“Truly, the tongue is an unruly evil, full of poison that no man can tame. There comes a time in every young man’s life where he meets his moment of truth. This is yours. Believe it or not your parents do love you and were trying to protect you from a past that they and most everyone else would like to forget about. In your parent’s time, the world was a much different place. Everything went from unimaginable prosperity to unrest, race riots, and eventually civil war. The exact reasons all this came to pass are still debated by scholars to this day, but I have my own suspicions. Why are you looking at me like that?
Naurus was red hot with anger and confusion. I need to get out of here. I don’t know who to trust. There’s only one person I can turn to now. I can’t be here anymore. These platitudes and lectures are garbage. He shot up on that thought and hastily made his way back outside into the cool dusk. It wasn’t long before he found himself at the only place he could feel safe right now. Talfin's gleaming, beady eyes were a comforting sight, and soon they were all tucked away in his humble abode.
“Talf, I know this is crazy. But basically, I can’t trust anyone besides you right now. But I’m so damn thirsty, who do I have to kill to get a drink around here?”
Talfin stroked his burnt orange beard in a wisp of thought. He got up and rummaged around in the larder, pulling out a bottle of wine and some ceramic goblets. Naurus eagerly gulped down the cheap wine which was far too fruit forward. It was the fuel he needed to regale Talfin with a tale of events which easily consumed the whole bottle necessitating yet another bottle of not quite ripe fermented grape juice. It was late, the candles had just about burned down, and a lantern was lit up to keep them out of the dark. Talfin was riveted by all the revelations but seemed incredulous as well.
“So ye meanin’ to tell me that yer ‘rents dinnae tell you the truth even about theyselves?”
“Yes, that’s exactly it. It explains so much but at the same time, what am I supposed to do about it? Now I’m wrapped up in some shady past of my father and that’s bullshit!” Naurus lamented.
“Me thinks I have an idea.” Talfin said after a moment of pause.
“Yes, and what is that?”
“Me thinks we need ta follow yer old man the next time he goes out an’ about. Surely that would help us figure out what he’s really up to, ken?”
Naurus thought it over, deeply sighing and rubbing his tired eyes. “Yeah that makes sense I guess. I don’t want to go home tonight though. Can I just crash here?”
“Of course ye can, pal! I should ‘ave an old bedroll somewhere in ‘ere.” Talfin went to rummage through a closet.
Do I even want to follow my father around like some spook? What he if catches on? What the hell have I gotten myself into?
The bedroll was laid out and he became as comfortable as he could on stiff padding over the creaky wooden floor. The nightlife outside at least hadn’t changed at all. A distant hooting of an owl could be heard when it wasn’t drowned out by stray cats and dogs brawling for control of whatever dumpster had the tastiest scraps in it. He refused to spiral into despair and negativity, knowing that the curse would probably be triggered yet again by such thoughts. The belly full of cheap wine made that much easier, and soon enough the task ahead didn’t seem so daunting after all.
Naurus was awakened the next morning by the coarse snoring of his still sleeping friend. It wasn’t a particularly soothing sound, so he dealt with it the only way he knew how. Throwing his boot at the lump of snoring mass on the bed did the trick. Talfin jolted awake, oblivious as to why he suddenly woke up. Over a meager breakfast they brainstormed the best way to go about tailing a man with a sharp eye and a shady past. They hashed out the approximate time range that Talfin would need to be at a predetermined meeting point. Naurus would meet him there all the while keeping a distant tail on his father. If nothing else, he knew his father was a very punctual man and practically never deviated from his usual evening departure times. With all that business ironed out, Naurus bid his goodbyes and headed back home, not at all looking forward to the conversation that his father would assail him with now that Recht was back wherever the hell he usually spends his time.
Indeed, as he walked in the door his father was in the middle of spiking his coffee with an exotic looking brandy. His eyes were dark, baggy and betrayed a fit of insomnia. His father didn’t say a word to him, only glanced at him briefly. His mother was sitting on the couch knitting something or other as was her usual morning routine. Naurus simply sat down at the table across from his father, thinking of the best way to cut the tension choking the air. He never got the chance.
