Playing With Fire

by Adrienne Woods et al.

  “Them” was the Council. The entity that ruled the paranormal world; the world that lived on earth, unbeknownst to all the humans who also inhabit this planet. They stuck me with this mission. I still think it was a way for them to get back at me for all the grief I’ve given them. Funny really how what looks like a bum job can turn out to be so satisfying after all. I don’t think they had this in mind when they gave me the assignment.

  I know they didn’t expect the end result.

  Let’s backtrack a bit.

  Chapter 3

  I hated the pompousness of the whole place. It was so cliché. Completely over the top. From the three-story-high ceiling with all the ornate columns that lined the side of the great hall, to the gilded paintings of heroes from times gone by. It was just too much. The heavy drapes over the three-metre-high windows felt stuffy and hardly let in any light. The musky smell was hardly camouflaged by the incense and bright blue cold-fires. The presence of supernatural energy—or magic as humans call it—was evident in the moving statues, the tingle in the air and the hairs that stood up on the back of my neck.

  This was the Council’s home ground. All of it designed to impress. It did most of the time, only not with me. I don’t impress easily. Especially not with ostentatious stage-setting. That’s how I looked at it; a stage. A story. Not real.

  Even with my usually quiet supple-leather boots there was an echo as I made my way down the centre of the enormous hall to the horseshoe table set on a platform under the glass skylight. The colours in the glass shone strange hues down on the congregation sitting in the stiff high-backed chairs on the opposite side of the table. They were all facing the hall. Facing me.

  As I neared the platform it became clear that almost all of the council members were in attendance. Wow! Since when did I merit that kind of attention? I didn’t, and didn’t want it either. Hmmm. Not a good sign. I stepped up on to the platform as was expected and moved forward until I was level with the two ends of the horseshoe.

  To my left three seats were taken by members of different creature’s clans. There is no other way of describing them. Two vampires, a man and a woman, and a shapeshifter currently blue and covered in scales; must be a fashion thing I’m not familiar with. The Vampires were as always stiff and unmoving. Dressed from head to toe in gothic black and dark red velvet, they looked like they had stepped out of a really bad horror movie. So stereotypical. No creativity or imagination there. The shapeshifter—I couldn’t tell if it was male or female—was at least colourful. To my right the occupants of the seats were more human looking. That didn’t mean anything. Just that they had chosen a more mortal visage. For now.

  My attention was drawn to the person in the centre of the horseshoe. Standing ten feet tall when on his feet, Cantix still towered over everyone else while seated in the biggest chair at the table. He was as wide in the shoulders as a bull and his face showed the same characteristics. Officially a mage, this man had many more talents than just magic. He was the supreme ruler of the Council. Formally a democracy, no one on the Council or in the supernatural world for that matter, doubted who actually ran the show.

  To the right of Cantix’s chair stood a regal woman. The look on her face was cold, icy. Enough to send most people running. Her dark, green-black gown hugged her straight figure. Frankly she looked like a plank. One with a very bad attitude. The only thing that had any form at all in the whole picture was her hair. The continuous movement of the bright green tresses looked like a mass of snakes. How she did it I don’t know. But I was sure that it was a trick of some kind.

  This was Aquanaris. The official Oracle to the Council. It was rumoured that she was having an affair with Cantix. Well, they definitely deserved each other. Though trying to think of what their sexual escapade would look like stretched even my overactive imagination. Whatever the truth was to the rumours, they were close. That much was clear. Cantix listened to what she said and acted on what he presumed was the truth.

  It’s an understatement to say that she and I didn’t get along. I flatly refused to bow to what I was sure were her lies. There is no such thing as a genuine Oracle. In my opinion they are all frauds. And she was the best. Cantix and the rest of the Council were of a different opinion and easily led by her rantings. We’d clashed before more than once with me contradicting all her statements. If she was legit, then I had even more reason to stay as far away from her as possible.

