“Stay behind me, little gnome,” Aaron said as he stared down the large werewolf-looking creature standing in the doorway. Engaging with gnomes was one of the few times the dwarf could engage in short jokes and not be on the receiving end of the joke. It was a pastime that he tried not to miss whenever possible.
“That gnome is in dire need of salvation. You would deny it such a blessing?” The skull-faced wolf snarled as it stepped into the room.
Aaron – Investigation skill 9 vs. Normal DT – SUCCESS
The situation was tense, and time wasted would only fray the situation further. Still, Aaron needed an edge and saw no other way to get that edge except by using a skill. Various things in the room were gently highlighted, and he quickly scanned some of the things. Family portraits showing a lineage of wolves… These are not typical werewolves. Symbols, but they are not arcane… symbols of the occult?
“In the old days, the Coven would kill those who trespassed our meetings,” The skull-faced wolf walked steadily to Aaron’s side, like a predator carefully flanking its prey. “But modern-day practices frown upon such things. Therefore, you will remain here until the police arrive and arrest you for trespassing.”
Aaron frowned. Even though the cops’ records had been wiped, he was sure their minds had not. Many cops were affected by that jailbreak, and knowing his luck, Aaron was sure at least one of the blue boys coming to arrest him would recognize the dwarf as an accomplice to the jailbreak. Wasted or not, his time was up; he spied one more highlight in the room that yielded a name, Jorgelina Ruiz-Calderon. The dwarf pieced the bits of information and hoped to citrine this would work.
“I call upon Jorgelina Ruiz-Calderon, mother of your coven occult arts and patron of the wolves, to hear my bargain!”
Skull-face looked surprised at Aaron’s exclamation, though it did not stop circling him like prey. The snarl remained in the wolf’s voice. “What do you know of Jorge Ruiz-Calderon?”
“My bargain is with Jorge alone. Trespasser or not, your order demands that I be allowed to present myself.”
“Ha!” The skull-face wolf laughed, though not with mirth. “You claim to know of our order, too? Tell me, dwarf, what else do you know of us?”
Aaron made a mental note the wolf said ‘our order’ and not ‘my order.’ “I have no need to discuss such things with you, not before the demands of your order are met.”
“Clever dwarf.” The wolf had made a complete circle around Aaron. It pulled a chair out from the table and took a seat. As it did so, the wolf transformed into a very tall, slender woman with long hair flowing past her shoulder over her breasts in shimmering cascades of grey and black. Her legs were crossed, and her hands rested casually on the chair’s armrests. “Very well, dwarf, your demands are met. I am Jorgelina. What is your bargain?”
Aaron’s frown twisted as he took another gamble, remembering this wolf had said, our coven. “You are not Jorgelina. Perhaps you think yourself a high witch, but you are not the one I seek.”
“You are playing a game, dwarf.” The she-wolf’s face darkened. She leaned forward in her chair, her long dark hair cascading perfectly around the edges of her face. “This game has rules beyond your knowledge and machinations that surpass your understanding. Return to your Core like the rest of your kind, where you will be safe from that which you do not know.”
Aaron stepped back to steady himself from the shock of the she-wolf’s statement. “How do you know about the Core and about the dwarves?”
She smiled condescendingly. “As I said, this game requires comprehension far beyond what a mere dwarf is capable of. Leave now—return to your Core. Do this, and I will consider not holding you bound to the old ways.”
“What happened to modern-day courtesies and calling the cops?” Aaron took another step back despite himself.
“You abandoned the frivolous concepts of this modern-day existence when you called upon Jorgelita Ruiz-Calderon.” The witch-wolf stood from her chair, and her slender body began to change and contort. The long cascade of black and grey hair receded back toward her head like a reverse waterfall as the tight muscles flexing with tension under her began growing the bipedal wolf's bray and black hair.
“I’m not leaving without the gnome.” Aaron hoped his voice sounded firm.
“The gnome is already claimed by the Coven of Quetzalcóatl.” She finished her transformation as the lithe and strong werewolf, complete with a skull face. The dark, hollow eyes looked upon Aaron with an evil bloodlust. “However, you will be claimed as mine.”
The witch wolf lashed out in attack, and Aaron attempted to dodge, but the system message that scrolled across his vision played out the dodge in a completely unexpected manner.
Carmen (*skill unidentified*) vs. Teamwork Roll Aaron (Dodge) – 6 Jackie (Portals) – 12 Tommy (Pugilist) – 5 11 vs. 23 – EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS +2 Modifier granted.
The witch wolf lashed out with the speed of a skilled predator. Despite his attempt to dodge, Aaron saw her jaw open, teeth flashing in the room’s light. Her speed was beyond the dwarf’s, and Aaron knew at that moment that her level surpassed his. Yet just before her teeth could sink in and rend flesh, a portal opened beside the witch wolf, and Tommy barreled through.
