by Matthew Fish
“Just about every Perpetual out there knows that, I’ve been back in the field,” William spoke as he nodded. “I don’t exactly know what your angle is here, but as I said before—I’m not amused.”
“I’m kind of a Perpetual now,” Daniel spoke as he attempted to regain Captain Dickson’s attention. The captain had buried himself in a pile of paperwork. “You have my birth year on file—it should match what you can read from me now.”
Captain Dickson brought his eyes up for a second at the peculiar, but familiar, man as a date popped into his mind. “This…this year…?”
“Well, that’s not exactly what I was expecting,” Daniel muttered as he let that strange thought sink in. “Well that’s something, right? When I first started, you were dating a Perpetual who had a talent for wind—Kate, I think her name was. My partner was Bradley Christian, from the very beginning. He drove like a maniac—used to want to race cars, his birth year is 1806. Yours…I believe is 1810. You told me that once—once we trusted each other. Regardless of all that, I know I look younger—you do as well, might I add. Anyway, I need you to trust me as you once did. I was brought back to stop some creatures that are hunting my son. I know that some things have happened regarding him, though I’m not sure what—nor am I exactly sure how he got himself caught up in this whole Conductor lifestyle. If I remember correctly, I left a letter with Bradley stating my wishes against it.”
“That’s an awful lot of information that only Mark should know,” William spoke as he leaned forward and stared at the man who claimed to be Daniel Argent across from him. The darkness of the man’s eyes looked familiar. A deeper shade of blue than Mark’s, his hair was also jet black—though the last he had seen of Daniel, his hair was starting to grey a bit. “How is this possible?”
Chapter 6
I do not remember much about that night—the one where I died. I remember that it was a simple mission, a drug bust. Some small bit players were supposed to be there. We were hoping to finally put an end to Tany Zampa’s operation. I had gone on countless missions like that before. However, this time, there was something up with Bradley’s ability to be a Spotter. We encountered about six men just in the entrance of a warehouse off Lake Michigan. I was ready to pull coins, however—Bradley could not give me dates. He tried his best to provide cover as we attempted to back off. I remember feeling a hot, wet feeling as a shot hit me in the back. It became hard to breathe. Another shot of pain filled me and I fell to the ground. Not too long after that, I found it impossible to breathe.
I do not have any memories after that—at least none that I can recall. I just remember waking up in darkness. There was this heavy, dirt smell—like damp earth. My mind felt as though it had been wrought and pulled through the most complex ringer in existence. Everything was fuzzy, reminded me of any of my worst college days of binge drinking. I stumbled around in the darkness for a while, tripping over the roots of trees as I attempted to relearn how to walk properly. As my mind cleared, I worried I was in some kind of hell—or, honestly, I had no idea what to even think at that moment. The only thing that I knew was that I was, essentially, dead. I had at least come to grips with that. My main concert at that moment was attempting to figure out what was going on. I stumbled around in the darkness further, my hand against a dirt wall that crumbled away beneath my touch. I worried that I might wander in the darkness for forever. Luckily, or by fate—I suppose, a strange pulsating amber light appeared in the distance. I then realized I was walking through some kind of a dirt tunnel. Twisted roots from what I imagined to be trees hung overhead like a spiraling maze of knots and stiff embraces of intertwined wood. The tunnel grew larger and grander as I followed up a set of haphazardly placed stairs made from roots and dirt.
The fluxuating Amber light filled my eyes as I reached a great cliff. It took a moment for my vision to adjust. I then spotted a dark skinned man, naked and hanging from his arms above a seemingly endless abyss of darkness below. His skin emitted a strange glow, filling the large space with a warm light. As I approached, the large man groaned. The great roots that he hung from shuddered and creaked as he came to life like some kind of stiff automaton, brought back to action after many years of being discarded away.
“I have been waiting for you, Daniel Argent,” A voice spoke in a loud voice that shook the walls around me, dirt and dust fell down upon me from above.
“I umm,” Daniel spoke as he attempted to make any sense of the strange situation that he was present for. “I do not know why I am here—nor do I know who you are…on the matter.”
“My name may be familiar to you, thought time may have faded its important—it is Abelio,” the man spoke as he creaked in his hanging confines and placed his dark colored eyes upon Daniel, who stood meekly a distance away on the precipice of the cliff.
“It is familiar,” Daniel spoke as he remembered stories that his mother used to tell him. Abelio was the creator of all of the Perpetuals, one of the first of three gods that formed the earth along with Cernunnos and Damara. “Your kind, they call themselves the Children of the Pomme.”
“And you are a child of Damara,” Abelio spoke as he strained against the roots once more and attempted to get a good look at Daniel. “One that fell in love with one of my kind—one that fathered one of my kin.”
“Do you mean Mark?” Daniel asked. However, the question seemed to be rather silly as they passed his lips. As far as he knew, he had not sired any other children. He just never knew that Mark was not anything more than just a mortal— he had suspected he might be a Conductor, though he had hoped that was untrue.
