9 comments/ 17724 views/ 15 favorites Shadow of the Hunter By: Thistlethorn Authors note, this was originally going to be for the Christmas contest, but it turned into a much longer story. I will be posting it in parts and am sorry to say it won't be done by Christmas day, but hopefully between Christmas and New Years. Happy Holidays, everyone. Shadow of the Hunter part 1 By Thistlethorn © Edited by PennLady This is a copyrighted work of fiction. All rights reserved. The man was getting on Chad's nerves. Standing in line for cupcakes, of all things, the inconsiderate jerk-off butted line then held it up talking on his cell phone. When the clerk tried to direct his attention to a sign requesting costumers not be on cell phones while placing an order he went off on the beleaguered young woman, holding things up even further. Once that tantrum appeared to be over, he placed his order and berated the clerk on the speed and quality of her service. He then didn't have enough to pay cash and insisted the clerk cover the difference. Chad made his way to the front of the line, dropped a five dollar bill on the counter and returned to his place in line without a word. The man glared at him while the transaction was concluded and sulked his way out of the store. The next few people placed their orders and left, offering sympathy to the clerk as they did so. When Chad reached the counter, the clerk had reserved his change and gave it to him with her thanks. "It's not a problem." She bagged up his order, three red and green iced gingerbread cupcakes. "You must really like cupcakes to wait through all that." "They're not for me, they're for my rat." "Really? Wow, that's really cute." Chad gave her a smile that somehow didn't reach his eyes. "I guess it is. Have a nice day." Chad exited the shop into the cold, snowy day. It was the Monday after Thanksgiving, and the Christmas decorations were already up. He considered taking a bus, but decided walking would give him an opportunity to scout. The sun was hanging low and dusk would come soon. It seemed at this time that --things were more active. He was also curious. He'd been reading about the solstice and how there were some ancient beliefs that reality somehow came unglued around this time and the supernatural became more active. He wanted to see if he could chart that. "Well if it isn't the gooder." Chad repressed any reaction to the voice of the belligerent customer and made a point of looking up and down the street for something. "Hey, buddy, I'm talking to you." Chad recognized the man's tone, though he'd never met the ass-hole before that day. He sounded petulant because his fun had been ruined and aggressive because he had something to prove. Given that Chad was barely in his twenties and this man appeared to be at least ten years older, the man assumed Chad made a good target. Chad recognized the situation all too well. Karma sucked. When Chad continued to ignore him, the man stalked over and grabbed him on the shoulder. Chad was expecting the move, and was calm when he looked over to his current antagonist. "What, can't you hear?" the man sneered. Chad regarded the man without any expression. "I hear just fine. It's just that I was always told not to mention it when someone farts." The man's look of contemptuousness turned confused. "Farts? What do you mean by that?" Chad cocked his head. "Isn't that what it's called when an ass-hole makes noise?" Chad knew he was pulling the guy's chain and knew from experience just how badly that could go. Something dark twisted in Chad, with predatory glee. This guy was just begging to be put down. He stared dumbly at Chad before responding. "You little shit," he blurted out, confusion turning to anger. "How dare you say that to me!" "Pretty easily, actually. Wasn't much of a dare at all." The man seized Chad by both shoulders and pushed him into an empty alcove. "OK, you little fuck. Now we're...." The speech was cut off as Chad stared the man down. While the smile never reached his eyes, the look of malignant predation went there and stayed. He reached with his right hand to his left shoulder and grabbed the man's hand. He twisted it sharply. "We're going to what?" Chad asked. The man's face went white from a combination of pain and sudden fear. "Let go." The man tried to put force behind the command, but it fell flat. Chad still released the hand, then reached for the other. "Are you removing this or am I?" Though his voice was even, his eyes promised more pain and worse. The man released his shoulder. Chad was almost disappointed. "You still haven't told me what we're going to do." It was a simple question, said without much inflection. Chad knew from experience how to pitch his voice for maximum effect. The man backed away while trying to project an air of defiant contempt that was undercut by the fear Chad could see in his eyes. The man shook his head and stalked off. Chad let him go. He took a few deep breaths and set out on his way. Like an orgasm that wasn't reached, the urge --the need-- to break something, or someone, rose within Chad and made demands of him. Demands he barely wanted to discourage, and that frightened him. He walked faster. He couldn't outdistance himself, or his desires. Soon, he was running head long to escape, but his dark desires still managed to follow. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark form dart off. With a grim smile, he set a pace to follow the figure from what he hoped was an unobtrusive distance. The little creature was a blur of black and gray as it weaved through the crowd of oblivious humans. It was perhaps two feet tall. Chad could make out a tail and four limbs; sometimes it dashed on all fours, but when that wasn't possible, it moved on two legs. The head was perhaps a little too large for the body, and appeared to have a mane of some sort. He couldn't quite make out the face. Then it stopped and a mischievousness smile lit up its face, which had an animalistic cast. The mane that hung in a shaggy mass around the face added to the impression of an animal, though Chad couldn't have named what animal. He followed its line of sight to a side walk bell ringer. What, some little shadow creature's going to rip off a Salvation Army guy? He thought as he continued to follow. The little creature scurried up to the man who continued to ring his bell, greet folks on the street and thank them for the occasional donation. The creature rose up on its digitigrade hind legs and tugged hard at the man's arm. He dropped the bell with a look of surprise. With its tail, the creature knocked the bell down the street. As the man chased after his bell, the creature dumped his hanging pot, forcing the lid off. Once the man realized that had happened, he forgot the bell, went back to his kettle and tried to collect the flying cash. Chad started to head over, but a small group of people had already gathered to help the man. Chad looked over to the creature that was laughing uproariously at the pandemonium it had created. Chad's expression hardened further and he headed for it. The strange little creature saw Chad. He saw the fear in the creature's face and it stoked the burning need he had. The creature panicked in its efforts to escape. After a few scrabbled lunges it managed to get to its feet and run into a deserted alley. Chad smiled. These creatures almost always ran for dark places. It made what he did so much easier. He followed the creature into the alley. His gaze fell on a discarded bit of pipe and he seized it with his empty hand so that he entered in clutching in either hand a bag of cupcakes and a heavy metal pipe. He pursued the creature until he found it cowering against a wall; its face paled when it saw the pipe. As Chad looked over the creature, he took in its trembling form as it shrunk back even further. It (he, Chad realized) lifted a spindly arm (foreleg?) in a vain attempt to protect himself from the coming violence as he looked away. Other things came to Chad, unsought and unwanted knowledge. The creature seemed harmless. It had no evil intent, rather it thought the whole trick was funny. A prank and nothing more. Chad gripped the pipe more tightly, but stopped advancing. NO NO NO! screamed a part of himself. Forward! Look at the pathetic thing! Break it! Chad felt himself grow hard in the threat of violence that hung in the air. The promised orgasm was one act of violence away. "Why did you do that?" he asked, his voice hoarse. The odd little creature looked over at him. It was still frightened but answered. "It was a prank." "Why him?" "He's always there. I was just playing with him." "He didn't think it was funny." The little creature looked down. "I guess he didn't at that." "Do you know what he's doing?" The creature's returned his gaze to Chad, fear mixing with curiosity. "Gathering money." "Do you know why?" The creature shook his head. Chad crouched so that he was closer to the creature's level. "The money he gathers goes to those who need it. Now they won't have whatever you made him lose. Not only does he suffer the inconvenience of your game, other people will suffer by having less." "I didn't know." "Did you ask?" The creature looked down again. Chad was still angry, the need still hammered at him. Instead of striking he raised his voice. "You know, there's a piece of shit over at the school passing out junk to kids. There are peddlers of every conceivable horror out there and you fuck with some dude trying to collect something for the poor. God!" Chad shot upright, throwing his hands wide. "Why don't you fuck with someone who needs a good fucking?!" The creature stared at Chad as though the concept had never occurred to him. "Of course, hunter. Those are targets worthy of a good game." Chad suppressed the snarl that threatened at being called a hunter. The look on the creature's face still held some fear, and this continued to feed the darkness crashing around him. But the look of consideration spoke to something else. Chad stood uncertain. He wanted to hurt the creature, and wasn't sure if he was being played. With tremendous effort, he stayed his hand. "Fine." With a sharp jerk of his head he added, "Go." The creature scurried away. Chad waited until the creature was long gone then dropped down amongst the gathered refuse of the area. He curled into a ball and held his head as the frustration of the lost opportunity washed over him. He rocked himself a bit as his hard-on faded and his body come crashing down from the adrenaline high. When he was able, Chad rose, tossed aside the pipe, and carried his cupcakes home. Chad arrived home at close to nine. He lived at a weekly rate motel. It wasn't bad; it was quiet, and most of the tenants were, like him, semi-regulars. "Evening, Mr. Chad," said the older black man who worked the night desk, Mr. Franklin. Chad grunted in reply and waved as he made his way up the stairs. Once he reached his room, he locked and chained his door, put away his coat, and tossed the now-mangled bag of cupcakes on the counter by the fridge. He sat in a chair in the small sitting room, thinking he would do some work on his computer. He was building a data base of encounters and researching any lore he could get his hands on. As he tried to do some research, exhaustion crashed down on him; his eyes kept closing. He gave it up and went to bed. Chad was walking through the forest. Trees arched cathedral-like above his head, blocking out the sky. The path was worn smooth beneath his feet. He glanced about the woods on either side of the path, but they were a mass of impenetrable darkness. Someone walked beside him, but no matter how much he looked at them, he couldn't see what they looked like. Sometimes they almost looked like him, sometimes like someone he felt certain he should know but couldn't place, and sometimes nothing but a dark mass that traveled along side him. There was something both revolting and companionable about the co-traveler, however, and it seemed to Chad that that should bother him. They reached the end of the corridor of trees. It opened out into a small meadow where deer were grazing. A doorway stood in the middle of the meadow. Chad cocked his head in consideration, then set off to investigate to the door. About half-way across he heard a wailing. Encapsulated in that cry was a loss that was both devastated and infuriated. Chad looked back. Still on the path, in the protective corridor of trees, was his companion. Again, even looking directly at it didn't tell him what it was. The thought occurred to him that it was best that it stayed there, forever in a place he'd left behind. Then he started to walk back. An enormous deer left the herd to stand in front of Chad. His gaze was level with the magnificent beast's chest. He raised his gaze upward and looked into eyes as intelligent as any he'd ever seen. The rack that crowned the deer's head spread out wide then curled back in. The deer lowered his head so that the rack of antlers surrounded Chad's body, blocking his way back. Chad could smell the musk of the animal, rich, exotic, and hauntingly familiar. "No," he heard. "You may not go back. You have started on the path, and the way lies ahead." Chad awoke with a start, the scent of the deer still lingering. He was surprised to find himself trembling. It was just a dream, he told himself, then repeated for emphasis. He said it aloud. No matter how, or how often, he said it, he didn't quite believe it. Chad rose from his bed, showered and dressed. Since having to move from his previous apartment due to legal troubles, he'd been building a wardrobe of the best pickings he could find from second-hand and Salvation Army stores. He had found some nice things that way. As he drew on his hoodie and duster he glanced over to the counter by the fridge. The bag was gone. I'm going to have to wait up for him some night, find out what this is all about. Chad set out to the Dragon's Garden, a Chinese buffet he frequented. He went there to speak to the dragon who owned and operated it. They had a...complicated relationship, one that Chad had yet to completely figure out. The dragon appeared to be looking out for him. What Chad couldn't figure out was why. As Chad made his way to the restaurant, he realized he wasn't alone with his thoughts. Someone appeared to be pacing him through the crowds. He feigned one direction and ducked down a street in another. The sense of being followed persisted. Chad maneuvered his way to increasingly-deserted areas until he turned down an abandoned side street and waited. Once the figure appeared around the corner after him, Chad seized the stranger by his arm and swung him against a close by wall. "Well, you're certainly a bundle of laughs." The figure that addressed Chad was perhaps half a head taller that Chad's own six feet. More than his height, the startling thing about this man was his stark white skin tone and glittering shag of hair hanging about his face, shoulders and down his back that was by turns blue, white, or silver depending on how the light caught it. Inhumanly bright blue eyes looked into Chad's with unrestrained good-will and amusement. His outfit was a mish-mash of blues, grays, and silvers, in what appeared to be a tunic, breaches, and a long coat. "Oh for fuck's sake," Chad said as he released the figure. He rubbed his hands across his eyes. "Isn't there a single other person in this city you people can screw with other than me?" The figure cocked his head and took on the exaggerated appearance of considering the question. "Probably," he answered in a voice like the wind. "But you're here right now." "Of course," Chad said with a sigh. He gave the stranger a long once over. "And who are you, anyway? The Snow Miser?" Much to Chad's annoyance, the entity began to sing. Even waved his arms a bit in a pantomime of dance. "I'm Mister White Christmas, I'm Mister Snow. I'm Mister Icicle, I'm Mister Ten Below. Friends call my Snow Miser, whatever I touch Turns to snow in my clutch, I'm too much." "Damn straight on that," Chad snapped as he stalked away. "You're way too fucking much." The entity fell into step right next to him. "You know, I never understood why they were the 'Miser Brothers'. They weren't especially miserly with their particular influences. Quite the opposite, in fact." "Because the 'Meteorologically Fanatical Brothers' isn't very lyrical." "True." Chad stalked on with this latest bit of strangeness keeping pace step for step. Chad's eyes flicked back and forth from the path in front to the entity at his side. "Is there some reason you're following me?" "Technically, I'm not following you. I'm walking beside you in the same direction. Following would put me behind you." "Is there something I can do for you?" The smile the wintery man wore bloomed into a tremendous grin. "Well, now that you mentioned it..." "Ugh," Chad groaned. "Oh," his companion said as he pulled up short. "Is now a bad time?" Chad grasped at the opportunity to be rid of Snow Miser. "In fact, it is. I'm on my way somewhere. So if you could go away and never come back, that would be good for me." "I won't keep you then. But I'm not certain I can promise to never be back. Until we meet again, then." He gave a nod of his head and his entire form broke down into snow and blew away. Chad looked around to see if anybody seemed surprised by what happened. People continued on their way, as though nothing was amiss. Chad envied them. He reached his destination with no further intrusions. The Dragon's Garden was a large free-standing building, set away from the other buildings in the shopping center across a patch of snow-covered grass. Behind the building was undeveloped land. To Chad it appeared standoffish, though some of that he could attribute to how much the building felt like Qiang, the dragon who owned it. Qiang didn't appear standoffish, he was standoffish. As Chad entered the restaurant he was greeted by a pretty Chinese woman, whose face lit up in a smile. Her black hair was done up in braids with a silk poinsettia and ivy woven in. It was Chad's understanding that she was the lover of the dragon owner, but whoever or whatever she was, she'd always been kind to him. "Where would you like to sit?" Mingzhu asked. "In the back," he answered with a shrug. She smiled. "Of course." She led him to a booth in the far corner of the seating area. He'd come to think of it as "his;" it was secluded, dark and away from other tables. He slid into his normal side, with his back against the wall. Mingzhu left and returned with a soda. "I'll tell Qiang you're here," she said. Chad gave another smile that didn't reach his eyes. Mingzhu returned his smile and made her way back without leaving a slip. It was understood he ate there gratis. He preferred it when Mingzhu seated him. The speculation of the other wait staff annoyed him. Chad got a plate and filled it from the buffet. As he ate, he turned over events in his mind. First a bizarre dream, then the Snow Miser. The day had become by turns weird then weirder. Not was weird as being turned into a goldfinch, perhaps, but weird enough. To make matters worse, that insidious song was stuck in his head. "That's a jaunty little tune you're humming. You never struck me as musically inclined." Chad looked up to the source of the statement. A Chinese man stood at the end of his table. Qiang. He seemed to be human. Roughly the same height as Chad, his black hair was long and worn lose. His features were handsome, his bearing regal, if just the slightest bit haughty. His eyes were brown, with a hard to see red gold ring around the iris. Shadow of the Hunter Ch. 02 Edited by PennLady This is a copyrighted work of fiction. All rights reserved. * Night had fallen. Chad gathered his weapon, its bag, and ammunition. He looked over the map of the area with hot spots marked out. He made a mental note of where he was going, layered his clothes in deference to the cold, and left his room through the fire escape. Chad shivered as he made his way out into the night. It was clear and cold. Not just bone chilling cold, it was bone crushing cold. He thought back to the first time he met Ambrose, the rat he left food out for. Or the rat spirit, at any rate. He had been defending a homeless guy and had Chad help him move the poor old bastard to a shelter. He wondered what Ambrose did for them when the weather turned so bitter. He wandered the streets, waiting for a sense of something to guide him. Nothing was coming. Perhaps it was too cold for even the predatory goblins to be out. The lights of the city were pretty, Chad decided. He remembered when he was little how much fuss his mother used to make out of Christmas. He smiled at the memories of huge Christmas trees draped with lights and ornaments and little presents. Of home spun Christmas characters, Santas and snowmen and reindeer and teddy bears scattered about the house. It almost made all the other things that happened in the house bearable. Then she was gone, and instead of just being shitty most of the time, things went to complete shit. He felt his anger rising, the need to hurt something beginning to crest. NO, he told himself harshly as he shut down the memories. I am not going here again. He stood on the empty side walk and desperately willed the memories and feelings to cease. Then the sense came to him. He went on alert. He followed it to a single individual with a terrified woman pushed against the wall. The hem line of her fire engine red leather mini dress almost touched the tops of her matching high leather stiletto boots. Her short fur jacket didn't look substantial enough to keep out the cold. Chad determined her to be a member of the oldest profession. The figure reacted to Chad's presence. Qiang had warned about that, and it had been happening more often. He pulled the weapon out of its sack only to have it yanked from his grasp. He looked over and was struck in the face by the handle of the rifle. A trap, and he'd walked into it. He stepped backwards and sized up his opponent. He was tall for a goblin, but that only put him to about Chad's height. He wore no hat or face covering. An out of place detail from what Chad had previously seen. His dark, stringy hair hung on the side of his head, and in the available light his complection looked grayish. A vindictive sneer spread across his unpleasant features and the creature tossed the rifle away. Chad could see the musculature move under the rough cut clothes the creature wore. He was definitely brawny, and not just for a goblin. He looked to be a bruiser by any estimation. Chad had to end this quickly. He could brawl, and had done so often in his life. But it had always been with humans, not supernatural creatures. The goblin closed quickly, cuffing Chad hard on the side of the head. He saw stars, but instinctively returned a blow by slamming his fist into what would be the solar plexus on a human. The creature seemed to share a similar anatomy and his breath left it in a sudden reeking exhale. The creature stumbled back and Chad shook his head to clear it. The creature recovered and was back on Chad, reaching for his throat. Chad spared a look down, then went into a controlled fall, raising his hands to about eye level. The creature followed him down and Chad caught the forehead in his hands. Instantly, he was at the tear ducts of the eyes with his thumbs. Realizing the mistake, the creature tried to pull back. Chad only gouged the left eye. The thumb at the right eye penetrated into the socket. The creature gave a loud shriek. Chad gripped the right side of the head by hooking his thumb into the socket and curling his fingers around the ear. He pulled the creature down to the ground by the side of his head. Chad grasped the left shoulder and forced the goblin onto his back, lying entirely on the ground. He pinned the body by straddling the chest and located a broken glass bottle. Without hesitation, he slit the throat and the goblin expired with a gurgled last breath. Chad rose up, the dead goblin's gore splattered on him, and turned to face the one with the woman. It fled. "You should go. Do you have anyplace safe to stay?" She nodded. "Good. Go there and stay there." She nodded again and stumbled away. Chad heard applause. He looked up to see the weather elemental, as Qiang had called it, looking at him from the top of a dumpster. "Were you going to help me there?" he asked. "Should you have needed it. But that was rather expediently handled." Chad gave him a sour look as he gathered his gun. "The Snow Miser would have helped." "If he existed." Chad shook his head. "Whatever," he muttered as he exited the alley. The entity followed him. "You know, if you have something to say, I wish you'd just say it," Chad snapped. "Well, you're a little testy. I think I should wait until you're not in as foul a mood." "Great." Chad traveled in the silent company of the winter elemental. He walked for what felt like hours, though he wondered if the cold wasn't making the time feel longer then it was. He was about ready to call it a night when he felt another spike. The feeling was different this time. It didn't quite feel like the goblins. He followed up on it and was led to an industrial area. There were figures crouched and hunched around in a tight circle. Though their backs were to him, he knew them not to be human. They were emaciated and huddled close together. Their heads were down and their attention tightly focused on whatever was in the center of the group. It somehow reminded Chad of a communal meal. Chad shouted at them. They looked up. The features weren't human, they were too feral, but neither were they animal like. They were pinched and drawn, with a hungry look about them. But they didn't carry themselves as predators. Hunched and ground clinging, they seemed more like scavengers. A bit like stray dogs picking over the refuse from garbage cans. They shifted for a moment, wanting to run but not wanting to leave what was between them. As they shifted about in indecision, Chad glimpsed a body at the center of the mass. A human body. He screamed at them as he charged. The scavengers scattered into the night. Their shuffling, hunched gait was surprisingly swift. When Chad reached the body, he realized the man had been dead long before the scavengers had arrived. The man was cyanic. His body was dusted with frost, his eyes wide open and staring, and the clothes partially removed. When Chad touched the body, it was completely cold. The places where he'd been feed off weren't bleeding. While Chad couldn't be certain, the man appeared to have frozen to death before he became a meal. For a moment he thought it might be the man he'd helped with previously, but it wasn't. Chad sat on the ground next to the man and wondered what to do. He sensed more than saw the elemental approach. "What the fuck was he doing way out here?" Chad asked. "I don't know but I suppose he was trying to find shelter." "Out here? How fucking dumb was he, looking for shelter out here?" The elemental shrugged, sadness filling his eyes. "I don't know. Maybe this was how far he was forced