Dread

by J G Jerome

  After two days of struggle, the party achieved its goal to find the burning rock. It was bigger than the two largest villages of the People combined. The hunting party broke into four teams and surrounded the sky rock from the directions of the Four Winds. They watched throughout the day. They watched throughout the night. They ate trail foods. They drank sparingly from their water bags. They went downwind and downhill to relieve themselves. They took turns sleeping.

  On the second day, in the time of the rising sun, the sky rock split open. Three beings came out of the sky rock. They were not like the people. They stood on clawed feet. They had clawed hands. They stood on their feet like the People, but they were covered in scales like a snake. They had short snouts, somewhat like beasts with sharp teeth. They had tails like lizards. One had horns on its head. One had pointed ears. The last had a tail hanging from its chin like a chicken, or a man’s beard.

  The one with the pointed ears raised its snout to the east and sniffed. It smelled the trail foods. It growled. The others growled in response. They launched up the slope to hunt the eastern team of the People. As the beasts approached, the hunters prepared to defend themselves. They raised their spears.

  The beasts sprang up the slopes. As the beasts closed on the party, the vapor of their breathe hit the faces of the team. Then our brave hunters rode the wind. The beasts landed in the team’s site, but the hunters were riding the wind. They were not there.

  And then our hunters rode the wind among the beasts. They appeared, driving their spears into the beasts. The beasts whirled on the team. The team rode the wind. The team appeared and poked their spears into the beasts before disappearing into a whirlwind. The beasts chased the whirlwinds.

  The beast with the beard was wounded badly. It roared its pain to the Four Winds. It leaped off the side of the mountain. As it fell towards the ground, it grew. It grew wings. The winds carried it into the sky.

  The beast with the pointed ears was wily. It acted more grievously wounded than it was. It listened to the winds. It sniffed the air. It smelled a hunter coming at his side. As the hunter arrived on a gust of wind, the beast grew and snapped its large jaws and caught the hunter in his teeth. The beast jumped into the air and glided down to the sky rock. The beast with horns leapt into the air to join it.

  As the beasts landed, the hunters of the team gathered. The other teams of the hunting party saw their comrade in the maw of the beast. The other beast reached in to tear off a limb. The party was aghast.

  Each of the teams of the party leapt as one into the wind. They rode the winds to the landing spot of the sky rock. Some hunters rode the winds to the flanks of the beasts. Other hunters rode the winds to the backs of the beasts. Some jumped off the wind above the backs of the beasts and rode their spears into the flesh of the beasts. Spears repeatedly pierced the flesh of the beasts. Their roars of pain echoed across the mountainside.

  The Party grabbed the broken body of their brother. They carried his body into the wind.

  Two teams stayed downwind from the sky rock. They never saw the bearded beast return. They did see beings come out of the sky rock. They looked like the People. There were two varieties of beings. There were some that were tall and broad of shoulder. They looked like mighty hunters with fierce expressions. The others were also well-formed. They looked like the people, but they were beautiful. The males and females of these beings both possessed beauty to take the air from your lungs. Other beast people joined them.

  The headman of the fierce ones went to the wounded beasts and killed them. Then they butchered them. All the people of the sky rock ate the flesh of their friends.

  Our hunting party was sick from the sight. The people of the sky rock ate their own people! These would not be our friends. The hunting party returned home to report to the villages.

  Three moons later, the beast with the beard landed outside one of the People’s villages. It brought a yak to the village. It brought another every day for a whole moon. It continued to come back to visit the People regularly. Over many seasons the beast learned our language.

  Over many seasons, the People watched for the Skyrock People. They would appear sometimes to hunting parties. The People avoided them. Sometimes our hunters would get attacked by the fierce hunters of the Skyrock People. The fierce ones would blow grey smoke from their eyes and mouths on our hunters. The smoke would steal the air of our hunters. It would burn our hunters’ skin. The fierce hunters of the Skyrock People came to be known as the Grey People.

  After many seasons, a group of the beautiful Skyrock People came to the People. They asked for help to escape the Grey People. They bred our women. We bred their women. No Djinn were born. All babies were of the beautiful people. The People guided them to the west. They settled at the isthmus between the sea of black water and the sea of warm water.

