There's No Such Thing as Monsters

by Ren Ryder

  I concentrated and sent a surge of mana into the sigil on my right hand, and was immediately rewarded. Bell was flung off the side of the building by a powerful jet of water. Like flexing a new muscle, I felt the strain immediately. I lost my balance to a dizzy spell and nearly followed Bell off the roof.

  “Whoops, might have outdone myself there.” I shrugged.

  I cut off the flow of mana to the sigil on my right hand, and instantly I felt lighter. The remnants of channeling Water washed away the feelings of anxiety I had about working with elemental magic and provided me a sense of budding confidence.

  A smile the size of a crescent moon turned up the sides of my face.

  Bell looked none too happy and was sopping wet on her return. “Hey, that was really mean!”

  My smile widened. “I think I’m getting the hang of this magic stuff!”

  Bell poked me in the forehead. “You shot me off the side of the building!”

  “Here, hold on, I’ll dry you off…”

  “No, wait! Whatever it is you’re about to do, don’t!”

  To Bell’s muffled protests, I toweled her dry with my shirt. Her slight form disappeared within its black folds, and I chuckled to myself when I revealed her newly dried appearance. Her dark green hair was a mussed-up mess, and her shimmery dress was wrinkled. One of her Greek-styled sandals had fallen halfway off her foot, and her face… pfft!

  Bell’s tapered ears were laid flat against her head. “You know, they have a saying where I come from, Kal,” Bell told me, deadpan, a malevolent light gleaming in her eyes.

  “Yeah, what’s— pfft, ahahahah— that?” I asked, honestly curious. I couldn’t help it that I laughed, honest.

  “You mess with a sylph, you get its horns!”

  Bell prodded me in the stomach with the pointed tips of her horns, and although the jabs stung, the damage was minor.

  I squinted down at her.

  “Ahhgh, take this!” She raked her sharp nails, which were just shy of claws, down my chest from sternum to stomach.

  “Ow, that hurts! Okay, okay, enough!” I grabbed the sylph by the waist. She struggled like a wildcat, but wasn’t able to free herself. I took a breath and examined the ragged tears from her last attack.

  “You got me good. It’s about time I changed, anyways.” I rummaged through my pack for Thorn’s hammy-down shirt and waited for the wounds on my chest to clot before shrugging into it. “I really liked that shirt though, it was soft.”

  Bell was refusing to look at me. “Serves you right~”

  “Come on, Bell, don’t be that way.”

  “Hmmph. I don’t like getting wet.”

  “Why? What’s the big deal?”

  Bell was stoutly silent.

  I took a shot in the dark. “What, you… can’t swim or something?”

  Bullseye. Bell jerked and her cheeks darkened, the sylph’s equivalent of a blush.

  “Hah! You can’t swim? How embarrassing!” I laughed. And laughed, and laughed. It was just too funny.

  “I can’t swim, alright! You happy?!”

  When I finally stopped laughing, my sides hurt. I composed myself and set Bell down on my knee, then looked her dead in the eyes. “Look, Bell, not being able to swim— that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Look, when we get out the other side of this mess, why don’t I teach you?”

  Bell leveled a steely gaze at me for a good while before she was satisfied I wasn’t yanking her chain. “You’d… do that, for me?”

  “Sure. It’s a promise. Pinky promise,” I held out my pinkie, and Bell wrapped her hand around it before shaking up and down.

  “Liar liar pants on fire, cross my heart, hope to die, if I lie, stick a thousand needles in my eye.”

  “There, all settled. Now, how about you decide what I do next. Sound fair?”

  Bell was sporting one of her mischievous, toothy grins. “You know… seeing as you’re such a natural and all, why don’t you try for a simultaneous activation? Say… Earth and Wind.”

  I eyed Bell curiously. “You’re not just saying that to get back at me for before, are you?”

  Bell was a picture of innocence. “No, of course not! Whether you manage to do it or not, it will be vital for your eventual mastery of elemental magics.”

  “Yeah, but how many elements do YOU use?” I asked, still suspicious.

  Bell stared at me incredulously. “I’m a sylph. S-y-l-p-h— sylph.”

