Chapter 39

Part 1

Another humid morning in Gold River awaking to pain and suffering. Aching muscles, sore wounds, and a broken forearm, not a pleasant night of sleep. For the first time in a while, I sweat while sleeping, even under Arnold’s air conditioning. Rolling off my bed, the couch, was difficult; standing upright was nearly impossible!

“Pretty sure ya’ should just sleep, kid.” Arnold had walked down the stairs, and I hadn’t even noticed him!

(Huh? What’s going on? I’ve been beaten up before, but I never felt like this!) I took a deep breath, and focused. Deafening silence – no, muffled everything! It was like my ears were covered, but not just them, every sense was dulled! Smell, taste, feeling, sight, hearing, even my ability to sense mana! “What’s going on?!”

“Silence.” Anesha commanded! Again, I hadn’t even sensed her approaching from upstairs! “What bothers you so that you must exclaim violently this early? We have yet to even fully realize another morning.”

“M-My senses, I think something’s wrong! It’s like…I’m weak. I can’t hear, see, or anything like I have the last couple of months. I think the seed isn’t working!” Chills. Just saying it out loud made me realize, my body felt…normal. “It’s like…I’m back to being normal or something.”

“You are…in a way.”

“Huh?!”

“Calm yourself.” Despite the witch’s words, I couldn’t! Obviously! Still in her pajamas, Anesha moved gingerly down the steps. The night prior had taken its toll on her too. She walked over and cautiously lifted the back of my shirt!

“Whoa, careful! My back still really hurts.”

“Can you see this? Hand me your phone, I shall take a picture.” I fumbled through my pocket with my good arm and handed my phone to Anesha. She struggled, more so than I did, trying to find the camera. I ended up walking her through it; like instructing an elderly person to program their alarm clock so it wakes them up with certain songs. “Gods, these devices are so cumbersome! Here, I have taken the picture!”

Along my back were still impressions from the pukwudgie claws. Five rash laden scabbed over marks ran in between my shoulder blades and across my spine! Around each individual wound, purplish hue tinged my skin! “It wasn’t like that before!”

“That is because your body is so damaged now.” Anesha sat on the couch, unwinding. “The seed cannot heal everything and at the same time empower you. Toxins residing within your body are stronger than I had first assumed, clearly. A mistake on my end…” The witch muttered, and I barely heard her. “Poisons appear to be particularly disastrous, as they attack the body in a way the seed has difficulty combating. If it is something that damages the nervous system, your brain, or could possibly destroy entire parts of your body, the seed will focus it directly.”

“…Uh…I have a question.”

“As you often do. Speak!”

We’d never discussed it, but that conversation presented a perfect opportunity. “My neck…” That scar, even a slight brush of the root patterned wound spreading across my throat nearly caused me to vomit! “I-I mean…I noticed a while ago, when I nicked it shaving; the skin never really grew back.” Anesha must’ve had an inkling that I aimed to betray her; wanting to remove the seed, so wording my questions cautiously was important. “…How come it doesn’t heal?” Concealing my intentions…and that Erna could assist, I lied to the witch’s face.

“Your neck?” I nodded. “I had taken notice of that wound some time ago, and your insistence on wearing that…peculiarly fashioned jacket of yours.” Hopefully, she never paid Erna any mind. “The center of your scar is where the seed entered your throat. One would believe those tendril like marks exist due to mana exploding from that source throughout your body. You stated once, a heat was stoked near that scar prior to the mana explosion, yes?”

“Mana Blast, yeah.” I corrected…

“…Blast…? You have given it a name?”

“Do you not like Mana Blast? I was also thinking Mana Cannon, or Roar…Howling Flames?” It’d been a while since Anesha last frowned at me with disappointment like that. The tangible cringe along her brow spoke to how she felt about my naming convention. “Well, you know since the talons, for a bit, I was calling them Deadwood Talons. I changed my mind…Claws of Cocytus, since they’re like trees that grow in the frozen…underworld.”

“…” Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Anesha leaned back into the couch.

