing fine.” Bramble confirmed, uninterested. Mimicking Anesha’s high kick was difficult, even with my upped flexibility. Effortlessly, I unleashed three more without losing my balance, then a crescent kick, and an axe kick!

(Man…this really feels so alien. It’s like I’m using someone else’s body.) Anesha’s fighting style, when she wasn’t using her sword, was mostly kicks, but I wanted to work on other things. Pulling up my phone, I located a playlist of MMA fights, Judo, and disarming techniques. They’d all been forwarded along to me by… (No…stop thinking. Do! Do!) Among the myriad of tutorials and technique breakdowns, one drew my attention. (This guy is using Savate, it kind of looks like how Anesha fights, but I’ve seen taekwondo practitioners who throw kicks like her too…) Reviewing the video proved the uniqueness of Anesha’s technique, however. (His kicks are strong and widely defensive, but Anesha’s are fluid while maintaining speed and forward momentum. She’s always trying to close the gap, not letting her opponents have a second to breathe, it’s so different. It’s like the difference between watching two lions fight, and watching a wolf preemptively attack a grizzly bear. Pretty insightful, if I do say so myself!) Proud of what I thought sounded deep, I grinned.

“It would seem we have company, young Fate.” Bramble sat up from his napping spot and turned to face the woods.

“Isn’t the barrier supposed to keep anyone from entering?”

“My lady made specifications to contain your mana specifically.”

“Then the mana shouldn’t be spreading outward, right? Did something pick up on it?”

“I don’t believe so.” Into the clearing walked a bear, a large black bear!

(I…I is this cosmic irony?!) It made eye contact with me, then Bramble, then back to me! Slowly, the massive creature approached! “Holy crap! H-Hey there…” Unsure of the protocol for dealing with a bear, I extended my hand, thinking that it was alright to pet the behemoth creature. It wasn’t.

The spooked animal rose up to his hindlegs, ready to defend itself! I leapt back, avoiding a swipe of the bear’s claw! “Young Fate!”

“Wait, Bramble!” Before the dogman could say another word, I’d come up with an idea. “I’ll be fine. I…I want to wrestle this bear…” Exasperation, antipathy, and shame, those were all the emotions permeating Bramble’s face at that proposal. “No, seriously!” Taking my eyes off the beast was foolish as it charged me into a tree! My back was slammed against the trunk, and if not for my right of mind, I’d have stayed there and been bitten! “I thought black bears were supposed to be big scaredy cats!” Rolling away, I leapt to my feet and prepared for another attack! The bear charged and I did the same!

Locking my arms around the enormous, furry neck of the animal did little to perturb it! It thrashed about, trying to dislodge me, but I held firm, yet not tight. I assumed I could snap the beast’s neck, maybe ripped its head clear off, but that wasn’t my intention. Rising up and slamming back down, the bear attempted to throw me off again, but I reached the ground first, bracing us. As gently as possible, I wrenched back, but the beast was hefty. I tried again, and hardly any movement. It was becoming clearer how much force I would need to execute what I wanted. Pushing with all its body weight, the bear aimed to drive me into another tree, but my heels were dug deep into the ground! We stood at a stalemate, both of our legs refusing to give an inch!

“OK, like the video said, pop my hips, arch my back, and stand on the balls of my feet!” Every movement together, all at once, I did it! I suplexed a massive black bear over my head! The gargantuan creature crashed to the ground as I held on firmly, remembering to keep my hands locked and drive the creature’s neck down, until I remembered my own strength! “Shoot, are you okay?” Asking, as if the bear would respond, I released my hold. Slowly offering my hand, the bear responded by backing away, then full on escaping into the woods! “Great…that wasn’t the intention.”

“Mildly impressive, at the very least.” Chuckling under his breath the old familiar stretched his furry brown back. “Do you wish to continue, or are you done for the evening?”

“…” A bit dissatisfied with the outcome of my personal experiment, I felt the evening workout wouldn’t yield any further results. “I’m done. Go ahead and…clean up.” The experiment being inconclusive, I did my best to avoid sulking. (The bear seemed unharmed, but wrestling with a bear and wrestling with a human aren’t the same. I need to learn how to better control my strength, be more precise with my technique.)

