Most homes were an extension of their owners. Pa and Mom’s home was functional, sturdy, with memories abounding in each crease and crack. Logan’s was new, scratched, torn and burnt by the transition of the Emergence. Maddie’s was neat, presenting normalcy in a classic cliche, yet quietly perfect for nagas to slither within. Identity was more than just your body, it applied to choices and territory too.
So Exi’s home made no sense. The grey mystic was solid as a brick wall, yet her creamy sofa was so soft that Karen felt swamped. She had to grip the armrest tight to avoid sliding into the divot caused by Grant’s bulky frame. The oaf seemed at least equally confused by the pink pastel caravan interior, although his attention lingered more predictably on the six armed amazon pouring tea into delicate floral cups.
“There we are. Gotta stay warm against this weather,” Exi’s voice was warm, and her violet arm chair creaked as she moved. “So, you’re handling the school paper now? Already got wind of the new class I guess?”
“Huh?” Grant’s jaw dropped, “Uh, no, I… wai- what?”
“You didn’t hear?” She swirled her tea with two hands, another set of fingers scratching her dreadlocks thoughtfully. “Ah. Hm, you’ll find out soon then.”
“I guess? I mean, yeah, I’m writing for it. So tip appreciated and it’s good to meet you. But me and Karen’ve been more-”
“They’re investigating missing persons.” Karen interrupted. “I’m not in their ridiculous club, I’m just an expert... Witness. Whatever.”
“Yeah, that’s it, there’s been over a dozen cases this year, including some… friends and family of ours. And Karen said you knew something. Miss Exi. Ma’am.”
“I’m aware. You’re not the first to accuse the mystic community of being involved. OAR had Karen as the primary suspect of her own kidnapping.” Exi clucked her tongue. “But I’m afraid there's nothing I can help with. I know everyone in RASA- it’s my job as Director- and none of them would jeopardise us like that, let alone abduct multiple. Investigating here will turn up nothing but innocents.”
“Ah-uh, didn’t mean it like that, Director.” Grant pulled out his notebook, “But uh, a… person of interest. Karen said she saw a couple of folk while flying one day, down south, past Alderbank. She’s a griffin, so she can fly.”
“She knows that, dumbass.”
“I’m just laying the foundations, last-place.”
“You’re wasting her time!”
A sudden clap of two great hands cut them off, “Enough, children!”
“Urk, sorry,” Karen lost her grip on the chair, slipping down too close to Grant. “Look, I met a couple hikers that turned out to have… gone missing soon afterwards. And they’d seen a mystic. Furry. Big. Humanoid. With antlers. Like what you described to me once. Uh, the wendigo?”
A half breath escaped Exi’s lips, her powerful figure tensing and yet all the weaker for it. “Ah. Right, that… monster… so what do you want to know?”
“Anything really,” Grant placed pen to paper, “I’ve done a little research myself, but there’s no… like if I look up griffins online nowadays, there’s a science page on wikipedia, about real life ones. But there’s none of that for this thing, just older stuff about cannibalism and taboos, like noone’s met one- and the descriptions don’t even match what Karen described.”
“Hey!” She shoved off him, scurrying back to perch on the arm.
“Easy, kid. It’s possible I’m wrong- didn’t exactly hear what it called itself, that name was hearsay.” Exi took a sip of tea. “Think twice before you publish this, in that case. What I do know is the mystic that attacked me isn’t here, wouldn’t be accepted at any Anomalous Settlement Area, and… it ate people. Friends of mine. I… you understand why it’s dangerous to associate missing people with a story like that?”
Grant’s thick brows curled in a frown, “Uh, because… they might not be dead and gone? They might… need help and it’d be like giving up on them?”
“Exactly. That’s why search and rescue operations continue for so long.”
“But these two hikers- Charles and Shona whatever- said they saw it on the mountain,” Karen protested.
“Right. Maybe it got them. Maybe it didn’t. But that doesn’t automatically apply to every missing person in the region.” Exi scratched at her wrist, where one hand was replaced by a prosthetic hook. “Anyway, let’s see, the basics… this creature is about… ten foot tall, maybe twelve standing straight. Has long fur, like a… yak, but green-brown in colour, put me in mind of a pinetree. Big antlers on its head, but not symmetrical. Build like a gorilla, maybe, don't remember a tail. Mouth like a shark. Multiple rows of teeth.”