“A-Anyway…”

“Anyway.” We returned to the matter at hand. “Wounds to your neck do not appear to heal at the same rate as others across your body. One can only assume it is due to the constant bombardment of mana coursing throughout your body. The seed does not exist within your throat, mind you. It exists throughout your neck and body. The seed of Yggdrasil has planted its roots within you, and those roots spread outward across the whole of your being. Should the roots be pruned, your life shall end, and even the mighty powers of the seed cannot stop that.” All as I suspected, but she confirmed.

“Hey.” Arnold peered in from the kitchen. “Ya’ two going to keep yapping or ya’ want some breakfast? I was about—”

“No!” Jumping up from the couch, Anesha halted Arnold! “We have discussed this before! If cooking needs to be done, I shall handle it! Fate requires healthy food to heal, and I’m sure your wellness is far below what it should be! I shall prepare an excellent meal accomplishing both. You are welcome!”

“…Sure you don’t want to cook, kiddo?”

“Can’t.” I confirmed for the old hunter, holding up my broken forearm. We prepared ourselves for a healthy…and bland meal.

Part 2

Though we struggled throughout the day, Arnold and I managed to reconstruct his front door frame completely! “Sure ya' shouldn’t be laying down, kid?” The old hunter said while cleaning up his tools.

“Laying down only makes me feel sick – physically sick. I need to move a little bit…” His concern noted, Arnold had already reentered his home before I could finish explaining!

“Don’t overwork ya’self. Whatever kind of magic ya’ got, ya’ still human, far as I can tell. Folks need time to heal up…” More wisdom. “Also, I don’t wanna’ to hear the girl’s mouth.” Even more wisdom!

“Tell me about it. When she’s not working out, or napping, she’s busy busting my balls! Haha!”

“Maybe I should literally ‘Bust your balls’.” Without my ability to sense her, Anesha may as well have been a ninja! I had no idea that witch was sitting behind the doorframe, silently meditating. “Another slight such as that and I shall add to your injuries. Clear?”

“Gotcha’.” A brow beating was infinitely better.

“Oh, right. Girl, Dirk called.” Confusion plagued both Anesha and I. “The metal shop owner. He called and said he wanted to meet ya’ about a deal or something.”

“Oh! The weapon merchant. Excellent!” I’d forgotten about the bartering, but Anesha brimmed with enthusiasm! “We shall make for the shop posthaste! Allow me a minute to ready myself. Fate, you do so as well.” A drop of blood ran down Anesha’s nose, which she quickly caught with a napkin from her pocket!

“Hang on. Are you okay? Are you still processing the seed’s mana?”

“I am. It will take some time. Worry not, as I can move for now. Neither of us are leaking excess mana, and Bramble has nearly cleansed the area…which I also have another issue to deal with.” She said somberly. Anesha walked off upstairs to change, and I took my sweet time doing the same. With an arm wrapped in a cast, maneuvering my ‘Death is Death’ movie tee-shirt on was a slow process.

“You wouldn’t mind taking us, right Arnold?” I couldn’t discern the old man’s expression through his multitude of wrinkles. It felt right to assume there was a frown.

“I gotta’ see Dirk too, so…” More grumbling, but that was to be expected with Arnold.

After what felt like far too long putting on jeans and a tee shirt, I finished dressing and considered my jacket. Only a couple of months had passed since gaining the seed’s powers; everything my life had change since, not just the course of it. Every tiny interaction or decision, even down to how I dressed had me worrying for the consequences. Humidity plaguing the air broke me out into a sweat, yet I didn’t want to leave without my neck being protected!

My fingers trembled clutching that khaki coat, lungs were sore, and every joint creaked under the slightest provocation! Was I back to how I was before the seed, or even worse off? I couldn’t remember. “Fate!” Again, Anesha shocked me by calling my name! “Come. Now is the time!” She walked out toward Arnold’s truck; sputtering to life as its owner revved the engine.

Leaving the jacket was a no-go; hole through the back and all! After successfully bumbling into the truck bed of Arnold’s pickup, we took off towards Gold River’s strip mall. More pedestrians, mostly kids, filled the streets that day. Older folks along the way would call out whenever they heard Arnold’s old blue pickup sputtering by. We pulled over several times and Arnold conversed, even past a surly Anesha in the passenger seat. I couldn’t focus on what they were saying though.

