When your world crumbles, gather the pieces to build anew.
Unseen Signs
I was chatting with Alex in the middle of the hallway when Jo and Coffee started for the stairs. Jo stumbled, squealed, and began to fall unstoppably. Every muscle in my body tensed ready to jump, but before I could move, Coffee gave me a warning look and took Jo's hand. She held her hand until Jo regained her balance. As Jo gasped in embarrassment, I slowly withdrew my gaze from her.
Alex let out a sigh of relief. I nodded slowly and forcefully relaxed my limbs.
Alex patted me on the shoulder and we headed to the next classroom. At the time I thought it was a simple little slip-up that could happen to anyone. I didn't suspect anything, as Jo was back to her old self after another week of depression as if nothing had happened.
We met for lunch in front of the canteen, where we took our usual table, and Jo pulled out a large box from her bag. She had a huge grin. She opened it and immediately my nose was stung by the strong smell of garlic. Alex almost fell off the chair next to me, but whether in disgust or terror I don't know.
"Want some?" Jo asked and offered up the chemical weapon to eat.
Coffee took a garlic stick and started chewing on it with a blank expression on her face. I took a bite myself and ate one enthusiastically. Alex himself was eying the cute blue box as if it was hiding something terrifying. He refused the offer.
"Erm, he began a little embarrassed, and I could see him trying his best to hold back a grimace of disgust, "I'll pass, thanks."
I grinned wickedly, then bit into another garlic stick. Yeah, well, having a wolf's nose has its drawbacks, especially if you hate garlic.
Jo was momentarily surprised at the wolf's refusal, namely because Alex could destroy a massive amount of food in one sitting. He never refused food before. Then her eyes lit up as if she'd realized something important. At the time, I thought she had merely remarked to herself that Alex hated garlic. It was only when it was too late that I realized my terrible mistake.
Later, Coffee called me aside.
"I failed," she said, even though she must have guessed I already knew.
"Yeah," I said.
"What will happen now?" she asked resignedly.
"The wild vampires are fewer in number in the city, and they're taking fewer people," I stated, "The Fifth is redeploying its forces against the West, and wants to take on the vampires and the Crospherat first. After that, the fae would either side with him or not. The mages' decision would be split. The dwarves would probably see it as a business deal, and as neutrals would give weapons to both sides."
Coffee didn't look very happy about what was said. I wasn't surprised.
"You need not worry, once the Fifth decides to attack directly and attempts to take Crimson's life, the kings will have no choice but to destroy him. After that, the battle will probably be over in less than a week," I added.
"But many will die before then," she whispered.
"Certainly," I replied, "And that's not the only problem we have to reckon with. In a war, our secret could easily be exposed to humans. Then we have to deal with them too."
"This is crazy!" she groaned.
"Yes, it is," I said dryly, "It's called war."
(...)
My working hours were up unusually quickly. Perhaps my guests sensed the chaos about to break out and preferred to wait in the safety of their homes. I closed early, but I didn't mind it.
Alex was waiting in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table sipping a small cup of brandy. When I entered, for a few moments he just watched the liquid and only then looked up at me slowly, very slowly. His eyes were tired and resigned — I could tell just from that that he knew. He just didn't have time to process, didn't have time to pull himself together. He certainly didn't expect me to get home this early.
"Interesting," he said quietly, just to say something. "The Kings and the Crospherat are so quiet."
I put my hand on his shoulder. I wanted to tell him that everything was all right. That nothing would be wrong. But I couldn't say anything. Alex understood without me saying anything. We were on the brink of war.
The wolf looked unusually pale and frail. It was only then that I really understood what the average monster must have been feeling, why they deluded themselves, why they ignored the impending doom, and why they tried so hard to delay the war. They were terrified.
I already knew how terrifying the thought of war and fighting could be, yet it was different to be confronted with the terror Alex felt. The insurmountable fear of death and loss.