to go. There's not a lot of shelter in the city, either." Chad sensed the rebuke. "Well, there's not a lot I can do about that, now is there? Maybe if you didn't make it so damn cold, they wouldn't freeze to death." "I can't control that." "Well, I can't make people give a damn, either." "I wasn't talking to 'people'. I was talking to you." Chad felt as though he'd been struck in the chest. He remembered something his roommate once said to him: "Giving a damn isn't really your thing." He stared at the elemental and wanted to say something but nothing would come. He watched as the man faded into snow and blew away. Chad pulled out his cell phone and made a call to 911. Not that there was anything that could be done for the man now. **************************************** Chad drug himself back to his flop. Exhausted both physically and emotionally, and frozen nearly to the core, he piled extra blankets on the bed and crawled in. His thoughts chased each other around his mind until sleep claimed him. He soon fell deeply into an exhausted slumber. Some time after Chad surrendered to sleep, shadows congealed into a form in the sitting area of his room. The figure appeared in a crouch and carefully straightened to a full height of five feet. He tugged his broad brimmed hat about his face, a habitual motion that accomplished nothing in the almost empty room. The goblin narrowed his eyes, scanning the area to make sure nothing and no one was present save the prey. He could see nothing. Anxious to be done with the work, he headed over to the bed. So this is the new hunter causing so much fuss. The entity took a once over of the sleeping form. Fairly young for a hunter. Still, best not to underestimate. Grabble lies dead because of him, and I didn't think that bastard would ever die. Best to be done with the work. He chuckled grimly. Perhaps I should thank the hunter for the favor before I kill him. Nog sensed the approach seconds before the attack. He spun out of the way as a dagger ghosted towards him. He was not fast enough, however. A sharp pain in his side told him the dagger struck home. He turned and faced his assailant. A gray-white rat in a patchwork cloak and head covering stood baring a bloody dagger. Nog snarled. "Blasted vermin," he hissed. "I'll finish you and then make an end of the hunter." Nog felt cold metal pressed against the back of his head and suspected a gun. "You may want to rethink that.," said a voice behind him. "Two against one are really shitty odds." Nog didn't miss a beat. "You won't find that works on me," he said, confident. "The others, yes, but I'm a different breed." He heard something metallic click into place behind him. "Then you won't mind if I test the theory." Discretion being the better part of valor, Nog vanished. Chad clicked the safety back into place. "How did you know he was lying?" Ambrose asked as he folded his arms in front of himself, careful to hold the dagger away. "Why tell me? Why not just let me waste the round? It would have more of an impact if I shot him and it didn't have any effect." "Then why didn't you just pull the trigger rather than warn him?" Chad held up the handgun. "No silencer. I'm in enough trouble with the law without discharging an unlicensed and unregistered handgun in a hotel." He nodded, causing the tassels that weighed down his head covering to sway gently. "I see. Very sage." "If you say so." Chad looked over his visitor. He looked the same as their first meeting. A three foot tall rat standing on his hind quarters. The patchwork cloak with belled its sleeves and matching head covering were in vibrant jewel tones, and nicely complemented his simpler fur color. The cloak was slit up the sides and he could partially make out the legs, long and largely furless lower legs with short and heavy thighs. A hairless tail curled out from the back of the cloak. The head covering had eye holes sewn into it, and the jewel tones also highlighted how intelligent, and gentle, his eyes were. If not for the bloodied dagger, Chad wouldn't have believed Ambrose was capable of violence. "Not that I mind the assist," Chad said as got up to grab some napkins. "But why have you been staying here?" Ambrose took the proffered napkins and cleaned off his knife. "To offer assistance. I knew they would track you down, eventually. I'm glad I was able to help. Thank you, by-the-by, for the food." "Yeah." Chad sat down on the bed. "No problem." Chad considered his next question when a skittering sensation of dread ran down his back. He sat up stiffly and rolled his shoulders. Ambrose's head shot up and he sniffed the air. Chad rose from the bed and quickly dressed. "You felt that also?" the rat asked as Chad pulled on his shoes and grabbed the rifle from the closet. "Yes. And I think it's time to blow this place." Chad shrugged into his duster and hoodie and looked at the clock. Four in the morning. Still early enough for the streets to be largely empty. He made his way to the window and opened it onto the fire escape. "You coming?" Ambrose scurried over and climbed out the window, followed by Chad. As he closed the window he saw the first of the invading group appear. He turned to the stairs. Ambrose was already at the bottom. "Catch," Chad called as he tossed the rifle bag. Ambrose caught the parcel and rested it across his shoulder. Chad grabbed the hand rails and found them frozen. He looked down the rails on both sides and saw both were encased in ice. He gripped the rails with his bare hands, locked his elbows, and slid down the steps to the ground level. He retrieved the gun from Ambrose and considered where to go. It was late, towards the end of when these creatures tended to be most active. Chad had seen small parties during the day, but that was the exception rather than the rule. He started to run towards downtown, unsure if he should find a defensible position for a stand or keep moving until the forces gave up. "Will they stop at dawn?" he asked Ambrose. Ambrose effortlessly kept pace. Chad wondered why the robe didn't get in his way. "Hard to say. Large groups during the day are rare. But limited time isn't necessarily a good thing." "Why do you say that?" "Desperation is an ugly thing and will lead to even uglier acts." Great, Chad thought. Bad to worse in point two seconds. "OK," he said aloud. "Downtown probably a bad idea. So where to?" "The park may afford some cover. The industrial area could give some advantages." Out of the corner of his eye Chad saw something coming at him. He removed the rifle from and then discarded the sack. As he stopped to aim something large and heavy slammed into him. He went down. The moment he hit ground it was on him. He brought up the rifle lengthwise to protect his face and throat. He saw a canid snout and very sharp looking teeth trying to get at his face and neck from around the rifle. Chad spun the gun against the animals neck and pulled the trigger. A burst of automatic gun shot tore through the neck and struck something else from the sounds of two cries. Chad pushed the body off as he crawled out from under it. He scrambled upright in time to see Ambrose slit the throat of the goblin mounted on an animal something like a wolf. It was massively, almost grotesquely, muscled, with thick fur, huge paws, and fangs that jutted out from its jaws. It wasn't so much a wolf, Chad decided, as a nightmarish perversion of a wolf. Every fairy tale big-bad-wolf ever written about. Ambrose looked up from cleaning his knife. "You've made quite an impression on them, if they've brought these out." "Great, I'm flattered. Let's motor." Chad was off running again, heading towards the industrial area from the night before. Ambrose followed him. They made it a little further, but not far enough. Two of the enormous wolf-like animals charged in from the sides, herding them to the left. More were bringing up the rear. It quickly became clear they were being directed to a desolate area under a bridge. Chad could feel the wrongness of it, the danger sending warning flares along his spine. He saw only one way out. He pulled up short and blocked Ambrose with his arm. "You can become like a regular sized rat, right?" Ambrose looked around as the mounted hunting party closed in. "Yes, but that doesn't seem terribly helpful at this moment." "Just do it." Ambrose shrunk down, his coat and head covering faded. Chad carefully maneuvered his foot over him, tightened his grip on the rifle, and called up the hawk. Feathers covered him as his form became smaller. The rifle tumbled from his grip. He gingerly hooked his talons around Ambrose and took flight as the wolves closed in. The closest one snapped at his retreating form, but only caught an errant tail feather. Chad pumped his wings, the cold air making his flight more difficult. The city fell below them, the lights and streets a pastiche beneath them. An arrow whizzing by him reminded him of the dangers below. His white underside reflected the ambient light, making him a clearer target. Chad banked and headed towards the darker areas of the city, hoping to lose some of the pack before he headed for his final destination. Chad enjoyed flight. Even now, fleeing for his life from a hunting pack of goblins, he thrilled to feel of the wind over his feathers, the power inherent in the hawk form, and the sense of freedom it gave him. The weight in his talons spoke of other responsibilities, however. As soon as he thought he lost the party, he adjusted his course. Soon, the Dragon's Garden was in sight. Chad soared over the building and banked inward to land in the back. He spread his wings wide and braked steadily. He deposited Ambrose on the ground and landed just past him. He shifted back to human, the clothes he was wearing before reappeared. "Clothes, but not the rifle," he groused as he gathered up Ambrose and placed him the pocket of the duster. "What the hell is the logic of that?" He felt the rat scramble out of his pocket. Ambrose resumed his more human form as he tumbled down. He took a look around, as if confirming something, then took hold of Chad's coat and pulled on it. "No." There was trepidation in his voice and features. "We can not stay here." Chad spared him a look, then returned his attention to the surrounding land in back of the restaurant. He scanned it for signs of any of the hunting party that may have kept up. "Don't worry, it's cool." He pounded on the wall behind him. "No, it is not cool," Ambrose insisted as he grabbed Chad's arm and pulled it down. "This is the territory of a very testy dragon and we don't want to be caught on it." "I know," Chad explained shaking off his arm. "We have an...arrangement." Ambrose looked at Chad with amazement. "With this dragon?" Chad nodded. "Yes, this dragon." He returned to pounding the wall. "You are a man of many surprises." The conversation stopped as two lupine forms loped towards them across the thinly wooded no-man's-land in back of the building. Chad ceased pounding the wall and bereft of any weapon, took up a defensive posture slightly in front of Ambrose. The two mounted goblins rode up, the lead one keen on his catch while the second looked around with similar trepidation to Ambrose. He urged his mount from behind to beside the lead pair. "We should not be here." Wow, thought Chad, what does he do to them that makes them so scared? The lead goblin looked over to his companion, his features twisted into a sneer. In a voice like grating iron he said, "The dragon here isn't any more fond of them," he indicated Chad with the point of a pole arm, "then he is of us. Particularly dislikes the Euro-descended." He looked back to Chad. "He'll probably thank us for removing him." "I'm not so sure..." hedged his companion as he gave the building a long, concerned look. The other goblin, the larger of the two, shook his head and nudged his mount closer. "Now this ends, boy." Qiang appeared as a human behind the goblins. Chad considered the look on his face and decided he'd probably be afraid of that, too. The smaller goblin saw him arrive and whithered against his mount. Shadow of the Hunter Ch. 02 "You know, I think he may have attended some diversity training recently." The lead goblin looked over his shoulder, then turned his mount around to face Qiang. He bowed from the saddle. "Noble dragon," he intoned. "We, my companion and I, are most regretful to have crossed your boundary lines. We were chasing this hunter and he crossed over them first. We merely followed. So, without any further disturbance to you, great one, we will remove both of these trespassers from your lands." "You will?" Qiang asked, his tone almost sounded amused. The lead goblin nodded, quite certain of Qiang's agreement. The smaller one wasn't sure. Something felt off. Qiang crossed his arms. "Well, the problem I see is that he's here with my permission. You're not." The goblin shifted in his saddle. "You're permission?" "Hmm-mm," Qiang confirmed with a nod of his head and a humorless smile. "So, you may take your leave now." The lead goblin swallowed hard and continued. "But he's a hunter, and has been decimating our ranks. We have the right to vengeance." Even the affected humor of his smile left his face. "And perhaps if you stopped feeding off his people, he wouldn't be hunting you down. They're unaccountably touchy about that sort of thing, for some reason." The goblin forced himself upright in his saddle. "I would expect that sort of thing form the rat..." he started to say, disdain dripping from his voice. "Well, you're hearing it from me." Qiang's voice rang out, the power unmistakable. "The hunter is here with my permission. Further he's under my protection. If you don't like it, you have two choices: stay out of his way or bring your fight to me. Or perhaps you'd prefer to take it up with those who set him on your trail." The lead goblin scowled. Losing an easy source of food would be hell to explain. He knew from experience, however, the dragon's dictates were to be taken seriously. His pack had learned that the hard way. "So be it." With the goblins still facing Qiang, their backs were to Chad and Ambrose. Chad caught Qiang's eye. With a tilt of his head and a twist of his wrist, he gestured towards Ambrose. "The rat also," Qiang added. This time the goblin expressed his outrage. "What?! Why the rat?" In an instant the human was gone and an immense coiled dragon was in his place. The red-gold scales seemed to cast their own light. A mane of gold shot through with red surrounded his head, which was crowned with a magnificent set of antlers. He raised his head high above the goblins and their mounts. The lupine beasts cowered in fear, their ears plastered to their skulls and their tails tucked between their legs. Chad felt Ambrose press in close to him. He gave him a pat for reassurance, though even Chad was awed by Qiang's full manifestation. "I do not owe you an explanation." His voice filled the area. "I do not owe you a justification. I do not owe you anything." He lowered his head down so that it was inches from the terrified goblins and their mounts and gave them a fine showing of his snout full of teeth . "However, because I'm generous, I will give you thirty seconds to remove yourself from my territory." He stared at the mounts. "Starting NOW!" He shouted the last part and the wolf-like animals took off in full run, putting as much distance between themselves and the dragon as they possibly could. Chad started to say something. Qiang raised his foreleg, indicating he should wait. After he was certain the party was gone he asked, "Why the rat?" "He did my a solid. His name is Ambrose." "Well, it's good to know you honor your debts." Qiang shifted back to human and turned his attention to Ambrose. "I'm pleased to meet you, Ambrose," he said with an eloquent nod of his head. "I am called Qiang." Ambrose stepped nervously out from behind Chad. He dipped his head to Qiang. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance." "What did you mean by those who set me on them?" Qiang shrugged. "Just a turn of the phrase, nothing more. A ruse to the goblins." He dismissed the entire thing with a wave of his hand. "Come," he continued as he turned around. "And have some breakfast." He set off along the wall. Chad looked over to Ambrose who shrugged. He set off after Qiang with Ambrose following in his wake. "You know I don't believe that." Qiang stopped in front of a door. "Now, why does that not surprise me?" he asked with a half smile then vanished. When Chad reached the door, he saw there wasn't a door knob on his side. He pounded the door. It opened from within. "Patience is a virtue," Qiang said and stood aside to let Chad and Ambrose in. Ambrose poked his nose in then paused and looked up to Qiang. With a nod Qiang waved him in. Ambrose entered, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his robe and his head reverently bowed. "I'm not very virtuous," Chad responded as he slipped of the duster and hoodie. "So I've been told." He looked over to Ambrose. "I don't think I've had anybody show that much respect to my kitchen." There was genuine amusement in his voice. "With all deference to your kitchen, can we get back to my question?" Chad asked. "What the hell were you talking about out there?" "I told you." Qiang retrieved food from the walk-in refrigerator and took down pans. "It was a ruse. Goblins can be superstitious and it's wise to play on that." He turned on a burner and set down a wok. Chad looked to Ambrose for some type of confirmation of Qiang's assessment. Ambrose spread his hands and shrugged. "Well, where's the dividing line between superstition and belief in legitimate phenomena?" Qiang paused as the wok warmed up. "Now that's an interesting question. I suppose there's an argument that what you've determined to be true for yourself is true, but that does put faith on shaky ground." "Couldn't there be a further argument that what you call superstition they call playing the odds?" "That chance's are such-and-so a thing could be correct, so we'll treat it as correct to be safe?" Qiang paused, considering. "Interesting insight. I suppose it's entirely possible." "So, chance's are what you said was possibly true." Qiang gave a noncommittal shrug. "I guess you'll just have to determine the truth of it for yourself." Qiang refused to say anything further on the matter. He prepared a simple breakfast of eggs scrambled around shrimp, ginger, and vegetables, and set it on a table in back, much to Ambrose's chagrin. As Chad and Ambrose seated themselves, Qiang brought over plates and silverware. "Really, sir," Ambrose said as a bowl and silverware were set before him. "This isn't necessary. I don't expect to be served by the master of the house." Qiang laughed. "'Master of the house'. My, is that archaic." He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't mind. You are a guest in my home." He placed a setting before Chad. "Besides," he added with a smile and a nod to Chad. "You're now under my protection. At the least that should be commemorated with a meal." Ambrose folded his hands on his lap and bowed his head. "I would not have presumed on that either, sir." Qiang set a bowl and chopsticks at the head of the table and took a seat. He handed the the serving bowl to Ambrose first. Ambrose humbly accepted the bowl and served himself. "I know. It was Chad's presumption. But what's said is said. Welcome aboard." Ambrose ducked his head in response and handed the bowl over to Chad who took his helping then passed it back to Qiang. Qiang scooped himself a serving and the meal commenced. For a simple breakfast, it was very good. "What happens now?" Chad asked between bites. "Hard to say for certain." Qiang paused in his meal. "But most likely they will back off for at least a little bit. The stray animal population will take an unfortunate hit. The question is will they go back to the usual prey when they think your not looking. Only time will tell that." "Well, hopefully, they will take some time off. I'm going to have to scare up a new rifle." "What happened to the other one?" "It just fell out of my grasp when I shifted to the hawk," he griped. Qiang looked at him for a moment before asking, "And you expected?" "The clothes change." "True." Qiang said nothing more. After a few moments Chad asked, "And that is because...?" Qiang set down his chopsticks. "Honestly, I couldn't say. I riffed the hawk spell off what Chang did for the goldfinch. When you mimicked the magic to become a hawk again, you replicated the same thing. So, I guess you'd have to ask Chang. Propriety, maybe? Wouldn't want you to suddenly be standing naked somewhere." "Especially in the winter," Ambrose interjected helpfully. "Great, clothed but weaponless." "It's no great loss," Qiang opined. "Says you," Chad replied, irked. "It was crass." "Who are you, the Martha Stewart of killing things?" "I'll find you something better. More appropriate. And it will be in a lovely shade of ecru." Ambrose watched the exchange the great interest. He'd never had direct interaction with Qiang, but knew his reputation well. The dragon was known to have a great fascination for the hidden worlds of the city, always hungry for information and willing to bargain for it. The dragon was also known to have a short, fiery temper, unsociable demeanor, and general dislike of apparently everybody. It was understood that he was a Chinese dragon and considered himself apart from any community of the city. Yet, here he was conversing lightly with this boy. Had he been more sure of his manners, Ambrose would have inquired after the whys and wherefores of their friendship. As it was, he was still reeling from his sudden induction into the dragon's circle and wasn't going to make any assumptions. As the breakfast wound down, Qiang made known Sebastian's request. "See me?" Chad went on alert. "Why?" Qiang's look became inscrutable and his manner reserved, very much the dragon Ambrose had expected to meet. "There is much unfinished business between the two of you. On both sides." "Yeah, I guess there is." "So?" The single syllable and short silence was rife with expectation. "I'll go see him today." Qiang simply nodded. *************************************** Ambrose and Chad walked through the downtown streets. The air was already warming up, but it still promised to be a chilly day. Chad thought of the Cold Miser, and wondered what he was up to. Chad had accepted Qiang's offer of a cab ride. Qiang had intended it to go to the river. Chad had stopped it at downtown. The money Qiang had given him far exceeded the cost of the cab ride, even if he'd gone to the river. Chad smiled at the thought of Qiang slipping him money. In retrospect, however, while his reserves weren't yet exhausted, he figured he could only eke out maybe two more months on the stash he had. After that he would need to find a source for income. Before that would probably be wiser. He sighed. He'd have to talk with Qiang about that. It was seven in the morning, and the earliest shops were opening, mostly donut and coffee shops that catered to the early morning office workers. The cupcake place was open, a different woman worked the early shift. Chad looked over to Ambrose. "You want a cupcake?" he asked. Ambrose looked surprised. "Are you still hungry?" "Not really, but I'd like a cup of coffee. Thought I'd have a cupcake instead of a donut." Ambrose shrugged amiably. "Certainly. The ones you'd left for me previously were quite tasty." They entered the building. Chad ordered a large black coffee and a chocolate cupcake. Ambrose was nowhere near as decisive. He waffled between flavors until he settled on a gingerbread cupcake and a peppermint cupcake. Chad knew the clerk wouldn't see Ambrose as he truly was, a three foot rat in a robe, but the dichotomy of the image of Ambrose leaning against the counter threatened to break Chad out in laughter. As they walked to find a place to enjoy their repast, it occurred to Chad he was stalling. He had told Qiang he would see Sebastian, and knew he would have to do it before he saw Qiang again. Preferably he should do it sometime that day. They found a bench and sat. Chad removed his cupcake from the bag and handed it off to Ambrose. He removed his first cupcake and nibbled at it while taking in the Christmas lights. "It's almost a shame the sun will be coming up soon," he said. "Why's that?" Chad took a drink of his coffee. "The Christmas lights aren't quite as pretty in the daytime." Chad shrugged. "I guess I can see that." "And thank you again, for the food. Also for having the dragon include me under his protection." "No problem. He was the one who said it." "At your suggestion, yes." Ambrose paused a moment and nibbled further on his cupcake. "You know, you are a very odd hunter." Chad rankled a bit at the title, but was becoming resigned to it. "How's that?" "Most hunters are not gifted with the sight, and those with the sight are not hunters. In fact, I can not think of a time when I have encountered this combination before." Chad leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs, and turned the coffee cup back and forth in his hands. He ruminated over what he wanted to say. "Well, I wasn't always a hunter and I haven't always been...gifted...either." "You're not very comfortable with you gifts, are you?" "Let's just say that if this is a gift, I wish someone had kept the receipt." "Ah, I see. How long have your gif...your talents been active?" Chad shrugged. "Couple of months." "And how did they arise?" Chad shook his head and his gray eyes became very distant. "I pissed of this dragon." "Qiang?" "No," Chad said, then quipped, "but I don't doubt I annoy the hell out of him at times. No, it was this dragon on the river." Ambrose's eyes lit up. "So there is a dragon on the river," he whispered, somewhat awe struck. "There had been rumors and speculation, but nothing concrete." "Yeah, what about it?" "The river was practically a dead spot. The dragon will cause the magic there to quicken, and it will spread. It is a very good thing." "Oh. Good to know, I guess. Well, that's the dragon I pissed off and after our first meeting, or I suppose confrontation is more correct, I could suddenly see the world in great, grand, 3-D Technicolor. The next day my world went upside down." "He just awoke you and left you to wander?" Ambrose was flabbergasted. "What a horrible punishment. What ever you did to deserve that must have been truly awful." Chad sighed and studied the Styrofoam cup holding his coffee. "It wasn't a punishment," he explained. "I don't think he'd even realized what he'd done. And, yeah, I was being an ass." The pause between them lengthened as Chad memorized the twisting coffee cup in his hands. Ambrose sat patiently. He could see beneath the hunter was conflicted young man with a wounded spirit. It was Ambrose's sense that he needed to show the wounds at his own pace. With a deep breath, Chad continued. "He was with this woman I wanted. Dakota. She and I had been out a few times. I hadn't seen her for a few days and I get this text from my buddy that she's out with some