  Had it been that dumb of a question?

  I narrowed my eyes. “Right, right, of course you are. Okay then, here goes nothin’.”

  I was concerned about dizzy spells, so I levered myself up out of my spot on the roof’s edge and walked on the tiles up the inclined roof until I stood near its peak. There was a small, eight-by-eight flat area up here. Settling myself into my stance, I took a deep, steadying breath.

  “I’m wait-ing! Before the sun goes down~” Bell catcalled.

  First, Wind. “Shu.”

  “Blast off!” Bell cheered.

  A gust of wind, many times more powerful than the jet of Water that had shot Bell off the roof, flung my left foot backwards at gale force.

  The next thing I knew, I was planted facedown on the ground and blood was running from my nose. Groaning, I placed my hands to either side of me and pushed myself back to my feet. I had to lean my head back for awhile until the bleeding stopped.

  All the while Bell’s tinkling laughter filled the air. “That. Was. Hilarious~”

  I leveled a hard stare at her. “Did you have a hand in that?”

  I wiped the last vestiges of blood off my upper lip and onto my pants. “Oh, no, that wasn’t me. You see, you have the greatest affinity for Wind magic. Soo…” Bell trailed off.

  Apparently she expected me to come to the conclusion on my own. "That explains the disparity in strength between my last attempt and this one. But not why you didn’t warn me about it.”

  Bell kicked her feet in the air and whistled.

  I prodded my aching nose a bit before continuing. “Right then, round two— Shu!”

  I reined in the amount of mana I channelled into my Wind sigil. I also flexed my aura to better direct the flow of mana. A gust of wind shot out the bottom of my foot. My body flowed into a roundhouse kick, and I spun all the way around in a circle to disperse the energy. I grinned.

  “Did you see that?!”

  “Yeah, I saw it. So what?” Bell yawned dramatically. “I thought you were going to show me a simultaneous activation, not some cheap dance.”

  I reddened. “I was getting to that! Watch!”

  I shook out my arms and legs. Reset my stance. Took a breath. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  Bell waved. “Go on then.”

  I carefully regulated the flow of mana through my Wind and Earth sigils. “Gai, Shu!”

  My left leg felt lighter, faster, while my right was strong and sturdy-feeling but felt slow as molasses in comparison.

  A pillar of Earth shot out from my foot and flung me out into open air, off the roof of the Grand Library.

  Swinging my body counter to the direction I’d been sent reeling in, I reflexively sent a pulse of mana through my left heel. The resulting gust of wind set me spinning like a top, but pushed me back towards the Grand Library.

  I caught myself mid-fall at the third floor. My breaths came in great gasps, and rivers of sweat ran down my body. Suddenly a bout of dizziness hit me, and I almost lost my grip on the roofline. I shifted my weight and adjusted my grip to my left hand.

  Bell buzzed by my head. “Woah, that was incredible! Well done, Kal. I was very entertained~”

  I fixed her with the dirtiest look I could muster, given the circumstances. “You knew that would happen, didn’t you.”

  “How could I have? I’m not psychic. I’m a sylph.”

  Screw it.

  “Igni.”

  The sigil on my left hand lit up with crimson light. I menaced Bell with a barrage of tiny fireballs.

  Bell
dove and weaved through the rain of fire. “Wait, wait, let’s talk this through! Kal!”

  “That’d be a shame, seeing as you’re such a natural at this.” I continued my onslaught.

  “I’m really sorry! I won’t do it again, honest!”

  I stopped, but let a ball of flame linger in my hand. “Won’t do what again?” My grip was slipping and the muscles of my right arm were screaming, but I didn’t relent.

  “Uh, all the things…?”

  I raised my hand. “Not good enough.”

  “Wait, wait!” Bell raised her hands in earnest supplication. “I won’t mislead you in your training again, okay? Sheesh.”

  “Igni.”

  The watermelon-sized ball of fire flickered and melted away. “That’ll do.”

  “Phew.”

  I reached up and grabbed onto the roofline with my free hand, then painfully pulled myself up and over the edge. I felt fatigued and drained, so I didn’t even consider trying to climb back up to the top of the Grand Library.