Bramble walked into the center of my training space, meditating, and drawing mana, the seed’s mana. Tinged red, the particles gathered around Bramble’s body, clinging to his fur, shimmering brighter than the purples. As the mana fused into the familiar’s body, Bramble’s fur stood on end, he trembled, and a wild look seized his face! A few exasperated breaths, and some shuttering later, the dogman had successfully calmed down. “Honestly…My Lady…works me like a dog.”

Part 3

“I cannot hope to understand you humans anymore.” Carrying my exhausted training companion down the hill gave him room to leisurely lament. “In my day, phones did not have screens and they certainly did not offer up such information. If we needed to know something, we’d read it in a book!”

“…When was that exactly?” I chuckled, rushing back to escape a sudden cold snap, and hopefully dry off the sweat covering me. “Change your face back.” Though I bothered to remind Bramble, upon entering the lobby we saw old Miss Leroy nodding out. Our elderly receptionist tried valiantly to stay awake, however, the tube television silently playing an 80’s sitcom and warm lighting must’ve lulled her to sleep, standing at the desk. For a minute, I considered just sitting on the couch in the lobby and decompressing away from Anesha. That idea was quashed when I remembered my own situation. “Bramble…am I still covered in the seed’s mana?” I whispered, covering the dogman’s face.

“Of course, and it will take me some time to internalize this mana I’ve absorbed.” He replied in secret. “Your blood is massively pungent, but just your presence, in close proximity, will naturally coat things in the seed’s mana. It takes time to fade, as you know. Why?” I assume my face must’ve given my concern. “I see. Wanting to spend some time away from My Lady, yes?”

“I mean…”

“A change of clothes should eliminate a bit of the residue.” He smiled back.

“Thanks, but it’s not that big a deal. I do appreciate the thought. Best to just head back and let this dissipate over time.” Despite getting better at controlling the amount of mana I exuded when untransformed, my fears of it rubbing off on innocent people wouldn’t leave me. With that decision depressingly made, I moved toward the exit in the back. Maybe because I was focused on leaving, the old man with his cane extended surprised me out of the corner of my vision! “Oh, sorry.”

“No harm, lad. I need to be a bit more careful myself.” He bowed his head, catching the bowler cap as it fell. “Half expected the lobby to be deserted. Ignore my presence.” Spoken with a delightful British accent, when the man looked up again, I was taken aback by the sight. “Don’t mean to make a fuss.” His wrinkled face had scars; two massive old wounds ran up from his cheeks, beneath his round mirrored sunglasses, and up to his gray widow’s peak.

It dawned on me that the cane in the old man’s grip was a White cane! “Oh…no, sir, don’t sweat it. Do you need my help or something?”

“No, no, don’t trouble yourself. I’m on the search for my plonker of a son.” Hefty weight dropped on my conscience. “He was supposed to head into town and get us some food, but the bastard probably ended up at the pub.”

“Do you want me to go and look for him?” I felt compelled to help, despite Bramble grumbling under my arm.

“Don’t go putting yourself out. I’ll head my room and wait.” The man turned about and started shuffling down the hall in his beige slippers and matching pajama top, tapping the walking stick along the ground.

“Young Fate, I can see that look in your eyes.” Assumedly, Bramble referred to the pitiful expression I was trying to suppress.

“I know…but…” Seeing him enter a room, two away from ours, at least alleviated some weight off my chest. Finally returning to our own room, I entered just as Anesha had sat up from her bed. “Hey, we’re back.”

“My eyes work, you needn’t announce that.” Pulling herself to the side of the bed, not even bothering to change out of her pajama shorts or top, Anesha jumped right into her stretching routine. “Assuming your workout was sufficient, we will train together tomorrow.” As was often the case, when Anesha woke up from her naps, she would do a little workout. We’d been living in the same rooms or buildings together for a few weeks at that point, but I’d never seen her fully asleep. Weather I slept or was awake, she was up, using her magic to scan the area for strong mana readings, or writing notes in a book she carried. Her sleep schedule was bizarre, and best I could tell was that Anesha would sleep roughly in hour cycles, then wake up for a set period, then sleep again. “Good, I feel awake. I’ll scan the area; you can sleep now.” Anesha worked her hair into a bun, and I noticed a scar. Right beneath her hair line, a bizarrely precise, old wound had healed. Maybe due to the lighting, or just because I’d often avert my gaze when she was less clothed, but numerous scars, some looking to be surgical in nature, revealed themselves! Around her shoulders, down the collarbone, at the base of her neck, circling her ankles and thighs, then numerous along each individual finger joint, they were all faded, but… “Oh?” She noticed me staring. “Are you so enraptured?”