“Well son, I’m glad you didn’t run away at least.”
Naurus shifted uncomfortably. “No...no I didn’t. Why would I abandon my family like that?”
His father sipped his hot bean and booze water with a shaky hand. “I don’t know. I know after what happened yesterday it’s going to take some time to get over it is all. I know you’re probably upset at us too.”
“Of course I am! I’m way more than just fucking upset if you must know. I’m not going to lie about myself to those I love unlike some people I know!” The bolt of snark hit its mark, his father winced with discomfort.
His mother stopped her knitting and quietly sat down with them. She looked uncomfortable and out of place.
“I was afraid of when this day would come. I tried my hardest to keep my past away from you but it was in vain. The one thing for certain right now is we are in this together, as a family.” His father said with melancholy.
“Well that’s great to hear.” Naurus started off with a sizzle. “Now what about what Recht said? Apparently, you aren't what you appear to be. Apparently, I look like a freak because of you. I can’t believe—”
“Stop, just stop.” His father interrupted. “Do you know how old your mother is?”
“Yes of course, she’s fifty. What a stupid question.”
“And how old am I?”
“You are sixty.”
“Wrong.”
“Oh of course, do tell father dearest how wrong I am yet again.” Naurus felt hot in the face.
“Recht was right. I’m not exactly human. I’m a changeling. I’m actually one hundred and fifty-three years old—”
“Bullshit! If you really are then change into a cat, a dog, or a pile of horse shit for all I care. Do it now!” His father stared at him, then at his mother, then back at him with an ugly smile.
“Son, I simply can’t. Don’t look at me like that. Like you, I have a curse upon me. Unlike you, it’s not a sigil anywhere on my body. Changelings must have a strong connection with magick to affect their polymorphing. My connection has been severed, due to being present to witness the events long ago in those godforsaken woods you stumbled into. I was there the moment when it went from a peaceful and tranquil wilderness to a killing field of despicable and wanton violence.”
“Was this before or after you saved mom from her ambush which almost killed her?”
His mother perked up and gave him a strange look. “What’s he talking about, dear?” She turned to her husband, who didn’t say a word.
“And who did you hear that from, hm?” His father asked coldly.
“Someone who hasn’t lied to me nearly as much as you have!”
“Ah...there’s only one old fool who that could be. I see you’ve been spending some time with Ektor. Your mother’s past is insignificant to all this, she is your mother and you will respect her and love her all the same. And to answer your question it was after.”
Naurus looked at his mother. Her eyes were glazed over, and her face was completely blank. This was something which he had seen only a handful of times when he had asked about her younger years and was usually fed some generic tales interlaced with lamentations about the havoc of old age on memory. His mother was trying her hardest to remember her past at this moment, but her face said it all. He actually felt a pang of pity and remorse for the situation he and his fa
mily found themselves in.
“So, are you going to fill me in on all those fancy titles Recht dropped?” Naurus rang out to end an awkward silence.
“Well, as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now I was far more than a sapper back in my day. That wasn’t a lie, so don’t give me that face. I did indeed start as such, but I worked my way up the ranks. My innate abilities as a changeling proved to be immensely useful in service to the empire. The power and prestige brought a nice pay grade with it too. Eventually I lived long enough and served tirelessly enough to be handpicked to lead a clandestine intelligence service, so named the Black Door. I reported directly to Recht, who himself directly reported to the Immortal King. It was I who oversaw an entire regiment of tier one operators that nobody could apply for as they were exclusively hand selected and swore an oath of secrecy. The very few foolish enough to break that oath were fitted for their wooden overcoats in short order. However, even though the Black Door disbanded decades ago, I still have unfinished business with some of the former members that are still alive. I don’t feel particularly at liberty to discuss it here and thus break that same oath which I swore with my blood.”