“Are you okay?” Grant mumbled.
“Brings back bad memories. It took this hand. Took… a lot from me. Would’ve eaten me too if another mystic, big lion guardian, didn’t drive it off. It had come in veiled, to take us by surprise, but it just… it walked out straight through a brick wall, like a bulldozer…It’s not…I… “ She took a deep breath, a long calming draught of tea. “Otherwise, last I remember, OAR was calling this guy X-2, that’s about it.”
His pen paused, “X?”
“Stands for unique.” Karen piped up knowledgeably, “A’s pure humans, B’s talking mystics, C’s stuff like me, D’s animals, and… I think M’s mages. Huh, are they adding another category? That new class Exi?”
“No, no, the filing system is not that exciting.”
“Anyway, like the Siren’s X-19 cos there’s not a species of freaky pigeon ghosts. If this thing’s X-2, Noah must’ve told them about it early on.”
“Noah?”
“The lion guy. Ooh, oh, Exi, do you have… no, uh, do you have May’s number? The gorgon guard?”
The director raised a tired brow, “I do. Of course, you’ll have already informed authorities of sighting missing people, won’t you?”
* * * * *
“...seven five two. Right. Yeah, we got that. Thanks… and sorry… bye.” Karen held the phone a distance from her ear, blinking at the bitter colours of the cold day. They’d taken refuge behind one of the food trucks in search of warmth, cloaking everything in a fine steam that smelled of spices, pepper and ham while she phoned.
“Anything of interest?” Grant sat on a metal keg, number scribbled out, wrapped in his big camo jacket.
“Urgh, she was p-i-s-s-e-d…”
“Well yeah.” He snorted, “Why didn’t you let anyone know you’d seen missing people!?”
“Cos I’m already doing a year’s stablework and I don’t want fucking accused of eating hikers?” She fumed, pulling her hood up to warm freezing ears and hide forming tears. “They’re going to… urgh, they’ll send a cop to question me, like I didn’t just tell her what I knew.”
“It’ll just be a statement. You okay?”
Her bag was too heavy, full of Veil flasks still. She’d spent hours yesterday trapped in a train and labouring after horses. Her stomach was growling, and she’d made her little brother cry.
“Yeah. Fine. I can handle this creep.”
His heavy brows rose, “Yeah? You can handle something that took off one of that huge buff lady’s arms?”
“Of course. Like, sure, Exi’s ripped and stunning, but she’s not a griffin. I’ve got wings, talons, perfect vision, shapeshifting, the whole package.”
“But this lion guy- Noah- is stronger than you and he couldn’t kill X-2?”
“No, no-ooooo, he shot me. If he was stronger, he wouldn’t need a gun, he’s too scared for a fair fight.” Karen growled, “Just gimme his number again.
Her fingers were sore in the winter air, and she slumped against a wall, sinking to try and soak any heat she could from the kitchen beyond. The phone buzzed and purred in her ear, once, twice, three times, “Come on, come on bastard, pick up…”
“Say what?” His mellow deep voice bristled through the electronics.
“Ah, uh, hey. This is Noah right? From OAR?”
“That’s the one. Who is this, kid?”
“Karen Thomson. C-394.”
The silence was audible. Grant frowned at her.
“Look, the griffin?” She stood and stomped away from his stupid face, kicking at a snowdrift. “From the stupid horse trial?”
“Ah, that lil cub!” Noah cheered, “How did you get my number? Rearing for round two already?”
“Tch, as if. Like round one was even fair, scaredy cat,” She sneered, “I’m chasing someone you couldn’t catch. X-2? Big, furry, antlers?”
“Huh, old Horny Butcher, eh? You ran into them?”
Karen's eyes fluttered and she looked back to Grant, repeating, “Horny Butcher?”
“Somethin’ like that. We all just called ‘em the Butcher, but heard Noonan call them first name once and it was some poncy old name like Herman, Herbert… maybe Herne? Pissed ‘em off fiercely but can’t give the game away with that, so gotta just grin that big smile and bear it.” Noah chattered as if discussing the football, “Anyway, why d’you care?”
