The first few hours were quiet. To avoid the demands of many, Marcel had commanded (or more accurately, asked politely), those able to fan out and make sure there wasn’t any trouble in Ostoja at the advent of the Chimera Prince’s victory. He got a little over two dozen volunteers for such a task, the rest staying back in the dreamscape that the Prince was forging, one step at a time. The roads near the clock tower were starting to turn to a grassy field coated in snow, and other, foreign structures were starting to rise from the earth, as it being pulled upwards by the magic. Many had wanted to stay put, and see the new realm that was being created, and Marcel honestly couldn’t blame them.
But others, including himself, wanted to make sure that this infant dream would be around come tomorrow. He was glad that there were at least some like minded people amongst the Prince’s subjects. Even if he was only of this mind because the Prince had asked him to be.
It had been a nerve wracking evening, in the hours that led up until dawn. Apparently, some people had already been injured or hurt. Beings had been attracted towards the town like moths towards candlelight, even ones that were normally dormant. Down by the docks, apparently a sea monster had emerged, and was narrowly beaten back. At the edge of town, a grouping of faerie hunters had tried to poach at a few of the patrolling people. And most concerning of all, apparently some abandoned, vacant doorways-doorframes without a building attached, had been found littered across one of the main roads into town. No one was quite sure what they were, and quite frankly that was the problem. The better traveled creatures amongst the Prince’s subjects had been sent to investigate them, to hopefully find a mundane, or manageable explanation for whatever this phenomena was.
In the meantime, Jan was walking through a familiar neighborhood, alongside two others, the main sound in the night being their own footsteps trudging through the shallow snow. His companions were good sort, but not the type he knew. One of them, who he knew as Penelope had cloven feet, furry legs and flowers in her hair. She had olive skin lined with what could easily be a thousand scars, and held a wooden walking stick that was wreathed in multicolored floral growths. She was tightly wrapped in jackets and what seemed to be furs, huddling to them closely as if the cold didn’t suit her. A somewhat fearful expression at each sound that was outside the norm. And yet she’d been one of the first to volunteer. Marcel thought that counted for something.
The other went by Vo. He was a very big figure, about three meters tall, with seemingly slimy skin that occasionally dribbled or oozed something into the snow, leaving something of a trail behind them. He wore about ten different outfits layered across different parts of his body, as if he had emerged from a pile at a clothing store. What parts of his face could be seen, he had some kind of…whiskers? Which came out of the side of his head. He was rather quiet, only speaking in affirmation, and he had been sticking close to Marcel. Marcel didn’t mind the presence of the two creatures he presumed were faerie, even if their trio hadn’t discovered anything yet. At least not anything that would be more concerning then normal.
It had occurred to Marcel as he entered the area, that this neighborhood was where the Mendyk’s lived. He could probably see their house from here if he looked. He didn’t look.
His altercation with Jan he’d had the day prior was still a weight on him, even with the magic he’d seen and done tonight. It was stupid, that being punched by him had put this much of a feeling in him. But this all still bothered him. He kept replaying the altercation in his head, trying to see where he had gone wrong, but came up short each time. He was mad about…being ditched at a middle school party?
Even if it was something important, even if it had been stupid of Marcel to miss it, to miss his chance to say goodbye to someone he’d known for a really long time…
What did Jan want Marcel to do? That’s what he was stuck on. He’d apologized. He’d helped his family while he was gone. He’d done his best to be friendly, nice and…everything the best he could be. He didn’t know what he was doing wrong, and it was knotting up his thoughts. He’d managed to banish it when doing the important bits for the Chimera Prince, but as the trio passed by the home of the Mendyk’s, he couldn’t help but stop in the street, staring up at the window he knew belonged to Jan.
Why did people have to be so hard?
Marcel had never had many friends. If anything, meeting the Chimera Prince had made sure he’d had the first real friend since Jan left. He’d treasured Jan when they were kids, like an extension of his family, and then he’d been gone.