  I bowed to Cantix as was expected. He was, after all, my commander in chief. Aquanaris merited only a slight nod. This was not lost on Cantix who I’m sure secretly enjoyed our little stabs at each other. The edge of his thin lips curved ever so slightly upwards in what, with a bit of fantasy, could be mistaken for a smile as he glanced at his Oracle.

  ‘Altermichan.’ Cantix had a habit of using my full name. Another thing I disliked about the man. I hate my name. It feels so restricting. Don’t know why, it just feels that way.

  ‘Your excellence,’ I replied.

  ‘Thank you for coming on such short notice.’ Yeah, as if I had a choice. A notice from Cantix wasn’t actually a voluntary thing. It was a summons—mandatory. Now get to the point, will you?

  ‘Something has come to my attention and I need your assistance.’ I nodded. What else was I supposed to do. His requests were not exactly something you could refuse. At least not if you wanted to stay alive. ‘Aquanaris has seen a very bleak future.’ So, what’s new? I don’t think she has ever seen anything that would be remotely positive. I had to reign in my emotions. Cantix was sending me strange looks.

  ‘There will be a war. One that will expose our kind to the humans. This will violate the first objective and must be avoided at any costs.’ The first objective; never let the human world know that we are here. And by “we” the objective means any supernatural creature. Ours’ is a secret world. We are around humans every day but must never let our presence be known. Some have in the past, and that usually didn’t end well.

  ‘Therefore, we need to take action.’ Here the “we” meant “you”. Whatever it was, it was quickly becoming my problem.

  ‘What was the prophecy?’ I aimed my question at Cantix and flatly refused to ask Aquanaris. This would no doubt piss her off—well tough.

  Cantix smiled again at my childish antics and turned to his Oracle. ‘Please Aquanaris, enlighten us.’

  The Oracle stepped forward from behind the throne-like chair and placed an intricately decorated piece of animal skin on the table. At least I hoped it was animal skin. With her you never knew. There have been rumours.

  The monotonous humming and the way she waved her long thin hands over the parchment was hypnotising. My eyes followed her right hand and then transferred to the left as the two met over the middle of the decorations. Small plumes of green-blue smoke wound through her fingers as she continued to move. My ears blocked out any other sounds than that of her voice. I was beginning to feel light-headed. Weak. I shook my head in an attempt to expel the hold that I could feel encroaching on my consciousness. No way. No way would I let myself get under her spell.

  I stared through the smoke at the skin. The decorations moved, forming pictures, though what precisely was unclear.

  Aquanaris clapped her hands loudly, the sound carried and echoed in the vast chamber. I jumped backwards, my right hand grabbing the heft of my sword. My nerves felt frayed by the unexpected sound. Aquanaris lips were curled up in a vicious smile. This was payback for my earlier slight. I should have known that she wouldn’t let that one pass in a hurry. I could feel the blush on my cheeks as I stepped forward again to peer into the softly dispersing smoke. The skin clearly showed a new image. There were two figures on the parchment. One a Werewolf standing on its hind legs, mouth agape leaning forward, its blood covered fangs reaching for the opponent; a Sabretooth that towered above it. The long canines of the feline were bright red and the claws ripped into the Wolf’s body. As I watched, the image moved, playing out a scene in a movie. The Sabretooth slas
hed its claws again and again, spraying blood in all directions. The Wolf struggled to stay upright but finally dropped to its knees. The bite of the long canines ripped out the Wolf’s throat and the body fell to the floor on top of a multitude of other corpses. The image zoomed out to show a large battle field strewn with dead Werewolves, Sabres and human-like creatures. It was a massacre.

  ‘This is what will happen,’ the Oracle proclaimed. ‘The Wolves and the Sabres will fight to the death. They will expose us all and a war with the humans will be inevitable.’

  I thought the conclusion was quite a stretch, but I got the drift. It was bad.

  Chapter 4

  I willed my eyes to leave the parchment and look into Cantix’s face. His shrewd eyes watched my every reaction. The lines on his forehead were deep and pronounced as he contemplated what to say next.