Naurus nodded along and contemplated every word, trying to piece the mess together in his own head. “I don’t really get it. What did you actually do? Why was such a secretive operation necessary? I thought the empire was peaceful and prosperous beyond all measure?”
“You aren’t wrong son, it was indeed all that and more. Ours was a mission of rooting out seditious and treasonous elements. Political dissidents such as democrats and socialists too. The empire was quite vibrant, and here where elves, dwarves, and man intersected there was plenty of cultural tension to be had. Those that stepped too far out of line…well our job was to scare them back into line. We could usually accomplish this peacefully. For example, we would pick the lock into their home and rearrange some furniture then leave. That was usually enough to make them think twice about how false their sense of sanity and security was. If that wasn’t enough, gang stalking was employed to constantly keep tabs on them, letting them know ever so subtly that they could run but they couldn’t hide. On some occasions it would have to get physical. I never enjoyed the wet work, but it had to be done to save innocent lives. Are you bored now?”
“Huh? No…not at all. I’m just thinking is all.” Naurus rubbed his temples, realizing he spaced out and was staring through the kitchen window at some clouds.
“You have to understand something, son. On paper, the Black Door didn’t exist. I officially didn’t exist. We were all considered government assets. Nothing more, nothing less. Our daily lives were unremarkable, but for the fact we lead a completely secret double life in service of the Immortal King. I hope you understand why I never told you sooner. I was sincerely hoping this would never come back to haunt me for the rest of my days.”
His father poured another cup of coffee with another generous helping of brandy to spice it up. The drinking was a constant throughout his whole life, although he seemed far better off than most local drunkards did. Naurus thought little of it at this point, but hitting the sauce so early in the day was indeed unusual. Maybe that’s why he can drink so much and never seems to get fat, stupid, or slow. He isn’t human entirely, but if he’s a changeling then that means….oh by all the gods. Who is my father? Naurus winced.
“What’s that face for?” His father seemed peeved.
“I uh, well you are a changeling apparently. I still don’t entirely believe you, but how do I know that you are you and not some imposter of someone else? I’ve read about changelings, or morphlings so they are called in most bestiaries. Some say you have no base form. Others say you have to kill to take the victims form. Others—”
“Oh gods damn it to hell. You have an incredible ability to read and maintain an encyclopedic knowledge of all the world’s finest bullshit. All the senile old codgers who write those things wouldn’t be able to tell their ass from their elbow on a good day. Nothing but urban legends and heresay. Let me tell you how it really is. What you see is what you get. This is my ‘base form’ as your favorite bums and pies that call themselves ‘authors’ phrase it. I was born from a womb just like you, I didn’t fall from the sky or just apparate out of thin air. My parents weren’t changelings, but my mother definitely had some raw connection to magick. Some sages consider people like her a conduit of magicka, a raw force of energy that can have strange side effects upon one’s offspring if left unchecked. She had disturbingly accurate predilections and even taught herself a few cantrips. I don’t remember much of her now since I’ve long outlived her. I know that sounds bad, but I don’t have the memory of a mage. I’m truly as old as I say I am.”
“Ma, is that true? Is he really that old? Have you never seen him polymorph?”
She turned to her son with a look of concern, love, and a tinge of pain. “Yes dear, it’s all true. I’ve never seen any of these…things you speak of. None of that shapeshifting or what have you. Your father loves you truly, I hope you know that. I don’t remember what life was like before I met him, it’s just been so long!”
Her face turned blank as she started fidgeting with the tablecloth. She was overcome with a strange burst of energy and made off to clean whatever needed to be cleaned that she could see. This wasn’t entirely unusual but seemed to be reliably triggered by any mention or thought involving the past that was forced upon her. Naurus stewed in silence, his father scratched at the scar on his face.