(My back…) It was on fire! (The scars from the pukwudgie, how have I been living with these for the last few days?!) Each mole hill, dip in the road, or hard turn jostled my back against the truck’s metal frame. Pain surged around from my spine, morphing into sickness swirling in my stomach. (Can we stop rocking back and forth?! It hurts so much! My arm too…) Humidity, pain, and sitting in an uncomfortable position, all contributed to my wearying body. (Why does everything feel like this?!) Lacerations to my legs healed massively but itched like bugs were skittering along the scars! (Fuck! I can’t even scratch them the right way!) Blisters and bruises were annoying to dig at, having access to only five of my fingers. Those small nagging annoyances were becoming unbearable!

We arrived and I basically flopped out of the car onto parking lot asphalt! “Ya’ alright kid?” An answer I couldn’t properly lie about. Nothing was alright. “Ya’ don’t seem good. Hey, girl, think we may want to take him to the hospital. He’s lookin’ pretty sick.”

“Hm…” Anesha stepped out from the passenger seat and knelt down to meet me eye to eye. “I see your concern, lo’, it may be best to allow it to pass.”

“Y-Yeah…can’t exactly afford another doctor’s visit.” That forced smile and half joke were met with frowns. “I’ll be ok, right? The seed won’t let me get any worse…right?”

“The seed is battling toxins from the goblikin. Should you remain stable, eventually, it shall win out and heal you.” Any good news was appreciated, even if days long suffering was still on the menu. “For now, let us return to our mission.”

“Your mission, girl.” Waiting for us at the front door with a welcoming smile was Libby. Her already red hair was brighter than the day prior, likely re-dyed. “Hey Libby. Where’s that old fat bastard?”

“Shouldn’t ya’ be sniffing some deer’s ass, ya’ ol’ coot?” From behind the counter, a wide man with skin leatherier than an alligator bag, jabbed at Arnold. His beard and hair were whiter than snow, surrounding the peak of his balding mountain-top head. “Oh, these the kids?” He placed a pair of large round glasses perfectly on his prominent nose.

“Yeah, like I said over the phone. They helped find Rita, and the girl wants the ax. Anyway, Dirk, I hear ya’ went to the big city the other day! Did ya’ get to see the new stadium?” Arnold, once again, seemed happy chatting with his old friend. A smile forced its way onto his face, just barely able to overcome those wrinkles.

“I did! Bunch of bull! They spent all that money on the stadium, and we’re never gonna’ win a game! May as well use the animals in the zoo to play on the field, they’d suck less!” The two old men laughed heartily!

“How’s it going, you two?” Libby called Anesha and I over while Arnold and Dirk chatted. “So, it was you guys that found Rita! You should’ve mentioned that before. Also, how’d you manage to do that to yourself in a day?” She referred to my shabby appearance. Coming up with a lie on the spot was hard.

“Worry not about Fate. He shall live.” So Anesha took the initiative, sort of. “Regardless, you have the ax, yes?” From around a rack, the clerk produced the, apparently, tantalizing weapon. “Yes. Honestly a master’s work.”

“I guess so. The boss works on weapons as a hobby, so he ends up making a bunch.” Made of pristine metal and gold trimming, the ax, larger than Libby, was impossible for her to lift and hand off to Anesha.

“Here. Allow me.” She took the weapon in both hands, holding the blade over her own head, which it dwarfed in size.

“I can’t get over how strong she is.” That compliment struck a chord with Anesha, who smiled back.

“You could also achieve this physique…Libby, was it?”

“Yeah? I don’t think so. I’m all skin and bones!” She laughed.

“Nonsense! I can see it within you. Your frame is good, strong. I must say, a woman as good looking as you, with a frame such as yours, should endeavor to explore it.”

“Huh? O-oh come on…haha…” A tangible blush started to form on Libby’s cheeks.

“I am not one to merely spout complements without consideration. I noticed you from afar when we entered this establishment before, and it was not due to your manner of dress. Lo’, I must say, I appreciate your fashion sense. It is difficult to find one who engages in such attire, and more so, one, such as yourself, who does it so well.”