other guy. So I go to where they're at...and..." Chad sat back against the bench, then slouched down, his eyes becoming ever more distant. "Then hilarity ensued." "Was there violence?" Ambrose softly asked. "Not at that time. Actually, it never came down to violence between him and I. I punched him once, but nothing really came of that." His voice dropped to a whisper. "No, I was violent with Dakota." "I see. Was that what lead to," Ambrose gestured to Chad, "this?" "No." Chad raised his hand and tapped the side of his head. "This is what lead to that. There was a point during our confrontation where I realized there was something...off, I guess about this guy, Sebastian's his name." He paused again, gathering his thoughts. "To be honest, I always had little... feelings. Goose running over your grave kind of things. I never assigned much to it, you know, outside of maybe taking another route to avoid a street that felt funny, or changing plans because something felt off. Shit like that. Well, I could tell something was off about him. And it made me nervous because I didn't think I could back away. I needed to save face. Well, he did something with that fear. It was like something clicked. That night nothing really happened, but the next day I was through the looking glass. I saw shit everywhere." He shuddered at the memory. "And I started to lose it. Badly." There was another long pause as Chad took a deep drink of his coffee, draining the cup. "It all crashed down around me. And the one thought I kept coming back to was if I could get at Dakota or Sebastian, I could make it stop. The madness." Chad looked over to Ambrose, the ache in his eyes made more apparent in the increasing morning light. He shook his head and fell silent again. Ambrose laid his hand on Chad's shoulder. "If you do not wish to speak of these things, you do not have to." "I don't know," Chad said. "I think maybe I do." Ambrose gave a single nod. "Do what you feel you must, then. If you wish to unburden to me, I will gladly bear witness." "Thank you." He fell back into silence for awhile and watched the people on the sidewalk. When he spoke again, he looked forward and his voice held little expression. "I've always had a...need...to hurt people so they couldn't hurt me. I could...keep it in check most of the time. But when the switch got thrown I started to lose control...of it, of me, of everything." Chad leaned forward again, with his arms across his thighs, dropped the empty coffee cup and rested his head in his hands. Ambrose waited for him to compose himself. "And it was like if I could just break Dakota everything would go back to normal. I managed to keep it somewhat together until this one night, I couldn't take it anymore. I lost control entirely. Knitting with one needle, few cards short the deck, taco shy of the combo plate. You get the idea." Chad pushed himself back upright. "So I went to her house. The first time she'd called 911 and I was hauled out before I could to too much damage, thankfully. I spent the rest of that night in jail, though I don't remember much of it. I was bailed out by my roommate, and went back the next night. That time she had someone with her." "The dragon, Sebastian?" "No. The dragon Chang." Ambrose furrowed his brow, causing his head covering to bunch. "How many dragons are there here and abouts?" Chad shrugged. "Don't know, I haven't done a dragon census. I know of three. And Chang is the most powerful of them." Ambrose assimilated the information. "I see. And he was displeased?" Chad laughed humorlessly. "Oh yeah. But his solution was creative, I gotta say that. Turned me into a goldfinch." Ambrose nodded, remembering Qiang's reference to the spell. "Considering what he could have done, I got off kinda light. Not that I thought so at the time. From there I ended up getting involved with this huge thing involving something called a Jorogumo. Ever hear of that?" Ambrose shook his head. "Big nasty spider thing with a human torso. Fugly. But that wasn't the worse thing, just the physical look of her. The sense of her, what she felt like..." Chad trailed off and his eyes took on a haunted quality. A thousand yard stare that spoke of a horror he hadn't been fully prepared to experience. Ambrose thought Chad might still not be ready to experience it, even now. He pressed closer and set his paw-like hand on Chad's leg. Shadow of the Hunter Ch. 02 "It was worse than predatory. The goblins, they're a pretty unpleasant crew. But this, the energy she gave off was malignant, like cancer given form, and she wanted to spread it as far she could. And the worse thing..." Chad lowered his head and his gaze seemed to turn inward. "I saw in it a reflection of me," he finished quietly. "The malevolence, the desire to destroy, the need to possess something, someone, to the point that they're broken. Yeah, seeing the Jorogumo yanked out what was left of my foundation." Chad fell silent again. Ambrose turned over what he wanted to say. "I'm sorry you had to go through such a horrible experience. Often our shadows are terrifying to behold." "Shadows, huh?" Ambrose nodded. "Everyone has a shadow side, things about themselves they don't like. But, if integrated with wisdom, they can give us strength. May I ask what happened next?" Chad shrugged. "Well, eventually, I hooked up with Qiang. I picked up the hawk thing from him. I guess he said that, didn't he? Anyway, I latched onto the idea that if the Jorogumo was destroyed, things would be better. And she was. And you know what? Nothing fucking changed. I was on my way back from killing the Jorogumo when I ran into you and the goblins that first time." Chad shook his head. "I have to confess, I picked up the hunting for a similar reason, a focus until I can get back. Sometimes I don't think I'll ever find my way back from the madness." "You won't," Ambrose confirmed. Chad looked at him. "You've come out the other side of it. And no matter what path you chose from here, you can't go back to what was before." Chad was considering what Ambrose had said when a hand was laid gently on his shoulder. Chad bolted upright and spun around as he pulled Ambrose behind him. A soft laughter followed him. "My, but our new hunter is jumpy." A trim young woman leaned against the bench. Her long red hair hung down her back and partially in her face. The bottom part of it was white. Chad's first inclination was that it had been dyed, but something seemed natural about it. Somehow, it seemed right for her. "This is Rin," Ambrose explained with a gesture to the woman as he returned to his seat. "She is not a danger. But thank you for your concern." He looked back to the woman. "That was very inconsiderate," he chastised her. She laughed again, a rich, throaty sound. "He should relax more. He's among friends." Chad didn't return to his seat. He cocked his head and studied her, filtering through his impressions. Ambrose was right, he didn't get any sort of threat feeling from her. Her presence still put him on edge. She was not human, he could tell. Her form was human enough, though. She was about five foot four, with a pale complection, and while she was trim, there were still enough curves to be enticing. Her breasts were small, and pert, her hips inviting. In fact, almost everything about her seemed alluring, from her laughing amber eyes, lush mouth, and lovely figure, to the spicy scent that came off her. Chad thought at first it might be a cologne, but it also seemed part of her, like her curious hair color. Then it struck him, she exuded sex, similar to the Jorogumo. Not predatory, like the Jorogumo. She seemed far more playful than that. The similarity was enough to get Chad's hackles up. He took a step towards the bench. He didn't take a seat. Instead, he set his foot on the bench and leaned against his thigh. "Is there something I can do for you?" Tension seeped into his voice. "You already have." She smiled. "I'm here for what I can do for you." "I'm not following." "The other night, in the alley. When you put down the goblin enforcer. The woman was one of mine. And it occurs to me I owe you some gratitude." Rin's sultry stance and seductive smile left little doubt as to what form the gratitude would take. "One of yours? Are you a pimp or something?" Her smile turned demure. "Such a harsh question to ask so soon of an acquaintance." Chad turned to Ambrose. "So, is she a pimp or something?" Ambrose smiled. "No. There are certain ones she looks after. But there life choices are there own." "Ah. Good to know." Rin sauntered over to where Chad was standing. She laid her hand on his thigh and leaned in close, her voice a provocative whisper. "That isn't to say I don't have a trick or two of my own. I would be happy to show you." Chad dropped his leg. Rin caught herself easily. "I have someplace else I have to be. Later days." He turned to Ambrose. "See you around." Ambrose nodded and Chad walked away. Rin took a seat on the bench next to Ambrose. "Well, he's certainly tightly wound. We'll have to see what we can do about that." Rin observed. Ambrose sighed. "He's new to all this, Rin. Give the poor man some time." She smirked. "If I wait too long, he'll be old before his time. You know what they say about all work and no play, don't you?" And with that she faded out, leaving Ambrose to equal parts wonder and worry about what she might do. Shadow of the Hunter Complete Edited by Penn Lady This is a copyrighted work of fiction. All rights reserved. Authors note, This is the complete story. I'm sorry for the wait, and hope it was worth it. I know it's strange reading about Christmas in the summer, but think of it as Christmas in July. Also, there is added material to the first two parts that were posted, so I'm posting the entire piece. Sorry for any confusion. Please enjoy and have a happy and safe summer. * The man was getting on Chad's nerves. Standing in line for cupcakes, of all things, the inconsiderate jerk-off butted in line then held it up by talking on his cell phone. When the clerk tried to direct his attention to a sign requesting costumers not be on cell phones while placing an order he went off on the beleaguered young woman, delaying things even further. Once that tantrum appeared to be over, he placed his order and berated the clerk on the speed and quality of her service. He then didn't have enough to pay cash and insisted the clerk cover the difference. Chad made his way to the front of the line, dropped a five dollar bill on the counter and returned to his place without a word. The man glared at him while the clerk completed the sale and then sulked his way out of the store. The next few people placed their orders and left, offering sympathy to the clerk as they did so. When Chad reached the counter, the clerk thanked him as she handed him his change. "It's not a problem." She bagged up his order, three red-and green-iced gingerbread cupcakes. "You must really like cupcakes to wait through all that." "They're not for me, they're for my rat." "Really? Wow, that's really cute." Chad gave her a smile that somehow didn't reach his eyes. "I guess it is. Have a nice day." Chad walked out into the cold, snowy day. It was the Monday after Thanksgiving, and the Christmas decorations were already up. He considered taking a bus, but decided walking would give him an opportunity to scout. The sun was hanging low and dusk would come soon. It seemed at this time that...things were more active. He was also curious. He'd been reading about the solstice and how there were some ancient beliefs that reality somehow came unglued around this time and the supernatural became more active. He wanted to see if he could chart that. "Well if it isn't the do-gooder." Chad repressed any reaction to the voice of the belligerent customer and made a point of looking up and down the street for something. "Hey, buddy, I'm talking to you." Chad recognized the man's tone, though he'd never met the asshole before that day. He sounded petulant because his fun had been ruined and aggressive because he had something to prove. Given that Chad was barely in his twenties and this man appeared to be at least ten years older, the man assumed Chad made an easy target. Chad recognized the situation all too well. Karma sucked. When Chad continued to ignore him, the man stalked over and grabbed him on the shoulder. Chad expected the move, and was calm when he looked over to his antagonist. "What, can't hear?" the man sneered. Chad kept his voice even. "I hear just fine. It's just that I was always told not to mention it when someone farts." The man's look of contemptuousness turned confused. "Farts? What do you mean by that?" Chad cocked his head. "Isn't that what it's called when an asshole makes noise?" Chad knew he was pulling the guy's chain and knew from experience just how badly that could go. Something dark twisted in Chad, with predatory glee. This guy was just begging to be taken down a notch. He stared dumbly at Chad before responding. "You little shit," he blurted out, confusion turning to anger. "How dare you say that to me!" "Pretty easily, actually. Wasn't much of a dare at all." The man seized Chad by both shoulders and pushed him into an empty alcove. "OK, you little fuck. Now we're--" The man chocked off as Chad stared at him. While the smile never reached his eyes, the look of malignant predation went there and stayed. He reached with his right hand to his left shoulder and grabbed the man's hand. He twisted it hard. "We're going to what?" Chad asked. The man's face went white from pain and fear. "Let go." The man tried to put force behind the command, but it fell flat. Chad still released the hand, then reached for the other. "Are you removing this or am I?" Though his voice was even, his eyes promised more pain and possibly worse. The man released his shoulder. Chad was almost disappointed. "You still haven't told me what we're going to do." It was a simple question, said without much inflection. Chad knew from experience how to pitch his voice for maximum effect. The man backed away while trying to project an air of defiant contempt that was undercut by the fear Chad could see in his eyes. The man shook his head and stalked off. Chad let him go. He took a few deep breaths and set out on his way. Like an orgasm that wasn't reached, the urge--the need--to break something, or someone, rose within Chad and made demands of him. Demands he barely wanted to discourage, and that frightened him. He walked faster. He couldn't outdistance himself, or his desires. Soon, he was running head long to escape. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark form dart off. With a grim smile, he turned to follow the figure from what he hoped was an unobtrusive distance. The little creature was a blur of black and gray as it weaved through the crowd of oblivious humans. It was perhaps two feet tall. Chad could make out a tail and four limbs; sometimes it dashed on all fours, but when that wasn't possible, it moved on two legs. The head was perhaps a little too large for the body, and appeared to have a mane. He couldn't quite make out the face. Then it stopped and a mischievousness smile lit up its face, which had an animalistic cast. The mane that hung in a shaggy mass around the face added to the impression of an animal, though Chad couldn't have named what animal. He followed its line of sight to a sidewalk bell ringer. What, some little shadow creature's going to rip off a Salvation Army guy? He thought as he continued to follow. The little creature scurried up to the man, who continued to ring his bell, greet folks on the street and thank them for the occasional donation. The creature rose up on its digitigrade hind legs and tugged hard at the man's arm. He dropped the bell with a look of surprise. With its tail, the creature knocked the bell down the street. As the man chased after his bell, the creature dumped his hanging pot, forcing the lid off. Once the man realized that had happened, he forgot the bell, went back to his kettle and tried to collect the flying cash. Chad started to head over, but a small group of people had already gathered to help. Chad looked over to the creature, which was laughing uproariously at the pandemonium it had created. Chad's expression hardened and he headed for it. The strange little creature saw Chad. He saw the fear in the creature's face and it stoked the burning need he had. The creature panicked in its efforts to escape. After a few scrabbled lunges it managed to get to its feet and run into a deserted alley. Chad smiled. These creatures almost always ran for hidden places. It made what he did so much easier. He followed the creature into the alley. His gaze fell on a discarded bit of pipe and he seized it with his empty hand so that he entered in clutching in either hand a bag of cupcakes and a heavy metal pipe. He pursued the creature until he found it cowering against a wall; its face paled when it saw the pipe. As Chad looked over the creature, he took in its trembling form as it shrunk away even further. It (he, Chad realized) lifted a spindly arm (foreleg?) in a vain attempt to protect himself from the coming violence as he cringed. Other things came to Chad, unsought and unwanted knowledge. The creature seemed harmless. He had no evil intent; rather he thought the whole trick was funny. A prank and nothing more. Chad's grip tightened on the pipe, but he stopped advancing. NO NO NO! screamed a part of himself. Forward! Look at the pathetic thing! Break it! Chad felt himself grow hard in the threat of violence that hung in the air. The promised orgasm was one act of violence away. "Why did you do that?" he asked, his voice hoarse. The odd little creature looked at him. It was still frightened but answered. "It was a prank." "Why him?" "He's always there. I was just playing with him." "He didn't think it was funny." The little creature looked down. "I guess he didn't at that." "Do you know what he's doing?" The creature returned his gaze to Chad, fear mixing with curiosity. "Gathering money." "Do you know why?" The creature shook his head. Chad crouched so that he was closer to the creature's level. "The money he gathers goes to those who need it. Now they won't have whatever you made him lose. Not only does he suffer the inconvenience of your game, other people will suffer by having less." "I didn't know." "Did you ask?" The creature looked down again. Chad was still angry, the need still hammered at him. Instead of striking he raised his voice. "You know, there's a piece of shit over at the school passing out junk to kids. There are peddlers of every conceivable horror out there and you fuck with some dude trying to collect something for the poor. God!" Chad shot upright, throwing his hands wide. "Why don't you fuck with someone who needs a good fucking?!" The creature stared at Chad as though the concept had never occurred to him. "Of course, hunter. Those are targets worthy of a good game." Chad suppressed the snarl that threatened at being called a hunter. The look on the creature's face still held some fear, and this continued to feed the darkness crashing around him. But the look of consideration spoke to something else. Chad stood uncertain. He wanted to hurt the creature, and wasn't sure if he was being played. With tremendous effort, he stayed his hand. "Fine." With a sharp jerk of his head he added, "Go." The creature scurried away. Chad waited until the creature was long gone then dropped down amongst the gathered refuse of the area. He curled into a ball and held his head as the frustration over the lost opportunity washed over him. He rocked himself a bit as his hard-on faded and his body came crashing down from the adrenaline high. When he was able, Chad rose, tossed aside the pipe, and carried his cupcakes home. High above the alley, perched on the ledge of the building roof, a figure watched Chad with great interest. Having witnessed the entire exchange, he decided this new hunter merited closer scrutiny. He nodded to himself. Yes, this hunter definitely merited scrutiny, perhaps even a visit. With a mischievous grin, his form blurred into a flurry of snow and disappeared. Chad arrived home to the weekly-rate motel he lived in at close to nine. The motel wasn't bad; it was quiet, and most of the tenants were, like him, semi-regulars. "Evening, Mr. Chad," said the older black man who worked the night desk, Mr. Franklin. Chad grunted in reply and waved as he made his way up the stairs. Once he reached his room, he locked and chained his door, put away his coat, and tossed the now-mangled bag of cupcakes on the counter by the fridge. He sat in a chair in the small sitting room, thinking he would do some work on his computer. He was building a database of encounters and researching any lore he could get his hands on. As he tried to do some research, his eyes kept closing and exhaustion crashed down on him. He gave up and went to bed. Chad was walking through a forest. Trees arched cathedral-like above his head, blocking out the sky. The path was worn smooth beneath his feet. He glanced about the woods on either side of the path, but they were a mass of impenetrable darkness. Someone walked beside him, but no matter how much he looked at them, he couldn't see what they looked like. Sometimes the person almost looked like him, sometimes like someone he felt certain he should know but couldn't place, and sometimes nothing but a dark mass that traveled alongside him. There was something both revolting and companionable about the co-traveler, however, and it seemed to Chad that that should bother him. They reached the end of the corridor of trees. It opened into a small meadow where deer were grazing. A doorway stood in the middle of the meadow. Chad cocked his head in consideration, then set off to investigate the door. About half-way across he heard a wailing from behind. Encapsulated in that cry was a loss that was both devastated and infuriated. Chad looked back. Still on the path, in the protective corridor of trees, was his companion. Again, even looking directly at it didn't tell him what it was. The thought occurred to him that it was best that it stayed there, forever in a place he'd left behind. Then he started to walk back. An enormous deer left the herd to stand in front of Chad. His gaze was level with the magnificent beast's chest. He raised his gaze upward and looked into eyes as intelligent as any he'd ever seen. The rack that crowned the deer's head spread out wide then curled back in. The deer lowered his head so that the rack of antlers surrounded Chad's body, blocking his way back. Chad could smell the musk of the animal, rich, exotic, and hauntingly familiar. "No," he heard. "You may not go back. You have started on the path, and the way lies ahead." Chad awoke with a start, the scent of the deer still lingering. He was surprised to find himself trembling. It was just a dream, he told himself, then repeated for emphasis. He said it aloud. No matter how, or how often, he said it, he didn't quite believe it. Chad rose from his bed, showered and dressed. Since having to move from his previous apartment due to legal troubles, he'd been building a wardrobe of the best pickings he could find from second-hand and Salvation Army stores. He had found some nice things that way. As he drew on his hoodie and duster he glanced over to the counter by the fridge. The bag was gone. I'm going to have to wait up for him some night, find out what this is all about. Chad set out to The Dragon's Garden, a Chinese buffet he frequented. He went there to speak to the dragon who owned and operated it. They had a--complicated relationship, one that Chad had yet to completely figure out. The dragon appeared to be looking out for him. What Chad couldn't figure out was why. As Chad made his way to the restaurant, he realized he wasn't alone. Someone appeared to be pacing him through the crowds. He feigned one direction and ducked down a street in another. The sense of being followed persisted. Chad maneuvered his way to increasingly-deserted areas until he turned down an abandoned side street and waited. Once the figure appeared around the corner after him, Chad seized the stranger by his arm and swung him against a close by wall. "Well, you're certainly a bundle of laughs." The figure that addressed Chad was perhaps half-a-head taller than Chad's own six feet. More than his height, the startling thing about this man was his stark white skin tone and glittering shag of hair hanging about his face, shoulders and down his back that was by turns blue, white, or silver depending on how the light caught it. Inhumanly bright blue eyes looked into Chad's with unrestrained good-will and amusement. His outfit was a mish-mash of blues, grays, and silvers, in what appeared to be a tunic, breaches, and a long coat. "Oh for fuck's sake," Chad said as he released the figure. He rubbed his hands across his eyes. "Isn't there a single other person in this city you people can screw with other than me?" The figure cocked his head and took on the exaggerated appearance of considering the question. "Probably," he answered in a voice like the wind. "But you're here right now." "Of course," Chad said with a sigh. He gave the stranger a long once over. "And who are you, anyway? The Snow Miser?" Much to Chad's annoyance, the entity began to sing. Even waved his arms a bit in a pantomime of dance. "I'm Mister White Christmas, I'm Mister Snow. I'm Mister Icicle, I'm Mister Ten Below. Friends call me Snow Miser, whatever I touch Turns to snow in my clutch, I'm too much." "Damn straight on that," Chad snapped as he stalked away. "You're way too fucking much." The entity fell into step right next to him. "You know, I never understood why they were the 'Miser Brothers'. They weren't especially miserly with their particular influences. Quite the opposite, in fact." "Because the 'Meteorologically Fanatical Brothers' isn't very lyrical." "True." Chad stalked on with this latest bit of strangeness keeping pace step for step. Chad's eyes flicked back and forth from the path in front to the entity at his side. "Is there some reason you're following me?" "Technically, I'm not following you. I'm walking beside you in the same direction. Following would put me behind you." "Is there something I can do for you?" The smile the wintery man wore bloomed into a tremendous grin. "Well, now that you mentioned it..." "Ughh," Chad groaned. "Oh," his companion said as he pulled up short. "Is now a bad time?" Chad grasped at the opportunity to be rid of Snow Miser. "In fact, it is. I'm on my way somewhere. So if you could go away and never come back, that would be good for me." "I won't keep you then. But I'm not certain I can promise to never be back. Until we meet again, then." He gave a nod of his head and his entire form broke down into snow and blew away. Chad looked around to see if anybody seemed surprised by what happened. People continued on their way, oblivious to anything unusual. Chad envied them. He reached his destination with no further diversions. The Dragon's Garden was a large free-standing