And now things were ruined, maybe. He was tempted to throw a snowball, or a small rock at Jan’s window. Get him to come out here, explain himself, sort it out.
But instead, he turned away, and kept walking down the street, through the snow with the faerie. There was more of the town to comb through. He could worry about his human friends when he was done helping his faerie ones. Because at least the faerie had been there for him.
———————————————————————————–
They had gotten to the opposite end of town, sweeping their side of Ostoja in full, with no incident. Which was good, Marcel didn’t really want to do more magic tonight if he didn’t have to. It had a bad habit of hurting. Even when he only used the edges of his shadow.
They were currently waiting around, because Penelope had asked to take a break before proceeding. He supposed her feet wasn’t built like his, and might get sore more easily. Or something like that. It was a little bit too cold outside to start a conversation like that, in his opinion. Penelope was seated on a tree stump, Vo was sitting on the ground, and Marcel was standing, looking at his watch from time to time. It was almost five in the morning. And he likely wasn’t going to get to sleep very much during the day. He kept reassuring himself that it was all going to be fine, but his knotted thoughts kept coming back to Jan.
Thankfully something was to break him out of it. Stepping out of the shadow cast by Vo on the ground was a familiar figure wearing a crimson business suit. The lawyer, Dirk, brushed his coattails free of snow. Penelope jumped, and Vo nearly turned around to strike him, but then simply lowered his arms seeing who it was. Even if the man was unnerving, he was on their side. Supposedly.
It dawned on him now, as he and only three others stood before him, that Marcel didn’t know very much about this man at all.
“Ah. Marcel. You are the Chimera Prince’s Regent, yes?” Dirk spoke with a thin lipped smile that didn’t feel quite genuine. Professional, though.
Marcel gave a nod. He assumed Regent was another word for…second in command, or something. He didn’t recognize it off the top of his head, but that made enough sense to him.
“Good. I have a few things to report, and I imagine that the Chimera Prince is busy with his rite. Would you care to accept it on his behalf.”
Marcel unconsciously puffed out his chest slightly.
“I would.” He said, with confidence.
“I have seen fit to negotiate with a few of the more powerful beings that have come to the same metaphysical area as the town of Ostoja, wondering what’s going on. The disturbance of so many realms is attracting attention, but anyone actually opposed has either been negotiated with via the resources the Chimera Prince granted to me, or will take so long to marshal that by the time they’re ready, the rite will be completed. I have enlisted several members of my…colleagues, to help patrol the borders between these realms, just in case.”
Marcel nodded. He wanted to ask a lot more questions, but would a regent ask questions? He didn’t think so. So he stayed quiet, outside of to say-
“That’s good. Thank you for your help.”
Dirk gave a smile that was a little bit wider.
“It’s been a pleasure doing business with the Chimera Prince. I like to help out my more valued customers.”
The way he said that sent a chill down Marcel’s spine, but he chose to ignore it.
“Anything else to report?” Marcel asked.
Dirk pursed his lips slightly.
“Yes. Three matters, a bit less fortuitous. Firstly, Miss Ianov would like you to convene with her on a matter of security. She believes she’s found something compromising and requests your support. I can take you to her the moment we conclude here. Secondly, Trespass, the newest entity at the meeting we had with the Prince earlier this evening, has gone unaccounted for. They were previously under a tracing effect that I had generated, but it has dispersed. Fairly recently. Finally…”
He paused. As if wishing to choose his words quite carefully on whatever this third and final matter was.
“When I mentioned that no entities from worlds beyond this one would be able to marshal themselves in time to interfere, that does have one notable exception…”
He stopped again, and this time, Marcel prodded slightly.
“And that exception is…?” He said, making a ‘say more’ gesture with his hands.
“Other faerie are being drawn here at an even bigger rate then other entities of the Well.” When he said ‘the Well’ Marcel was pretty sure he meant Chaos, or magic, or…whatever. He couldn’t be sure, though. “Likely due to the nature of the Chimera Prince. As such. Olympus has noticed this. The Olympians themselves would have trouble unseating themselves to come here, without an active tether or contract. But their agents hold no such compulsions. I believe some have already crossed the threshold. I will do my best to locate them.”