“Huh…Oh, no…I mean, no.” Was it right to ask about the scars? (Knowing Anesha, she’d either get mad, tell me to buzz off, or just brush the question aside.) I didn’t even bother to entertain the thought. “I was just spacing out, that's all.” I popped off my sneakers, jacket, and sweatpants, then headed for the shower. “I’m going to shower and go to bed, ok?” A flippant wave was all I received as a response. Seated on her bed, Anesha flipped through that pitch black book with one hand, and created a purple holographic map in the other, deeply engrossed in her work.

Under hot water, my body felt cool. No matter what I did, the seed would adapt. If I was tired, my body would slowly begin feeling energized. If I even cut my finger, the wound quickly healed up. The only times my body seemed to defeat the seed’s overpowering influence was when I was hungry or thirsty. I ended up spacing out, not realizing nearly twenty minutes flashed by. Out of the shower, I went about the routine that’d slowly consumed a noticeable portion of my life. I rounded up the ocean of silver locks pouring from my scalp and trimmed them. Didn’t matter how many times I did, I never got better at styling my hair. Some quick dye and staying untransformed would return my hair to being black after a while. Finally, were my skin tone and eyes, they’d lighten and turn brown again over time respectively, so there wasn’t much to do about them. The only part that wouldn’t go away, no matter what, was the scar on my neck. It’d been months since Erna made the smallest possible incision on the scar, and it still hadn’t healed; the bleeding stopped, but the cut remained fresh. A sobering reminder of my mortality, despite all else.

Anesha left the nightstand lamp between our beds lit so she could read. “You still reading that same book? Is it a novel or something…?” Reentering the room, I hoped the excessive mana had been thoroughly scrubbed away.

“No. This is one of many tomes which describes magical theory. It is necessary that I reimmerse myself into such learning every so often, so I may better my own creation and control of spells. Hmm…there aren’t any major presences in this town.” Anesha uncrossed her legs, and laid back on the bed. “For now, I will research a different magic.”

“Still no Magekin signatures, then? I guess we can keep heading north. The next city up is the midpoint between states, so we’ll end up crossing state lines soon.”

“State lines, how silly. Humans drawing lines in the dirt simply for governance…”

My brain was flooded with questions about Graewood and Magekin politics, but I refrained from bogging her down with more of my curiosity. (I’ll make sure to write these questions down for later.) I did, however, continue to fill up the list of burning questions on my phone. “Bramble, are you going to sleep on my bed…again?” The lump of a dogman stretched out across my sheets.

“I planned to, yes. After all, I’m still processing your mana. Regardless of how much you scrub, the seed’s mana, your mana, is potent beyond all words, young Fate.”

“Right…” I looked to Anesha. She was engrossed in another tome she’d brought up from my bag. She kept them there, as if I were her pack mule, along with our food, and any items appealing to her.

“You are staring again, Fate.” She caught me looking, again. “Since you assaulted me with your endless stream of questions, I will ask one too. Of course you will answer, yes?” As if I had any choice. “Why dye and cut your hair after every transformation?”

“Oh…” Surprising, I never thought Anesha cared about what I was doing with my time.

“I only ask, as it takes time away from our travels. Being one of your many obsessions, such routine may end up as a hindrance to me.” Never mind.

“I don’t want everyone seeing my hair changing colors. Aren’t we supposed to avoid standing out while we track down those 4 Magekin?”

“My…how forward thinking.”

“Thanks.” I wasn’t sure if that was a genuine complement or a sarcastic one. “Alright, I’m going to bed.” I pushed the fat dogman to the other side of the mattress and crawled under my covers.

Another part of my mind demanded more attention than the part that yearned for sleep. Somehow, I ended up pulling up my phone and browsed to our website. The updated ‘Occult research and study club’ website was amazing! Perry had clearly focused on doing everything he could to capitalize on our coverage of the Jasontown Swamplands. New layout, properly set video links, additional bios for each of the members, and a timer for each site update! The latest video was posted just a few minutes before I’d gotten on the site, so of course, I had to watch it. Chester, disheveled as ever, presented alongside Demica, seated at a large rounded table. They discussed recent cryptids sightings across the east coast, reports in other countries, and read off comments from the last video.