“Buh-I-guh, t-thanks!” By then, Libby was giggling up a storm and unsuccessfully fanning away the redness that’d bloomed under her brown skin. “I…you…uh…” Completely tongue-tied, she fumbled back toward her boss, knocking over nails and screws along the way.

“Hey, hey, Libby, get it together!” Dirk shouted, finished talking with Arnold. “Alright, girl, let’s talk business. Libby says ya’ want my ax.”

“That is true.”

“She also says ya’ got somethin’ to trade?”

Approaching the counter, Anesha placed that weighty battle ax down and dug through her shorts’ pocket. “This shall do, no?” Two silvery, glimmering coins were produced. Dirk reached his thick and gruff looking hand out, allowing Anesha to drop them in. The old man pulled off his regular glasses and put on a jeweler's loupe, closely examining the currency.

“…This ain’t…at least, not totally silver. What are they?” He held up the odd coins, and under a more oppressive light, a tinge of purple sparkled in them.

“They are mostly silver. All I can speak to is that they are mixed with a foreign mineral, one you’ve likely not come across in your life.”

“No, I’ve seen this before.” That shocked us both! “Hang on…” Dirk left us for the store’s back.

“Anesha?” The witch ignored me, confusion plaguing her eyes.

“Here it is.” Returning to the counter, Dirk handed Anesha a knife. The ornate wooden handle was emblazed with strange lettering, similar to when Anesha would cast large spells. A silver pommel matched the coins, and even more letters were inscribed into the blade’s blood groove. All that silver glowed and sparkled with tiny, near missable, purple fragments.

“How did you acquire this?!” Absolute disbelief befell Anesha.

“Couple of years…guess it would’ve been decades ago, I ran into a white man passing through Gold River. Bastard was digging for arrowheads, so he and I got into a fight. I won!” Arnold and Dirk fist pumped at that. “When he got back up, we had a little chat and realized he was just a weapon-head too. He and I drank the night away, showed each our wears, and ended up killing a bear!” A part to the already confusing tale was suddenly added!

“The old folks would’ve been pissed at ya’, killing a bear…”

“Don’t get on me ya’ old fuck! Ya’ hunt bears and deer all the time!” The two laughed again. “Anyway, we ended up killing the thing and the guy left me the blade. Said it wasn’t much, or even special, but he made it with his own hands. I gave him a bow I strung myself and told him to swing by again. Haven’t seen or heard a lick of him since.” A bit of sadness in his voice, the grumpy old smith shrugged it off.

“…” Anesha inspected the blade, pensively considering something silently. “Celeste Zappa was that man’s name, I’m sure of it.” Hearing that sent a chill up the Dirk’s spine!

“Yeah, that was it! He only said it once, so I’d almost forgotten!”

“He is a good man. Still breathes, to the best of my knowledge. It would take quite a lot to kill him, after all. If he gave this to you, it means he thought a lot of you. Celeste does not give away weapons; he gifts them to those he deems worthy. Be proud, human.”

“…Heh.” A smile broke out across all the old faces. Something as simple as a fond memory brought joy to even the oldest and crustiest of hearts.

“Uh…what’d you mean by ‘human’?” I’d really hoped no one would catch that, but Libby did!

“Doesn’t matter, Libby. So, you want the ax, yeah?” Dirk went right back to business. “We owe ya’ for finding Rita, so the two coins ‘ll do.” Glowing with satisfaction, a deal between the old metalsmith and the witch was struck. “Oh, right. If ya’ see Celeste again, tell his old ass to swing by for a drink!”

Part 3

“Arnold, I ask that you hold steady here for some time.” Anesha had just loaded her newly acquired ax into the truck, then suddenly changed her tune.

“Huh? What now?” Arnold, fairly, seemed tired of dealing with our requests.

“Another task demands my attention.”

“Kids ditchin’ you?” Dirk had followed us out to Arnold’s truck, revealing the biggest surprise about him; a short stature! The man, wide and thick like a bear, was shorter than a teddy, only coming up to my shoulder. “Let ‘em go. Let’s head over to the restaurant and grab some food!” The old men were satisfied with that option.