“Think he- it’s been eating people in my territory.”
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“Aah, forgot to check in with your ladyship, hm? Serious crime. Sounds like Butcher’s sort of deal. They’re always hungry.”
“How do I kill them?”
“Hrm, good question. Probably through violence.”
“Oh, fantastic…” Karen cocked her head, “Aren’t you gonna tell me not to go after them?”
“Why? Do whatever you want, cub. If you’re strong, you’ll get your way. That’s how the world works.”
Karen stared out towards the frozen snow-burdened woods, and wiped her eyes. “Right… uh… what do you know about them? Physically? Magically?”
“Aaah, magically is… important but not my main deal. Uh, they’re all about hunger. The more they eat, the healthier, stronger they are. Think it heals them too, I took their eye out once and they had two by the next week. Noonan kept them to vanish any mystics that made too much noise, any evidence, and hunt down loose ends. Good senses, didn’t have our tech- oh, by the way, don’t rip out your tracker unless you wanna go.”
“Yeah. Duh. What else about Butcher?”
“Tough. Not tough as me, but harder than a horse, and much more dangerous. Oh- and they’re cold too, freezing to the core.”
“Well yeah, it’s winter.”
“Hmm.” Noah paused, a slight rumbling growl beneath his words, “Yeah, you’re getting tiresome. Phone me again and I’ll-”
“Ha, no, wait, Noah, what about the cold stu-”
“-bite your wings off.”
The line went dead. Karen stood a moment, her pulse audible, before she screamed out a curse, high and sharp. Some birds fluttered and flitted away from the noise. Her throat felt raw. Cold fingers shoved the phone away as she mumbled easier, english expletives, grabbed her delivery bag, and stalked around the food trucks.
She’d finished her first taco and gotten most of the way through the second before she opened up. Grant stewed, balancing his own as he noted down the conversations fruit, and what additions she could recall- Noonan had been a crimelord amongst the mystic community, had been imprisoned in a jail built for his own enemies, with numerous agents like Noah shifting sides to legitimate enterprises instead.
“Right. So an immortal mafia goon powered by cannibalism and weird mystic bullshit.”
“Doesn’t matter. Meat is meat.” Karen growled, chewing at her meal. “Break prey’s organs so they can’t fight, and they die.”
He squinted at her, but it wasn’t a look of pity. “Right. And this cold stuff cut off because you can’t handle a phonecall? That won’t matter?”
“He’s a dumb asshole.” She met Grant’s stare, noting the wide dark pupils, the beads of sweat on his brow. Scared maybe. “Didn’t sound like he knew. It was an afterthought.”
“Maybe.” He glanced away, to pen and paper. “If this is… how it works, it’s kinda like an ambush predator itself though. Came in veiled, element of surprise, ate people, got strong before running… how do you ambush an ambusher?”
“With my wings. It can’t fly.” Karen finished her meal and licked her fingers, “Once I’ve got my licence, I’ll keep an eye out.”
“... you realise that… whatever the weird laws are for killing a cannibal outlaw monster are… they’re not covered by a hunting licence, right? It doesn’t include bounty hunting.”
She stood with a scoff, hefting the heavy satchel, “Yeah- yeah, I know, don’t be ridiculous. I’ll just be looking down more once I’m allowed to actually eat things, I’m getting it for my birthday next week.”
“Whoop de doo. Will your witch teacher be back yet, or who’s next?”
It was too early for Diana, so she took off along the slush paths and out into the woodland slopes abounding around the camp. Snow crunched and pigeons cooed, the wet cold of winter covering every scent and rendering it all a dazzling kaleidoscope to Karen’s eyes. Here and there, she traced lower forking branches or smaller pines, picturing the great antlers or hefty hide of her prey, tongue running over her teeth.
Yet as they neared the lodge, the quiet was broken by screams and warcries. Karen upped her pace, hurtling a log and staggering at the weight of her satchel, to bolt into the clearing ready for violence.