Seeing Chester, Demica, and Perry all working hard and prospering warmed my heart. Our views had more than doubled since I left, and I noticed there was even advertising deals coming through, since I still had access to our company e-mail account. Though…a bit of my heart dipped into the cold when I thought about Erna. I hadn’t seen her in a single video, received any messages, or seen her post on any forums. If I hadn’t occasionally seen her status on the messenger change, I’d have been terribly worried, but I also trusted Demica to keep everything together. The video ended, and I prepared to sleep, only glancing the bios page again.

Theodore McGinnis: Former main camera man of the Occult Research and Study club. Gone from this earth, but never gone from the hearts and souls of the club. We’ll never forget the most reliable friend ever.

Sleep couldn’t take me soon enough.

Part 4

Sleep didn’t help. With Bramble tucked under my arm like a football, I went for a walk. Anesha was awake when I got up, chewing on a protein bar and fastidiously watching the news. She didn’t want to miss anything happening in the world, if it could lead us to tracking the Magekin on our tails. “Fate, if you are going for a walk, I request you acquire more of these.” She said, holding up the wrapper of the protein bar we’d purchased just earlier in the evening. “Multiple.” She added. My wallet was due to suffer again.

In through the lobby, I noticed Miss Leroy somehow managing to still fight off sleep! I considered waking her, but the tapping of a cane distracted me. Coming down the hall once again was the blind man from earlier. “Sir…uh, hello!” I didn’t want him missing on his way into the lobby.

“That voice…the lad from earlier, eh? Evening.” With his walking stick, he tapped his way around to the couch in the front and sat down on a couch with a groan.

“Everything alright?”

“Hm? Well…” He thumbed at one of the scars on his forehead.

“Did your son never make it back?!” I caught myself getting upset, and took a second to calm down. “Excuse me. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t get all soft on the old man. That boy of mine is a real plonker, but I’m sure he’s well. He can look after himself.”

“…I’m heading into town right now. Do you…want me to get him?” My gaze drifted to Bramble, still out cold.

“No, no. I couldn’t trouble you.”

“No trouble at all! Just tell me what he looks like, I’ll find him and send him on back!”

“No, really. I have another person out looking for him, so I couldn’t trouble you.”

“Oh? Well…if I see him, all the same, I’ll let him know you’re looking for him.”

“…If you insist, I won’t stop you.” I didn’t want to pry, but something deeply upset me about his son abandoning him. Leaving his parent alone…with no one to look after him. “My boy’s name is Lucas Maven. I’m Gregor, by the way.”

“Fate Isley, nice to meet you.” He reached out in the wrong direction to shake my hand. I quickly moved over to meet his extended hand. “What’s your son look like…I-I mean-”

“Don’t worry, lad. I know what my son looks like. Haven’t been blind my whole life, haha!” Though he laughed it off, I felt embarrassed. “Best way to describe that boy of mine is, head of hair like a lion’s mane, as big as a pro wrestler, and dense as a rock.”

“…” That was definitely the wildest explanation of a person I’d heard in a while.

“You’ll know him as the bloke either bollocks deep in alcohol or some bird’s rack.”

“Oh. Uh…ok. I’m on my way out now. Do you…think you can make it back to your room?”

“Course, but I’m going to sit here and enjoy the air for a bit.” Gregor pulled off his shades and cap, then relaxed back in his seat. Without those mirrored shades, the scars were a sight to behold. Unlike Anesha’s, they were gruesome, and haphazardly cutting upward from his jawline, through both eyes, and up his forehead. “Oh, and Fate, lad. Thank you, you’re a good kid…for a Yank!” He laughed.

(Yank? As in a Yankee? Do I count as a Yankee, or half a Yankee?) I made myself chuckle; happy no one was around to see me laughing at myself.

“…” Bramble saw. He was awake and glaring at me. We exited the motel, and I awaited my usual chastising. “Young Fate…”

“I know, I know. A waste of time, pointless, etcetera, but Anesha wanted me to head into town anyway!” Though I made that point, Bramble still glared. “What? Was I supposed to abandon a blind man?!”