Arnold hopped out of his vehicle and called back to us before leaving. “Be back before I finish eating, otherwise I’m going without ya’.” Off the old men went, leaving Anesha and I alone in the strip mall lot.

“So…what’s going on?” Nothing was explained to me. Whatever her plans, the witch remained mysterious.

“Simply follow me. It is not something which requires a long-winded explanation.” Almost somber, Anesha began making her way toward the Whispering Hills bridge.

In rolled the evening, bringing a darkened sky full of stars and rambunctious nightlife to Whispering Hills. People down the block partied around souped-up vehicles outside a local park. Every car was painted in neon colors, modified with shiny engines and rims, all to match their flamboyant drivers. In the skatepark, however, teens rolled around on their skateboards and bicycles, busting out tricks and bailing! Cheers erupted from that crowd of drunkards around their cars whenever a trick was landed successfully, or a teen would eat shit spectacularly.

Anesha hurried along into the woods, disliking the boisterous crowd. We climbed the hill, still in silence. I was out of breath after a while, trying to keep up with the fit witch. Surprisingly, she waited patiently for me to gather myself and continue our hike. Finally, we happened upon what Anesha seemed to be searching for…a regular old cluster of trees. “Is this where you wanted go?” My foot kicked something, a mint green boot. Looking up the apparel, a pair of white pants, cool mint green jacket with gaudy gold trimming, and finally settling my eyes on a body! Not just any body, one with only the eviscerated lower jaw separated from its cranium, which laid next to them! “Wha?! B-Bryn!?”

The warlock I’d faced was dead. Killed in brutal fashion, having been dissected at the mouth! Whatever killed him sliced directly through his jaws, out the back of his head; spliting his hood! I took deep breaths, calming down as best I could. Looking away to try and protect my sanity while keeping down my lunch, failed. Vomiting twice in just under a day sucked. “OK, enough. Sit for now, this shall not take long.” Anesha walked up to the corpse and clasped her hands, praying. “Lord in heaven, hallowed is your name, grant these lost spirits a road to walk, and a guide to lead them. Bryn Wooton, Gossamer, open your eyes, ears, and hearts to the beyond, walk the path in which your life directed, leaving behind your worldly attachments!” Mana wafted upward from the soil. Purple particles danced, and the silhouettes of two beings formed! One, a small and lanky man, Bryn. To his side, a large, thin man with a round belly, which I could only assume was Gossamer. “Walk shamelessly into the next life. Bryn, fighting for your people and master; Gossamer, fighting to protect your master, even beyond your life as a man. Pass on in peace, amen.” Slowly, both transparent apparitions faded.

“…Didn’t think you were religious.” Wasn’t exactly sure if I was allowed to comment on that.

“Most Magekin are.” Anesha responded candidly. “Lo’ there are minor differences in beliefs, it is believed that we all go to a singular Hell or Heaven once passed on.” With her fingers pinched, Anesha readied a spell. “Ignite!” She snapped, sending a spark onto Bryn’s body and obliterating it within a instant!

Seeing his body disappear in a contained explosion was shocking. “…Bryn Wooton…he was pretty bad, right?” I tried to continue unabated.

“Bad? In what sense?”

“Like…evil, I mean.”

“Such things are not for mortals to decide. You saw him fade away, yes?” I nodded. “He was not so evil or bad that his spirit was claimed by the underworld. That man who possessed the train, his was. A spirit which escaped judgement finally having their eternity claimed by the afterlife, that is the ultimate end for living beings.”

“Except me…” I let that slip!

“…” Anesha glared and began to speak…but held back. “Let us depart. I have little time for your complaints. Also, it would be best for us to return to Arnold before he leaves.”

“OK.” I pushed up off the ground and we made our way downhill. “Um…why didn’t you just tell Arnold to go without us? Couldn’t we walk?”

“Fool. You are injured. Consider your own well-being for once in your life.” An amazing show of concern from the detestable witch! “If you do not heal quickly, then you will be a burden…more of a burden.” That concern was for the seed. I should’ve expected as much.