She wasn’t ready for the snow battle currently raging. Two forts- perhaps attempts at igloos, or just walls of snow, had been erected across the clearing, each commanded by a gangly tall figure. Between them, calling loud and with cloudy breath, raged a half dozen children with snow rocketing in every which direction. Her brother was here, Ollie panting and cheerful once more, as he took aim at a horned little minotaur, ginger fur crested in snow beneath ill-fitting clothes. In a spiral of crimson mist, a little grinning girl appeared behind him, splashing up snow, and another one with fiery red hair spotted Karen with a gasp.
“Ah, intruders!” Nessie roared, bounding onto the flatbed back of Matt’s truck, “GET THEM!”
“Wait, no- no, Nessie, we’re just here to see Lo-” Karen was cut off by a snowball clean in her face, and coughed, glaring at her friend across the yard. “Oh, fuck it, you’re paying for that! Bring it on, lizards!”
“Language.” Matt leaned back, seemingly catching his breath as she sprinted for cover. He was perhaps the oddest part of the whole scene, his glasses off, black hair loose and wild, a tired smile twisting thin features. Like Pa, but the resemblance sickened her.
“Alakazam!” Some brown haired boy shouted, and she prepared for something- magic, spellcraft, blood, movement. Instead a tiny kid slipped past, throwing snow at her neck. Karen squealed as it slipped down her front, kicked up a flurry and then hurtled the half-wall to meet Logan with a dark grin.
“Hey. Notice anything?”
“Yup.” His eyes were sour, even more distracting as he stepped over the wall in turn, knocking snowy bricks down across her jeans and socks. “Oh, and old face. What, second time ever?”
“Uh, THIRD!” She stumbled, trying to rip a chunk free to throw, but it was heavier than expected and some snow jumbled down her spine. “Aiiii! Grant- help!?”
“No can do. I’m pinned down.” The big lug was standing immobile, the redhead girl climbing his coat to try and get on broad shoulders. “Or… being commandeered?”
“Ha-ha, the giant is mine!!”
“Useless!” Karen cursed, chucking after Logan and the smallest kid. She was already off balance and breathing hard when the middle one completely tackled her. Karen’s face crunched into the icy ground, pain blistered behind her eyes, and warm fingers pressed like claws against her back. “You litt- get OFF! GET OFF, ILL-”
“Dragons one, griffins nill.” He boasted, before Matt yanked him free, pulling several steps away, then another several steps.
“Easy Hex. Not on her back.” The mage advised. “We don’t want Miss Thomson losing her temper.”
“Victory!” The red haired girl, Nessie proclaimed from on Grant’s shoulders, “Now, giant, start rolling, we’re going to build the biggest snowman ever, and those two mages are too scrawny to do it!”
“Nah, no chance, me and Karen already made one THIS big back home!” Ollie bragged, reaching on tip toes.
“I thought we were building igloos?” Logan huffed, reaching over to remove Nessie with difficulty.
“Times change.” The smallest, black haired boy advised sagely.
“Don’d fink you can brag if id waz all of you against me. Traidors.” Karen snorted, wiping a wad of blood from her nose as she slowly stood. “Urgh. Logan, cab we talk?”
He stumbled setting the redhead down and looked at her. Then at Grant. “Yeah- look, you guys fix up one of the igloos, try getting a full dome, yeah? We’ll get some cocoa ready inside, be like fifteen minutes.”
A chorus of moans and delight came, before they left the convicted mage to wrangle children screaming about cryokinesis and trudged on in.
The lodge was thankfully beautifully warm. A roaring fire blazed in the hearth, and Karen shrugged off coat and layers, bag and boots before flopping on a thick rug alongside it, trying to shake off the fangs of winter. It wasn’t home, this territory stank of chemicals and reptilian musk, and the decor was practically anarchy. Grant awkwardly hovered overlooking the sofas laden with blankets, small clothes, toys, books and scribbles, while Logan bustled into the kitchen.
“Here,” He came back with a bag of frozen peas, and knelt down, “For your nose.”
“Id’s fine. Which brat god me?” She huffed, wiping more blood away, then licked it off her hand.
“Hex. He’s pretty competitive. You’re gonna bruise if you don’t.” Logan held it closer with a stern look, and she rolled her eyes before taking it, wincing as she clutched it to the bridge of cartilage. It stung, and her heart momentarily fluttered- what if her beak was damaged by that dragon brat? What if she couldn’t eat? No, no, it was just a bruise, she wouldn’t be inept.