  Over many seasons the beast with the beard began to bring others of its kind. We came to call them Dracha. They became our allies.

  Over many, many seasons the humans came to resemble the People more. They bred with the beautiful ones. They bred with the Grey People. Sometimes the People bred with humans, but no Djinn were born.

  Over many seasons, one of the fierce ones was born without the grey smoke. This fierce one began to hunt the others with a green fire. The Green Man hunted the Grey People. He killed them and burned their bodies. He took many wives among the beautiful Skyrock people. He befriended the short hairy people. He bred women of the People. Djinn were born!

  The Djinn, Brownies, Sidhe, and Dracha all came to live and work together to hunt down the Grey People. Over many seasons, the Grey People disappeared.

  It was a golden time when game was plentiful, the Earth Mother was generous, and the Four Winds blessed all of us.

  * * *

  “Hmmm.” I scratch my chin as we park at the harbor. “So I’m a mutation, and the Dread Lord is the norm?”

  Zandra says, “Well...yes. And it gives some credence to the whole ‘ancient aliens’ conspiracies thing.”

  Eileen laughs. I’m not sure what to think about this. Oh well.

  “Let’s talk more about this later,” I say. “It’s time to rescue Malia.”

  I look at Zandra, “By the way, do you know where Abu bin Hassan is?

  She chuckles, “Of course, my lord. He is at my apartment. Seriously. I stumbled across him when I was walking home from work. He’s stable for now. I have an admirer from Syria that is a doctor. He gave Abu the same treatment he would have received in the Emergency Room.”

  I shake my head and get out of the car. That was easy.

  I’m feeling ready for battle despite the whole ‘lift the bad guy with your mind’ thing earlier. Either I’m getting stronger, or the love of my ladies has really filled my reservoir well.

  *Both, I think,* Eliana whispers in my mind.

  Trina, Eileen, and Zandra stay with the cars. I and my Elven ladies walk over to Aslan’s car and watch from there as Ali walks up to the guards on the gangplank.

  15 - Two rescues in one hour

  The two goons on the gangplank don’t recognize Ali at first due to the loss of all his hair. Once he starts yelling at them, they get the picture. Interestingly enough, they don’t take any shit off him. There’s much waving of hands and pointing of the submachine guns the goons have slung on their shoulders.

  I have a diabolical thought. I grin and look at L’liana.

  She says, “Husband? What are you going to do?”

  I tell her, “I just thought of a new use for blinking. Let’s find out if it works.”

  She gasps, “No…” as I look back towards the goons and blink.

  I blink right behind them on the gangplank and grab them by the scruff of their jackets, and blink to the bow of the barge. Then I look up and try to blink about 100 feet straight up.

  I think I misjudged because the barge looks about the size of my thumbnail, but I release my captives anyway. Then I blink back behind Aslan’s SUV.

&n
bsp; Fortunately, I hadn’t fallen very far before I blinked, but even so I rolled as I landed. I got back to my feet and joined my ladies.

  I wrap an arm around each and murmur, “This should be interesting.”

  About that time the two goons scream into the bow of the barge and buckle the deck. There is a red mist hanging over the prow. Ali runs to the cabin of the barge and starts calling out. A guy comes out of the cabin; Ali gestures wildly towards the gangplank and the bow. I can make out occasional words but they are talking really fast and screaming a lot. The guy from the cabin runs toward the bow as Ali ducks inside the cabin. One of Aslan’s guys from the second vehicle circles around us with a silencer-clad rifle. He leans on the hood and sights in. As the third guard stands up from inspecting his colleagues to vomit, there’s dull pop, and then the guy drops.

  “Nice shooting,” I tell the shooter in Turkish. He stands and nods to me as he heads to the back vehicle.

  I blink to the cabin of the barge. L’liana and Jessica blink in right after me with weapons drawn.

  I call out in Arabic, “Ali? Where are you?”

  I hear his muffled reply, “In the captain’s quarters with the prisoner.”

  I step past the con and take the stairs down into the sleeping quarters. I spot Malia tied up on the bed trying to kick Ali every time he reaches for her.