restaurant, set away from the other buildings in the shopping center across a patch of snow-covered grass. Behind the building was undeveloped land. To Chad it appeared standoffish, though some of that he could attribute to how much the building felt like Qiang, the dragon who owned it. Qiang was the definition standoffish. As Chad entered the restaurant he was greeted by a pretty Chinese woman whose face lit up in a smile. Her black hair was done up in braids with a silk poinsettia and ivy woven in. It was Chad's understanding that she was the lover of the dragon owner, but whoever or whatever she was, she'd always been kind to him "Where would you like to sit?" Mingzhu asked. "In the back," he answered with a shrug. She smiled. "Of course." She led him to a booth in the far corner of the seating area. He'd come to think of it as "his;" it was secluded, dark and away from other tables. He slid into his normal side, with his back against the wall. Mingzhu left and returned with a soda. "I'll tell Qiang you're here," she said. Chad gave another smile that didn't reach his eyes. Mingzhu returned his smile and left to find Qiang. Chad got a plate and filled it from the buffet. As he ate, he turned over events in his mind. First a bizarre dream, then the Snow Miser. The day had become by turns weird then weirder. Not as weird as being turned into a goldfinch, perhaps, but weird enough. To make matters worse, that insidious song was stuck in his head. "That's a jaunty little tune you're humming. You never struck me as musically inclined." Chad looked up at the source of the statement. A Chinese man stood at the end of his table. Qiang appeared, to all outward appearances, to be human. Roughly the same height as Chad, his black hair was long and worn lose. His features were handsome, his bearing regal, if just the slightest bit haughty. His eyes were brown, with a hard to see red gold ring around the iris. Shadow of the Hunter Complete However, Chad could pick out the dragon underneath the facade. The way Qiang turned just so, looking like the twist of scales. The way he moved his hips that suggested the great length of tail. The way a sense of fire surrounded him. Chad suspected he was allowed to see as much as he did. He was also certain he would still see something even if he wasn't. "May I?" Qiang indicated the bench seat across from Chad. Chad nodded and gestured to the seat with his fork. Qiang sat down and twisted himself sideways, with his back was against the wall and his long legs stretched out along the seat. Even this suggested a dragon lounging in his lair. "Yeah, it's this song I heard today," Chad explained. "Oh, really?" "Yeah." Chad rolled his eyes. "The blasted Snow Miser showed up." "The what?" "Snow Miser. He was a character from this old animated Christmas special." Qiang regarded Chad with uncertainty. "So a character from a children's show accosted you?" "Not the actual character, just someone who reminded me of him." "Oh. Well, that's good." Chad looked at Qiang. "I haven't lost it that badly. Yet." "So who was this person?" "Person is playing lose with the definition," Chad responded, then described the encounter. Qiang rested one elbow on the table and the other on the booth, his fingers interlaced. "It sounds like a weather elemental of some form." "And what did it want with me?" "I couldn't say for certain, but my guess is it has something to tell you." "So why didn't it tell me then?" "You told it you were busy." "So I should expect it back?" Qiang shrugged elegantly. "I would. It did say it would be back, didn't it?" Chad sighed. "Yeah, it did. Oh, joy, can't wait." There was something in his mannerism that suggested to Qiang that this was perhaps not all that had happened. "So was this visitor the whole of your day?" Chad gave him a level look. "You don't think so." "What I think is immaterial to the situation. If you have something to say, you have something to say. But if you simply came to eat, that is acceptable." Chad studied his food before answering. "I had a dream." "Yes?" Haltingly, Chad described the dream. Qiang listened, his fingers interlaced except for his index fingers pressed against his lips. "Interesting," he said when Chad finished. "Though not altogether surprising. When you engage the spiritual aspects of this world, they will engage you back." Chad looked up. "What do you mean 'engage'. I'm not engaging anything." "Oh?" he said with a cocked eyebrow. "So it's some other young man who is apparently aware out there hunting?" Chad sighed. "Why do you ask questions you know the answers to?" "To see what answers I get. And the answer is?" "Yes, it's me." Qiang nodded. "I thought as much." "You mean 'knew'," Chad muttered. Qiang shrugged. "If you like. If you're finished, please follow me." Chad looked down at his empty plates. He nodded, then followed where Qiang led. Their path went through the kitchen and into his office. Once there, he shut and locked the door. He turned to an ornate wall hanging that covered most of the back wall of the office. It was an abstract piece, done in vibrant colors that evoked images of flames. Chad could sense power emanating from it. He could almost feel the heat and see the colors move. Qiang laid his hand on the tapestry and the flames sprang to life, then parted allowing access. Qiang indicated for Chad to enter and he did so. Qiang followed and the flames fell closed. They were in the cavernous room Chad remembered from their previous meeting. Flaming braziers dominated the room, five all together. A large brazier was in the center with four smaller ones in the corners. Pillows of every conceivable style, size and shape were strewn over the floor. Along a wall was a table and chairs, book cases, and a bed. These seemed to be the only nods to Qiang's human side. The rest of the room was set up to house something much larger. Qiang gestured and the brazier and pillows slide aside, exposing the tile floor and leaving an open space. Qiang strode to the center and gestured for Chad to join him. Chad walked over. "If you could do that, why did you have me moving the brazier that night I was here? The damn thing is heavy." "If you'll recall, I had been poisoned. I wasn't in the position to use power I didn't have. Fortunately, that is not currently the case. Now, then," he said, turning to face Chad. "How are you initiating these hunts?" Chad looked away. He shifted uncomfortably, a behavior Qiang had come to recognize whenever Chad was asked to discuss the particulars of his talents. He was new to the situation and it was to be expected. It also needed to be corrected quickly. He was hunting and didn't have the luxury of being evasive. "Since you're going to be doing this, I need an idea of what and how you're doing it." "Since I'm going to be doing it? It's already a foregone conclusion?" Qiang recognized the dodge and met it head on. "Had I said 'if you're going to do this' you would have argued you don't have a choice. I haven't time to waste on semantics." "Fine," Chad conceded with a glare. "It's like I can feel them when I'm close by. I can feel their darkness, their...evil isn't quite right. But I can feel that there's something not good, not...safe. And I follow that. It's like the feeling spikes when whatever they are about to do something bad. Or something predatory. They go after the street people. A lot." "Not surprising, they're easy targets. And what do you do when you attack. Show me." Chad looked uncertain. "Come again?" Qiang gestured with his hand for Chad to come at him. "I know what I'm doing, just have at me. I want to see your style." "Well, I don't know that I have a style, exactly," Chad answered as he approached. Everything in his mannerisms was relaxed. "I just kind of fly casual until," Chad was now next to Qiang and about to pass when he swung his elbow for Qiang's temple. Qiang moved smoothly out of the way, but was impressed with suddenness of the attack. "So you strike from surprise. How do you get that close?" "They don't know I can see them." "Play against their ignorance." Qiang nodded. "That's good as far as it goes, but they'll figure it out. That won't work for much longer." Chad nodded. "I know. That's why I also carry an automatic rifle. I prefer not to use it because it makes a God-awful amount of noise. Though some neighborhoods seriously don't care. And those get frequented—a lot." "An automatic rifle?" Qiang said with some disdain. "You have no finesse. And where did you get one, anyway?" Chad looked incredulous. "I know some people. And finesse? I'm just trying to kill the fuckers, not get points for style." Qiang looked thoughtful. "And you're just going after the predatory ones? You're leaving the rest alone?" The image of the strange creature from the night before rose up. Still, he hadn't hurt the little thing, just scared the shit out of him. "Yeah, just the predatory ones." "Good. The same as every other aspect of the world, there are lines that should not be crossed. I shouldn't need to remind you of the consequences you experienced when you crossed them in the human realm. The price for crossing them here will be staggeringly higher, I promise you." Chad repressed a shudder. His time as a goldfinch had not been enjoyable, but he'd now seen enough to understand he'd gotten off lightly. "I know." ******************** Chad made his way from the restaurant. He tried to keep his attention focused on his surroundings, but it kept drifting back to the Snow Miser and the dream. They seemed far too disparate to be related, yet the timing seemed too coincidental for them to be unrelated. Chad had no idea how to get his questions answered; he doubted the Snow Miser would be inclined to give a straight answer and he hadn't a clue how to find a giant talking stag. As Chad crossed back into the city, he felt something sidle against his perceptions. He stopped and looked around. Nothing stood out. The feeling started again when he resumed walking, but it was too faint for him to determine what to do about it. Chad approached his hotel in a spiral, trying without success to uncover the source or reason for his feelings. After making a thorough search of the area and turning up nothing, Chad gave up and returned to his room to wait for nightfall. Edgewalker watched with some satisfaction as the hunter returned to his lair without having spotted him. He was the best runner amongst his pack and took great pride in that fact. The goblin pulled his hat down lower and tightened his jacket around himself. He needed to get back and report that he'd found the hunter's base. He smiled as he contemplated his reward. ******************* Qiang sat alone in his office for some time after Chad left. He was concerned. He believed the boy's intentions were good, but there existed in Chad disturbing tendencies. Qiang feared hunting could exacerbate them. He was still trying to resolve Chad's legal troubles from attacking Dakota, a woman he'd been in a limited relationship with. Not that that had entirely been his fault. Largely his fault, certainly enough of his fault that he had to bear the responsibility for it. But part of the driving force had been out of his control. Qiang turned to his computer. He typed in "Snow Miser" and found a clip of the odd little character singing a song. He recognized the tune as the one Chad had been humming. He started to replay the clip when there was a knock on his door. He knew who the visitor was and was neither surprised nor pleased. "Come in, Sebastian." A young man entered the office and closed the door behind him. He wasn't an imposing figure, five foot eight with a slim build, brown hair worn a bit long. His blue eyes made one think of water, and his movements were easy and graceful like a river. He stopped in front of the desk. "If you have a second, I'd like to ask you something." At least he remembered his manners, not always a given when dealing with Sebastian. "I do. Please." Qiang motioned to a chair. "Have a seat." . Sebastian grabbed a chair and pulled it up. Qiang looked over his clothes. Jeans and a casual button down shirt. It was the same outfit he had seen Sebastian in when they first met in the fall. Qiang looked Sebastian over. "You know, when you go out in the cold you should at least attempt to dress properly." Sebastian looked down as though he'd just realized what he was wearing, or appeared to be wearing as the case was. "Oh." Sebastian reddened slightly. "I hadn't thought of that. Every time I shift, it's just the same clothes I was in that night." Qiang shrugged. "It's not a huge concern, as you don't have that much contact with people. But it's something you should consider." Sebastian nodded as he filed away the information. "What are you listening to?" he asked. "Something about Miser Brothers." "The Year Without a Santa Claus? Didn't figure that to be your thing." "It's a reference Chad made when I was speaking with him earlier today. He compared an elemental he ran into to the Snow Miser and I was curious what it meant." Qiang paused and watched the clip some more. "The Snow Miser has some peculiar mannerisms." "Yeah, he's gay as a three dollar bill." "Oh. Well. I wasn't aware a children's animated Christmas special would detail the sexual orientation of its characters. How very forward-thinking of them." Sebastian's blush deepened. "No, I mean they never said that, it's just...OK, never mind that." Qiang smiled. He was amused by how easily Sebastian could be flustered. Still, he had asked to enter and Qiang had allowed him. He should be treated with courtesy. "I'm sorry. You had a question." "Yeah. And coincidently it's about Chad." Qiang sighed. He'd thought as much, though he didn't put it off to coincidence. While they did happen, he was completely aware that this wasn't one. "Yes, what of him?" Sebastian looked down and fidgeted. It was such a human mannerism it reminded Qiang that unlike himself, Sebastian had not been born a dragon. It had only been a few months since Sebastian had come into possession of a dragon's pearl and consequently became a dragon. That a Caucasian had been chosen for such an honor still rankled Qiang. He didn't have a particular problem with Sebastian as a person. He seemed on the whole not a bad sort. But in Qiang's estimation, that didn't mean he deserved to be a dragon. He'd largely been forced to come to a sort of peace with the arrangement. Heaven had chosen, and he was in no position to undo that choice. He gathered all the patience he could. "Sebastian, I'm aware of your feelings in regards to Chad. What do you think you're going to ask that's going to upset me?" A look of uncertainty ran across Sebastian's face as he considered his words. "Well, I mean after what he'd done, how can everything be fine and forgiven?" Sebastian looked up at Qiang as anger eclipsed his uncertainty. "I mean he beat Dakota. And would have done it again if Chang hadn't been there. That's not all right." "No. It's not." "So why is he out there wandering around?" Qiang sighed. Chang was the dragon in charge of Sebastian, why wasn't he covering this? "We've gone over this before. Chang laid out the parameters. He set the punishment and when it would end. It ended. It's not that the past doesn't matter, it's that that portion is finished and now we go forward. And it's not that he's out there not being monitored." "A few weeks as a goldfinch doesn't seem enough of a punishment to me for what he did," Sebastian said hotly. "Minimally a few years, preferably the rest of his life." "Perhaps I misspoke when I said punishment." Qiang sat back in his seat and interlaced his fingers as he considered his next words. "I don't believe your definition of punishment is what Chang had in mind. I can't say for certain, as I'm not Chang. But from what I can guess, the point of the goldfinch wasn't punitive. It was to give him a new perspective on himself. And in that respect, it succeeded." "But why are you sticking up for him? What if he just goes back to what he was doing before?" "Then it will need to be addressed. You have my word, I will do so." "Why are you even giving him the chance?" Sebastian's voice rose. "Because it's a chance worth taking." Qiang folded his arms on the desk and leaned forward, closing the distance between him and Sebastian. "And since you want to play the what if game, what if he backslides, like you fear, for want of somebody looking out for him? That the difference between him living up to my expectations or down to yours is there being higher expectations to begin with?" Sebastian gripped the arms of his chair and glowered. Qiang gave a bitter laugh as he began to discern a subtext to the conversation that he hadn't previously considered. "What?" Sebastian asked, a little sharper then he intended. "Do you know what irony is?" "The opposite of wrinklely?" Even now, Sebastian couldn't resist a joke. "Sebastian..." "Sorry. Yes I know what irony is. So?" "So, here is someone I've said doesn't deserve to be a dragon telling me someone else doesn't deserve to be human. I was just reflecting on how easily our ideas can get turned inside out and shown back to us." Sebastian felt his anger recede in wake of the statement. They were both being told to trust the judgment of others against their own instincts. Sebastian felt he had more of a right to his opinion. "Yeah, I can see that. But I'd never done anything like Chad has." "True." Qiang paused to determine the best way to broach his next point. "But he was half-mad when he did it. And you know that." After a pause he added, "And you know why." Sebastian's angered deflated further. "Yes, I know. Is that done now? Is he all better?" Qiang shook his head as he sat back in the chair. "I doubt he'll ever be 'all better'. I'm not even sure how long it's been since he'd been whole to begin with. The roots of this situation extend much farther back then you realize. But he is in better control. He's seen another view of the world." "But how do I trust that?" "Do you even want to?" Sebastian looked down. Qiang had as clever a way of cutting to the bone as Chang. Qiang watched his guest while he debated what to offer next. He knew a way. But he had to decide if he was betraying a trust between himself and Chad. He decided peace may be worth a small inconsideration. "If you want to get to the bottom, meet him at the river. It's your place of power and you will know it if he's lying. However, you have to live with what you see there. I will tell you now, you won't find a monster." "What will I find?" "I can't say for certain what you might find. What I've found is a terribly damaged young man trying to mend." Sebastian paused for a long moment, then said, "Please have him come to the river when he gets a chance." "I will do so." Sebastian vanished from his office, going directly back to the river. Qiang sighed. Doesn't he realize this is a place of business, too? People will wonder why they never saw him leave. Oh, well, guess I can't expect some twenty something boy-turned-dragon to remember all his manners. Qiang returned his attention back to the finished video clip and hit replay. It was a catchy little tune, at any rate. *************** Night had fallen. Chad gathered his weapon, its bag, and ammunition. He looked over the map he marked with areas of activity. He made a mental note of where he was going, layered his clothing in deference to the cold, and left his room through the fire escape. Chad shivered as he made his way out into the night. It was clear and cold. Not just bone-chilling cold, it was bone-crushing cold. He thought back to the first time he met Ambrose, the rat he left food out for. Or the rat spirit, at any rate. He had been defending a homeless guy and had had Chad help him move the poor old bastard to a shelter. He wondered what Ambrose did for them when the weather turned so bitter. He wandered the streets, waiting for something to guide him. Nothing was coming. Perhaps it was too cold for even the goblins to be out. The lights of the city were pretty. Chad remembered how much fuss his mother used to make out of Christmas when he was little. He smiled at the memories of huge Christmas trees draped with lights and ornaments and little presents. Of home made-Christmas characters, Santas and snowmen and reindeer and teddy bears scattered about the house. It almost made all the other things that happened in the house bearable. Then she was gone, and instead of just being shitty most of the time, things went to complete shit. He felt his anger rising, the need to hurt something beginning to crest. NO! He cut off memories. I am not going there again. He stood on the empty sidewalk and waited for his feelings to cease. Then the sense came to him. He went on alert. He followed it to a single individual with a terrified woman pushed against the wall. The hem line of her fire engine red leather mini dress almost touched the tops of her matching high leather stiletto boots. Her short fur jacket didn't look substantial enough to keep out the cold. Chad was pretty sure she was a member of the oldest profession. The figure reacted to Chad's presence. Qiang had warned Chad about that, and he'd been right. Chad pulled out his gun only to have it yanked out of his hands by a second individual. A trap he realized as the butt of the rifle struck him in the face and he saw stars. Shadow of the Hunter Complete He stepped backwards and sized up this other opponent. He was tall for a goblin, which made him about as tall as Chad. He wore no hat or face covering, markedly different from other goblins Chad had seen. His dark, stringy hair hung on the side of his head, and in the available light his complexion looked grayish. A sneer spread across his unpleasant features and the creature tossed the rifle away. Chad could see the musculature move under the rough cut clothes the creature wore. He was brawny, and not just for a goblin. Chad had to end this quickly. He could brawl, and had done so often in his life, but with humans not supernatural creatures. The goblin closed quickly, cuffing Chad hard on the side of the head. Chad stumbled, but returned a blow by slamming his fist into what would be the solar plexus on a human. The creature seemed to share a similar anatomy and his breath left in a sudden reeking exhale. The creature fell back and Chad shook his head to clear it. The creature recovered and was back on Chad, reaching for his throat. Chad spared a look down, then went into a controlled fall, raising his hands to about eye level. The creature followed him down and Chad caught the forehead in his hands. Instantly, he was at the inner corners of the eyes with his thumbs. Realizing the mistake, the creature tried to pull back. Chad only gouged the left eye. The thumb at the right eye penetrated into the socket, eliciting a loud shriek from the goblin. Chad gripped the right side of the head by hooking his thumb into the socket and curling his fingers around the ear. He pulled the creature down to the ground by the side of his head. Chad grasped the left shoulder and forced the goblin onto the ground. He straddled the goblin's chest and located a broken glass bottle. Without hesitation, he slit the throat and the goblin expired with a gurgled last breath. Chad rose up, gore splattered on him, and turned to face the one with the woman. It fled. "You should go. Do you have anyplace safe to stay?" She nodded. "Good. Go there and stay there." She nodded again and stumbled away. Chad heard applause. He looked up to see the weather elemental from earlier looking at him from the top of a dumpster. "Were you going to help me there?" he asked. "Should you have needed it. But you handled it quite efficiently." Chad gave him a sour look as he gathered his gun. "The Snow Miser would have helped." "If he existed." Chad shook his head. "Whatever," he muttered as he exited the alley. The entity hopped down from the dumpster and followed him. "You know, if you have something to say, I wish you'd just say it," Chad snapped. "Well, you're a little testy. I think I should wait until you're not in as foul a mood." "Fine." Chad traveled in the silent company of the winter elemental. He walked for what felt like hours, though he wondered if the cold wasn't making the time feel longer then it was. He was about ready to call it a night when he felt another spike. The feeling was different this time, not quite like the goblins. He let his senses lead him and wound up in an industrial area. There were figures crouched and hunched around in a tight circle. Though their backs were to him, he knew they were not human. They were emaciated and huddled close together. Their heads were down and their attention tightly focused on whatever was in the center of the group. It somehow reminded Chad of a communal meal. Chad shouted at them. They looked up. The features were too feral to be human, yet too human to be animals. They were pinched and drawn, with a hungry look about them, but they didn't move like predators. Hunched and ground clinging, they seemed more like scavengers, like stray dogs picking over the refuse from garbage cans. They shifted for a moment, wanting to run but not wanting to leave what was between them. As they shifted about in indecision, Chad glimpsed a body at the center of the mass. A human body. He screamed at them as he charged. The scavengers scattered into the night, fear giving them unexpected speed and agility. When Chad reached the body, he realized the man had been dead long before the scavengers had arrived. The man was cyanotic. His body was dusted with frost, his eyes wide open and staring, and his clothes partially removed. When Chad touched the body, it was completely cold. The places where he'd been chewed weren't bleeding. While Chad couldn't be certain, the man appeared to have frozen to death before he became a meal. Chad sat on the ground next to the man and wondered what to do. He sensed the elemental approach. "What the fuck was he doing way out here?" Chad asked. "I don't know, but I suppose he was trying to find shelter." "Out here? How fucking dumb was he, looking for shelter out here?" The elemental shrugged, sadness filling his eyes. "I don't know. Maybe this was how far he was forced to go. There's not a lot of shelter in the city, either." Chad sensed the rebuke. "Well, there's not a lot I can do about that, now is there? Maybe if you didn't make it so damn cold, they wouldn't freeze to death." "I can't control that." "Well, I can't make people give a damn, either." "I wasn't talking to 'people'. I was talking to you." Chad felt as though he'd been struck in the chest. He remembered something his roommate once said to him: "Giving a damn isn't really your thing." He stared at the elemental and wanted to say something but nothing would come. He watched as the elemental faded into snow and blew away. Chad pulled out his cell phone and called 911, not that there was anything that could be done for the man now. ************** Chad dragged himself back to his flop. Exhausted both physically and emotionally, and frozen nearly to the core, he piled extra blankets