Chapter 2
White said that just as he was sipping the last drop out of his cup and then he smiled, lifted a cane that looked like solid ivory. Before Mr Norrington could register what was happening Mr White hit him over the head with the cane. Mr White obviously knew what he was doing because Mr Norrington collapsed in a heap before his chins had stop wobbling. "You must be high on cigar fumes you brain dead twit!" I yelled, running to check on my employer, I didn't care about the fact that he was unconscious, he always treated me like shit, I cared because he still owed me money for the previously missed payments, I looked up from his unconscious body about to call for help, but before I could raise my voice, I too got stuck in the face. The last thing I saw before I completely collapsed was Mr White's eyes growing stark with his pupils shrinking to nothing.
I awoke to the sound of a woman screaming so loud I'm pretty sure dogs would be howling for a month. "You idiot, you brain dead mule! The kid was not to be harmed in any way." She screeched with an American accent, southern by the sound. She continued screaming and throwing insults around that would make a hardened criminal proud. "Lupea calm down!" A man's voice boomed around the room. "White why did you hit the boy?" The voice inquired. "He was about to raise the alarm, my lord," White answered.
Cowering in the dirt at someone else's feet did not match the image I had of the hefty man wearing leather, but he pulled it off quite nicely.
"Bullshit, you stupid smoke high retard." I yelled to let them know I was awake. I didn't care about the fact that technically White was right. A sudden hush fell over the room. The silence grew overwhelming and for a moment I thought that I had mistaken myself and was just having a crappy dream that is until my head was jerked back and the blindfold was ripped off by a young woman who could easily make an entire classroom of schoolboys shut down. She was pale, and quite tall as well. She had flaming red hair that flowed over her shoulders and reached to the small of her back. She wore a mini skirt, boots that reached about halfway to her knees and a shirt that would make a nun cross herself twice. This woman was obviously very proud of her body.
As I took in the rest of the room I saw Mr White stand next to another man seated in a plush wing back chair, behind a giant oak desk, drinking tea from a china set, I could smell the fragrant tea leaves from across the table. We seemed to be in a study of sorts. The walls were packed with books. Shelves full of books marched off to either side of the room, I scanned the titles and immediately knew this guy was either very rich or a very good thief. "Ah, the guest is awake," the guy said that must have been the 'my lord'. As he stood up I heard a soft whimper escape my lips. He was even bigger than White, easily topping two metres, he could give a rhino a run for its money. That explains why White is afraid of him, I thought.
"Terribly sorry about the rude manner of getting you here, believe me, White will be punished." He continued, he had an Italian look to him, black eyes, and greasy black hair a buttoned-down shirt conveniently missing the top half of its buttons masquerading a hair-covered chest that would make Gaston burst into tears. He sounded like he was hosting a game show. "I'm Dailin, you already met Samuel, and this lovely lady is Lupea. We are The Knight Raiders," he said, with way too much pride and in a certain way to make you want to join the stupidly named fan club.
"First why the hell am I tied up if I'm a guest, second why did you kidnap me and third is that knight as in chess or night as in stars?" I answered his introduction. I didn't care, I was just trying to buy time, so I could think properly, but something felt off, I could not concentrate, and for one I could not smell anything except the tea, not bleach not the paper of the old books, nothing. He laughed in a way that could probably shatter the ice and it had a deadly ring to it that let you know he was not much of a humorous guy. He put down the teacup slowly.
I saw a revolver hanging from his side and without the cup occupying his hands, I saw fists that would work nicely as car compactors. He walked over to me, obviously enjoying my discomfort. He took a small sword from the wall mount behind me and sliced at my bindings. His movements with the sword were fast, extremely fast. As he replaced the sword to its original place he talked about the stupidity of White and confirmed that it was indeed knight as in chess, he kept talking as if it was an honour for me just to be in his presence, let alone the fact that he was talking to me, but he was just making my day generally crappier.
"Your goon said I'm a werewolf is he always that stupid or is it a seasonal thing?" I asked, already looking for ways out of the room. Dailin barked with laughter. "As much as I wish that was true, it isn't, he was actually being honest, and although the technical term is Lycanthrope as those stupid humans call us." He said with finality, walking away again.
He started walking around the library, beckoning me to follow, I did not get the idea that it was optional. "Wait are you telling me that werewolves exist? And I'm one of them " I asked sarcastically, not expecting proof. I almost pissed myself when Lupea, White and Dailin turned into giant wolves, growling, giant fangs barred at me with saliva dripping slowly to the ground.
Lupea turned into a greyish wolf about the size of a small horse, still with her icy blue eyes, that made it feel like she was looking right through me, White turned into a white wolf (no surprise there, wonder where that name came from) with that disturbing eye colour again the same size as Lupea, but it was Dailin that took the prize. He turned into a wolf about the size of a fully-grown horse with fur the colour of rust and eyes as black as night. They turned back, strangely fully clothed. "Werewolves are real, my friend," Dailin replied.
He strolled around the room leisurely, before coming to a stop in front of an empty bookshelf, he grunted disapprovingly and walked back to his desk.
"Also, Vampires, Trolls, Centaurs, Fairies, Mermaids, Zombies, Ghouls, Elves, Dwarves, Dragons, Nymphs (tree spirits), Wizards, Witches, Sorcerers, Warlocks, Necromancers, Giants and of course Skinwalkers or more commonly known as Shape Shifters." He said as he sat down again. He smirked at me. He spoke as if I was a two-year-old and he was explaining to me how to use a spoon.
I thought I reached my annoyance peak by now. but it seems there is more space. He organised his already neat desk and just as he clasped his hands together, he got a look on his face that made it look like he forgot something. "You're probably don't know the difference between a wizard, witch, sorcerers, warlocks and necromancers, do you?" He said.
Before I could reply he continued speaking; "Of course you don't, see a wizard usually derives his powers from books and manipulation of physics and that stuff you know nature and all the other boring ways to use magic and of course a female wizard is referred to as a witch, sorcerers or sorceresses get their power from spirits, he or she channels the power of the spirits into their own body and use it for their gain and of course a warlock is a wizard gone bad, usually they also start channelling spirits to achieve greater power."
It was obvious Dailin loved the sound of his own voice. Before he could get completely comfortable in his chair he added: "Oh and let's not forget those self-righteous pompous bastards; the Firstborns. Technically werewolves but with major ego issues."