The horse and buggy ride to the capital city was enjoyable despite the drab unpleasant weather. I took in my surrounding with all my new enhanced senses. I could glimpse the city a short few miles away.
It had rained off and in the early morning as we finally made it to the main highway leading into the capital city region. Irons was more friendly now that he felt more safe around me knowing I wasn't entirely the Marcus Blood he had heard about.
I decided to take advantage of his ease with me and get as much information from him and the area I could manage.
I was finding that I needed it takes to the damaged brain and body I was in now. I had fractured memories to go on as to what the hell kind of world I was in. I knew a bit about the pack I had been disowned from violently and the strange magical world I had been reborn into. No solid memories to go on. Just images of being stabbed repeatedly by female were-wolves with blood red ruby eyes.
There was still more to learn though. My magical energy was low. I would have to recharge it on the arrival of the next full moon though I knew the call were-wolf language would be denied to me. The original owner of this body had been judged and then his alpha powers had been ripped from him.
Marcus Blood had gambled with his body greatly and paid for it with the destruction of his soul as the cost. I still shuttered at the memory of that fateful scene just a few hours or however long it was in the in white zone.
"So what's it like?" Irons asked me finally again intruding into my private thoughts.
"What?! I'm sorry I missed what you last said." I said in apology. Though I was beginning to realize I may have missed a lot more.
Irons chuckled. "What's it like to die and come here? Did you meet whatever god that created this realm along with the others?" He said.
I frowned in thought and started to shake my head. My mind was blank for a second wondering about for a second. I shook my head. "I didn't meet any god or goddess. There was this lady though." He said.
"-Oh! Okay. What did this goddess look like. Did she esteem to you lovely words and such about some grand destiny she was about to unfold to you by dropping you down here." Irons said in a voice layered in sarcasm and arrogance.
I shook my head at him. "She wasn't a god. She was pretty lady in a pale blue dress. She nice eyes. They reminded me of a two twin aqua blue moons." I said.
"Oh. Luna. I know who your talking about. That is odd didn't think she was real." He said in a more subdued respectful tone now.
I nodded. "Yeah. She said her name was Luna. Nice girl. I helped her out on some trouble because she needed somebody to come here. So I told her I would fill in for the position. So here I am."
Irons mouth fell open. He stared at me with an odd twitch to his right eye. "Luna recruited you to come here." He said.
I shrugged. "I was dead at the time so I didn't have much going on accept walking around meeting people randomly." I said.
"Are you shitting on me?" He asked.
I stared at him. "No. She needed somebody to fill in for a position in the city sense the fella she had wanted to fill in the position only ended up getting his soul destroyed." He said.
Irons flinched back away from me in alarm and turned his gaze toward the road an awkward silence fell between us. I couldn't understand the reasonings for it. "So ah. You know about Luna then right?" He said.
Irons grunted in response now. He didn't seem so talkative right now. I wondered about it. I turned my gaze toward the city of Drakescape as we neared it. I could see the smoke from the factories chimneys go up now and the dark red brick buildings coming into sight.
I frowned at the strange mixture of architecture. It was a strange mixture of early industrial age period buildings mixed with castle buildings and spires on buildings. I looked above the city to see red and blue dragons flying over it breathing out fire into the sky.
"The Crossroads." Irons said suddenly.
I turned to him nodding my head. "Yes. Luna said I needed to head there to begin my work. It's a place I could find people I could help for my particular talents." I said.
Irons grimaced but his eyes was still staring straight ahead. "What talents are those my young friend? To slay dragons or to defeat Mr. Beast for the hand of princess?" He said.
I snorted loudly surprising him. He gave me raised eye brow in question to my abrupt laughter. I shook my head. "Neither. I'm a detective. It's what I did for thirty years after I retired from the army." I said.
"Really?! Your a soldier. Wait a minute. How high did you raise in ranks in your former life?" He asked in an inquisitive tone in his voice.
I sighed as I thought back to that time. "Major. I couldn't advance after that because I ran out of time in my time in the Rangers. Though my time in the Rangers was helpful to me in my detective years. Luna said I would get a lot of work at the Crosswords bar and grill." I said.
Irons stared at him. "Oh I see. My apologies. You're a veteran and a ranger. I understand why you were chosen to come here. Luna was correct in that order. Most people that work in the crossroads with your skills are private city rangers." He said.
I relaxed hearing that and sat back. "That's good. That's good. It beats walking around all day doing nothing. I like working and helping people. It's what I did best. Even my bitch ex-wife enjoyed my help greatly, well before she stabbed me in the back in the end." I said.
"What?! I'm sorry dear friend." Irons said sincerely.
I shook my head waving away his pity. "I can't say I was much surprised she stabbed me in the back. She really wasn't that clever about it. She was very boring actually in the end. That was the most annoying thing about my life. She was the sign that came later end of my life that it was straight downward spiral of boredom and predictably." I said.
Irons snorted and then gawked loudly into a fit of tears. I stared at him and had to take the reins for second because he was slapping his knee in laughter.
"What the hell is so funny?" I asked in annoyance now.
"You..." Irons began but kept laughing. "You my friend have arrived in the one place in the endless stream of realms and universes that you will never be bored. Though you must assuredly will regret you choice in coming here." He said.
"I doubt that." I said. "You don't know what's it like walking around looking for something to do while everybody else you meet has a desire to either enjoy doing nothing or skipping around like they're in a fucking meadow of-" I said.
Irons went off again into a stream of laughter and snorts. The tears streamed down his cheeks as he stared at me annoyed face.
"What the hells wrong with you? This place isn't that bad. Well granted I almost got killed when I got here by some big-sum-a-bitch crazy asshole. He couldn't have been all that bad." I said.
Irons smiled at me shaking his head. "Danny Sage." He said in strange tone that sent a chill down my back. "Is that your real name?" He said.
I nodded. "Yeah. I told you it was my real name?" I said and then frowned blinking. "Why does your voice sound weird." I said.
"You are strange soul inside of were-wolf sorcerer monster. Who are you here?" He said in that weird voice.
I stared at him. "Are you gay?" I said.
Irons stared at me. "What the hell does that word mean?" He said.
"Do you have sex with men?" I asked him bluntly.
Irons frowned at him. "No. Why in the nine hells are you asking me that question? He said using that weird tone and leaning closer toward me.
"Because your looking at me like you want to pull my pants down. Your also sounding like you me to see the magic wand in your pants. Could you back up a bit and not breath in my face." I said holding up my hand toward him.
Irons glared at me but backed away from me quickly. "Who are you?" He said.
"Danny Sage. I'm not interested in having sex with you. Please stop asking me or this is going to weird ride to the city." I said.
Irons snarled smacked his lap. "Damnation. It must be because you are an other worlder. Never mind. When we get to the city we will take the bodies to the guard station collect our fee and part ways." He said.
I frowned at him. "Why you sound pissed off man. I'm not against you being gay bro." I said.
Irons rolled his eyes to the sky. "Shut the hell up other worlder." He said.