On the table beside Alex's phone showing an article on Kaleidoscope, a plate of food waited cold. I sat down and began to eat with mechanical movements.
"War is coming, Shay," he said.
I didn't have to explain to him what that meant. Blood, death. Pain and tears. Nothing else.
"The disasters and mysterious murders humans write about," he continued, "They're all being committed by the Fifth, aren't they?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Can the Fifth... win?" he asked quiter than a whisper.
He is up against four kings and a society in disarray. But the fact that he has resorted to terror rather than direct attack means he is not strong enough to counter any possible coalition. Not yet. Terror is always a means of disrupting unity in an attempt to weaken the power of the Crosspherat and the kings so that he can then finish them off with one ruthless attack.
I had to admit to myself that he was quite successful so far.
"There is always a chance of victory," I said.
"Things don't seem good for us at the moment,' he added, and I nodded.
Even if the kings will win — which I had no doubt they will — it will be at the cost of a lot of lives.
"You are frightfully calm," he observed.
Alex shuddered as there was a soft knock on the window. Then I realized that Alex's face wasn't so scared because he'd heard the noise — he was sitting opposite the window and could see immediately that the one making the noise was a mere bird. Alex was actually scared by my reaction as I spun the knife around in my hand and immediately gripped it ready to attack or defend.
Without a word, I stood up and let the bird in, then untied the paper from its leg. The bird flew away without waiting for my response — there was no need.
"The Crosspherat convened an extraordinary meeting. G" — that's all it said.
I was now certain that the Crosspherat had made some abominably stupid moves if Geri had dared to write me a letter about it. I folded up the scrap of paper and threw it in the bin.
"What happened?" asked Alex, a little hopeful, maybe a little scared.
"The judges are meeting tomorrow," I announced, "We'll find out in a few days if we're going to war."
I sighed deeply — I knew in advance how they would decide and I didn't like it.
(...)
Saturday morning passed quietly. Alex mostly shut himself in the kitchen, cooking and baking to distract himself. I myself first sharpened all my daggers and then cleaned my mask. When Alex stepped up to the table and put down a plate of baked goodies, he did not miss the weapons and mask lined up. He asked no questions. He knew what it meant. He simply walked back into the kitchen.
I stroked the blade of my favourite dagger thoughtfully. The cold steel didn't soothe me, but it didn't upset me either. Not far away lay the latest print of Kaleidoscope, reporting on a surprise attack. A group of savage vampires had slaughtered a squad of hunters. I picked up and spun my dagger between my fingers. The Fifth is putting more pressure on the judges.
I stood up and strode into the hall. Alex looked out from the kitchen and glanced towards me with concern. I got my coat on, then my shoes.
"I have to go," I said and started to leave, but Alex grabbed my arm.
The smell of a wolf is indeed very annoying.
"Dangerous?"
I thought for a moment.
"It's just something I have to do," I said.
He had to be content with that.
Alice should have expected me to arrive. He sat me down in the kitchen and gave me a cup of soothing tea. Des also staggered out of the room — for some reason I wasn't surprised to find him at Alice's.
All he was wearing was a pajama bottoms, so my gaze lingered for a moment on his left shoulder. His skin was covered with a huge, reddish scar where his arm should have been. He yawned and sat down on the third chair. Alice poured him a coffee and Des nodded his thanks.
"Do you still have to go after the dealers?" my question sounded more like a statement, but he nodded.
"I'm ordered to hunt them all," he shared with a sigh, "Pointless and tedious work."
"Who did you put in charge of the squad?", I asked.
His lips pulled into a half smile, but that was enough for me, he didn't have to answer.
"Can you predict when and where they will attack again?", I asked, and the seer nodded.
My brother grinned. "Are you planning to tip the scales?
Des was always quick to figure out my plans.
"But you'd rather stay in the shadows," he added, and I nodded.
He took a sip of his coffee.
"That'll come in handy. As a matter of fact, Ben has no direct connection with my squad," he explained, "Have you heard of the S-Class hunters?"