With the success of the teamwork roll, Tommy caught the witch wolf completely unaware and smashed her into her full force, knocking her off her trajectory and crashing into a chest of drawers. Framed pictures and finely crafted dishes flew across the room and shattered as they landed.
“You okay, buddy?” Tommy asked with a grin and a glance toward Aaron.
“Right as pyrite, Tommy,” Aaron replied as he scrambled to his feet.
A howling scream came from the witch wolf as she kicked, thrashed, and leaped back to her feet. “You will not leave here alive, dwarf!”
"Run!” Aaron yelled to Tommy.
The witch wolf charged as Aaron and Tommy ran out the door. Tommy grabbed the door handle on his way out and slammed the door shut behind him. There was a crash against the door as the witch wolf collided with it, followed by another howling scream. Tommy held the doorknob tight as the witch wolf on the other side struggled to open the door.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“We got to save the gnome,” Aaron said hurriedly.
“You found the gnome?”
“Yeah, he’s trapped here by this witch.”
“Great. Where is he now?”
“He’s right…” Aaron trailed off as he realized the gnome was no longer beside him. The dwarf turned about to see where the gnome could have gone. What he saw was a courtyard that opened to the sky, full of flowers, green sculpted shrubs, and a small waterfall that trickled down into a small bubbling pool. Also scattered about the courtyard were nearly a dozen skull-faced wolves of different heights, builds, and colors. They all stood, staring at Tommy, who was still holding the door, and Aaron, whose jaw went a little slack. “Oh, fuckalite.”
Another muffled, howling scream came from the door that Tommy struggled to keep closed. He glanced back at Aaron, then followed the dwarf’s line of sight. Witnessing the courtyard full of witch wolves, Tommy looked back to Aaron. “Hey, uh, buddy, what happens now?”
Aaron’s mind raced as he watched the skull-face wolves start to close in. He felt like a rabbit trapped in a corner with nowhere to escape. Hoping luck was on his side, he repeated his action from the last time he was cornered by a wolf.
Aaron – Investigation skill 7 vs. Normal DT – SUCCESS
Very little became highlighted for Aaron with this attempt at investigation. However, one curious thing that caught Aaron’s attention was Tommy, though nothing was apparent about why the island elf would be highlighted. Yet, a question came to mind that the dwarf thought to ask. “Tommy, how did you get here?”
“Jackie,” Tommy said through clenched teeth as he strained from pulling on the doorknob. “She got patched up enough to open a portal. Swift figured out where you were. I told her to give me five mikes to get you.”
“Five mikes,” Aaron murmured as he devised a plan.
The door opened slightly, but Tommy pulled hard and slammed it shut. His voice was strained as he spoke, “She’s really strong.”
Aaron perked up. “Tommy, on my mark, let go of the door.”
“Sure thing, buddy,” Tommy grunted through the tension.
Two of the courtyard wolves were nearly upon Aaron and Tommy. Since they had not rushed to attack, Aaron hoped reasoning would be a successful tactic. “My dear wolves of the Coven of Quetzalcóatl, I ask for your audience as I am here to claim the gnome as my vested right and duty to relieve him of his curse.”
The wolf closest to Aaron paused and tilted her head. “The gnome is claimed? Juanita said the gnome was unclaimed and unspoiled.”
The second wolf stood near the first and mumbled under her breath, but still loud enough for Aaron to hear. “Carmen is up to her tricks again. She seeks to deceive, Mother.”
“Verily!” Aaron added quickly, stumbling for the right words. “See the gnome for yourself, for he has been spoiled beyond what should be allowed for your… time-honored… witchery. And, my companion and I have been tasked to reclaim this gnome to bring him to those who would help to unspoil and relieve the gnome of his curse.”
“Mother, I—”
The second wolf stopped speaking when the first raised her hand. The first wolf, who was called Mother, had a long, smooth coat of silvery grey and white hair that seemed to glisten and wave as she moved. She stepped closer to Aaron and went to one knee so they were the same height. “Please, child, tell me your truth. Are you saying my Carmen lied to me about the gnome?”
“Uh, nay,” Aaron cleared his throat before continuing. “I do not know not what your Carmen has said. I only know that I must claim the gnome you have here.”
Through the dark, empty eye sockets of her skull, Aaron felt the Mother stare deep into his soul. It felt as though he was being stripped naked before her, forcibly baring all his griefs, burdens, and the darkness of the depths that he kept buried in his soul. He felt the red storm swirling from within the depths of his soul, and the Mother’s gaze narrowed as she slowly, carefully pulled the loss of Molly on a thin string to the surface of the dwarf’s mind.