  I beat him to it, ‘why me?’ I asked.

  ‘Because you are the best shapeshifter we have. You can walk amongst both tribes without them noticing. You can assimilate until the time is right to stop all this.’

  ‘By stop all this you mean kill them?’ I’m kind of direct. Don’t know if he appreciated it. But that wasn’t my problem. He knew me. To the side I heard the Oracle’s sharp intake of breath.

  Cantix nodded. ‘If necessary.’ He had a bit more of a sense of humour than his seer. Besides, he knew that I was the one holding the short straw. You do not say “no” to Cantix. Not if you value your life. I think I already mentioned that.

  ‘Yes, you may need to kill the ringleaders. Your mission is to make sure that there are no more thoughts of rebellion and war.’ Rebellion? Now that was a strange choice of words. Rebellion against whom? I decided not to react to what I was sure was a slip of the tongue. I would draw my conclusions later.

  ‘How do I know which ones I have to kill?’ I asked. ‘The prophecy didn’t exactly zoom in on personal characteristics. Not sure I could pick those two out of a crowd.’ Why, oh why, did I always have to push the cynical jabs home? Cantix laughed out loud, a deep rumbling sound that reverberated through the hall and shook the platform we were on.

  ‘You will have to find out,’ he finally answered. ‘Aquanaris will fill you in on the details.’ Oh shit. Not her. I’d have to spend more time with Mrs. Plank.

  Cantix pushed his chair backwards and stood to his full height. He towered over me, my head barely reaching the centre of his chest, and I’m not small. My body urged me to step backwards, but I refused to comply. No way would I give in to the intimidation that Cantix was known for.

  ‘I will leave you two to work out the details,’ he said as he turned to leave the platform. ‘I expect frequent feedback from you Altermichan, and for that I will assign you a mage. Through him you can report back to me.’ A mage? Hell no.

  ‘I work alone,’ I stated. Frustration clear in my voice.

  ‘Not this time.’ He dismissed me as easily as that. With him the other members of the Council left the stage, leaving me alone with Aquanaris who was beaming from ear to ear. She was enjoying this no end. My big mouth and attitude regularly get me into trouble, and this was one of the big ones. I had a major issue with the Oracle. She was curious. Much too curious. And I had enough to hide.

  Aquanaris moved around the table towards the side where I stood. Her tall stiff frame glided over the floor, her long gown swishing across the stone tiles. She came close—much too close—and I stepped back until my buttocks hit the table top effectively stopping my progress. This was not going well. My hand moved towards my sword. The grip offering me some comfort. Aquanaris’ eyes strayed to the weapon. It was legendary, as was my prowess in using it. Her advance faltered and she stopped a metre in front of me. The air between us tingled. The energy raised the hairs on the back of my neck. I felt the fur pricking through the skin alongside my spine. I had to control it. To let the beast out now would be extremely detrimental to my longevity.

  I slowly relaxed my hand and let it fall from the hilt of the sword. The action wasn’t lost on the Oracle. I saw her eyes register it and noticed a slight soothing of her stiff exterior. The minimal rise in her chest indicated that she was breathing again. Good to know that I had that effect on her. I’d keep that in mind.

  ‘Tell me about the prophecy,’ I said, slightly more friendly than I normally would. I needed to diffuse the situation a bit more. Get her away from me. ‘The sooner we start, the quicker I can get this whole thing over with.’

  She nodded, her eyes trying to lock on to mine. I avoided her. Not sure that she wouldn’t see the beast inside. She was clever.

  In the next hour she filled me in on what they knew, which was precious little. A lot of “ifs” and “maybes.” Not very concrete. The main gist of the whole thing was what Cantix had already told me. I was to find out who the two leaders were and kill them before they started the whole mess.

  Chapter 5

  Trust Aquanaris to find the geekiest mage ever born.