on the bed and crawled in. His thoughts chased each other around his mind until sleep claimed him. He soon fell into a deep slumber. Sometime after Chad surrendered to sleep, shadows congealed into a form in the sitting area of his room. The figure appeared in a crouch and carefully straightened to a full height of five feet. He tugged his broad brimmed hat about his face, a habitual motion that accomplished nothing in the almost empty room. The goblin narrowed his eyes, scanning the area to make sure nothing and no one was present save the prey. He could see nothing. Anxious to be done with the work, he headed over to the bed. So this is the new hunter causing so much fuss. The entity made a once over of the sleeping form. Fairly young for a hunter. Still, best not to underestimate. Grabble lies dead because of him, and I thought that bastard would never die. Best to be done with the work. He chuckled grimly. Perhaps I should thank the hunter for the favor before I kill him. Nog sensed the approach seconds before the attack. He spun out of the way as a dagger ghosted towards him. He was not fast enough, however. A sharp pain in his side told him the dagger had struck home. He turned and faced his assailant. A gray-white rat in a patchwork cloak and head covering stood baring a bloody dagger. Nog snarled. "Blasted vermin," he hissed. "I'll finish you and then make an end of the hunter." Nog felt cold metal pressed against the back of his head and suspected a gun. "You may want to rethink that," said a voice behind him. "Two against one are really shitty odds." Nog didn't miss a beat. "You won't find that works on me," he said, confident. "The others, yes, but I'm a different breed." He heard something metallic click into place behind him. "Then you won't mind if I test the theory." Discretion being the better part of valor, Nog vanished. Chad clicked the safety back into place. "How did you know he was lying?" Ambrose asked as he folded his arms in front of himself, careful to hold the dagger away. "Why tell me? Why not just let me waste the round? It would have more of an impact if I shot him and it didn't have any effect." "Then why didn't you just pull the trigger rather than warn him?" Chad held up the handgun. "No silencer. I'm in enough trouble with the law without discharging an unlicensed and unregistered handgun in a hotel." Ambrose nodded, causing the tassels weighing down his head covering to sway gently. "I see. Very sage." "If you say so." Chad looked over his visitor. He looked the same as their first meeting. A three-foot-tall rat standing on his hind quarters. The patchwork cloak with its belled sleeves and matching head covering were in vibrant jewel tones, and complemented his simpler fur color. The cloak was slit up the sides and he could partially make out the legs, long and largely furless lower legs with short and heavy thighs. A hairless tail curled out from the back of the cloak. The head covering had eye holes sewn into it, and the jewel tones also highlighted how intelligent, and gentle, his eyes were. If not for the bloodied dagger, Chad wouldn't have believed Ambrose was capable of violence. "Not that I mind the assist," Chad said as he got up to grab some napkins, "but why have you been staying here?" Ambrose took the proffered napkins and cleaned off his knife. "To offer assistance. I knew they would track you down, eventually. I'm glad I was able to help. Thank you, by-the-by, for the food." "Yeah." Chad sat down on the bed. "No problem." Chad considered his next question when a skittering sensation of dread ran down his back. He sat up stiffly and rolled his shoulders. Ambrose's head shot up and he sniffed the air. Chad rose from the bed and quickly dressed. "You felt that also?" the rat asked as Chad pulled on his shoes and grabbed the rifle from the closet. "Yes. And I think it's time to blow this place." Chad shrugged into his duster and hoodie and looked at the clock. Four in the morning. Still early enough for the streets to be largely empty. He made his way to the window and opened it onto the fire escape. "You coming?" Ambrose scurried over and climbed out the window, followed by Chad. As he closed the window he saw the first of the invading group appear. He turned to the stairs. Ambrose was already at the bottom. "Catch," Chad called as he tossed the rifle bag. Ambrose caught the parcel and rested it across his shoulder. Chad grabbed the hand rails and found them frozen. He looked down the rails on both sides and saw both were encased in ice. He gripped the rails with his bare hands, locked his elbows, and slid down the steps to the ground level. He retrieved the gun from Ambrose and considered where to go. It was late, towards the end of when these creatures tended to be most active. While Chad had seen small parties during the day, it was the exception rather than the rule. He started to run towards downtown, unsure if he should find a defensible position for a stand or keep moving until the forces gave up. "Will they stop at dawn?" he asked Ambrose. Ambrose kept pace; Chad wondered why the robe didn't get in his way. "Hard to say. Large groups during the day are rare. But limited time isn't necessarily a good thing." "Why do you say that?" "Desperation is an ugly thing and will lead to even uglier acts." Great, Chad thought. Bad to worse in point two seconds. "OK," he said aloud. "Downtown is probably a bad idea. So where to?" "The park may afford some cover. The industrial area could give some advantages." Out of the corner of his eye, Chad saw something coming at him. He removed the rifle from and then discarded the sack. As he stopped to aim something large and heavy slammed into him. He went down. The moment he hit ground it was on him. He brought up the rifle lengthwise to protect his face and throat. He saw a canid snout and sharp-looking teeth snapping at his face. Chad spun the gun against the animal's neck and pulled the trigger. A burst of automatic gun fire tore through the neck and struck something else from the sounds of two cries. Chad pushed the body off as he crawled out from under it. He scrambled upright in time to see Ambrose slit the throat of the goblin mounted on an animal something like a wolf. It was massively, almost grotesquely, muscled, with thick fur, huge paws, and fangs that jutted out from its jaws. It wasn't so much a wolf, Chad decided, as a nightmarish perversion of a wolf. Every fairy tale big-bad-wolf ever written about. Ambrose looked up from cleaning his knife. "You've made quite an impression on them, if they've brought these out." "Great, I'm flattered. Let's motor." Chad took off running towards the industrial area from the night before. Ambrose followed him. They made it a little further, but not far enough. Two of the enormous wolf-like animals charged in from the sides, herding them to the left. More were bringing up the rear. It became clear they were being directed to a desolate area under a bridge. Chad felt the danger sending warning flares along his spine. He saw only one way out. He pulled up short and blocked Ambrose with his arm. "You can become like a regular-sized rat, right?" Ambrose looked around as the mounted hunting party closed in. "Yes, but that doesn't seem terribly helpful at this moment." "Just do it." Ambrose shrank down; his coat and head covering faded. Chad maneuvered his foot over him, tightened his grip on the rifle, and called up the hawk. Feathers covered him as his form became smaller. The rifle tumbled from his grip. He gingerly hooked his talons around Ambrose and took flight as the wolves closed in. The closest one snapped at his retreating form, but only caught an errant tail feather. Chad pumped his wings, the cold air making his flight more difficult. The city fell below them, the lights and streets a pastiche beneath them. An arrow whizzing by him reminded him of the dangers below. His white underside reflected the ambient light, making him a clearer target. Chad banked and headed towards the darker areas of the city, hoping to lose some of the pack before he headed for his final destination. Chad enjoyed flight. Even now, fleeing for his life from a hunting pack of goblins, he thrilled to feel of the wind over his feathers, the power inherent in the hawk form, and the sense of freedom it gave him. The weight in his talons spoke of other responsibilities, however. As soon as he thought he'd lost the party, he adjusted his course. The lead goblin loosed a series of curses as his mount captured nothing but a lone tail feather. He leaned forward and snatched the feather from the vargr's mouth, tucking it into his belt. The blasted hunter can shape-shift now? Quarrel shook his head. Was there nothing normal about this one? With a snarl, Quarrel tightened his grip on his pole arm and urged his vargr forward. His hunt-mate, Nargle, followed behind in well-practiced unison. He pulled up next to Quarrel. "You can track him?" Quarrel rolled his eyes by way of reply. He pushed his mount through the chill night air, following the bird's erratic course. As the trail lead into darkened areas the hawk became much more difficult to track, and the pack began to fall off. Nargle pushed as close as the loping beasts would allow. "Still got the track?" he yelled. "Of course." "Shouldn't we signal the others?" "No." Nargle sighed. His natural tendency was to defer to Quarrel. Even at times such as this, when he considered it a bad course. Quarrel's eyes never left the hawk. The hawk began his descent, heading for a detached building in a shopping plaza. Quarrel decided approach it indirectly. The path they took went wide, taking them into undeveloped land with a scraggly woods growing on it. He guided Death Dealer, his vargr, with his legs and free hand. The mount followed his directions while dodging around the terrain. Nargle kept close behind. As it became clear the hawk was heading for a particular building, Quarrel pushed harder and Nargle felt the first twinges of concern. When the hawk came in at the back of the building, Nargle recognized it and the twinges of concern bloomed into fear. Soon, the Dragon's Garden was in sight. Chad soared over the building and banked inward to land in the back. He spread his wings wide and braked. He deposited Ambrose on the ground and landed just past him. He shifted back to human, the clothes he had been wearing before reappeared. "Clothes, but not the rifle," he groused as he gathered up Ambrose and placed him the pocket of the duster. "What the hell is the logic of that?" He felt the rat scramble out of his pocket. Ambrose resumed his more human form as he tumbled down. He took a look around, as if confirming something, then took hold of Chad's coat and pulled on it. "No." There trepidation in his voice. "We cannot stay here." Chad spared him a look then returned his attention to the surrounding land behind the restaurant. He scanned it for signs of any of the hunting party that may have kept up. "Don't worry, it's cool." He pounded on the wall behind him. "No, it is not cool," Ambrose insisted as he grabbed Chad's arm and pulled it down. "This is the territory of a very testy dragon and we don't want to be caught on it." "I know," Chad explained, shaking off his arm. "We have an...arrangement." Ambrose looked at Chad with amazement. "With this dragon?" Chad nodded. "Yes, this dragon." He resumed pounding the wall. "You are a man of many surprises." The conversation stopped as two lupine forms loped towards them across the thinly wooded no-man's-land in back of the building. Chad ceased pounding the wall and bereft of any weapon, took up a defensive posture slightly in front of Ambrose. The two mounted goblins rode up, the lead goblin keen on his catch while the second goblin looked around with trepidation. He urged his mount from behind to beside the lead pair. "We should not be here." Wow, thought Chad, what does he do to them that makes them so scared? The lead goblin looked over to his companion, his features twisted into a sneer. In a voice like grating iron he said, "The dragon here isn't any more fond of them," he indicated Chad with the point of a pole arm, "then he is of us. Particularly dislikes the Euro-descended." He looked back to Chad. "He'll probably thank us for removing him." "I'm not so sure..." hedged his companion as he gave the building a long, concerned look. The other goblin, the larger of the two, shook his head and nudged his mount closer. "Now this ends, boy." Qiang appeared as a human behind the goblins. Chad considered the look on his face and decided he'd probably be afraid of that, too. The smaller goblin saw him arrive and withered against his mount. "You know, I think he may have attended some diversity training recently." The lead goblin looked over his shoulder, then turned his mount around to face Qiang. He bowed from the saddle. "Noble dragon," he intoned. "We, my companion and I, are most regretful to have crossed your boundary lines. We were chasing this hunter and he crossed over them first. We merely followed. So, without any further disturbance to you, great one, we will remove both of these trespassers from your lands." "You will?" Qiang asked, his tone almost sounded amused. The lead goblin nodded, quite certain of Qiang's agreement. The smaller one wasn't sure. Something felt off. Qiang crossed his arms. "Well, the problem I see is that he's here with my permission. You're not." The goblin shifted in his saddle. "Your permission?" "Hmm-mm," Qiang confirmed with a nod of his head and a humorless smile. "So, you may take your leave now." The lead goblin swallowed hard and continued. "But he's a hunter, and has been decimating our ranks. We have the right to vengeance." Shadow of the Hunter Complete Even the affected humor of his smile left his face. "And perhaps if you stopped feeding off his people, he wouldn't be hunting you down. They're unaccountably touchy about that sort of thing." The goblin forced himself upright in his saddle. "I would expect that sort of thing form[from] the rat--" he started to say, disdain dripping from his voice. "Well, you're hearing it from me." Qiang's voice rang out, the power unmistakable. "The hunter is here with my permission. Further he's under my protection. If you don't like it, you have two choices: stay out of his way or bring your fight to me. Or perhaps you'd prefer to take it up with those who set him on your trail." The lead goblin scowled. Losing an easy source of food would be hell to explain. He knew from experience, however, the dragon's dictates were to be taken seriously. That had been learned the hard way. "So be it." With the goblins still facing Qiang, their backs were to Chad and Ambrose. Chad caught Qiang's eye and gestured towards Ambrose. "The rat also," Qiang added. This time the goblin expressed his outrage. "What?! Why the rat?" In an instant the human was gone and an immense coiled dragon was in his place. The red-gold scales seemed to cast their own light. A mane of gold shot through with red surrounded his head, which was crowned with a magnificent set of antlers. He raised his head high above the goblins and their mounts. The lupine beasts cowered in fear, their ears plastered to their skulls and their tails tucked between their legs. Chad felt Ambrose press in close to him. He gave him a pat for reassurance, though even Chad was awed by Qiang's full manifestation. "I do not owe you an explanation." Qiang's voice filled the area. "I do not owe you a justification. I do not owe you anything." He lowered his head down so that it was inches from the terrified goblins and their mounts and gave them a fine showing of his snout full of teeth. "However, because I'm generous, I will give you thirty seconds to remove yourself from my territory." He stared at the mounts. "Starting NOW!" He shouted the last part and the wolf-like animals took off in full run, putting as much distance between themselves and the dragon as they possibly could. Chad started to say something, but Qiang raised his foreleg. After he was certain the party was gone Qiang asked, "Why the rat?" "He did me a solid. His name is Ambrose." "Well, it's good to know you honor your debts." Qiang shifted back to human and he turned his attention to Ambrose. "I'm pleased to meet you, Ambrose," he said with an eloquent nod of his head. "I am called Qiang." Ambrose stepped nervously out from behind Chad. He dipped his head to Qiang. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance." "What did you mean by those who set me on them?" Qiang shrugged. "Just a turn of the phrase, nothing more. A ruse to the goblins." He dismissed the entire thing with a wave of his hand. "Come," he continued as he turned around. "And have some breakfast." He set off along the wall. Chad looked over to Ambrose who shrugged and the two followed the dragon. "You know I don't believe that." Qiang stopped in front of a door. "Now, why does that not surprise me?" he asked with a half-smile then vanished. When Chad reached the door, he saw there wasn't a door knob on his side. He knocked on the door and it opened from within. "Patience is a virtue," Qiang said and stood aside to let Chad and Ambrose in. Ambrose poked his nose in then paused and looked up to Qiang. With a nod Qiang waved him in. Ambrose entered, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his robe and his head bowed. "I'm not very virtuous," Chad responded as he slipped off the duster and hoodie. "So I've been told." He looked over to Ambrose. "I don't think I've had anybody show that much respect to my kitchen." There was genuine amusement in his voice. "With all deference to your kitchen, can we get back to my question?" Chad said. "What the hell were you talking about out there?" "I told you." Qiang retrieved food from the walk-in refrigerator and took down pans. "It was a ruse. Goblins can be superstitious and it's wise to play on that." He turned on a burner and set down a wok. Chad looked to Ambrose for some type of confirmation of Qiang's assessment. Ambrose spread his hands and shrugged. "Well, where's the dividing line between superstition and belief in legitimate phenomena?" Qiang paused as the wok warmed up. "Now that's an interesting question. I suppose there's an argument that what you've determined to be true for yourself is true, but that does put faith on shaky ground." "Couldn't there be a further argument that what you call superstition they call playing the odds?" "The chances are such-and-so a thing could be correct, so we'll treat it as correct to be safe?" Qiang paused, considering. "Interesting insight. I suppose it's entirely possible." "So, chances are what you said was possibly true." Qiang shrugged. "I guess you'll just have to determine the truth of it for yourself." Qiang refused to say anything further on the matter. He prepared a simple breakfast of eggs scrambled around shrimp, ginger, and vegetables, and set it on a table in back, much to Ambrose's chagrin. As Chad and Ambrose seated themselves, Qiang brought over plates and silverware. "Really, sir," Ambrose said as a bowl and silverware were set before him. "This isn't necessary. I don't expect to be served by the master of the house." Qiang laughed. "'Master of the house'. My, is that archaic." He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't mind. You are a guest in my home." He placed a setting before Chad. "Besides," he added with a smile and a nod to Chad. "You're now under my protection. At the least that should be commemorated with a meal." Ambrose folded his hands on his lap and bowed his head. "I would not have presumed on that either, sir." Qiang set a bowl and chopsticks at the head of the table and took a seat. He handed the serving bowl to Ambrose first. Ambrose humbly accepted the bowl and served himself. "I know. It was Chad's presumption. But what's said is said. Welcome aboard." Ambrose ducked his head in response and handed the bowl to Chad who took his helping then passed it back to Qiang. Qiang scooped himself a serving and the meal commenced. For a simple breakfast, it was very good. "What happens now?" Chad asked between bites. "Hard to say for certain." Qiang paused in his meal. "But most likely they will back off for at least a little bit. The stray animal population will take an unfortunate hit. The question is will they go back to the usual prey when they think you're not looking. Only time will tell that." "Well, hopefully, they will take some time off. I'm going to have to scare up a new rifle." "What happened to the other one?" "It just fell out of my grasp when I shifted to the hawk," he griped. Qiang looked at him for a moment before asking, "And you expected?" "The clothes change." "True." After a few moments Chad asked, "And that is because...?" Qiang set down his chopsticks. "Honestly, I couldn't say. I riffed the hawk spell off what Chang did for the goldfinch. When you mimicked the magic to become a hawk again, you replicated the same thing. So, I guess you'd have to ask Chang. Propriety, maybe? Wouldn't want you to suddenly be standing naked somewhere." "Especially in the winter," Ambrose interjected. "Great, clothed but weaponless." "It's no great loss," Qiang said. "Says you," Chad replied, irked. "It was crass." "Who are you, the Martha Stewart of killing things?" "I'll find you something better. More appropriate. And it will be in a lovely shade of ecru." Ambrose watched the exchange the great interest. He'd never had direct interaction with Qiang, but knew his reputation well. The dragon was known to have a great fascination for the hidden worlds of the city, always hungry for information and willing to bargain for it. The dragon was also known to have a short, fiery temper, unsociable demeanor, and general dislike of apparently everybody. It was understood that he was a Chinese dragon and considered himself apart from any community of the city. Yet, here he was conversing with this boy. Had he been more certain of his manners, Ambrose would have inquired after the whys and wherefores of their friendship. As it was, he was still reeling from his sudden induction into the dragon's circle and wasn't going to make any assumptions. As the breakfast wound down, Qiang made known Sebastian's request. "See me?" Chad went on alert. "Why?" Qiang's look became inscrutable and his manner reserved, very much the dragon Ambrose had expected to meet. "There is much unfinished business between the two of you. On both sides." "Yeah, I guess there is." "So?" The single syllable and short silence was rife with expectation. "I'll go see him today." Qiang simply nodded. ************* Ambrose and Chad walked through the downtown streets. The air was already warming up, but it still promised to be a chilly day. Chad thought of the Snow Miser, and wondered what he was up to. Chad had accepted Qiang's offer of a cab ride. Qiang had intended it to go to the river, but Chad had stopped it at downtown. The money Qiang had given him far exceeded the cost of the cab ride, even if he'd gone to the river. Chad smiled at the thought of Qiang slipping him money. In retrospect, however, while his reserves weren't yet exhausted, he figured he could only eke out maybe two more months on the stash he had. After that he would need to find a source of income. Before that would probably be wiser. He sighed. He'd have to talk with Qiang about that. It was seven in the morning, and the earliest shops were opening, mostly donut and coffee shops that catered to the early morning office workers. The cupcake place was open, a different woman worked the early shift. Chad looked over to Ambrose. "You want a cupcake?" he asked. Ambrose looked surprised. "Are you still hungry?" "Not really, but I'd like a cup of coffee. Thought I'd have a cupcake instead of a donut." Ambrose shrugged amiably. "Certainly. The ones you'd left for me previously were quite tasty." They entered the building. Chad ordered a large black coffee and a chocolate cupcake. Ambrose was nowhere near as decisive. He waffled between flavors until he settled on a gingerbread cupcake and a peppermint cupcake. Chad knew the clerk wouldn't see Ambrose as he truly was, a three-foot rat in a robe, but the dichotomy of the image of Ambrose leaning against the counter threatened to break Chad out in laughter. As they walked to find a place to enjoy their repast, it occurred to Chad he was stalling. He had told Qiang he would see Sebastian, and knew he would have to do it before he saw Qiang again. Preferably he should do it sometime that day. They found a bench and sat. Chad removed his cupcake from the bag and handed it to Ambrose who removed his first cupcake and nibbled at it while taking in the Christmas lights. "It's almost a shame the sun will be coming up soon," he said. "Why's that?" Chad asked, taking a drink of his coffee. "The Christmas lights aren't quite as pretty in the daytime." Chad shrugged. "Guess so." "And thank you again, for the food. Also for having the dragon include me under his protection." "No problem. He was the one who said it." "At your suggestion, yes." Ambrose paused a moment and nibbled further on his cupcake. "You know, you are a very odd hunter." Chad rankled a bit at the title, but was becoming resigned to it. "How's that?" "Most hunters are not gifted with the sight, and those with the sight are not hunters. In fact, I cannot think of a time when I have encountered this combination before." Chad leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs, and turned the coffee cup back and forth in his hands. He ruminated over what he wanted to say. "Well, I wasn't always a hunter and I haven't always been...gifted...either." "You're not very comfortable with your gifts, are you?" "Let's just say that if this is a gift, I wish someone had kept the receipt." "Ah, I see. How long have your gifts...your talents been active?" Chad shrugged. "Couple of months." "And how did they arise?" Chad shook his head and his gray eyes became distant. "I pissed of this dragon." "Qiang?" "No," Chad said, then quipped, "but I don't doubt I annoy the hell out of him at times. No, it was this dragon on the river." Ambrose's eyes lit up. "So there is a dragon on the river," he whispered. "There had been rumors and speculation about such a thing." "Yeah, what about it?" "The river was practically a dead spot. The dragon will cause the magic there to quicken, and it will spread. It is a very good thing." "Oh. Good to know, I guess. Well, that's the dragon I pissed off and after our first meeting, or I suppose confrontation is more correct, I could suddenly see the world in great, grand, 3-D Technicolor. The next day my world went upside down." "He just awoke you and left you to wander?" Ambrose was flabbergasted. "What a horrible punishment. Whatever you did to deserve that must have been truly awful." Chad sighed and studied the Styrofoam cup holding his coffee. "It wasn't a punishment," he explained. "I don't think he'd even realized what he'd done. And, yeah, I was being an ass." The pause between them lengthened as Chad memorized the twisting coffee cup in his hands. Ambrose sat patiently. He