By that drunken crowd and teens shouting them away, we hurried toward the Whispering Hills bridge. Running with my aching and weakened body, I barely kept pace with Anesha. The sun had totally fallen, and lampposts across Gold River sprung to life following our trek back to the strip mall. Arnold’s blue pickup in the distance stood out with mud covering its undercarriage. “Oh!” Approaching the car, I could see Arnold laid back in his seat. “Guess he waited for us after all. Hey, sorry!” Suddenly the back of my collar was yanked hard!

“Halt! Rebuke!” Anesha had pulled me back toward her and onto the ground, then erected a barrier! “…Something is amiss.”

“What do you mean?” Looking closely, beside Arnold’s car were two figures. Laid out on the ground were both Libby and Dirk! “What the hell?! Libby! Dirk!” Before I could dash out of the translucent magical orb, Anesha once again grabbed my collar! “Why are you stopping me?! We have to see if they’re ok!”

A cautionary glare reminded me of my position. “How dulled your senses have become.” Anesha gestured with her head for me to look upward. I immediately understood our situation.

Atop the strip mall stood a man and woman, dressed in flamboyant clothing. With the moon to their backs, shadows were cast; even within said darkness, purple stitches humming illuminated their mage’s robes. “'ello there!” Immediately, a British accent seemed to throw both Anesha and I for a loop! Messy brown moptop hair, mana charged jacket slacking down his wiry pale shoulders, and a multitude of bright and cheery colors splotched all over his clothes; relaxed was the word for that warlock. I couldn’t lower my guard though! “Gonna’ cut to the chase if yuh’ don’t mind. Anesha Kyteler, yeah?” He said, twirling a paintbrush between his fingers.

“…” The witch silently assessed our situation while I shook in my worn-down sneakers. A fight in the middle of town would’ve been bad for multiple reasons. People could get involved, I was weakened, and everyone would know about Anesha! Though I feared that, patrons of the nearby diner also appeared laid out in their seats!

“What the hell did you do to them?!” Part of my concern was assuaged, but clearly, magic was affecting those civilians! I could act on my anger, as the seed didn’t offer even the smallest amount of power.

An ethereal chain of letters encircled the warlock’s brush tip. “Relax there, pal.” Turning over his paintbrush, a lavender droplet fell toward the ground. Paint met concrete and splashed outward coating the asphalt! That lavender liquid blanketed every inanimate object in the lot with a thin, nearly missable, layer, before slowly making its way through Gold River’s streets. “I’m keeping these folks calm, and at ease. Promise their dreams are sweet and pleasant.” The color faded almost faster than it settled in. If I could’ve sensed mana, I was willing to bet that faded paint magic covered everything in the parking lot. “So, Anesha Kyteler, yeah?” He grinned.

“Fate.” Anesha whispered… “Do not lay your eyes upon anywhere but those Magekin.” Then answered that warlock…sort of. “Is it not proper etiquette to offer one’s own name before asking for another’s?” Smug responses like that were a dime a dozen with her.

“Have ta’ agree with ‘er, Ulric.” The woman to that warlock’s – Ulric’s side, finally spoke up; also, with a British accent. She too seemed non-hostile. Her ash white locks were trimmed into a bobcut with some notably purple hair clips used to form a left sided part. “Chuffed ta’ meet ja’ two. I’m Holly Emily…” Holly said, then using a sharped wooden knife, pointed to Ulric. “And this 'ere is Ulric Young.” A gem-stone matching her hair clips dangled by a chain from the opposite end of Holly’s armament, jiggling with every movement.

“Can yuh’ not point wit’ that thing? Yuh’ going to put my eye out!” A roll of his light brown eyes and Ulric dropped another dab of paint.

“For what purpose are you two here? I can only assume you are from another Magekin city, one in Europe, assumedly.” Throughout the whole exchange, Anesha gripped her saber keychain.

“Hmm…” Holly placed a finger to her chin, considering something.

“Enough chin wagging.” Without missing a beat, Ulric reached into the sleeve of Holly’s oversized coat! “…Huh? Where’d yuh’ put it, Holly?” Whatever the Magekin searched for was eluding him as he dug shoulder deep into that seemingly bottomless attire.