“Nice place. Uh, are those your… siblings? Or… a day camp or something?” Grant wondered, delicately shirting a scorched doll as he sat.
“Some- three of them are young dragons, they’re my… foster siblings, with my uncle here. Karen’s nemesis, Hex, little Shen, and Nessie. Thanks for being gentle with her, she’s a real brat sometimes.” Logan explained, pacing back to the kitchen. “Why’re you two around anyway? Romantic winter walk?”
A wordless groan escaped Karen, and Grant bristled, “No- for the twentieth time, I’m not dating the feral griffin witch-”
“Sorceress!”
“She’s helping me research stuff.” He held the notebook aloft, like a flag, “Was looking into missing people, and the pigeon freak ghost, and some big woodland cannibal.”
“We fink a wendigo’s been eatin’ people.” Karen stated.
The young man flinched, eyes widening. “What?”
“There’s been a ton of missing reports this year. Some here, some bordering towns…” Grant began, reading through his notes thoroughly of Karen’s encounter, Exi’s and Noah’s experience, and the supposed description of X-2. Logan paced as they did, still stressed, but methodically began to stir together mugs of hot chocolate.
“Really… another class X? How many is that now?”
“Three.” Karen said too quick, then hesitated. “Uh, this thing, the Siren, and…. Uh… Scevola?”
“He’s class C, he’s a dragon.”
“He’s a big dragon though.” Karen mumbled, “Fine, two. Know anything about the wend-”
“About X-2?” Grant blurted.
“Don’t talk over me, asshole.” She snarled, sitting up straight, back to the flames.
“Maybe read the room a little, birdbrain. If something’s supposed to be taboo and someone reacts like that, maybe don’t say it?”
She blinked. Logan stared at Grant, agog, but gave an appreciative nod, “Uh. Yeah. Let’s go X-2 or Butcher, hm? Don’t wanna drag yet another class X into this mess…”
Karen stewed beneath the frozen peas, “Okay. Fine, Horny Butcher. What do you mean ‘another?’ What does it matter?”
“Well, first, I’m not convinced this Butcher is what you said. Yeah, sure, cannibalism and cold, but they’re not exactly trademarked- and none of the stories I heard mention antlers or such,” Logan explained. “Even if it was, banding that word around is meant to… summon it, in a way. I’m not clear on the magic of it, it’s hard to know the facts when things are wrapped in secrecy, but if discarding one word means we don’t have another monster to deal with? Worth it.”
“What about the rest? Ring any bells?”
Logan poured another packet of cocoa out, spoon tapping methodically as he thought. “Not… on that one. But had a think about the Siren- you ever gotten a look at it’s back?”
“Nope.”
“Yeah.” Grant cringed. “Nasty. Scars, rot all over.”
“Really? Right, okay. Did it have a sixth stump? I’ve never seen it yet.”
Muscular arms folded as he leaned back, staring to the ceiling, deep furrows folding in focus. “Uhhh…yeah. Kinda. It… looks like it’s missing pieces, and it’s got a big scar at the back of one shoulder.”
“That’s something. If it’s been injured, then there must be a way to injure it again.” Logan considered.
“Nah, dude- like I said, it’s hurt everywhere. Even the other mangy wings are scarred and weird, they aint, uh… what’s the word for her wings?”
“Majestic? Magnificent? Perfect?” Karen offered, curled by the fire.
“Dangerous? Loud? Natural?”
“No- well, yeah, natural’s one thing it’s not… uh… mirroring, no, symmetrical. It’s all uneven, lopsided, if that makes sense? Burnt, or melted or… acid blasted or something.” Grant mused.
“Technically noone’s actually symmetrical, it’s real creepy if they are.” Logan set down a couple of hot mugs. “But that… is something. Karen’s witch suggested it was a Sylph, wind spirit, right? So you’d expect a nature spirit to be natural, actually in tune with it’s element- and the name’s weird too. Who would look at that thing and think, oh beautiful singing harpy name for it? That doesn’t add up.”