  First, sleep. Then I’ll confront this Ouroboros business head-on. Honest.

  I pulled myself up to a safer spot and made myself as comfortable as I could on the hard ceramic. I nestled my head in my arms and fell into blissful, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Surprised to see me?” I called from the doorway.

  The Wasted Minstrel’s owner didn’t even bother to look up from polishing mugs when I stormed into his domain. Rex grunted, then nodded his head at the row of barstools nearest him. There were a handful of patrons scattered across the room. The truly late-night crowd of heavy drinkers looked more likely to fall over in their seats before they went home.

  It became clear there’d be no conversation until I gave ground, so I approached the bar and took a seat. Truthfully, I wanted to yell all sorts of things in Rex’s face, but I knew that wouldn’t get me anywhere. The wooden stool scraped against the floor as I pushed it roughly aside. For effect, I channeled my frustration into the object, a bit petulant.

  I threw down the gauntlet, untying the yellow bandana from around my neck and tossing it on the bar. “Well?” I demanded.

  Rex kept polishing the mug in his hand and didn’t look at me. “Rumors spreading like wildfire throughout the city’s underworld. New London’s ghost is back, taking up the old banner of the Yellow Scarves.”

  I had to know. “Do you want me dead that badly?”

  Rex set down his cleaning rag and filled me a mug of ale from the tap. He plopped the frothy mixture down in front of me, where it sat, ignored. I stared at him, looking for a clue to his thoughts. He was as unreadable as ever.

  “Ouroboros runs The Watch these days, been that way for near a decade now. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

  “So you sent me in blindfolded?” I accused.

  At my raised voice, Rex glared. I looked around, saw the hooded eyes and raised heads, patrons showing new interest in our conversation. I nodded in grudging acceptance.

  I took a deep breath and unclenched my fists, which had gone white. “You want me to take up Thorn’s banner in his place then,” I said, deadpan. “I don’t have much of a choice— either be hunted down or take the fight to them. Isn’t that right?”

  Rex nodded. “You’ve summed it up nicely.”

  “And you planned for this.”

  “Figured ya might need a bit o’ a push. Couldn’t have you running off for another decade or two—” Rex snorted, “Like you’re out taking a walk in the park or sumthin’.”

  My stomach roiled. I likely would have made the decision anyway, but I hated feeling like I’d been manipulated into doing anything. “That was a dirty trick, even coming from an old man,” I released a sharp breath through my nose. “What happens now, between us?”

  Rex shrugged his massive shoulders. “Figure that’s up to you, kid.”

  The way he said it, Rex made it sound like he didn’t care either way what I decided, as long as I did. I hadn’t expected him to be all that apologetic, but his offhand attitude threw me for a loop.

  I would have wondered what Bell was up to, if not for the consistent sound of snoring coming from where she was bundled up in one of the pockets stitched into the lining of my cloak. I should have counted myself lucky. Bell usually would have loved to interject in a conversation like this one.

  “I gave this a lot of thought before I came here, so I already pretty much knew it was going to turn out this way. But what I want to know is why, and, why me?”

  “Why,” Rex snorted and laughed, “Why, the whole city is scared stiff, myself included. The nail that stands tallest is the first to get hammered down. For the oppressed to feel like they have a chance at a better future, somebody needs to show them the way. Don’t matter who, or how, just that it’s done.”

  I leaned back, away. “And that’s where I come in?”

  “Figure, what with your history and all, things aren’t all roses between you and Ouroboros anyhow. So I gave ya a little push, yeah, but ya would have seen it my way sooner or later, wouldn’t ya?”

  I drummed my fingers on the bar, mulling over Rex’s words. “You’re not wrong, but I still don’t like the way you went about it.”

  Rex grunted noncommittally. “Noted. So, ya gonna get to asking me what ya came here for, or are we going to talk round in circles ’til mornin?”

  I let the air in my lungs hiss through my teeth on the way out. I had come to ask something. “I want the locations of all Ouroboros hideouts, bases, and stockpiles you know of.”

  Rex scoffed and spat. “That it?”