“It’s not there?” Also perplexed, the young witch looked into her other sleeve, then peered down into her front, at a loss for such an apparently important object. “Where’d ja’ put it?”

“Me?! Are yuh’ taking the piss?! It’s your bleeding robes!” Ulric went so far to even look under the smaller witch’s massive coat, sitting upon her thin shoulders like a tent; nearly climbing in to root around inside! The two scoured Holly’s spacious mage’s robes, losing any hint of intimidation.

“Is this some kind of play?!” Anesha sneered.

A joyous squeak resounded from Holly’s robes! “Found it!” Bushy coal colored fur matching Holly’s robes puffed up from the Magekin’s hood. Up popped the slender triangular head of a big black dormouse! Said overgrown rodent leapt from the mage’s robe, wearing a vest and eyeglasses down its snout, then handed Holly an open letter. “Yuh’ really have ta’ get better at sorting things in there. Modling, pressing, and drilling knives to one side; protractors, bags of clay, and random hairclips, to the other! I keep tripping over stuff!” It ranted with the tone and voice of an old British woman yelling at her wayward child. “And Ulric! Clean yurself up! What would yur ma’ think seeing yuh’ like that!” Clearly a familiar, she berated both Magekin, who accepted it while bowing their heads in shame.

I looked to Anesha, who was making a face simmering between confusion and annoyance. “Let’s brush that aside.” Ulric tried to regain control of the conversation while tidying his dress shirt and slacker appearance, as instructed by Holly’s dormouse familiar. “Catch!” He took the note from Holly and with a flick of the wrist sent it down toward Anesha. A slight change in the angle of her hand allowed that note to phase into the barrier.

In one hand, she studied the note while maintaining her barrier. Even with eyes off the enemy, Anesha’s guard didn’t drop one bit. “Your mission is to apprehend me.” I couldn’t see what was written, but it didn’t bother the witch at all. “Would attacking me without introducing yourselves not have been the better choice?”

“Maybe, but things have changed since we got this mission.” The relaxed tone in Ulric’s voice changed. “Let’s crack on, time is proper short here…”

Part 4

“Graewood’s hand has been forced. They’re making contact with other Magekin cities for the first time in…I venture, centuries.” Ulric’s words shocked Anesha, causing a literal jaw drop. “Apparently, yuh’ sparked a wee revolution back in yur’ city. Commoners are chuffed all over; hoisting yuh’ up like a revolutionary. Half-borns, not just in Graewood, got hope in ‘em for the first time in ages.” A smile, one Anesha couldn’t hide fast enough, graced that vile witch’s gorgeous face for the briefest of seconds. It wasn’t like any I’d seen before; she looked proud. “Now, I’m not too fond of the nobility myself; especially at this moment. So, them getting all riled up, cheers to that…!” Ulric rose his brush high up, then dripped another paint droplet down onto the asphalt. “Anyway…” He continued. “They reached out and asked for help. There aren’t many who would jump at the opportunity to work with Graewood, even with the whole world going tits-up.”

“You can say that again.” Holly chimed in while lifting the football sized familiar back into her robe’s hood. “That’s the reason they only sent us and…” A frog lodged itself in Holly’s throat. “…Viggo.”

“V…Viggo?!” Anesha shouted, astonishingly unnerved! “You cannot be serious! Viggo, as in ‘Flesh Weaver’ Viggo?!” That name stuck out to me; I’d heard it somewhere before. “In what world does it make any sense to not only allow that man to live, but to wander the…is he here?!” She tossed aside the note and immediately drew her saber! Whoever ‘Flesh Weaver’ Viggo was, they existed as such an imposing figure in the witch’s mind that it struck fear into me by proxy!

“No, and that there’s the problem, innit?” Once again, Ulric took the reins. “Our task was to monitor Viggo while he hunted yuh’.” Anesha’s eyes darted around in her head as she ran through a million thoughts, scenarios, and plans! The situation was dire beyond my own understanding, and I had no idea why! “Problem was our leadership though. They put three of us on this mission with no plans of making it back alive.”

“Three?” Since Anesha was so deep in thought, I decided to finally speak up.