“The trees,” Abelio spoke as he pressed his face against a large root beside him. “They speak to me of something that happens in the future—something that has also already transpired. Your son sets into motion the removal of the old gods from this world. All, that is…but me.”
“I had no idea, I did not know that he was even of your kind,” Daniel spoke as he attempted to let this new information sink in. “Why are you here? Do you wish to leave as well?”
“When the world was very young—I took the form of a mortal. I called myself a Drake. I fell in love with one of your kind, a queen. Our time together was the most magnificent time that I had ever spent on this isle set adrift. However, much as you lost your love, I lost mine. Through means I still cannot understand, she was dragged by a darkness into the earth. Overcome with grief I found myself unable to move. I eventually was brought here, sunken beneath the earth—hanging over this abyss. I too, one day, one year, when my time in this prison is over, will fall. Then I will move onto whatever world lies for me in the after. It is the will of someone unknown to me that all of the old gods will pass from this world—that we may no longer have the power to mettle in the affairs of those who reside here. I know what it means to lose, just as you do. That is why I have awoken you.”
“I don’t understand, I am not anyone of importance,” Daniel spoke as he attempted to make sense of what Abelio had spoken of.
“As times for my people have grown harder—and conflicts have become more and more abundant, I have gifted my children. However, I am not able to gift only the good—I have given many powerful gifts to those that have sought to misuse them. My unwilling indiscretion has caused much trouble, just as Cernunnos’s desire to do good has left him blind to the ills that he has created. As atonement for my part, I have chosen you to carry my will—there exists a threat in your world that must be eliminated—its very existence is an insult to all humanity. This threat extends to your child. A misguided group of my children has set these threats to hunt him—to destroy him and his companions. You will ensure this does not happen.”
“If Mark is in trouble, I will do what I must do,” Daniel said plainly. He felt his strength harden, and his mind was set to whatever task remained ahead. “With that said…what must I do?”
“These misguided children have hidden themselves away beneath the ocean to the west. I will ferry you th
ere through the roots of my beloved trees—from there you will seek them out and they will ask a favor of you, you will carry out this task. After that task is complete, you will know what you must do—let your heart guide you, it will not fail you.”
“If I am to face your kind,” Daniel said as he took in a heavy breathe as if to steel himself for whatever lay ahead. “I will need a spotter, and coins—I will not last long as a mortal Conductor with no tools to protect myself with.”
“You are no longer a mortal,” Abelio’s voice boomed and echoed through the great abyss. “You are also no longer a Conductor—though I will not leave you defenseless.”
At Daniel’s feet, a simple looking axe appeared. It had a worn and old wooden handle and a steel axe head that looked like nothing more than a woodcutter’s blade. He pulled the axe from the ground and held it in his hands. It filled him with an odd sense of confusion for a moment—it clouded his mind and made him feel an uncomfortable feeling of agitation.
“This will protect you from my kind,” Abelio spoke. “It will come to you whenever you require its assistance.”
“And the threats that I am to face…?” Daniel asked.
“Even I do not know how they may be undone,” Abelio answered as the limbs of the roots trembled against his body. “It is something you must discover—when all of the threats are unmade, and removed from this world—your time in this world will also be over.”
“I understand,” Daniel said as he nodded. He would do anything to keep his son safe—he was grateful for any chance he could have.
*
“That’s a hell of a story,” William spoke as he shook his head.
Daniel held a hand out to his side and Abelio’s axe appeared. “I would have a hard time believing it myself—however, I hope this is proof enough of who I am, and why I have returned.”
I have witnessed and heard of some rather terrible things regarding Abelio’s axe,” William said as he eyed the axe nervously and nodded. “Though, none of us would be here without its aid.”
“Where is my son?” Daniel asked as he held his hand stretched out and the axe disappeared from sight. “Is he safe?”
“He is,” William spoke with a nod. “Last time I was in contact with him, he and his…two companions, were hiking north towards Washington, following the Pacific Trail. He’s been through a hell of a lot. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“A Perpetual that calls himself Corveath was after him,” Daniel added. He knew that there was a lot of stories going around about Mark—he figured that he would have time to discover them soon enough.
“The name is not unfamiliar,” William spoke as he thumbed through a large stack of papers inside of a manila envelope. He pulled out a photograph captured by a security camera of an older man with grey hair and a short, trimmed beard. He was wearing an old, torn white shirt and blue jeans. He was holding a gun.
“That appears to be the same man,” Daniel spoke as he studied the photograph. “Though, he has changed his look rather dramatically. Claims to be an elder—wants to restart the Perpetual Council that he claims Mark has destroyed.”
“Mark’s part in that was small, but time and rumors have exaggerated the facts beyond any measure of control,” William said as he let out a long-winded sigh. “Corveath was nothing more than a small gang leader—did petty stuff, like rob banks. Had connections to Zampa, but I think he was even often too insignificant for Tany to bother with.”
“It’s been four years,” Daniel said as he felt a slight bit of apprehension at the name Zampa. “I hope that Tany Zampa and his daughters are not much of a threat anymore.”