That sank in…well, like a gut punch. He knew what some of the agents of Olympus looked like. If they were here…even without their masters.
“Do that. Take me and these two-” He said, gesturing towards Penelope and Vo “To Elvina, so we can see what she’s found. Once you figure out where these agents are, find me and tell me where they are. If I’m tied up…don’t disturb the Chimera Prince. Could you handle them?” Marcel asked, genuinely curious. He didn’t know what the lawyer can do. In a private conversation, the Chimera Prince had confided in him that he believed Dirk to be rather powerful…and that was why he had sought him out. Amongst…other skillsets. Negotiation being one.
Dirk seemed to consider.
“I’d need to be compensated if I underwent serious harm doing so. But provided that doesn’t happen, yes, I could do so. It falls under the purview of myself and the Chimera Prince’s current contract.”
He seemed fairly sure of that. And confident, at that, which meant Marcel was inclined to believe him. After all, Dirk seemed scary. Marcel turned to Penelope and Vo.
“…Are you two willing to keep going? I know it’s been a long night.” He said, smiling at the pair of them.
Penelope gave a timid looking nod. Vo rose, and placed a firm hand on Marcel’s shoulder.
“I rest during the day. You may have me until the sun rises. There may be a feast yet.”
Marcel nodded to the pair, and turned to Dirk.
“Can you-“
He didn’t even finish turning around. He blinked, and the three were standing in a parking lot. In front of them, a building…the hostel that had been built two years ago. Standing, leaning against a car, was Elvina. Her crimson red eyes glowed against the night air, as snow drifted down around her. She gave a bit of a nod to the trio, as Marcel approached, trying his best to seem a lot more confident then he was.
“What’s going on?” Marcel asked, as he got within speaking distance of the vampire.
“Did you know about where Edwin was assigned to?” She said, a bit sharply, as she looked back over towards the hostel.
Marcel knew of Edwin. He was a sorcerer who had spent a bit too much time in worlds that weren’t earth. One of the most obvious side effects was that his skin always looked like it had been…frostbitten was a polite way to describe the type of damage this was. But, he had come out of it very good at magic. He’d been the one who’d warded Marcel’s jacket, which had been nice. He was generally accompanied by a small troupe of goblins. Now that Elvina mentioned it, he hadn’t seen Edwin around anywhere tonight.
“I…didn’t. What happened?” He asked, carefully.
“Apparently, some inquisitor was holed up in there. The Chimera Prince told Edwin to handle him. But, I came to check in, and found…two dead outside, the Starving Man and William.”
Marcel knew of them in passing. A faerie and a faerie inclined human.
“I did a sweep of the building. Two humans, one entity inside. I think they might have captured Edwin. But I’m not sure who the second human is. Apparently, some of Maggie’s boys had a fight with some human. We might have double trouble, when it comes to Inquisitors.”
That was bad. Inquisitors…monster hunters who meant business. And didn’t really care what type of weird thing you were.
“…Are we enough, then?” Marcel asked, not realizing how weak it made him sound until after it left his mouth.
“For two humans? It doesn’t matter how skilled they are, kid, we’re two faerie, a vampire and a sorcerer. They don’t stand much of a chance.” She smirked. “I wanted backup before I tried to lure them out here. In case they had tricks. They already put something on the door, something that would be bad if we opened it.”
She had confidence like Dirk, but unlike Dirk, it oozed off her, and Marcel couldn’t help but be at least a little bit reassured. He smiled at her right back.
“Alright. Let’s handle them.”
He didn’t relish in the idea of fighting humans, but to free Edwin, and defend the Chimera Prince, he’d do it. He looked to the others, who both signaled they were ready.
“Do it.” He said, looking to Elvina.
Elvina sucked in a deep breath of air, and shouted at the top of her lungs, not in her voice, but in the voice of someone younger, a teenager girl maybe.