  I chuckle. In German I tell her, “Malia, Schätzchen! He’s trying to free you!”

  She gasps in joyous surprise when she looks at me. “Uncle Jack!”

  I walk to her, touch the ropes around her legs, and ‘remove’ them. They pool around her feet in a loose coil. I tell her, “Your papa is outside. I promised him I would find you. Ali is helping me.”

  I reach behind her and ‘remove’ the ropes around her wrists. She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me tightly as I lift her off the bed and set her on her feet. I try to step away, but she holds onto my shoulders as she looks at me.

  Malia says in nearly accentless English, “Damn, Uncle Jack. When did you go get all hot?”

  L’liana says, “Right?” She and Jessica chuckle as Malia takes them in. She stares at Jessica’s pointed ears and nearly dark grey skin.

  I tell Ali in Arabic, “Good job, Ali. Please let Aslan know that Malia is safe and that I’m bringing her out.”

  He nods and gently brushes past my two ladies in the doorway.

  Malia says to my ladies, “Hello.” She asks Jessica, “Are you an Elf?”

  L’liana says, “We both are.” She drops her glamour so Malia can see her ears.

  I say, “Malia, this is my wife L’liana and my girlfriend Jessica.” They each wave when I mention their names.

  L’liana asks, “Jack can we keep her? She’s absolutely stunning. She would fit into the seraglio easily.”

  Malia says, “I could be second wife! No problem at all. Is he great in bed?”

  Both of my ladies say “Yes!” as I say “Whoa!”

  L’liana says, “I’m actually wife number six.”

  Malia says, “Okay. I’ll be number seven.” I palm my face.

  Jessica says, “Number seven is spoken for, and I am certain you don’t want to get between Eileen and her ‘number seven’ slot.”

  Malia responds, “Oh! I figured she was already number one. She came with Uncle Jack to visit a couple of times.”

  I tell Malia, “You are going back to your family who has been pulling their hair out. Clear, Schätzchen?”

  “Uncle Jack! I want to stay with you!”

  “No, honey. I’ve got some dangerous stuff to do. I don’t want you anywhere near that.”

  “But you brought your wife and girlfriend,” she reasons. “It can’t be that dangerous.”

  I laugh and scoop her up into a bridal carry, “Schätzchen, you have no idea what you’re saying. They are both highly trained and dangerous. They’re here to pull me out of trouble if I get in over my head.”

  She wraps her arms around my neck and leans on my shoulder. I start up the stairs as she huffs, “As if. Papa always called you ‘Jack the Hunter.’ He said of all the dangerous people on the planet, you are the LAST one he would want to piss off.”

  “Here, here!” exclaims Jessica. L’liana just giggles.

  I call over my shoulder, “Glamours, ladies!”

  There’s a short moment of quiet and then I hear them in unison, “Yes, my Lord.” I know they have cheesy grins on their faces without even looking. Malia is watching them over my shoulder. Suddenly all three ladies start giggling shrilly.

  I shake my head as I carefully maneuver Malia through the corridors and portals to the deck of the barge. I tread my way gently across the gangplank and tell Malia, “You will behave Schätzchen, or I will pitch you into the harbor.”

  She murmurs into my neck, “Yes, Uncle Jack.”

  As soon as I step off the gangplank the little minx starts nibbling on my neck with way too much expertise for me to accept from my ‘little niece.’ I swat her ass, and she lurches in my arms.

  “Get ready to get down, brat!”

  “Yes, Uncle Jack,” she says innocently. I set her down on her feet, and she runs to her Papa’s SUV.

  As Aslan steps out to catch his flying daughter, L’liana and Jessica hook their arms through mine. L’liana says, “She wasn’t joking, Jack. That girl is in love with you. She actually said in her mind, ‘I can’t wait for him to make me a real woman.’ She is going to keep pressuring you.”

  Jessica adds, “I don’t need to be a mind reader to see that. She’ll be on our doorstep about the time we move into the new house.”

  I laugh, “No way. Her father has her passport locked away for just such an eventuality. He raised it as an issue when she was fourteen. That was how I told him to control it.”