  Rex leveled a hard look at me, and I met him stare for stare.

  “That’s it.”

  I never thought the old curmudgeon was likely to hand out the information I wanted with a smile and a wave, but I needed the information. I doubted the sands of time were running in my favor, and New London’s streets had changed so much that the city felt almost alien to me.

  I felt like I had blinders on.

  Rex gave me an appraising look, put one of his big beefy hands on my shoulder. “Now why would you want to know something like that?”

  I shrugged him off. “As if that’s not exactly what you want from me. Lucky for you, I happen to have a very good reason to stand my ground against Ouroboros.”

  “And what reason would you have to be nosin’ around in Ouroboros business?” There was a glint in Rex’s eye as he asked the question.

  I crossed my arms across my chest and leaned back. “My reasons are my own.”

  Rex leaned back and looked at me through a squint. “I like the look in your eyes, kid, I’ll tell ya what ya want to know.”

  Rex rattled off the locations of a half-dozen Ouroboros hideouts. I had no doubt there were dozens, if not scores more, but for what I had planned I knew more than enough. There were four in the Lower Quarter, and one each in the Middle and Upper Quarters.

  I planned to make my way through the Lower Quarter and wrap up in Upper.

  I walked openly and banged on the barn door of a ramshackle two-story building that skirted the edge of the warehouse district.

  There was no need for subtlety. I was here to send a message. If Ouroboros feared ghosts and monsters despite what they traded in, I’d be happy to fill that role for them.

  Grimly amused, I chuckled under my breath. “Funny that there aren’t any guards. I suppose Ouroboros feels real sure of itself right about now. But, hey, you know what they say— pride cometh before the fall.”

  I was dressed all in black and had my cloak wrapped around me, but I kept my hood down so my face was visible. The flickering flames of lampposts placed intermittently around the circumference of the building cast my figure in an eerie light.

  Bell floated by my side. There was a solemn air about her. “This is your last chance to back out before things take a serious turn.”

  “I’m not backing down, you know that— and you know what’s at stake.”

  Bell sigh
ed and tucked herself away in the breast pocket of my shirt. “I know.”

  A few minutes passed before I called it. “Looks like nobody’s home. Wha’dya say we let ourselves in?”

  “You asking for permission, or forgiveness?” Bell said, her tone implying she was humoring me.

  I grinned. “Neither.”

  I pulled on the handle. It didn’t give at all. Looking through the small crevice between the door and the building, I could tell the barn door was barred from the other side. I didn’t see any windows or other weaknesses in the structure I could take advantage of, so I planned a direct approach.

  Fixing a clear mental image in my head beforehand, I evoked Wind. “Shu.”

  My left leg glowed silver and a semi-hard cyclone of wind whipped up dust from the surroundings as it spun merrily around my limb. A subtle strain settled on my chest and in the muscles of my leg, similar to the feeling of physical exertion.

  “Satisfied, or are you going to stand there ogling yourself all night?”

  Bell sounded miffed. I wonder why.

  I slid my makeshift crowbar through the gap between the door and the wall, then swung my leg up as hard as I could. I felt the vibration in my toes as the thick wooden beam used to bar the door fell and rolled across the ground.

  I cut off the supply of mana feeding the makeshift magic I’d conjured and watched, intrigued, as the physical phenomena faded away. “You know, this magic stuff sure comes in useful.”

  Bell stuck her tongue out at me.

  It took some doing to get the door to lumber open on its old, squeaky hinges, but then the way ahead was clear. I stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind me. At first I couldn’t see much of anything beyond the shadowed entryway, but my eyes soon adjusted to the near pitch-black room.

  This building wasn’t anywhere near the size of the warehouse I initially arrived at cross-purposes with Ouroboros over, but it wasn’t by any means small. And from the looks of it, it was packed to the gills with pallets, crates, boxes crammed full of contraband.

  I dug through some of the crates nearest me and found packaged bricks of a crystalline powder I vaguely recognized. I rubbed a few grains off the surface of the brick and tested it with my tongue. Then I spat, violently, and wiped my tongue clean on my shirt. I knew it alright; the drug’s street name was laplace.