“Ohmygodpleasedon’teatme! Someone please HELP!”
The sound penetrated through the quiet snowy night. Marcel could have sworn he heard windows shaking. He was reeling. Penelope had her hands over her ears. Even Vo took a step back.
The echo went further, and further out, before it faded. And for a moment, Marcel felt certain that it wouldn’t work. Surely inquisitors wouldn’t fall for a trick like that, right?
And then the door opened.
In the lead was an older woman. Golden brown skin, lines of age across her face, and starting to grey hair. A large bag over her shoulder. In her hands, was a long coiled whip, that almost looked like it was made from flesh or bone and a hand crossbow that was loaded. He recognized it. Seems they’d found William’s killer. She had a grim expression on her face…and yet, despite seeing them across the lot, she stepped out into the open anyways. Allowing a second person to emerge.
Jan Mendyk looked tired, but as he stepped out of the doorway, it was with a pose and determination Marcel hadn’t seen. He was alert, on guard, and grim looking. His cloths were torn in some places, but he otherwise seemed intact. In one hand, he held a curved and gleaming blade, no bigger then a knife, and in his other hand, a greater threat: A handgun. Marcel couldn’t tell if it was loaded or not.
Marcel was speechless a moment, which meant Elvina stepped forward in his stead.
“Inquisitors! We represent the Lord of this town, the mighty Chimera Prince! If you surrender your prisoner, we will only take you to him for judgement. If you do not, you’ll meet it right here.”
She was speaking in an over the top, inflated voice. Marcel could see she was grinning. She was enjoying this, playing it up.
Marcel was about to say something, to protest, but Vo moved forward, standing at Elvina’s side. Penelope took a defensive stance.
Jan and this strange woman shared a long look. And for a moment, Marcel felt a pang of jealousy, a feeling which shook him off anything resembling a cohesive thought or train of it. Why was he jealous of that one look?
The woman spoke. Her voice was calm, and she spoke perfect Polish.
“I am a denizen of the demesne of Saint Marc. Your judgement cannot be applied to me, and I claim this young man here-” She said, gesturing to Jan. “As my ward, for the time being. Any judgement or attack on us, is an attack on a foreign demesne.”
She spoke eloquently, without skipping a beat. But Marcel wasn’t focused on that. He was more focused on something else.
Jan had seen him. He was squinting towards Marcel, probably barely able to make him out. Marcel squeezed his eyes shut, trying to quiet the roar in his head, and to make the whole situation, this whole standoff, go away.
Elvina was about to say something else, but then, Jan’s voice cut through the parking lot.
“Marcel! Is that you?!”
Confusion, betrayal, and realization all bundled into one, pure, infallible tone.
Silence hung over the parking lot once again, Marcel opening his eyes to see that all of the eyes in the parking lot were now on him.
For a moment, he was adrift in panic. But then he remembered.
He was in charge. The Chimera Prince was counting on him.
He took a step forward.
“Yes. It’s me. Why are you here, Jan?” He asked, injecting swagger and authority into his tone the best he could. At the very least, his voice wasn’t shaky, and Elvina seemed content to let him take the lead all the same.
Jan tilted his head a bit, as if in disbelief.
“Some freak with a club tried to kill me! Spouting a bunch of bullshit about some Chimera Prince. Monsters are walking around in the streets-don’t tell me you’re apart of that?” He said, and Marcel saw his eyes go to Vo-the most obviously abnormal creature here.
Freak with a club sounded like Edwin. But why had Edwin tried to kill Jan? Unless…
“…Wait-” Marcel started, holding up a hand. “Are you an inquisitor?” He said, his tone deadly serious.
“I don’t know what that means Marcel! All I know is that my hometown is overrun with monsters, just like apparently the rest of the world.” He said that last part with unbridled spite in his voice.
Ok. So he wasn’t an inquisitor. But that didn’t rule out the woman with him. Maybe he helped her, not knowing?
“Jan, that woman you’re with, she’s-” Marcel started.