could see beneath the hunter was a conflicted young man with a wounded spirit. It was Ambrose's sense that he needed to show the wounds at his own pace. With a deep breath, Chad continued. "He was with this woman I wanted. Dakota. She and I had been out a few times. I hadn't seen her for a few days and I get this text from my buddy that she's out with some other guy. So I go to where they're at...and..." Chad sat back against the bench, then slouched down, his eyes becoming ever more distant. "Then hilarity ensued." "Was there violence?" Ambrose softly asked. "Not at that time. Actually, it never came down to violence between us. I punched him once, but nothing really came of that." His voice dropped to a whisper. "No, I was violent with Dakota." "I see. Was that what lead to," Ambrose gestured to Chad, "this?" "No." Chad raised his hand and tapped the side of his head. "This is what lead to that. There was a point during our confrontation where I realized there was something...off, I guess about this guy, Sebastian's his name." He paused again, gathering his thoughts. "To be honest, I always had little... feelings. Goose running over your grave kind of things. I never assigned much to it, you know, outside of maybe taking another route to avoid a street that felt funny, or changing plans because something felt off. Shit like that. Well, I could tell something was off about him. And it made me nervous because I didn't think I could back away. I needed to save face. Well, he did something with that fear. It was like something clicked. That night nothing really happened, but the next day I was through the looking glass. I saw shit everywhere." He shuddered at the memory. "And I started to lose it. Badly." There was another long pause as Chad took a deep drink of his coffee, draining the cup. "It all crashed down around me. And the one thought I kept coming back to was if I could get at Dakota or Sebastian, I could make it stop. The madness." Chad looked over to Ambrose, the ache in his eyes made more apparent in the increasing morning light. He shook his head and fell silent again. Ambrose laid his hand on Chad's shoulder. "If you do not wish to speak of these things, you do not have to." "I don't know," Chad said. "I think maybe I do." Ambrose gave a single nod. "Do what you feel you must, then. If you wish to unburden to me, I will gladly bear witness." "Thank you." He fell back into silence for awhile and watched the people on the sidewalk. When he spoke again, he looked forward and his voice held little expression. "I've always had a...need...to hurt people so they couldn't hurt me. I could...keep it in check most of the time. But when the switch got thrown I started to lose control...of it, of me, of everything." Chad leaned forward again, with his arms across his thighs, dropped the empty coffee cup and rested his head in his hands. Ambrose waited for him to compose himself. "And it was like if I could just break Dakota everything would go back to normal. I managed to keep it somewhat together until this one night, I couldn't take it anymore. I lost control entirely." Chad pushed himself back upright. "So I went to her house. The first time she'd called 911 and I was hauled out before I could to too much damage, thankfully. I spent the rest of that night in jail, though I don't remember much of it. I was bailed out by my roommate, and went back the next night. That time she had someone with her." "The dragon, Sebastian?" "No, the dragon, Chang." Ambrose furrowed his brow, causing his head covering to bunch. "How many dragons are there here abouts?" Chad shrugged. "Don't know, I haven't done a dragon census. I know of three. And Chang is the most powerful of them." Ambrose assimilated the information. "I see. And he was displeased?" Chad barked a laugh. "Oh yeah. But his solution was creative, I gotta say that. Turned me into a goldfinch." Ambrose nodded, remembering Qiang's reference to the spell. "Considering what he could have done, I got off kinda light. Not that I thought so at the time. From there I ended up getting involved with this huge thing involving something called a Jorogumo. Ever hear of that?" Ambrose shook his head. "Big nasty spider thing with a human torso. Fugly. But that wasn't the worse thing, just the physical look of her. The sense of her, what she felt like..." Chad trailed off and his eyes took on a haunted quality. A thousand-yard stare that spoke of a horror he hadn't been fully prepared to experience. Ambrose thought Chad might still not be ready to experience it, even now. He pressed closer and set his paw-like hand on Chad's leg. "It was worse than predatory. The goblins, they're a pretty unpleasant crew. But this, the energy she gave off was malignant, like cancer, and she wanted to spread it as far she could. And the worst thing..." Chad lowered his head. "I saw in it a reflection of me," he finished quietly. "The malevolence, the desire to destroy, the need to possess something, someone, to the point that they're destroyed. Yeah, seeing the Jorogumo yanked out what was left of my foundation." Chad fell silent again. Ambrose digested Chad's words and at length said, "I'm sorry you had to go through such a horrible experience. Often our shadows are terrifying to behold." "Shadows, huh?" Ambrose nodded. "Everyone has a shadow side, things about themselves they don't like. But, if integrated with wisdom, they can give us strength. May I ask what happened next?" Chad shrugged. "Well, eventually, I hooked up with Qiang. I picked up the hawk thing from him. I guess he said that, didn't he? Anyway, I latched onto the idea that if the Jorogumo was destroyed, things would be better. And she was. And you know what? Nothing fucking changed. I was on my way back from killing the Jorogumo when I ran into you and the goblins that first time." Chad shook his head. "I have to confess, I picked up the hunting for a similar reason, a focus until I can get back. Sometimes I don't think I'll ever find my way back from the madness." Shadow of the Hunter Complete "You won't," Ambrose confirmed. Chad looked at him. "You've come out the other side of it. And no matter what path you chose from here, you can't go back to what was before." Chad was considering what Ambrose had said when a hand was laid gently on his shoulder. Chad bolted upright and spun around as he pulled Ambrose behind him. A soft laughter followed him. "My, but our new hunter is jumpy." A trim young woman leaned against the bench. Her long red hair hung down her back and partially in her face. The bottom part of it was white. Chad's first inclination was that it had been dyed, but he wasn't sure. Somehow, it seemed right for her. "This is Rin," Ambrose explained with a gesture to the woman as he returned to his seat. "She is not a danger. But thank you for your concern." He looked back to the woman. "That was very inconsiderate," he chastised her. She laughed again, a rich, throaty sound. "He should relax more. He's among friends." Chad didn't return to his seat. He cocked his head and studied her, sifting through his impressions. Ambrose was right. He didn't get any sort of threat feeling from her. Her presence still put him on edge. She was not human, he could tell. Her form was human enough, though. She was about five foot four, with a pale complexion, and while she was trim, there were still enough curves to be enticing. Her breasts were small, and pert, her hips inviting. In fact, almost everything about her seemed alluring, from her laughing amber eyes, lush mouth, and lovely figure, to the spicy scent that came off her. Chad thought at first it might be a cologne, but it also seemed part of her, like her curious hair color. Then it struck him; she exuded sex, similar to the Jorogumo. Not predatory, she seemed far more playful than that, but it was enough to get Chad's hackles up. He set his foot on the bench and leaned against his thigh. "Is there something I can do for you?" Tension seeped into his voice. "You already have." She smiled. "I'm here for what I can do for you." "I'm not following." "The other night, in the alley. When you put down the goblin enforcer. The woman was one of mine. And it occurs to me I owe you some gratitude." Rin's sultry stance and seductive smile left little doubt as to what form the gratitude would take. "One of yours? Are you a pimp or something?" Her smile turned demure. "Such a harsh question to ask so soon of an acquaintance." Chad turned to Ambrose. "So, is she a pimp or something?" Ambrose smiled. "No. There are certain ones she looks after. But their life choices are their own." "Ah. Good to know." Rin sauntered over to where Chad was standing. She laid her hand on his thigh and leaned in close, her voice a provocative whisper. "That isn't to say I don't have a trick or two of my own. I would be happy to show you." Chad dropped his leg and Rin caught herself easily. "I have someplace else I have to be. Later days." He turned to Ambrose. "See you around." Ambrose nodded and Chad walked away. Rin took a seat on the bench next to Ambrose. "Well, he's certainly tightly wound. We'll have to see what we can do about that." Rin observed. Ambrose sighed as he bent to pick up the discarded coffee cup. "He's new to all this, Rin. Give the poor man some time." She smirked. "If I wait too long, he'll be old before his time. You know what they say about all work and no play, don't you?" And with that she faded out, leaving Ambrose to equal parts wonder and worry about what she might do. *************** Chad would have liked to talk more to Ambrose but Rin had thrown him off kilter. While he didn't think she was a threat she came on way too strong for him. At least he'd found something to spur him into seeing Sebastian. He ducked down an empty side street. After ensuring he was alone, he called up the hawk. A quick survey revealed the cash he was carrying wasn't dropped onto the ground. It made no damn sense, but he was thankful for the considerations the magic provided. He headed towards the river. It was long, extending through several cities, and Chad wondered how he was supposed to know where to find Sebastian along its length. With a mental shrug, he decided the only choice was to fly the river. He had a sense of Sebastian, he could find him. Chad found him a town over, resting in the river. He came in low and buzzed over Sebastian's head. The dragon head snapped upright as Chad pulled out of the dive. His resounding cry cut through the cold air. Ahead, Chad saw a bridge over the river with arches forming small tunnels along the river. The closest arch to the bank had a walking path with a railed wall between it and the river. Chad landed on the rail and shifted to stand on the path and lean against the rail. He looked back to Sebastian. Sebastian rose out of the river and walked over to where Chad stood. His gait was stately. Compared to Qiang's dragon form Sebastian's looked juvenile. It seemed he wasn't quite full grown. Nor was he as large. He was impressive, even so. The scales on the upper body were gradated shades of iridescent blue, darker on top to lighter towards his underside. The underside scales went along the length of his body in a pearlescent white. A sliver mane started between a set of thin antlers and ran down the length of his body ending in a ruff around the tail and curved around his jaw line and snout. Drooping catfish like whiskers completed his face. Sebastian came to a stop in front of Chad and regarded him. "You wanted to see me?" Chad asked. Now that Chad was in front of him, Sebastian had no idea what he wanted to say. He tried to call up the anger he had for Chad, but the young man in front of him looked so different from the one he'd met in the restaurant that it was hard to reconcile. He searched the gray eyes for any of the arrogance or malice he'd seen that first night. None of it was there. Instead, there was a fierceness and a glittering, disturbing insight. "Yeah, I did." "OK, here I am. What did you want?" "To see who you are." Chad nodded. "And what do you see?" "I don't know." Chad nodded again. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry." "I know," Sebastian whispered before he realized he'd said it. He shook his head. This wasn't right. Chad should still be the villain, the predator, the threat. Not this partially broken man, apologizing before him. "But it doesn't fix anything." "No, it doesn't," Chad said, lowering his head. "There isn't anything I can do to fix it. I can only go forward." "And what is forward? Is it just the past as prologue?" Chad looked off to the distance, and seemed to be very far away for a moment. Then he said, "'Man's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead'." He looked back to Sebastian. "'But if the courses are departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me'. Or with what I have been shown." Sebastian tilted his head a bit as he took in what Chad said. "Where is that from?" he asked. "Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge says it towards the end." "Wouldn't have considered you a fan of the classics." "My mother loved that book. Loved most of Dickens, actually. She would read A Christmas Carol to me and my sister at Christmas." Sebastian felt a twinge of something he couldn't name. "Loved? Past tense?" he asked. Chad nodded. "She died when I was ten." "I'm sorry. How did it happen?" Chad's jaw tightened, his lips became a thin line. "Tumble down the stairs. Backwards." Sebastian shifted around slightly. He wanted to ask more, felt he should ask more, but as he watched, Chad pulled himself in tight. This was not a conversation he wanted to have. "I'm sorry," was all Sebastian could come up with to say. "Why?" he asked, his voice tight. "You're not the one who caused it to happen." But did somebody else? Sebastian was forced to wonder. He scrutinized Chad. But the more he looked the more he realized the truth of what Qiang had said. There was no monster here, only pain with very deep roots, and if somebody had caused his mother's death, it wasn't him. The realization also recalled Qiang's further warning: Sebastian would have to accept what he found. Something trembled briefly between them, threatening to overwhelm them both. Then Chad jerked himself upright. "Did I answer your questions?" he asked tersely. Sebastian nodded. "Then can I go?" "Yes." Chad was gone and in his place was a magnificent red-tailed hawk. He beat the air with his wings and flew from the underpass, clearing the trees and was gone. Chad was suddenly glad of one more thing about the hawk. It couldn't cry. ************** "Then the bastard turned into a hawk and flew away. I mean, who knew he could even do that? After that I lost him and was out of the hunt..." "Allied with that damned fire dragon, I hear..." "Can you believe he's hooked up with the rats? What kind of hunter does that?" "I told you there'd be sorrow if we went after the runaways. Reached past our wisdom we did and now we'll pay the price." "Ah, but their meat is so much sweeter than the gutter dwellers. Besides, should we be fighting with the crawlers for scavenged, dead meat?" Voices engaged in dozens of conversations echoed through the area. The goblin parliament was to begin session. The parliament was tucked under the bridge Chad and Ambrose had been herded to the previous night. Every goblin with an opinion, which is to say just about every goblin in the city, was crowded into the space. There was more than one bridge overpass contributing to the roof, and one pack claimed the territory under them all. The area was warded against the weather, and fires burned brightly for both warmth and cooking. Nine banners hung, reflecting the packs in attendance. There were representatives from every goblin pack in the city. Parliaments were rarely called, and when they were they were always heavily attended. The talk of everyone was the topic of the night's gathering, the new hunter and the issues he presented. Quarrel walked through the crowds, giving only half an ear to the rumors and gossip swirling around him. His wolf-like vargr, Death Dealer, padded silently beside him. He was not looking forward to the parliament. He and Nargle would be called on to present testimony, and their testimony would not be welcomed. It was his pack that held the bridge area, his pack that had initiated the counterstrike against the hunter, and the outcome of the mission would most likely be considered their failure. Quarrel was concerned that the loss of face would mean the loss of territory. Never mind it wasn't just his pack feeding themselves from the forgotten of the city, or that nobody knew the hunter was also a shifter and allied to the fire dragon, or that none of the packs, much less two riders, were a match for the fire dragon. He growled at the injustice of it all. At the whim of a dragon what could have been a great victory[comma] instead became a humiliating defeat. He didn't want to consider the further implications of the dragon's warnings. He would present them to the parliamentary goblins and anything further would be up to them. He reached over and scratched Death Dealer behind the ear. The vargr snuffled in approval and leaned his massive head into Quarrel's hand. Quarrel smiled in spite of himself. At least somebody found some enjoyment at this gathering. Quarrel finished his walk of the area and returned to the spot where his pack's banner was displayed. It should have been prominently displayed in the front. Instead, it was shoved in the back, his band forced into the lowest place as a sign of disgrace. He paused a moment to look at the banner. A blood red background with black barbed wire running diagonally across the back and a silver sword set vertically in the center. It was a proud banner, advertising blood and death to any who crossed it. He fought back bitter despair at the thought of it being pulled down. "Whatever will be, will be," said Nargle from his spot on the floor. He sat with his back against his vargr, Backbiter. The grays and blacks that Nargle favored blended into Backbiter's black furred hide. Quarrel walked over and seated himself beside them. Death Dealer curled up behind him, his tawny hide a bright contrast to Backbiter's. To look at them, it was hard to believe the two vargr were litter mates. Quarrel proudly wore the red, silver, and black of his band. The red tunic was dyed in the blood of his conquests, and covered by a black leather jacket with barbed-wire wrapped sleeves. Black canvas pants and black biker boots completed his outfit. He wore a red slouch hat but eschewed the face covering. His clothing was as much a contrast to his hunt-mate's simple gray tunic and black pants, jacket, and hat as their mounts were to each other. The only similarity was that Nargle also went without face covering. He would joke that Quarrel was having an undue influence on him. "I know. It doesn't make it any easier." "True." They sat together in silence until the klaxon of air horns signaled the beginning of parliament. Quarrel and Nargle rose along with the gathered multitudes as the leaders of the gathered packs made their way forward. At the far end of the under pass was a dais with seats for the leaders. The leaders, now the ruling members of the parliament, solemnly climbed the dais and took their seats. The leader of Quarrel and Nargle's pack was allowed to sit on the parliament, but was given the lowest seat, further evidence of how the winds were blowing. The obvious insult riled Quarrel, but prudence ruled the moment and he did nothing. After they were seated, the second from their band made the general announcement about why the parliament was being called. Quiet murmurs rippled through the crowd. Quarrel snorted. As if any of them didn't know why the parliament was called. It was commonly said the only thing swifter than a vargr was a rumor. The lead goblin of the parliament sounded an air horn, calling for silence. The gathering grew quiet. "Now, we've all heard rumors of the phenomenal failure of the Bridge Keep pack. Going over the shameful details will accomplish nothing. It is the consequences of it that are now to be discussed." The goblin given the honor of leading the parliament was the leader of a rival pack, and it was much in his interest to see the Bridge Keep pack fall. Quarrel wanted dearly to dye his clothes in the lead goblin's blood. He wasn't aware he'd started to move forward until Nargle's arm was against his chest. "Even start something with the DarkFall pack and we'll lose territory faster than they'll spill your blood." Quarrel snarled, but stayed where he was. "The situation presented to us is nearly unprecedented. We will have the two," the lead goblin paused for a moment, then continued with disdain in his voice, "runners from the Bridge Keep band come forward to present testimony." Quarrel suppressed his snarl at the slight as he and Nargle made their way to the front. He was not a runner, a scout for his pack. He was a hunter, a warrior, and deserved recognition for it. It wasn't the leader of some half-ass pack that would determine his place. It was his own leader. Nargle leaned in close to Quarrel. "Do try to make it through the testimony without ripping off the pompous old fuck's head and shitting down his neck." Quarrel smiled slightly. "I'll see what I can do," he muttered back. They arrived at the front and gave perfunctory bows to the gathered leaders. Quarrel's eye was caught by his leader's with a silent plea to behave. He sighed, then with as little emotion as he could, he related the events of the disastrous hunt. When he was finished, the leader gave him a long, distasteful look. "And you're certain that is what the dragon said?" "As certain as I'm standing here." "So, the dragon more implied the hunter's connection to higher forces than stated it outright?" "The only thing that dragon states outright are threats. Everything else is open to interpretation. You would know that if you ever dealt with him directly." Quarrel could feel the tension rise with the quiet group intake of breath. Nargle crossed his arms and shook his head. The lead goblin glared down at him. "Well, if you'd had better control over your vargr, you may have gotten more information." Quarrel looked over the speaker. He was soft. Fine silks and velvets comprised his garb, not the practical ware of someone used to a day's actual work. While he wasn't obese, he carried a paunch. His arms didn't have the wiry muscles built up from gripping a vargr's thick ruff and though he couldn't see the old windbag's legs he doubted they had the tone required to grip a vargr's side and control the spirited animal. His leader was still able to ride a vargr where this fool probably couldn't tell one end from the other. And while his leader's clothes were nice, they served a purpose other than advertising his assumed importance. "That accursed dragon is fucking HUGE! There is no way a vargr, any vargr, is going to face something that big. Even two. It would take an entire pack to even consider it." Quarrel's anger crested over his common sense now, carrying him along with it. He stalked up to the dais and rested his hands on the table, focusing his ire on the leader. "In fact, the Shadow Hunter pack tried that. Let's ask them how it went. Oh, that's right, we can't. They're all fucking dead, the entire pack." Consternation ran through the gathering. In the twenty years since the Shadow Hunters had been destroyed, they were never mentioned. "Leader, hunters, runners, women, children. To a member. Even those who never saw the dragon died of accidents or disease. He doesn't appear to have gotten weaker in the passing years. Now, maybe you would like to borrow a vargr and see to the dragon yourself. To show us how it's done." The lead speaker glared at Quarrel but made no response. However, his guards closed in on Quarrel. He was about to draw his weapon when an ancient voice cut through gathering. "Enough!" An old female goblin worked her way towards the dais. She was an ancient wanderer, a member of no pack but made welcome by all of them. A seer, she held a rarefied position and was always listened to when she chose to speak. Her clothes were among the finest of anybody at the gathering. Silk brocade and velvet went into her top and the layers of her voluminous skirt. A handsome tanned vargr hide served as a cloak to keep out the cold. Various charms were woven into cords and hung from her neck. She leaned heavily on a gnarled walking stick. She was nearly bald, with wisps of white stringy hair hanging down from patches on her scalp. The wrinkles covering her face and hands seemed to have been carved into her skin. The guards stepped aside to allow her passage. Quarrel averted his gaze in respect. "Living up to your name, eh?" she asked of Quarrel. When he said nothing she laughed, a high staccato cackle. "Of course you are. Young firebrands know no better. Still, he makes a valid point. Others have lost to the dragon. And we know precious little for certain on the hunter. So what to do?" The parliament was silent for a few moments before the eldest sitting on the dais addressed her. "Of course, grandmother," he said, addressing her with much reverence by an old honorific. "We all know this. And the question of what to do is the reason for this parliament." "It is? Because judging from what I've seen so far the purpose was to further humiliate the Bridge Keep pack." Most of the parliament shifted, a few coughed. The speaker sat upright and though he said nothing, his opinion was clear in his angry expression. Again, the eldest spoke up before anyone else could. Shadow of the Hunter Complete "So what do you suggest, grandmother?" "Summon the Wild Hunt." The entire assembly fell silent. The parliament members looked on in silent astonishment, the eldest sat with his mouth agape. Nargle's arms fell from across his chest and hung at his sides. Even Quarrel stood in dumbfounded silence. Looks like the old bird's finally gone off her head, he thought. The eldest was the first to speak. "Surely, you can't be serious." "I can and I am." "We will suffer from this course of action. What possible harm will befall the hunter or the dragon?" "No harm will befall the dragon. He is a burr we are damned to live with so long as we share this territory with him. But the hunter, he will be called to the hunt like a moth to a flame. And he will be taken into the hunt to run with it in the outer realms, returning only when it returns to this realm." Members of the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. The parliament sat stunned by the unconventional suggestion. They turned and spoke among themselves briefly before the eldest addressed the seer. "But what of our losses?" "I can't say who will be taken. Some will, that's the price to be paid. Since we know it's coming, we can take precautions to limit our losses. We will have to have some out there as bait or the hunt will tear through our homes. But with this hunter loose we will lose people through attrition. With the Hunt, we will lose at best a few, at worst many