“Yes.” He replied without a hint of uncertainty. “Young Fate, allow me to be frank with you. I respect your morals, and your attitude, but I am absolutely, unequivocally, loyal to My Lady. I will follow her into the deepest pits of hell and back in order to see her dreams realized, and thus, will not allow, even you, to throw a wrench into the works.” Though I was running, and didn’t look Bramble in the eyes when he spoke, I could feel his unblinking gaze resting on me. “My very purpose solely exists now for her, and I will do anything for my lady. Never again will she suffer, so long as I remain in this realm.”

“…I get it, Bramble.” Suddenly, the saturated warm smell of rain reached my nose. (Huh? Is it supposed to rain?) I never checked the weather report anyway, so I wasn’t prepared in case a storm was coming. “Should we head back?” I looked to Bramble.

“That is up to you, young Fate. I dislike my fur being wet, however, I’m sure My Lady would be upset that you returned without her snacks.”

We finally returned to town, greeted by the ‘Welcome to Hopesburg’ sign, just as a storm cloud seemed to materialize overhead. My ultimate destination was the market, in search of ‘Low sugar, dragon-level protein bars’ for the ever-demanding witch, however, I did see the bar just a bit further down the block. The incoming rain cloud had burst open, bringing a squall like a running showerhead, painting the area beneath it in water. Late night pedestrians all fled for cover as I eyed the ‘Bad Dog Bar’. “Young Fate, if you wish to visit this establishment, please make it fast.” So, I hustled on, just barely beating the creeping squall. “Just wait here. If I don’t see him immediately, I’ll just call it quits. Promise.” An unsatisfied, grumpy frown was my only response as I sat Bramble down underneath the bar’s awning.

On the other side of the double doors awaited a group of loud, cheery, and profusely drunk men crowding the bar! They all either climbed onto the seats, stood at the bar, or were arm in arm singing sea shanties for some reason. “Once more!” A man cheered, standing atop the bar leading the merry group! It was obvious to me, by the wild golden locks, pale complexion, British accent, and muscular frame, all as described by his father, that I was looking at Lucas Maven.

(That was way easier than I thought.) Before I could approach, the rowdy Brit ripped off his button-down shirt and tossed it in my direction! I ducked the discarded apparel, however, the woman standing behind me didn’t.

Pulling the white shirt off her dark brown hair, the woman glared with an anger I hadn’t seen since Chester accidently tossed out Demica’s makeup. “Lucas Maven, ya’ daft clown! Get your arse down from there!” The young black woman stormed right by me, her boots stomping against the wooden floor with each step, overpowering the cheering crowd. “I should’ve known ya’d be here! At the pub, plastered, wasting your life and our time!” Speaking with a heavy English accent, the woman’s words were largely ignored by Lucas who simply continued to dance. The rest of the group backed away as she cut her dark eyes in their direction. I felt the exact same energy radiate from her that I did Anesha. A beautiful dark skinned woman, almost unbelievably so, with fury almost as unbelievable.

“Pearl!” He leapt from the bar, bottle still firmly clutched between his fingers! “My sweet Jamaican princess! You came looking for me? Maybe you should’ve looked in your dreams first, pretty sure I frequent them more than any pub.” That line elicited a groan from all in attendance!

“Bell-end, we’re not in the states for fun, we’re here on business! Your business! My business! Ya’ da’s business! Don’t matter a lick if you’re talented, ya’ gotta’ do your job like everyone else!” Though Pearl was clearly upset, Lucas continued to sip his drink, unbothered.

“Love, that hurt my heart, but I’m used to you hurting that part of me by now.” He leaned over onto her shoulder, and whispered in her ear. “We took care of the buggers on the ship, and we got some furry bastards on the shore. Why not cut loose a little, eh?”

“…” Though Pearl continued to glare at Lucas with the kind of disgust that’d make me shrivel up in my own sneakers, he just smiled brightly in her face. “Bell-end.” She handed his discarded shirt and pulled up her phone. While dialing a number, Lucas played with the clearly annoyed woman’s dreadlock bun, flicking the gold braid beads sticking out like a sea urchin. “I’m calling ya’ da’. We’re heading back, ya’ git?”

(Looks like I don’t have anything to worry about.) Down by my pant leg I felt a tug, being Bramble who’d had let himself into the bar. “What’s up, Bramble?” I pushed him outside and whispered, being taken aback by what I saw. “What the hell…snow?!” Not just any snow, hefty, thick flakes…in summer!

“Young Fate…I believe something is awry.”

End of chapter 25