“She helped me. Saved my life, actually. And we’re going to put a stop to this…madness! Marcel, you seem to know what’s going on, please don’t tell me you’re willing to go along with this? This is our home!” Jan’s voice was pleading.
“…It’s not that simple, I-”
“What do you mean! People shouldn’t die for this-” Jan cut him off.
“-No one is going to die!” Marcel retorted, cutting him off. “Everyone-” He said, looking to the faerie and Elvina. “Stand down. They can go.”
Elvina looked at him. “Are you crazy? They just said they were going to try and stop the Chimera Prince, and you want to let them go?”
“I’m the Regent, appointed by the Chimera Prince. And I say they can go. Jan, listen to me, you need to leave. Get far, far away, and-”
“Don’t be an idiot. I just got home from fighting monsters. I’m used to this. And I’m not letting anyone else get hurt, by running away.” He said, defiantly.
“What do you mean you-nevermind. Jan, you’re welcome here if you want to be, but…they aren’t monsters. I can explain, but you’d have to trust me.” He said, now also pleading.
The woman standing next to Jan cut in.
“Maybe they aren’t all monsters, but the Chimera Prince keeps poor company.” Her tone was neutral. Like this was some form of fact.
“I smell so much magic on you, you’re practically a monster yourself. Watch it.” Elvina said, sharply. The older woman simply shrugged.
Jan looked at Marcel, and took a few steps forward, raising the gun.
“Marcel. I really don’t want to hurt you. But I need you to get out of my way. What I’d really like is your help, but if I can’t have that, then move.”
Marcel didn’t get the chance to respond, before everything went to shit.
Penelope let out a yelp of pain, which turned to a faint gurgle. Marcel turned, Elvina turned, and Vo charged forward, as if he already knew.
Penelope was bleeding violently from her neck and upper torso. Standing above her body, was the stranger he had only met tonight. Trespass. Or Tres, as they had wanted to be called. They grinned in the night, holding a bloody butterfly knife. Marcel flicked a hand up, preparing to cast, but they were already gone.
Marcel’s heart was pounding. They had been betrayed-
A gunshot, followed by a howl of pain. Marcel turned, and saw that Vo had been shot by hand crossbow and handgun both. But he kept moving all the same, attempting to close the distance all the same. Tres appeared behind him, inflicting a cut, before being gone again. Elvina growled, and took a few steps forward, the air around her starting to shimmer and shake.
Marcel began to prepare a spell of his own, drawing out the silver knife. The older woman seemed to focus on Elvina, unfurling the whip, and making eye contact, the two preparing to face off.
Jan meanwhile, ducked beneath Vo in a perfect move, slicing up his leg, and turning the gun around to shoot him in the torso. He swung his arm around violently, but Jan easily ducked. Where had he learned moves like that? He was moving…well, that wasn’t normal soldier training for the Union, Marcel was pretty sure.
Several things happened at once.
Elvina stopped shimmering.
Marcel sliced his palm, and shadow welled to the surface.
Jan swung the gun around, aimed at Vo’s head.
The old woman pointed her hand crossbow at Elvina.
And then.
Elvina was shot, and shattered into thousands of tiny wisps of light. The vampire’s double, prepared in the confusion, was dispersed, and the real vampire stepped out from behind Vo. The old woman turned, the crossbow somehow already reloaded. Vo staggered back, just as Elvina moved to grab Jan, while he was undefended. Marcel couldn’t help it.
“Jan! Look ou-“
His cry, his warning, was cut off, as he felt something pierce his gut. The butterfly knife blade, obnoxiously shiny, and engraved with words he didn’t know, cut through his stomach, and caused blood to spew. He had lost track of the traitor in the confusion.
He hit the ground, at the same time as Elvina slammed Jan into the pavement, unmoving. The battle starting to fade out of awareness as he lost a bit too much blood and shadow to stay awake, both he and Jan staining the hostel parking lot.
He didn’t feel jealous anymore.
Kindling And Miscellany 