in one night. With the hunter we will lose our numbers night after night after night for who-knows-how-many years." "What about the dragon? He has pledged his protection to the hunter." "Why would the dragon suspect anything? Who else but the Lord of the Wild Hunt would set a hunter on us. That he is drawn up to it would follow naturally." "And can you summon the Hunt, grandmother?" "I can." The seer's plan was meet with a general consensus of agreement from the crowd. The parliamentary board took their leave to discuss the matter. The seer rested near the dais and awaited their decision. Quarrel didn't care for where this was going. If this plan was accepted, he could imagine who would be among the bait. He and Nargle continued to stand at attention and waited with the rest for a decision. The parliament returned after about an hour of debate. The plan was accepted. The Wild Hunt would be summoned on the Winter Solstice. The time was normally chaotic, with a long tradition of the Hunt running during it. It was hoped this would further mask the goblin influence. As Quarrel had feared, he and Nargle were on the list of expendables set up for the bait. ************** Chad loaded the handgun, stowed it into his duster pocket and headed out again that night to nothing. He could find no trace of goblin activity. The snow was falling softly in big fluffy flakes. No wind stirred them in their tranquil dance. Chad made a circuit of the normal haunts. He found a few homeless out on the streets. He made what provisions he could for them and went on. But the night itself was quiet, eerily so. On his last pass through, he encountered Ambrose. The rat's face lit up. "Chad, so good to see you." Chad smiled in spite of himself. "Yeah, same here. How's the scene looking?" "It is cold, but not so bad as it has been. I do what I can, but the work seems to never end." "Yeah, I can see that." Ambrose seized Chad's hand and began to lead him towards a particularly nice panorama of Christmas lights. "And I thank you for what you do..." "It's really not that much," Chad interjected. "Perhaps not in your estimation. However, any help is greatly appreciated. But come, let us enjoy the beauty while it's on display." Chad allowed himself to be led. They walked through a public park with lights and little houses done up for the season. Chad had to admit it was really kind of pretty. "You a big fan of the holiday?" he asked. Ambrose nodded, a tremendous smile on his face. "I am. It's such a pleasant time, when people at least try to give heed to their better natures. It has its faults, of course. Everything in this world does. I think the good of it far outweighs the bad, though." Chad smiled as he remembered more of his mother's favorite book. He couldn't remember the passage exactly, but paraphrased what he could. "I've always thought of Christmas as a good time, a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; a time when men and women seem by one consent to open their hearts freely, and to think of the people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race bound on other journeys." Ambrose gazed at him, enrapt. "Yes," he said fervently. "That's it exactly." Chad shook his head. "It's not mine. It's from a book." "Just because somebody else set the words to paper doesn't mean it can't be your philosophy." Chad shrugged. "I suppose." He paused, wrestling with a partially-formed thought. "It just seems so much more plausible in a book. Things never quite measure up in reality." Ambrose tilted his head slightly, the cloth over his head making a soft noise as it moved against his fur, and gathered his hands in front of him. "This is true. But the book has the advantage of a sole voice, that of the author, where reality is made up of a multitude of voices. Every living thing contributes something to the chorus." Chad shrugged again as his thoughts drifted with seeming relentless inevitability to unpleasantness. "So why do so many voices add ugliness to the chorus?" Ambrose looked up into Chad's face, his gaze never faltering. "I would be wise indeed if I could answer that, and wiser still if I could correct it. I am wise enough to say this, however. The only thing either you or I can control is what our voices add to the chorus." Chad looked away, across the park and out into the night. "I've added my share of ugliness to the chorus." "As have we all." Ambrose raised his hand to halt Chad's next comment. "Yes, you've added more than some, but less than others. Yes, the scars you have inflicted, as well as those inflicted upon you, will be borne long into the future. What matters more is how you bear them and what you force others to bear going forward. You have remorse, learn what you can from it. Make something better of it." ************* Chad returned to his flop, his mind caught up in the conversation he'd had with Ambrose. He didn't sense the intruder until he was almost on top of her. He entered and was at the closet before Rin's exotic energy struck him. He whirled around from the closet to face her. Rin lay casually sprawled out on his bed. She was on her back, her hair fanned out underneath her, completely naked. Her body begged to be touched. She tucked her legs underneath her and sat upright on her knees, her hair sweeping down her back. She brought her arms forward and leaned on them, causing her petite, well formed breasts to stand out even further. "You know, you're a real challenge to locate. One would almost think you didn't want to be found." "One would be correct." Chad hung his coat and went into the kitchenette across from the bed. Rin swung her legs down and got off the bed. She swayed over to Chad. "Now, sweet thing, is that any way to treat a guest?" Chad looked her over. She knew how to stand to accentuate all her curves. In spite of himself, he felt his cock start to take notice. "Guests are people that are invited over. You're some stranger that broke into my apartment." Rin leaned in as close as she could without touching him. "Strangers are friends we haven't met yet." He took a step around her and headed for the seating area. "Or psychos who haven't gotten around to killing us yet." Rin crossed the small room to the other chair and poured herself into it. "My, but you have a negative way of looking at things. Come, let Rin show you the nicer side of life." "Not interested." She gave a deep, throaty laugh and the sound of it washed over him in a sensual wave. The growing tightness in the crotch of his jeans worsened. "Silly man. It's clear as day that you are." Rin slid from her chair to the floor and arranged herself in front of Chad's chair. Her amber eyes smoldered up at him. He fought the urge to grab himself. She looked deeply into his eyes, laid her hand on his leg and waited. He wanted to push it off, but couldn't bring himself to. She smiled and worked her hand over to the waistband of his jeans. Deftly, she had the button undone and the zipper down. Rin eased herself further up Chad's body, her head just below his chin, and slid her hand down his pants, taking hold of his member. Her touch was both velvet soft and electrifying. Chad shifted in his chair and moaned. As he surrendered himself to the sensation an image of a grotesque spider like creature, with the torso of a human fused to the body of an enormous spider--the Jorogumo--taking Sebastian came to him. He tipped over the chair backwards in an effort to escape from Rin. She jumped back in surprise. "What was that?" she sputtered. Chad sat upright and took a deep breath. "It's not you, it's me." Rin laughed again. "Now, my dear, sweet love, that's a lie on par with I love you and I won't come in your mouth." She paused, considering. "Not that you'd have much choice with me on the latter one." She added with a smirk. "And I don't need you to love me." Chad closed his eyes and tried to drive the nightmarish images away. "Yeah, whatever." She cocked her head at him, curious. "What was it, my sweet?" She joined him on the floor. "What was what?" "What was the thing you saw?" Rin sat down next to him, close but not touching. Chad looked her over to her and debated a moment before answering. "A Jorogumo." Rin's eyes lit up in surprise. "You hunted a Jorogumo?" "Helped to hunt. A dragon did most of the work. I just sort of cleaned up." Rin nodded, understanding coming into her eyes. "You saw her hunt." Chad nodded. She reached over and pushed Chad's hair out of his eyes. Her touch was compelling. He wanted more. "No wonder you're so skittish. That's a horror no man should have to see." She paused again. "Well, maybe some men but that's a matter for another time." She curved her arm around Chad's head and pulled him close to her. He let her lean his body against hers. "But I think it's time to make some new memories to replace those. What do you think?" Rin looked suggestively at Chad. He wanted to say "no", but just as badly he wanted to say "yes." Her scent filled his nose, and he felt he could drown in her eyes. Her skin was warm and inviting where he was pressed up against her. His mind started to form the thought to say "no" even as he was nodding his agreement. Rin smiled and covered his mouth with hers. Chad's wavering resolve melted on the spot. He kissed her back, leaning hard into the kiss. Their tongues met, then explored each other's mouths. Her taste was just as intoxicating as her scent. Rin slid his shirt off and ran her tongue down his chest, eliciting a shudder from Chad. When she reached his waist, her hands disappeared into the waist band of his pants and Chad felt her caress against his flesh. As his pants were removed he felt her tongue glide over his cock, followed by a languid, teasing breath across the head. He lay back on the floor, a groan escaping his lips as her warm mouth enveloped his cock. He trembled as more of his erection slipped into her mouth until her tongue playfully brushed his balls. She lingered there for a bit, her tongue exploring his testicles before they, too, were taken in. Chad's breath escaped in a startled gasp. He looked down to where Rin was sprawled out along the floor and she winked up at him. She slowly worked her lips back down his shaft, trailing her tongue tantalizingly after. When she reached his head, she kept that in her mouth and gently sucked on it. She released the head and with the tip of her tongue teased the underside it. Sometimes her touch was barely there, a ghost of a sensation that caused shivers to run through him, and sometimes it was an intense pressure, lapping at the underside or tracing the folds of the skin. The head then disappeared again into her mouth as did the rest of his cock with a deliberate, tantalizing slowness until it was taken entirely in. It wasn't long before her prediction came to pass. A spasm of ecstasy ran through Chad as without warning he came into Rin's mouth and down her throat. He started to apologize, but Rin winked again. He could feel her throat muscles convulse as she swallowed what was there, then she slid her mouth along his penis, sucked out what cum was left in his shaft, and kissed the tip of it. Chad lay on the floor, spent. Rin shifted herself up on her arms and straddled them on either side of Chad's chest. Her hair fell in a fan along her face and his chest. "Now then, love. Doesn't that give you something better to remember than some horrid Jorogumo?" Chad wasn't one hundred percent certain what he thought. The experience had been one of the most erotic of his short life. Rin wasn't kidding when she said she knew a trick or two. Chad was reeling from the things she did. Her supernatural nature still made him uneasy. He couldn't sense any danger, but did Sebastian? Then he looked into her laughing eyes and inhaled her intoxicating scent and his thoughts immediately went to how nice another round would feel. "Hell, I don't know." "Well, then, we'll just have to keep going until we find out." Rin's head dipped down to give him a nimble kiss and a nibble on his lower lip. She then leveraged herself upright, balancing on the balls of her feet. She grabbed his arms and hauled him upright as she stood up. She maneuvered his arms around the well defined curve of her waist, resting on her ample hips and held them there by his hands. Walking backwards, she lead Chad back to his bed. She laid down on her back and guided Chad on top of her. She removed his hands from her waist and set them on her breasts. Chad cupped them then slowly began to massage them. Rin's eyes fell closed as a soft exhalation left her lips. She smiled as Chad found a pleasing rhythm. He straddled her waist, and sat back on his knees. "Should I be getting a condom?" Rin smiled without opening her eyes. "I appreciate your concern, but not to worry. There is nothing I can get from you, nor you from me." "You know," she continued after a short pause, "you have a nice touch, but I think we can do much more." Rin grasped Chad's cock and stroked it. The skin on the palms of her hands was soft and drifted over him like silk. Before long, he was growing hard again. He leaned forward and placed his forearms to either side of Rin's head. He moaned softly. "Not one for a lot of talk, eh? That's all right. I like the strong, silent type." Rin's tongue teased Chad's lip before she took another nip. Chad took the invitation and kissed her hard again on the mouth. As their mouths met, Rin guided Chad's cock into her waiting pussy and ground her hips against him. Chad thrust hard into her and felt her vagina clamp down, nearly as insistent as her mouth and throat had been. Chad eased his way out and thrust back in. Rin twisted her hips and kept pace. The dance of their bodies continued for some time, Chad's increasing tempo always met and matched by Rin. Chad could feel the orgasm building, his breaths came in deep gasps. Rin moaned and the sound ratcheted up as she approached her own climax. He came, his body shaking with the force of the orgasm. He rocked back onto his knees as his spine suddenly straightened. Rin's crescendo came on the heels of his. The sound she had been making intensified into a sound Chad could not identify, but it was not human. For a brief moment her form shifted to something furred and he could see a blue flame above her head. In the next second, she was as she had been before. Rin smiled up at Chad's surprised look and stroked his stomach. "I'll have to be careful with you, I see. It's been awhile since somebody caused me to slip out of form like that." Her hand traced lazy circles on his stomach, and it trembled in response. "What was that?" he asked, dazed. "That was a glimpse of my true form. You know I'm not human." Chad nodded. "What are you?" Rin worked her way out from under Chad. "I am not a threat to you, you have my sworn oath on that." What Rin had said seemed important, as though she were giving him something precious. "Thank you," he said. "But it doesn't answer the question." Rin smirked. "But it does. It answers one thing that I am. 'Not a threat.' You'll just have to be patient for the rest." A thought struck Chad, something was out of place. "You know, when I saw the Jorogumo, I could see through her illusion. The spider shape was this kind of ghost image I saw overlaid. I don't get anything like that with you. Why?" Rin shrugged, still smirking. "That's a good question. I'm sure you're clever enough to puzzle out an answer." She shot forward, gave Chad a playful peck on his forehead, then vanished from his bed. ************* The weather hit a warm snap and temperatures went up to the forties, which was not uncommon for December. Chad was still unable to find the goblins; they appeared to have gone underground. Qiang was pleased with this turn of events, as it gave him an opportunity to properly school Chad in weapons craft. He explained the new direction of events over lunch. "I'm going to tutor you on fighting." "Why?" "I'm not going to give you a weapon unless you know how to use it. A weapon, any weapon, is only as effective as the one who wields it." Chad proceeded to be trained with little further comment. But his experience with Rin still unsettled him, that he couldn't see her the same way as the Jorogumo. He hadn't seen her in the week since their previous encounter, but in her absence the questions continued to bother him. "I gotta question," Chad said. He was in Qiang's lair, resting between mock fights with Qiang. He was dressed in light cotton gi pants and a t-shirt. Chad didn't like the way the gi top fit. "I hope I have an answer," Qiang responded. "When I saw the Jorogumo, I saw her as a human but the spider parts were there as a kind of ghost image. And Ambrose I always see as a rat. But there's this, uh, person I guess, that I see as human. But the other night we were, um...engaged, and suddenly, for like a second, she was covered in fur. Then it was gone. What I can't figure is why I don't see her the same as the Jorogumo." Qiang crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow to Chad. "First off, engaged? With a female? Really, Chad, I wasn't born blind and stupid last week. I know what sex is and I'm not surprised you're having it. Just be very, very careful. That being said, what is she? That's going to impact how you perceive her." "I don't know. That's why I'm asking you." "Ah. I see. How are you perceiving her?" Chad shrugged, and his eyes became unfocused as he called up the memory. "I can sense she's not human, and that she's not a threat. Her smell is really...nice. Kinda like spice of some kind. And she always seems to be laughing somehow." His attention refocused. "I can sometimes see what's different, physically, and I always know what's not human, and I get impressions about them. I don't get annotated encyclopedia entries." Qiang brought his hand up and rubbed his jaw. "Then, do you see a dragon overlay on me?" Chad shook his head. "Not like the Jorogumo. I can tell there's a dragon there, but there's not a ghost image." Qiang nodded. "Was there one when you were a gold finch?" Shadow of the Hunter Complete Chad cocked his head, considering. "There might have been something similar. But I already knew you were a dragon when I came, so I don't know that I paid that much attention." Qiang crossed his arms across his chest. "And how did you know that, by-the-by. I'm curious." "Well, you felt like Chang & Sebastian. More Chang than Sebastian. That was a tip off. The fact that you call this place 'The Dragon's Garden' was confirmation. I wasn't born blind and stupid last week." "Fair enough, and a possible answer. It could be that your natural talents crossed with the bird form affected how you perceived things. Of course, it's also possible your lady friend's magic impacts these things. Maybe a combination of those and other factors you're not aware of." Chad humphed at the non-answer. "Well, what if I bring her to you. Could you tell me what she is?" "I should think I could, but I doubt you'll get her here." "Why?" Qiang smirked. "Because I think she's playing a game with you. I don't sense any contagion or harmful magic on you, so I concur she's not a threat. And I assume it was during sex she had a slip up?" "During orgasm." Qiang nodded. "I thought so. My guess is that she finds you as interesting as you do her. And I suspect she's going to keep you guessing as a means to prolong the game." "So, this is just a game?" "I'm not in her head. But I think it's a bit more complex than 'just a game.' I think the game phase may be a way to see who you are and how you behave. Now, if I've answered your question..." "Not really, but I guess I see where you're coming from." "Good. Let's start again." Chad said nothing more and assumed a training stance. He had accepted his training with little comment. Qiang had been surprised by this. He had expected more complaining. There was the occasional gripe when Chad became bruised or failed to execute a particular move. But overall, he took the training with a great deal of stoicism. Far more then Qiang had anticipated. Qiang's teaching method at this point in Chad's development was rudimentary at best. Push Chad to see where his martial weaknesses and assets were. Chad was an aggressive fighter. When pressed he would try to overbear his opponent. When this didn't work, he would try to strike from an unexpected place and would pounce on any perceived weakness or opening. His previous experience played well to bravado, in a fight he rarely showed it if he was at a disadvantage. However, while he had a few tricks that served him well, when they were exhausted he was at a loss. Once Qiang established his base techniques and illustrated to Chad how they could be countered, he went on to teach him how to expand them. As Qiang drilled Chad, he analyzed his moves and methods endeavoring to determine which style of weapon would serve him best. Chad did well with hand held weapons, both hand-to-hand weapons and longer range pole arms. During the current bout Qiang had Chad working the guan dao, a four foot wooden polearm with one end bladed and the other with a mace for counterbalance as well as striking. Chad handled it well for his level of experience. His moves were a bit clumsy when compared to Qiang's and he tended to only move it when attacking as opposed to keeping the weapon in motion to add power to his strikes. Chad was giving ground. Qiang realized it was intentional; Chad was trying to lead the combat to the wall. Intrigued, Qiang continued to press Chad as he tried to determine the endgame of Chad's ploy. Soon, Chad was backed against the wall. He tossed his weapon in the air, as high as he could send it, then jumped up and pushed off from the wall. Then he was a hawk, zipping over Qiang's head before he had a chance to react. Chad shifted back while landing and attempted to catch the weapon. He managed to keep his footing, though he stumbled and missed the weapon. It clattered to the floor a few feet behind him. "Fuck!" Chad gathered up the weapon. Qiang leaned against the wall. "That was nicely done." Chad glowered back. "I know I screwed it up, thank you." "Perhaps you didn't nail the execution, but I wasn't being facetious. That maneuver surprised me." Qiang pushed himself off from the wall. "Well done," he repeated. "Seriously?" Chad cradled the weapon in the crock of his arm. "Yes, seriously. Previously, your style consisted of overbearing or surprise attacks. This shows an evolution. Does it need work? Of course. To think you could master something that complex on the first try is beyond ambitious." Chad sighed, then continued on. ************** That night, Qiang laid among the pillows in his lair. The braziers burned, but their flames burned low, giving a quiet ambiance to the space. Next to him was Mingzhu. She curled against him, his tail protectively entwined around her. Their love making had been pleasant enough, but Qiang's mind had been elsewhere. Now as they lay together, he clutched her close, desperate in his need to keep her safe. Mingzhu had been with Qiang a few years. She recognized the signs. Anytime Qiang worried about something it translated into protecting her. Even when she wasn't in any direct danger. Mingzhu adjusted her position so that she sat more upright. "What troubles you, love?" Qiang moved his head to face her. "Am I that transparent?" She reached up and ran her hand around his eye ridge before trailing her fingers through the fur along his cheeks and jaw. Qiang closed his eyes and leaned his head gently into her hand. "Maybe not transparent, but your mind has been elsewhere this evening." Qiang straightened his head and sighed. "Yes, it has and I am sorry." He nuzzled her. "You deserve my full attention when we are together." Mingzhu leaned against Qiang's head. "What troubles you?" Qiang considered not telling Mingzhu his concerns. He much preferred to leave her out of his problems. He also knew how persistent she could be, and her concern was a balm for him. He used his head to push Mingzhu against his side. "I am worried about Chad." "Really?" Mingzhu was surprised. It seemed to her he was doing well. "What is wrong with him? Isn't he doing well with the training?" "That's what troubles me. He's doing too well." Qiang paused a moment before continuing. "He pays close attention, doesn't prattle on or question every other thing I say or teach, and applies what he's learned in a cognizant manner." Mingzhu furled her brow and frowned slightly. "And why is that a problem? What did you expect?" Qiang's muzzle turned up in a half smile as he snorted. "I expected him to be more flip, to not take it all as seriously as he does. I expected him to be a bit more like Sebastian. In truth, my expectations are my own problem, not his. However, he is beyond serious. He brings an intense focus to everything he does. I'd glimpsed it with the Jorogumo and I'm seeing it full bore here." "But I still don't see why that is necessarily a bad thing." "His being serious and focused in and of itself is not a bad thing. What concerns me, though, is that in blunt truth he is dangerous. He is in control of his darker impulses, but I fear that control is tenuous. My worry is that I'm taking a volatile young man and showing him how to be even more of a threat." Qiang's look became distant as he shifted his attention over Mingzhu's head and into a future he wanted desperately to be able to see. Mingzhu gathered his jaw into her hands and lowered his head to her eye level. "I can see your concern. It also puts me in mind of something I heard once." Qiang cocked his head, curious. "What?" "That every person has two wolves in them, one called love and the other hate. And do you know which is stronger?" Qiang smiled. "The one that's fed," he answered. He had told her the story, the same as he'd heard it many years previously. He brought his head in close and rubbed it against her. "Thank you, I needed to hear that. But his hate had been glutted long before he came here. I can only hope it can be compensated for." "In the end, all that can be done is to try." ************* Chad awoke agitated late in the day of the Solstice, after a sleep filled with troubled but unremembered dreams. He went to his window and studied the world outside. The weather had cooled down to an appropriate temperature for December and white flakes were tumbling down. There had already been ample accumulation and the sky showed no signs of stopping. Chad pressed his hand against the cold glass and stared out into the snow-blue day. As he watched the snow continue to come down he wondered if there was a snow augury. Something was coming, and it was going to be heralded in with the snow. He stepped away from the window. After he showered and dressed, he pulled a chair over to the window and seated himself with a prime view of the falling snow. He studied it intently, wanting, needing, answers badly and coming up empty. The sudden materialization of a figure outside the window made him jump. He was up and heading for a weapon before he recognized the figure. Bright blue eyes regarded him from a snow white face, framed with a glittering shag of silver-white hair. A pleasant smile