  The guy was tiny, the top of his head only just came up to my chin. His face was chiselled and stark, almost cadaverous. Was there no flesh on this guy? Frankly, I had to sniff the air to make sure that I wasn’t talking to a dead body. Nope, no death smell, no tell-tale earthy decomposition scent. The guy was alive. His deep-set eyes shifted from one side to the other as he shuffled forward from behind the Oracle. He wouldn’t look me in the eye, or her for that matter. His fidgeting was already getting on my nerves. This was going to be a long mission.

  ‘This is Alex,’ Aquanaris introduced us. I nodded. More would probably have terrified him.

  ‘Hullo.’ I could just about make out the whispered acknowledgement.

  ‘And what exactly is Alex going to do?’ My question was aimed at the Oracle. He wouldn’t have answered anyway.

  ‘He will be your liaison with the Council,’ she explained. ‘Alex will report back to us on your progress.’ Great, just what I need. The Council looking over my shoulder all the time. ‘He will also assist you with research and any other help that you need.’ I looked at the small timid man again. I couldn’t fathom what assistance he could offer during an assassination. He’d probably shit his pants at the first sign of blood.

  ‘You sure he will be able to stomach the kills? And the mopping up of the blood and guts?’ I asked, observing his reaction more than the Oracle’s. I wasn’t disappointed. He blanched and his eyes opened in shock. Guess she hadn’t told him about that part yet.

  ‘He will surprise you,’ she answered. Yeah, and himself too if he’s supposed to keep up with me. I didn’t have the patience for this. Nor did I want a tag-along. I would have to get rid of him at the first possible opportunity.

  I turned and started to walk away. About ten steps on I stopped and turned. Alex was still in the same place, cowering behind Aquanaris.

  ‘You coming? Or what?’ I said impatiently. He was getting on my bad side already.

  My comment—with just the right amount of threat in the tone—got through the scared exterior and he scrambled towards me, almost falling off the Council’s platform. He flailed his arms but managed to stay upright as he made up the distance. I sighed, disgusted at the wimp, turned and walked on out of the stupid castle. I’d been here much too long for my comfort. Every time I was around the Council, I needed to call on every fibre of restraint that I had within me just to leave them alive. And now they’d stuck me with a new almost impossible mission and saddled me up with a dim-wit to boot.

  Just my luck.

  One comment kept nagging at my brain as I walked back down the endless hall on my way out of the huge building; “Rebellion”.

  Now what was all that about?

  Chapter 6

  Away from the Council, Alex started to defrost a bit. His fidgeting continued, but not to the same nervous extent that I saw earlier. We were back in the “normal” world in my off-road jeep on a stretch of deserted road in the Appalachian Mountains. The vehicle bumped and bounced over the dirt road as I drove much too fast.
Being immortal made me reckless. Not only that, but I wanted to keep the mage on his toes. The sooner he started to really fear me, the easier it would be to get rid of him. There were things that the Council was not allowed to know about me, not yet. So, this guy snooping around would not do at all.

  He hung on to the door-handle for dear life, his face almost as pale as earlier. Well, welcome to my life, I thought, laughing internally. The poor schmuck would not have an enjoyable time shadowing me.

  The dirt-road made way for an Interstate as we almost launched off the rough terrain into civilisation. A tiny muffled scream sounded from my left. Again, I smiled. We continued in silence for almost a hundred miles. At some point I glanced to my left, almost sure that he had fallen asleep, but no, he was observing me.

  ‘Where are we going?’ he asked.

  ‘To where I currently live,’ I answered. ‘We need to find the targets.’ He nodded his agreement. ‘Do you have any idea where to start?’ I asked.

  He thought on that for a few moments. Just before I repeated the question he replied. ‘We know that they are large Werewolf and Sabre communities,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘They will probably be somewhere near each other, or there wouldn’t be a real threat of war.’ Hmm, maybe he would be useful after all.

  ‘Do you have a computer?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, of course,’ I answered slightly vexed. It hardly registered with him.

  ‘And good Internet connection?’