Evening fell upon the bustling city and the bay of never ending shipping and commerce. Naurus bid his time patiently in his room; reading, writing, and thinking of an escape plan if everything goes south. The telltale cue to start the operation had come: the front door closing behind his father. He made sure to make his way out in such a way he wouldn’t be too close behind but close enough to tail. This was easy, as his father seemed to always take the same route that he could see outside his bedroom window. The meeting point were Talfin should have been waiting was along this usual route, timing was crucial here as after a certain point the destination of his father was completely unknown. Thankfully Talfin was exactly where he said he was going to be. His head was covered in a hood as he pretended to be a pan handler begging for handouts by an alleyway between two shops. Naurus tossed a coin in his lap. Talfin looked up with a smile and they silently joined up to keep a close tail on his father.
They had to walk rather quickly to keep up and not get lost in the maze of twists and turns that his father took. They trailed just far enough back that on the few times his father turned around with a hint of suspicion, they simply hid under hood and pretended to be preoccupied with whatever was relevant in the area, be it window shopping, perusing food stalls, or trying to coax a feral with a morsel. This was a precarious game of cat and mouse, but so far, the plan seemed to be working. After a few miles of this, his father seemed to slow down significantly and start paying much more attention to particular street signs and all the people around him. The tailing duo hung back, blending into a crowd of revelers jeering on a troubadour performing on a street corner. His father melted down a dark alleyway, and they made off determined to not lose the answers they were seeking.
At the end of the alleyway there was a wrought iron fence that they were just able to glimpse a shadowy figure vaulting over, outlined against a well-lit window beyond the fence. It had to be his father, they alleyway was completely empty besides for them. The pair made their way up to the fence, looking for his father’s whereabouts and realizing they had no idea which direction in this courtyard he might have gone. Several townhomes abutted the courtyard with various walkways leading out, all shrouded with thick shadows.
“Well slap my ass and call me Sally. If it isn’t the vampyr himself and his stupid sidekick.”
Naurus knew exactly who it was behind him. That undeservedly haughty tone of voice could only come from one person that he knew. He turned around regardless, realizing he had no escape route
now. Swadil stood several paces away, in fact standing there with a sidekick of his own. Their faces were shrouded in hoods and he didn’t know who Swadil’s companion was. They carried truncheons in their hands.
“And jus’ what are ye doing here lad?” Talfin asked with obvious irritation.
“Well, I was going to ask you the same thing. Looks like you two are up to no good, but then again I always knew you two freaks to be little more than criminal scum. Looking to case a joint? That’s too bad, because I’m going to teach you a lesson.”
“What the hell are you on? Just leave us alone and we’ll leave, simple as that. You’re blocking our exit anyway.” Naurus tensed up, realizing he had no weapons himself.
“How astute of you to notice.” Swadil looked at his companion briefly, then flashed a toothy grin which poked out in the soft moonlight. “That's exactly the plan. You had the audacity to come to my backyard and even more so to skulk around in the shadows looking for some easy pickings to relieve from their rightful owners. You freaks are all the same, never playing by the rules. But I will make sure you learn the rules, right here and now. Forfeit any stolen goods, and we might go easy on you.”
“Well the first problem is we have nothing that is stolen on us. I don’t know what—”
“Oh shut it. Your commodore isn’t around to save you now. And you don’t look armed. I will take great pleasure in this.” Swadil cut him off, suddenly advancing with this companion.
Naurus and Talfin glanced at each other, the latter's beady black eyes lighting up with an anger rarely ever seen by anyone they knew. Talfin charged forward, lowering his shoulder and catching Swadil’s companion off guard, sending them both down with the tackle. Naurus stepped forward and attempted to grab the truncheon out of Swadil’s hand as he was momentarily distracted. He was too slow though, and ended up eating the business end of a swing that landed on his shoulder with a dull thud. Now he was angry. He bull-rushed forward and locked horns with Swadil who was halfway through an overhead swing. The momentum carried them several steps back. Naurus saw Talfin rolling around on the ground with his foe and they were trading fists and elbows back and forth. Suddenly, something tripped him up and he reflexively grabbed onto Swadil as he went down, bringing him down to the cold, hard ground as well.
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