  Jessica says with surety, “She will be there. If she does, I’m proposing to you. I want to be in line before that child wears you out.” Both ladies chuckle some more.

  “And our new Djinn friend wants the same,” L’liana says as she pokes my ribs.

  “Yeah, I picked up on that. I think for her it’s more of a matter of survival for her people,” I say.

  “Nope,” says Jessica. “She’s in for the long haul. I think she would abandon her people to their fate if you asked her to.”

  I stop by Aslan and Malia. “My friend, I am going to drop off Zandra and head back to our hotel. I need some sleep before I go on a hunt.”

  “Good night, my friend,” Aslan says. “Thank you for finding her and bringing her back to me.”

  I pat his shoulder and say, “Increase security around all your family until I have dealt with the boss of these guys. Be safe, my friend.” I caress the Malia’s back and kiss her cheek. “Stay safe, Schätzchen!”

  We hustle off to our respective vehicles and mount up. Zandra gives Eileen directions and we head to her apartment.

  I hear L’liana’s voice in my head, *Malia was imagining what it would be like to suck your cock when you kissed her cheek, my Lord Husband.*

  I shrug and decide to play along, *Did it seem like she knew what she was doing?*

  I hear her giggle in my mind, *Actually, she seemed quite expert. Maybe that’s how she’s been scratching her itch while she dreams of you, Jack!*

  I respond, *I bet it made you wet thinking of her sucking my cock while you watched. Maybe you were thinking about me fingering your pussy while she did it?*

  *(Gasp) Oh yes, Lord Husband! Play with me while you fuck all your women!*

  *And then take you last, Lili?*

  *(Moan) Ye-e-e-essss, Lord Husband!*

  I grin in the darkness and caress Eileen’s leg. *Maybe me fucking you while you eat Eileen’s pussy!*

  *(Whining moan) Oh yes, please! Oh shit, I said that out loud, too. Now Trina is going to want all the details!*

  *Go ahead. If Eileen won’t play, you know Trina will.*

  *True, Husband. Tonight before we go to sleep, I’m going to need a little orgasmic activity to h
elp me drop off! (purr)*

  *Deal, beloved Lili.*

  *(Sigh) I love you so much, Jack! It shouldn’t get stronger every day, but it does.*

  *As does my love for you, Lili. Bye for now, Beloved.*

  Zandra guides us to reverse our route to drive back towards SABO restaurant from the harbor. We turn right on Kühlwetterstraße and follow it down to Brehmstraße and use it to circle around the Nördliche Düssel park in the median of Kühlwetterstraße’s northbound lane. About half-way back to Grünerstraße we find parking spots along the street.

  Zandra leads Eileen and myself into the residence‘s entrance.

  I tell her, “Tell Abu bin Hassan, that you’ve brought a healer.”

  Zandra stops on the sidewalk and looks at me. “I won’t lie to him, Jack. Not even for you.”

  Eileen wraps an arm around her. “It’s not a lie, Zandra. Jack healed me. I understand he has healed most of the girls and Goblins at one point or another. It’s a power of the Green Lord.”

  I smile, “Look at you getting all informed, Leenie.”

  Eileen grins. Then she asks, “Jessica said you resurrected her. That was a joke, right, Jack?”

  I shake my head slowly. “No, Leenie. That is probably the most awesome feat I’ve managed to date.” Her surprise shows on her face.

  Zandra appears awed. She says, “That will be hard to top, Jack.” She starts walking again towards the front door of her building.

  I mutter behind her, “I would be very happy if I never have to do that again.”

  Zandra leads us up three flights of stairs to the back door on the right. She pulls a key and leads us inside. She calls out in Arabic, “Abu, it’s Zandra. I brought a healer.”

  I hear a gruff voice call out in the same language, “I don’t need a doctor. I need a cigarette and the Green Lord.” Zandra walks down a hall and into a bedroom. Eileen follows, and I trail behind.

  I recognize Abu bin Hassan from surveillance photos and the one time I had him in a sniper scope for about one second. He’s focused on Eileen, and he looks like he’s looking for a weapon.