“Mark…actually,” William said as he attempted to word the events in a way that would make some amount of sense. “He had a few run-ins with the man, and a few with a couple of his daughters—the bad ones.”
“There are good ones?”
“He’s with one of them,” William said with a nod. “Two of them work with me…so yes, there are exceptional ones. Regardless, Mark put an end to Tany Zampa…in the simplest terms.”
“Then he accomplished what I could not,” Daniel said as he let a small proud smile spread across his face. “And, one of them is his bodyguard then?”
“A bit more than that…” William said shortly without getting too much into the details.
“And Bradley…? Did he make it through that ambush?” Daniel asked as he thought back to his former partner. He had assumed that he had not made it out alive since Mark had gone on to become a Conductor against Daniel’s wishes and concerns.
“He did…” William said as he rapped his knuckles against the table. “A lot has happened actually, Daniel. He kept Mark’s abilities a secret and planned to use him to get revenge for your death. He failed—and there was a bit of a rough time. However, he redeemed himself, but eventually in the conflicts that occurred afterwards he ended up dying….Mark, well, he’s lost a lot of allies—but he’s done so much good.”
“So who took down the old Perpetual Council?” Daniel asked.
“That’s a mix of a lot of things, some of which I’m sure you won’t find exactly comforting,” William spoke nervously continued to tap his knuckles against the wooden desk.
“Alright,” Daniel said as he nodded. There was a lot that he wanted to be caught up on, but at the same time, he had to get information regarding Piper’s kind—he had to find a way to stop them now that he no longer possessed any more silver collars. “I need to speak to Caesar. I was hoping you could take us to see him. I have not actually had reliable transportation or much money since returning…”
“Caesar,” William said softly as his eyes narrowed and he looked down to the table. He rose from his seat, looked to Daniel, and shook his head. “Caesar’s gone through The Passing—Mark was forced to into that duty after they had become close friends.”
“I see,” Daniel said sadly, as he hung his head down. He knew that Caesar had wanted it—he just never really believed that Caesar would actually go through with it.
“So what kind of trouble are we dealing with,” William said as he pulled his black suit coat from the back of his chair and placed it over his shoulders. “I’ll take you to the Red Manor—there’s business there that you’ll want to attend to and maybe we can find you some answers. I’ll also get you hooked up with some transportation and cash.”
Daniel opened up the door, William followed closely behind him. “This is Piper Embry,” Daniel spoke as he introduced the beautiful girl to William.
“Piper, my name is William,” William said as he took the woman’s hand and smiled. “It is good to meet you. I am a good friend of Daniel here—he used to work for not terribly long ago.”
“It is good to meet you as well,” Piper said as she looked to the man and allowed a short smile to grace her kind and beautiful face.
“She is one of the kind—that Abelio spoke of,” Daniel said as he placed his hand gently upon Piper’s back. “She knows just as little about what is chasing us as I do.”
“Chasing you?” William asked. “I thought they were after Mark?”
“We changed their focus,” Daniel spoke as they began to head down the hallway and back towards the elevator. “So…what kind of…”
“Hey!” A young woman with bright, long blue hair announced as she ran down to hallway. “Is that you, you dickwad! Where is that cunt Em? Or your other girlfriend Maddie? I thought you guys were being all tarded out west or something?”
“Amelia,” William said as he made a quick gesture for her to tone it down. “This is actually Mark’s father—Daniel.”
“Holy shit,” Amelia spoke as she held a hand over her mouth. “Aren’t you supposed to be like, super dead?”
“Ahh, technically yes,” Daniel said shortly. He was rather unsure how to react at the young woman’s rather uncouth behavior. She seemed to be a off somehow. However, despite all the cursing, she seemed friendly enough. “It’s odd, but I’m back.”
“Actually, I was hoping that we could leave him out of this,” Daniel said softly.
“Harsh shit, man,” Amelia said as she shook her head. “I guess you got your reasons, but that kinda seems like a dickish think to do.”
“Amelia,” William spoke as he shook his head. “Would you kindly go and fetch Hazamel and meet us at Red Manor. Bring one of the new SUV’s—the heavy-duty ones. Daniel’s and his companion here are going to need it.”
“I get to drive!” Amelia exclaimed as she ran off. “I called it!”
“And let Felecia know that she is in charge until I return,” William added as Amelia happily skipped her away off and away down the hall.
“If I see her, if not she’ll figure it out!” Amelia shouted back in a singsong tone.
“She’s an interesting one,” Piper whispered. All these new people made her feel a little out of place. She had been used to travelling solo with Daniel all this time. At the same time she felt a little safer—after all, the more help—the better their chances of against those that pursued them.
“Yeah, that would be Amelia Stapleton,” William said as he held the elevator open as Daniel and Piper filed in. “She’s a lot like her sister, Emily. A little too much like her at times—actually I’d say she’s the calmer of the two…anyway, she’s a water elemental.”
“Is that of much use in the field?” Daniel asked as he felt the elevator jolt upward.
“You’d be more than surprised with what she can do,” William said as he nodded and looked to Daniel. “Her powers have really surpassed anything that we used to know about water elementals.”