“What about when you sensed it?” Grant earned a look of confusion, then flicked through his notebook. “It was nearby. You ran outside while Karen changed. You said that it knew something? How’d you know that from one of its pigeons, Logan?”
His slender brows rose, eyes flickering from Grant to Karen and back. “I… wow, you actually told him a shit ton, huh? Maybe she does like you… uh, I can do telepathy. Mind reading. Normally I need time to synchronise, sit and talk to someone, but that pigeon was like… a psychic loudspeaker. Now, that did go to absolute hell, so I don’t know if they all do that, but there must be some link between the minds that it occupies if it’s controlling them all.”
“Can you tell if it’s controlling a pigeon?”
“Not sure yet. I’ve tried paying attention to pigeons, but not picked up anything weird since then. So either I’m just near normal ones, or they’re all low-key weird.”
“They’re all evil.” Karen mumbled, “It’s the safer… assumption…. No cocoa for me.”
“Yeah I know. Didn’t make you any.” Logan hunkered down to sit beside her. “Hey Grant, could you go get the others for me? I’m beat.”
The big guy scribbled a couple more lines down before heading back to the door. As he did, Logan’s voice was low, but held a shard of accusation.
“Your brother’s different.”
“Yeah.” Karen sighed, balling her knees up to her chin. “He’s safe. Don’t give him any veil.”
That thin knowledgeable face flinched as if stung. “Why?”
“I’d heard you out. I told him the options. The risks. He chose.” She reached and wiped an eye. “This was his choice, Logan.”
He digested that with a grimace, spidery fingers fidgeting as if sickened. “What do you owe Matt?”
“HOT CHOCOLATE!”
An avalanche of small feet and slushy boots drowned out her words. The kids somehow balanced exhaustion with burning energy, and argued and jostled over the fair and sacred distribution of marshmallows until Logan intervened. Karen watched and defended her place by the fire, save for Ollie who was granted a temporary alliance on the rug as he bragged and chattered. For all the noise and scents and strangeness, that spot felt like home.
* * * *
The satchel clattered down with hollow clanks, and Karen followed it with a muffled thump, breathing in the thick scent of the cabin. Lavender, pine, and some other kind of incense filled the small apartment with hanging smoke, produced by two dozen flickering dancing flames.
“My, that’s a good run- delivered all of them?” Diana cooed, peering into it with a bright smile.
“All but one. Ollie helped. Ran a second loop too. One of my classmates helped a little too, before we went home…” She yawned.
“Uuuurgh, how is it school again tomorrow…?” Karen groaned. The weekend had flown by. “I… yeah, I think so. I found something out. Remember my… unsuccessful attempts, Sera?”
A melodic giggle echoed through the haze, and Diana nodded. “Your stubbornness is an excellent trait, even if it can be painful at times.”
“Yeah. I got myself back to front. Which means that the tracker OAR hid changed legs, from here to here.” She knelt, bringing her thigh up on the bench. “And they don’t know it.”
The witch’s honey-gold eyes widened, then a proud smile broke through. “Ah. That’s an interesting development. Is she proposing mischief?”
“Maybe.” Karen smirked, “Depends. How good are you at healing magic, and what do you know about these trackers? If it triggers an alarm when it’s not… inside anything, then there’s no point.”
“Smart. Leave that question to me, we’ll find the specifics.” Diana leaned back, and set another lit candle on the table. “As for healing, it’s possible but if done smart, we can rely less on magic and more on your fortitude, Stormwing.”
“I can handle pain. But I wanted to know if… like, can I learn healing spells? Or… fire or wind or anything?” Karen wondered, “Since I’ve mastered one spell already.”
“Hey- I mean it, I did it perfectly this morning.”
“You did, the challenge is to be able to do it whenever you want. We won’t weigh in anything too complicated tonight, I think, but…” Diana inhaled deeply, her eyes flaring with a slight golden glow. “Manage four days this week, and we’ll happily continue your apprenticeship to other aspects. Just one at a time though, you’ll be learning enough magic without us anyway.”
“Deal,” Karen offered a hand over the flame, and the strong warm grip shook hers. “What do you mean I’ll learn magic without you? Where?”
Sera laughed.