"So, you're one of them," I said, and Alice confirmed it.
I couldn't decide if it was the Angel's scream's right to use it or his psychic abilities that gave him the special title.
"They don't like me," Alice stated.
No, it was not at all a question of whether or not Alice was liked. The moonshiners were reputed to be the meanest and most depraved of the hunters. They were a collection of criminals, psychopathic beasts and scoundrels. That's why, there were unwritten laws that Alice was at the bottom of the hierarchy, even though Des was his partner. They won't accept orders from a decent, kindly man.
"I'll take care of it," I offered. "I'll give them the information."
"However, divination is a complicated trance," Alice said quickly, "It's exhausting, so I'll need some rest after a ritual. If we want to predict all the attacks before they happen..."
I knew well that Alice was not hesitating for no reason. I asked him to do something really difficult, but I was confident he would succeed.
"You can leave all the rest to me," I said, "Predict as much as you can, the rest the hunters will deal with in their own way."
"May I ask you something?" asked Alice.
I nodded.
"Why did you suddenly decide to get involved in all this?" he asked.
"I'm not getting involved," I declared.
He frowned clearly puzzled, but did not ask further questions. Des smiled.
"Why are you helping the hunters?"
"The moment the Crosspherat is broken, war begins," I replied.
Des eyed me for a moment. "I didn't think you'd be interested in a war breaking out. "
I sighed. "There are things I want to protect."
"The wolf," Des's eyes darkened.
"And Coffee, Jo, my pub, and of course my daily life," I added.
Des continued to scowl and I rolled my eyes.
"I still don't support the idea of you befriending monsters," Des declared.
I grinned mockingly. "It's a pity that doesn't have a say in the matter."
"Pity, indeed," he said, and sipped the rest of his coffee.
(...)
I made my next detour to Luna. The lutist greeted me with a big grin.
"Hello, Your Highness..." he began, but I quickly put my hand on his mouth.
"Do you want to die, asshole?", I said through my teeth, and he chuckled, freeing himself from my hand.
"Looking for our new bosslady?" he grinned.
The bastard lutist somehow seemed even more cheerful than usual.
"Bosslady?" I frowned.
"Uh-uh," he nodded. "Last night she went to see the former boss. I just finished digging."
He announced all this as if it were a perfectly ordinary thing.
"Why did she kill him?", I asked as Lutist moved towards Luna's caravan.
He shrugged carelessly. "Everyone has limits. She had enough of him.
I didn't answer. As soon as we reached the caravan, the Lutist took off. I pushed the door handle and quietly entered. Luna was grinding something in a mortar.
"Hi," I greeted her.
Luna immediately smiled. "Hi. What's up?"
"I just didn't want to go home yet," I said, "And while I'm here, I'd like to make a little deal."
Luna's eyes immediately lit up. "What kind of deal?"
"I need magic," I began, "I know that mages usually use port magic to travel. I need something like that, I know you can get orbs with that property.
"Oh," her smile widened. "You mean Persephone's pearls."
"Exactly," I nodded.
"What do you need them for?" she inquired sounding a little suspicious.
I sighed deeply and took a seat at the table. A few moments later, the girl followed.
"My friends..." I said, "Alice and Des will fight if it comes to that. Alex and Coffee are scared."
"Well, fear is a natural reaction to a war about to break out," she noted with a slight smile.
"They're not really fighters," I sighed, "I'd almost forgotten that."
"The scariest thing about you, Shay, is that you're not really afraid of fighting," she chuckled. "Danger can be very attractive."
I ignored the promising tone.
"If chaos breaks out around us, we'll all be forced to fight," I continued, "I'm not saying they're weak or have no combat experience... it's just that war is different."
"So you decided to prevent war from breaking out," Luna finished for me, and I nodded. "What's your plan?"