and hearty wave did nothing to make up for the annoyance Chad felt. He stalked over to the window and opened it. "You scared the shit out of me!" The Snow Miser had the decency to at least fake looking chagrined. "Oh, I'm sorry. May I come in?" "You're not going to melt or anything, are you?" Snow Miser cocked his head and smiled further. "I didn't know you cared." Chad stepped away from the window, leaving it open. "I don't. I just don't want to explain any sudden flooding to maintenance. And anyway, you actually accused me of the opposite." He returned to his seat. "I did, that's true." Snow Miser stepped in through the window and closed it behind him. He took a seat next to Chad and regarded him some more. "Come to apologize?" Chad's attention was again focused outside. "No." "To say it again?" "No." "Then why are you here?" Snow Miser turned his attention outward, too. "That is the question of the hour isn't it?" There was a long pause between them. Chad turned and looked at the Snow Miser. "Are you going to tell me in this hour? Or any other?" The look that crossed Snow Miser's face as he continued watching the snow was difficult for Chad to read. It seemed at once frustrated and pensive. "Perhaps, if I was certain of it myself." "It's got something to do with the weather, doesn't it?" "I believe it might." "Nothing worse than an inscrutable omen." They sat there for a bit longer. The wind picked up as the snow fell faster and heavier. Chad was beginning to lose sight of the farther edge of the cityscape. He rose from his seat and retrieved his coat from the closet. Snow Miser turned in his chair, tracking Chad's movements. "Where are you going?" "Where else? Qiang." He slid his coat on. "You're welcome to stop the winter wonderland at any time to make the going easier." The Snow Miser said nothing, but the look of quiet desperation told Chad what he needed to know. This wasn't the Snow Miser's doing. It most likely wasn't natural at all. "I'll do what I can," he said, when he broke the silence. "It will be dark soon, be careful." "Always am." Chad walked down stairs to the lobby. As he crossed the lobby to the main doors a familiar voice greeted him. "Afternoon, Mr. Chad. You're not planning on going out in that, are you?" Chad turned and was surprised to see Mr. Franklin at the desk. "Isn't a little early for you to be on shift?" "Yeah, but since I live here I get called when people can't show." He shook his head. "This is one bad storm. Buses are shut down, so's a lot of the city. Phone lines are down, so's power in some places. So if I were you, I'd just turn back around and stay in for the night." He looked out the front doors into the snow, his expression distant. "Ain't nothing to be gained going out into that." Chad followed Mr. Franklin's gaze outside. No phones meant he couldn't call the restaurant; all he had was the main land-line number. He didn't even know if Qiang had a cell. No buses meant walking through this mess. He watched the darkening sky with concern. Then he closed his coat and headed for the door. "Afraid staying in isn't an option." "Mr. Chad," he shouted. Chad looked back. "Yeah?" The night desk man tossed something to Chad. He caught it and examined it. It was a Saint Christopher metal on a metal bead chain. Chad gave Franklin an awkward look. "Umm, thanks, but I don't swing this way." He prepared to toss it back. Franklin held up his hand. "I do. Just take it. It'll make me feel better." Chad pocketed the medallion. "OK, thanks." He pushed open the door and made his way out into the snow. ************** The Bridge Keep pack gathered under their namesake. As the night fell, a deep and solemn stillness pervaded the area. Quarrel and Nargle, as well as several other hunters and runners from his pack, waited with apprehension twinged with desperation. Tonight was the Solstice. Tonight was when their fates would be determined. Tonight the hunt would run. The seer stood in the middle of the keep, fire light dancing off her, causing her hunched form to appear to shudder. She was tracing intricate diagrams on the ground and muttering guttural, nearly incomprehensible syllables into the air. Nargle leaned in close to Quarrel. "Is she summoning the hunt or freaking Cthulhu?" he whispered. Normally, Quarrel found Nargle's barbs amusing. He didn't now. "I would prefer the latter," he said flatly. Slowly and softly, as if from a great distance, a sound like thunder began to build. The vargr began to stir and shift, snapping at each other as agitation seized them. The weaker riders began to lose control of their mounts. The seer continued her chant, oblivious to the effects around her. As the rolling sound intensified, so did her chant. She rose from a squatting position to standing, all the while calling out in her strange chant. Quarrel swore he could feel the magic stir then quicken, building with the seer's chant. She shook her arms in the air, the ancient flesh quivering in the movement. She threw back her head and thrust her arms high above her head. Then the chant reached its crescendo with a shrill, nightmarish shriek from the seer. As her body tumbled back to the ground, the building magic erupted, extinguishing the fires and sending the vargr in a frenzied and uncontrollable surge out from the Bridge Keep and into the howling storm. *********** Chad made his way through the storm as the snow obscured sky darkened and night gathered around him. The wind whipped at him like a thing alive, clawing mercilessly at his coat and hood. He pulled his hood tighter and clutched at the top of his coat as he struggled through the deepening snow. The combination of driving winds and drifting snow forced him to a near stand-still as he was reduced to smaller and smaller steps. Eventually, he stopped all together as the sound of thunder sounded softly in the distance, but loudly in his heart. *********** Ambrose felt the gathering storm in his bones. His whiskers twitched with the building energy. It's going to be a bad one, he nodded to himself. Better gather those I can. Ambrose systematically worked every haunt he knew and ushered people to safer places. Sometimes he had to cajole, wheedle, whine and outright bully to get people to safety. But he did whatever it took. All the while he kept an eye out for Chad. The building storm worried him greatly, not only for the lost and forgotten people he took as his charges, but for the young hunter. Something in this storm seemed directed at the young man, and Ambrose couldn't understand why. He only grew more worried as every place he went showed no sign of Chad. He eventually came across Rin. "This storm is bad," he said as he walked over to her. She looked up into the sky and nodded. "I know. Not a fit night for man or beast. Most of the ladies had the good sense to already be in, fortunately. Not much business on a night like this." Ambrose nodded. "Have you seen Chad?" "Not today, but I wasn't looking. Why?" "I'm just worried. It's what I do." Then he was off, continuing his work. Night had fallen when Ambrose decided he had as many off the streets as he could, with still no sight of Chad. He shuddered as the wind picked up. He could feel the call of his colony, urging him to return to the safety of its burrows. With great difficulty, Ambrose resisted it. A last, and very important, charge was unaccounted for and he couldn't leave that be. He continued to search the storm wracked streets for a sign of the hunter. As he moved about in the storm, he felt something stir in the wind. It was ancient, fearsome, and it was hunting. Dread clutched at Ambrose and he redoubled his efforts, hoping not to attract the attention of whatever force was moving through the storm. He darted and dashed, alternating between the small rat and the bipedal rat forms as needed as he headed for the last place he could think of to look. ************ Chad stood, rooted to the spot as the tempest roared around him. He slowly raised his arms to his head to block out the sounds he heard in the wind. The sound of thunder contained hoof beats, he could tell, and a long, mournful horn. He clasped his arms around his head and crouched down on his heels, curling in tight. However, the more he blocked the sound from his ears, the louder it became in his heart. His heart felt as though it might split with the force of the sounds, the call he realized. It was a call. In a daze, he dropped his arms and rose up, looking into the storm for the source of the call. And then he answered it. ************** Ambrose made his way to the apartment building. He worked his way in through his normal entrance, chittering curses at the billowing snow and blowing debris that inhibited his movement. After thrashing through a discarded newspaper that had become wadded into his entrance tunnel, Ambrose crawled into the building. With a haste he rarely used, Ambrose bolted through the building, coming out in Chad's room. The moment he skittered past the refrigerator, he resumed his larger form and frantically searched the room. He didn't find Chad, but he did find someone else. A tall, snow bound man, dressed in the shades of winter, greeted Ambrose from his spot next to the windows. "I'm afraid he's not here," the man said. "Yes, I had made note of that fact." Ambrose kept the annoyance out of his voice with some effort. "Can you tell me where he is?" The Snow Miser looked out the window, his expression distant and very sad. "He's with the storm." Ambrose crossed his arms in front of his chest and rose to his full height. He didn't like where this conversation appeared to be going. "Is that so? Well then, what is to be done for it?" Ambrose felt the weight of the Snow Miser's gaze, and sadness. "The hunt has called him and he's gone. There's not much to be done about it. What is, is." Ambrose felt his features settle into a scowl, an rare expression for him. He did nothing to stop it. He uncrossed his arms, his paws forming fists as he stalked over to the window. "Oh, is that so? Well I, for one, don't give a flea's regard for what the hunt thinks. Or you, for that matter. And if necessary I will tell that to the grand, high, huntsman's face." The Snow Miser sighed and gently laid his hand on Ambrose's shoulder. "I understand, and I am truly sorry this happened. The hunt has called back its own, and we must accept that." Shadow of the Hunter All the same, Chad could pick out the dragon underneath the facade. The way he turned, looking like the twist of scales. The movement of his hips that suggested the great length of tail. The way a sense of fire seemed to simply surround him. Chad suspected he saw as much as he did because he was allowed. He was certain he would still see something even if he wasn't. "May I?" Qiang indicated the bench seat across from Chad. Chad nodded and gestured to the seat with his fork. Qiang sat down and twisted himself sideways, with his back was against the wall and his long legs stretched out along the seat. Even this suggested to Chad the lounging of Qiang's serpentine dragon form. "Yeah, it's this song I heard today," Chad explained. "Oh, really?" "Yeah." Chad rolled his eyes. "The blasted Snow Miser showed up." "The what?" "Snow Miser. He was a character from this stop motion animated kids Christmas special." Qiang regarded Chad with uncertainty. "So a character from a children's show accosted you?" "Not the actual character, just someone who reminded me of him." "Oh. Well, that's good." Chad looked at Qiang. "I haven't lost it that badly. Yet." "So who was this person?" "Person is playing lose with the definition," Chad responded, then described the encounter. Qiang rested one elbow on the table and the other on the booth, his fingers interlaced. It was a position he tended to take when thinking. "It sounds like a weather elemental of some form." "And what did it want with me?" "I couldn't say for certain, but my guess is it has something to tell you." "So why didn't it tell me then?" "You told it you were busy." "So I should expect it back?" Qiang shrugged elegantly. "I would. It did say it would be back, didn't it?" Chad sighed. "Yeah, it did. Oh, joy, can't wait." There was something in his mannerism that suggested to Qiang that this was not all that had happened. "So was this visitor the whole of your day?" Chad gave him a level look. "You don't think so." "What I think is immaterial to the situation. If you have something to say, you have something to say. But if you simply came to eat, that is acceptable." Chad studied his food before answering. "I had a dream," he said without looking up. "Yes?" Haltingly, Chad described the dream. Qiang listened, his fingers interlaced except for his index fingers pressed against his lips. "Interesting," he said when Chad came to the end. "Though not altogether surprising. When you engage the spiritual aspects of this world, they will engage you back." Chad looked up. "What do you mean 'engage'? I'm not engaging anything." "Oh?" he said with a cocked eyebrow. His tone was one Chad knew all to well. He was about to hear something he didn't want to. "So it's some other young man who is apparently aware out there hunting?" Chad sighed. "Why do you ask questions you know the answers to?" "To see what answers I get. And the answer is?" "Yes, it's me." Qiang nodded. "I thought as much." "You mean 'knew'," Chad muttered. Qiang shrugged. "If you like. If you're finished, please follow me." Chad looked down at his empty plates. He nodded, then followed where Qiang led. Their path went through the kitchen and into his office. Once there, he shut and locked the door. He turned to an ornate wall hanging that covered most of the back wall of the office. It was an abstract piece, done in vibrant flame-like colors, that Chad could sense power emanating from. He could almost feel the heat and see the colors move. He knew it was the entrance to Qiang's lair. Qiang laid his hand on the tapestry and the flames sprang to life, then parted allowing access. Qiang indicated for Chad to enter and he did so. Qiang followed and the flames fell closed. They were in a cavernous room Chad remembered from his previous meeting with Qiang. Flaming braziers dominated the room, five all together. A large brazier was in the center with four smaller ones in the corners. Strewn about the floor were pillows of every conceivable style, size and shape. Along a wall was a table and chairs, book cases, and a bed. These seemed to be the only nods to Qiang's want to occasionally wear human form. The rest of the room was set up to house something much larger. A dragon. Qiang gestured and the brazier and pillows moved from the center of the room, exposing the tile floor and leaving an open space. Qiang strode to the center and gestured for Chad to join him. Chad walked over. "If you could do that, why did you have me moving the brazier that night I was here? The damn thing is heavy, you know." "If you'll recall, I had been poisoned. I wasn't in the position to use power I didn't have. Fortunately, that is not currently the case. Now, then," he said, turning to face Chad. "How are you initiating these hunts?" Chad looked away. He shifted uncomfortably, a behavior Qiang had come to recognize whenever Chad was asked to discuss the particulars of his talents. He was new to the situation and it was to be expected. It also needed to be corrected quickly. He was hunting and didn't have the luxury of being evasive. "Since you're going to be doing this, I need an idea of what and how you're doing it." "Since I'm going to be doing it? It's already a forgone conclusion?" Qiang sighed. He recognized the dodge and met it head on. "Had I said 'if you're going to do this' you would have argued you don't have a choice. I haven't time to waste on semantics." "Fine," Chad conceded with some annoyance. "It's like I can feel them when I'm close by. I can feel their darkness, their...evil isn't quite right. But I can feel that there's something not good, not...safe. And I follow that. It's like the feeling spikes when whatever they are are about to do something bad. Or something predatory. They go after the street people. A lot." "Not surprising, they're easy targets. And what do you do when you attack. Show me." Chad looked uncertain. "Come again?" Qiang gestured with his hand for Chad to come at him. "I know what I'm doing, just have at me. I want to see your style." "Well, I don't know that I have a style, exactly," Chad answered as he approached. Everything in his mannerisms was relaxed. "I just kind of fly casual until," Chad was now next to Qiang and about to pass when he swung his elbow for Qiang's temple. Qiang moved smoothly out of the way, but was impressed with suddenness of the attack. "So you strike from surprise. How do you get that close?" "They don't know I can see them." Chad turned to face him. "Play against their ignorance." Qiang nodded. "That's good as far as it goes, but they're figuring it out. That won't work for much longer." Chad nodded. "I know. That's why I also carry an automatic rifle. I prefer not to use it because it makes a God-awful amount of noise. Though some neighborhoods seriously don't care. And those get frequented—a lot." "An automatic rifle?" Qiang said with some disdain. "You have no finesse. And where did you get one, anyway?" Chad looked incredulous. "I know some people. And finesse? I'm just trying to kill the fuckers, not get points for my performance." Qiang looked thoughtful. "And you're just going after the predatory ones? You're leaving the rest alone?" The image of the strange creature from the night before rose up. Still, he didn't actually hurt the little thing, just scare the shit out of him. "Yeah, just the predatory ones." "Good. The same as every other aspect of the world, there are lines that should not be crossed. I shouldn't need to remind you of the consequences you experienced when you crossed them in the human realm. The price for crossing them here will be staggeringly higher, I promise you." Chad repressed a shudder. His time as a goldfinch had not been enjoyable, but he'd now seen enough to understand he'd gotten off lightly. It could have been much, much worse. "I know." ********************************************* Qiang sat alone in his office after Chad left. He was concerned. He believed the boy's intentions were good, but there existed in Chad disturbing tendencies. Qiang feared hunting could exacerbate them. He was still trying to resolve Chad's legal troubles from attacking Dakota, a woman he'd been in a limited relationship with. Not that that had entirely been his fault. Largely his fault, certainly enough of his fault that he had to bear the responsibility for it. But part of the driving force had been out of his control. Qiang returned his attention to his computer. He brought up "Snow Miser" and found a clip of the odd little character singing a song. He recognized the tune as the one Chad had been humming. He replayed the clip when there was a knock on his door. He glanced up and in an instant knew who was on the other side. He wasn't surprised. He wasn't entirely pleased, but not surprised. "Come in, Sebastian." A young man entered the office, closing the door behind him. He wasn't an imposing figure, five foot eight with a slim build, brown hair worn a bit long. His blue eyes somehow spoke of water, and his movements flowed with the ease and grace of a moving river. Qiang suspected the youth was unaware of just how much he moved like the river he was bonded to. He stopped in front of the desk. "If you have a second, I'd like to ask you something." At least he remembered his manners, not always a given when dealing with Sebastian. "I do. Please." Qiang motioned to a chair. "Have a seat." Sebastian grabbed a chair and pulled it up. Qiang looked over his clothes. Jeans and a casual button down shirt. It was the same outfit he saw Sebastian in when they first met in the fall. Qiang looked Sebastian over. "You know, when you go out in the cold you should at least attempt the illusion of the proper attire." Sebastian looked down as though he'd just realized what he was wearing, or appeared to be wearing as the case was. "Oh." Sebastian reddened slightly. "I hadn't thought of that. Every time I shift, it's just the same clothes I was in when that night." Qiang shrugged. "It's not a huge concern, as you don't have that much contact with people. But it's something you should consider." Sebastian nodded as he filed away the information. "What are you listening to?" he asked. "Something about Miser Brothers." "The Year Without a Santa Clause? Didn't figure that to be your thing." "It's a reference Chad made when I was speaking with him earlier today. He'd compared an elemental he ran into to the Snow Miser and I was curious what it meant." He paused and watched the clip some more. "The Snow Miser has some peculiar mannerisms." "Yeah, he's gay as a three dollar bill." "Oh. Well. I wasn't aware a children's animated Christmas special would detail the sexual orientation of its characters. How very forward thinking of them." Sebastian blush deepened. "No, I mean they never said that, it's just...OK, never mind that." Qiang smiled. He was amused by how easily Sebastian could be flustered. Still, he had asked to enter and Qiang had allowed him. He should be treated with courtesy. "I'm sorry. You had a question." "Yeah. And coincidently it's about Chad." Qiang sighed. He'd thought as much, though he didn't put it off to coincidence. While they did happen, he was completely aware that this wasn't one. "Yes, what of him?" Now Sebastian looked down and fidgeted. It was such a human mannerism it reminded Qiang that unlike him, Sebastian had not been born a dragon. It had only been a few months since Sebastian had come into possession of a dragon's pearl and consequently became a dragon. That a Caucasian had been chosen for such an honor still rankled Qiang. He didn't have a particular problem with Sebastian as a person. He seemed on the whole not a bad sort. But in Qiang's estimation, that didn't mean he deserved to be a dragon. He'd largely been forced to come to a sort of peace with the arrangement. Heaven had chosen, and he was in no position to undo that choice. He gathered all the patience he could. "Sebastian, I'm aware of your feelings in regards to Chad. What do you think you're going to ask that's going to upset me?" A look of uncertainty ran across Sebastian's face as he considered his words. "Well, I mean after what he'd done, how can everything be fine and forgiven?" Sebastian looked up at Qiang as anger eclipsed his uncertainty. "I mean he beat Dakota. And would have done it again if Chang wasn't there. That's not all right." "No. It's not." "So then why is he out there wandering around?" Qiang sighed. Chang was the dragon in charge of Sebastian, why wasn't he covering this? "We've gone over this before. Chang laid out the parameters. He set the punishment and when it would end. It ended. It's not that the past doesn't matter, it's that that portion is finished and now we go forward. And it's not that he's out there not being monitored." "A few weeks as a goldfinch doesn't seem enough of a punishment to me for what he did," Sebastian flared. "Minimally a few years, preferably the rest of his life." "Perhaps I misspoke when I said punishment." Qiang sat back in his seat and interlaced his fingers as he considered his next words. "I don't believe your definition of punishment is what Chang had in mind. I can't say for certain, I'm not Chang and you should probably discuss his mind set with him. But from what I can see, the point of the goldfinch wasn't punitive. It was to give him a new perspective on himself. And in that respect, it fulfilled his intention." "But why are you sticking up for him? What if he just goes back to what he was doing before?" "Then it will need to be addressed. You have my word, I will do so." "Why are you even giving him the chance?" Sebastian's voice was steadily rising. "Because it's a chance worth taking." Qiang folded his arms on the desk and leaned forward, closing the distance between him and Sebastian. "And since you want to play the what if game, what if he backslides, like you fear, for want of somebody looking out for him? That the difference between him living up to my expectations or down to yours is there being higher expectations to begin with?" Sebastian griped the arms of his chair and glowered. His eyes darkened considerably, and Qiang could see he was nowhere near accepting the situation. Qiang gave a bitter laugh as he began to discern a subtext to the conversation that he hadn't previously considered. "What?" Sebastian asked, a little sharper then he intended. "Do you know what irony is?" "The opposite of wrinklely?" Even now, Sebastian couldn't resist a joke. "Sebastian..." "Sorry. Yes I know what irony is. So?" "So, here is someone I've said doesn't deserve to be a dragon telling me someone else doesn't deserve to be human. I was just reflecting on how easily our ideas can get turned inside out and shown back to us." Sebastian felt his anger recede in wake of the statement. They were both being told to trust the judgment of others against their own instincts. Sebastian felt he had more of a right to his opinion. "Yeah, I can see that. But I'd never done anything to you and Chad has. Not to you, but you know what I mean." "True." Qiang paused to determine the best way to broach his next point. "But he was half-mad when he did it. And you know that." After a pause he added, "And you know why." Sebastian's angered deflated further. "Yes, I know. Is that done now? Is he all better?" Qiang shook his head as he sat back in the chair. "I doubt he'll ever be 'all better'. I'm not even sure how long it's been since he'd been whole to begin with. The roots of this situation extend much farther back then you realize. But he is in better control. He's seen another view of the world." "But how do I trust that?" "Do you even want to?" Sebastian looked down. Qiang had as clever a way of cutting to the bone as Chang. Qiang watched his guest while he debated what to offer next. He knew a way. But he had to decide if he was betraying a trust between himself and Chad. He decided peace may be worth a small inconsideration. "If you want to get to the bottom, meet him at the river. It's your place of power and you will know it if he's lying. However, you have to live with what you see there. I will tell you now, you won't find a monster." "What will I find?" "I can't say for certain what you might find. What I've found is a terribly damaged young man trying to mend." Sebastian paused for a long moment, then said, "Please have him come to the river when he gets a chance." "I will do so." Sebastian merely vanished from his office, going directly back to the river. Qiang sighed. Doesn't he realize this is a place of business, too? People will wonder why they never saw him leave. Oh, well, guess I can't expect some twenty something boy-turned-dragon to remember all his manners. Qiang returned his attention back to the finished video clip and hit replay. It was a catchy little tune, at any rate.