“There were three…until that bastard offed our mate Jack and escaped!” With a face full of rage and verging on tears, Holly grimaced. “Me, using my clay sculpting magic; Ulric, using his mind-altering paint; and Jack using his soothing music, were supposed to be enough. Everything went pear-shaped. That bastard – that monster – that actual fucking monster!” Just thinking about Viggo frightened and enraged all the Magekin equally. Anesha being unnerved left me scared shitless, but the way he was being described by Holly, managed to worsen it!

Weak. I was weak, not just weaker, but pathetically human with a monster on my tail. “H-Hold on. This guy can’t be that strong, right?”

“Right now, the git’s vastly weaker than he used to be. Years in prison, plus he was nearly chemically lobotomized.” Ulric clarified. “We had Viggo until he suddenly regained proper senses. It wasn’t right, yuh’ know. It seemed out of nowhere, until I got to suspecting our leaders – the nobility. They don’t like the idea of bringing Anesha in for a trial or anything. They’d rather her dead, and we’re not exactly popular where we come from either.”

“But why?” Even Bryn wanted to bring Anesha back to Graewood. If Ulric only spoke the truth, that meant Anesha living was some kind of threat to those European Magekin aristocrats.

“Probably because she’s half-born.” Holly’s words snapped Anesha out of deep thought.

“Truly?!” That upset her! “Hmph! My very existence continues to be such a blight upon the world? Am I such an abject anomaly that by simply breathing, I have ruined the world in which those pompous fools need pinch away all bliss from us commoners?!” Exasperation I wasn’t expecting. Anesha was so frustrated she’d almost undid her hand sign enforcing the barrier! “Ah!” She quickly returned it to full power!

“Calm yourself, pal. We’re straight!” Ulric’s smile didn’t put Anesha at ease.

“I think not. If you wanted, this spell of yours coating the lot and streets would have subsided by now.”

“It’s not even really for you. We just need to keep ourselves hidden, yeah?”

“Oh? Then why does a red ring surround my barrier?” A blood red ring of paint did surreptitiously creep across the asphalt and encircle us. I hadn’t even noticed!

“…Precautionary.”

“Um…quick question.” Had to get it in while I had the chance! “What’s a half-born?”

“A half-born is one of mixed blood. Half Magekin, half human.” Holly politely educated me.

“…Huh. Didn’t think about that being a big deal. Wait…then Anesha, you’re half human?”

“I am.” The witch stated plainly. It brought to mind all the insults spat about humans, but I didn’t bother calling out Anesha’s hypocrisy. “The nature of my parentage matters not. I am who I am. Half a Magekin, yes. Half a human, yes. I am Anesha Kyteler more than anything else.”

“…Never thought I’d agree with you.” Part of me totally respected that, but knowing the witch fostered an ounce of adoration in my heart made me ooze out a beleaguered groan. “Can’t you guys track Viggo or something?”

“Nope. Viggo dug out trackers we placed in him, magical and mechanical. He's also got incredible mana control, so if the bastard wanted, he could skulk about and we’d be as blind as bats chasing him. He’s one of the best, if not the best, magic hunter alive.” Hearing that we had what was basically an invisible enemy hunting us rolled my stomach into a knot. “The bastard’s black magic makes him dangerous for Magekin to fight…which brings us back to yuh, Anesha.” Finally retracting his paintbrush and placing it in his jacket pocket, Ulric humbly addressed Anesha. “We may need your assistance.”

“Due to Viggo’s fighting style, yes?” Both Magekin nodded to Anesha’s question. “I will say one thing, your methods for negotiating at spell-point is noted. As far as Viggo, I cannot promise you support beyond my words. Should the time come in which we are faced with the Flesh Weaver, I shall consider fighting alongside of you.”

“That’s all we ask.” Ulric stood up on the strip mall’s roof and as he turned to walk off, that Magekin brit stopped to say something over his shoulder. “Do continue to upset those posh gits. We’re rooting for yuh.” The two walked off, leaving sight and allowing that magical paint residue to fade.

“So…” I began to ask.

Anesha dispelled her barrier. “Another obstacle.” She answered. Our path forward was once more riddled with new dangers, each rockier than the last. Peace and quiet, I really missed those.

End of chapter 39