"The Fifth wants to put pressure on the Crosspherat, so I'm going to stop that first," I declared. "Then I'll talk to the judges, probably threaten them with a painful death. I'll get them to talk to the kings. If all this succeeds, the Fifth will probably run away, if not, the kings will destroy him."
Luna's mind was starting to put the picture together. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you planning to support the hunters?"
"All I'm going to do is provide them with quick information and see how they fare," I said, "I'd need the pearls in case things went badly wrong."
She nodded, took off her necklace, and handed it to me. The pendant was a tiny purple crystal ball.
"This is all I can give you now," she added, "They are quite complicated to make, I will need more time if you want more of them."
"Is this okay?", I frowned.
Luna sat on my lap and leaned over me. She kissed my lips so softly, that I wasn't even sure her lips touched mine.
"Don't tempt me," I ordered, and she giggled and kissed me again.
This time the touch of her lips was much more confident.
(...)
That night, just a few minutes after ten o'clock, I received my first message from Alice.
"Midnight, Hunter Association South Headquarters, forty vampires."
I took a deep breath and dialed. Geri picked up almost immediately.
"Yes?"
"The vampires are attacking tonight," I announced.
I could hear the breath caught on his lips, though I don't know if he was more surprised that there was going to be an attack or that I'd called.
"The location?" he asked immediately.
"The Human Affairs Headquarters," I replied, "Expect forty vampires."
He let out a low hiss.
"We don't have much time, they'll attack at midnight. Can you handle it?", I added.
He took a deep breath and only then answered. "Yes."
He doesn't have a choice anyway. I hang up.
I calmly stepped to my closet, took out my box, and put it on the bed. At a comfortable pace, I pulled off my shirt and put on my armour instead. The smooth material clung to my skin and followed my movements completely.
I then attached daggers to my belt and pulled the mask over my face. In case of emergency, I took the pendant Luna had given me and hid it in my pocket. For a while I merely looked at Alistair's ring, then slipped it on my finger. Almost immediately my form became translucent and then disappeared.
Time for fun, I thought and pursed my lips.
Geri looked over his people.
"Is everything ready?" he asked.
One of them nodded. "We've evacuated the people nearby, citing a gas leak.
"All right," said the hunter, "get ready to fight!"
By the time I reached the building, the battle was well underway. Chaos was the only word I had to describe the situation. Everywhere I looked, bloodthirsty vampires were fighting the hunters. There were bodies littering the ground, and though there were some hunters among them, most of them belonged to vampires.
I saw someone fall on their knees and I acted immediately. A dagger was plunged into the throat of the wildly hissing vampire who towered over the hunter. The hunter, though surprised at the help, immediately took the moment to gather himself and fired half a magazine of ammunition into the bloodsucker's skull. As the vampire's body collapsed lifeless beside him, he sprang to his feet and charged to the next creature.
I helped some hunters survive in this way. I didn't come any closer, didn't try to join the fight. The hunters slowly overcame the attack and I decided to leave the rest to them.
(...)
Alex was waiting in the kitchen, of course. I took off my mask and put it on the table. I could see he was trying to accuse me of being reckless and irresponsible, but he knew he was wrong. I thought everything through perfectly before I left. So he merely handed me a mug of cocoa, sulking.
"Did you fight?" he asked.
He didn't know exactly where I'd been or what I'd been doing, but from the way I was dressed it wasn't hard to guess.
"No," I replied, "I don't intend to unless I have to."
I didn't want to draw attention to myself.
"I see," he said, seeming a little more reassured.
"What is this all about?" he asked a moment later.
He had read the Kaleidoscope, so he guessed.
"A form of persuasion," I replied dryly.
"Are you trying to stop the war?" he said in disbelief.
"Something like that," I sighed.
It wasn't that I was trying to prevent the war. It was more to protect my peaceful little daily life. My phone rang. I walked over and picked it up.
"What?"
"We won," Geri announced.
"Prima," I replied dryly.
"Thank you," he added.
"Stand by and wait for my further calls," I ordered.
"Will do," Geri replied and hung up.