The doorknob Tommy held suddenly snapped, causing the large elf to fall backward onto the floor. This was quickly followed by Juanita tearing open the door, partially shattering it in her wake. The interruption snapped the string held by the Mother’s gaze, and Aaron collapsed as the weight of his soul’s burdens plummeted back to their depths.
Carmen pounced on Tommy before he could recover. With one clawed hand grasping Tommy by the neck, the tall witch wolf raised the great bronze elf off the floor and pinned him against the wall.
Tommy kicked and punched at the witch wolf, but his blows did not cause her to flinch. He tried to wrap his legs around her long, toned arm, but she batted away his attempts with his free hand.
“For your insolence, I shall claim you, too,” Carmen seethed. She reared back for a fatal blow and froze.
“You shall not be making any claims today, Carmen,” Mother said as she stood and approached the frozen wolf.
Though there was only darkness in the eye sockets of Carmen’s skull, the shape of her eyes carried a mixture of fear and rage.
“These two have a task that must be completed,” Mother continued. “And you are not to interfere in this.”
Tommy kicked the wall in an attempt to keep himself from choking by Carmen’s clawed hand. Mother gave a nod in Tommy’s direction, and the lithe wolf’s grip was relaxed, allowing Tommy to slide down the wall and back to his feet. He attempted to thank Mother, but coughing from a lack of breath kept him from voicing his gratitude.
The Mother wolf turned back to Aaron, who was curled up on the floor, lying on his side. She knelt beside the dwarf and caressed his cheek with a fur-lined finger. A single tear emerged from the corner of Aaron’s tightly closed eye, and Mother caught the tear in the tip of her claw. “Do all dwarves talk like you?”
Aaron exhaled the receding flood of emotions. “No. I was trying to be formal with you.”
Mother chuckled softly. “Well, the only formality I ask of you is honesty. Can you agree to this?”
Aaron sat up and nodded as he wiped his eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. I ask one more question of you. You carry so much pain inside. Why do you not return to the Core like the rest of your kind?”
“Because that Core is not my home. I lost my Core…”
The Mother’s dark eye sockets looked softly on Aaron but did not pry into his soul.
The dwarf took another deep breath. “How do you know about the dwarven migration? No one has taken notice that there are almost no dwarves left in the city. No one has noticed that my kind is nearly gone. Why have you seen this when it seems like everyone else has not?”
“My kind can see many things. It is because of the things I have seen I knew you would come here looking for the gnome. And it is also the reason why I am allowing you to lay your claim on the gnome.”
“Wait,” Aaron blinked as he stared at the Mother wolf. “What have you seen?”
“You do not have the time for the answer to that question.” Mother stood and gestured to a few other wolves in the courtyard, who quickly loped off in different directions.
“No, no,” Aaron stood in frustration. “Don’t give me some leaverite answer and tell me it’s diamond.”
Mother smiled and cocked her head as if chiding the dwarf. It was a quietly harsh reminder that Aaron needed to be careful in his tone. “Your ignorance grants some leniency. But do not overstep yourself.”
A shorter, auburn wolf with a long, thick tail gleefully approached Mother. The auburn wolf carried what appeared to be the statue of a gnome close to her chest. The statue looked precisely like the gnome Aaron had seen in the room with Juanita. Concerned, the dwarf asked, “Did you turn him to stone?”
Mother laughed. “No, child. This is a response some ceramic gnomes have when they experience fear and anxiety. Jose will loosen back up when he gets in a calmer situation. However, be careful with him when he is in this state. He is quite brittle and can be broken.”
“Chalcedony and malachite! You can’t be serious.”
A portal suddenly opened beside Aaron, and he turned to see Jackie standing firm with white-gloved hands holding the rift open. Her face brightened with excitement when she saw the dwarf, and she called, “Hurry, Aaron. I can’t hold this open for very long.”
The auburn wolf handed the ceramic Jose to Aaron, spilling tequila from the gnome’s hat in the process.
Aaron held Jose awkwardly, trying not to spill the tequila on himself. “Uh, Thanks.”
Tommy rushed up beside Aaron and patted him on the shoulder. “We got to go, buddy.”
Aaron looked at Mother, feeling somehow cheated in this interaction. But Mother only nodded, encouraging the dwarf to go through the portal. As he turned to step through the portal, Mother spoke a final token of advice.
“If you truly desire to find what you seek, return Jose to his brothers.”
“Jose has brothers?” Aaron spun around in surprise. But the portal was already closing, and all Aaron could see was Carmen frozen in the distance. He stared for a moment longer, and just before the portal closed, Carmen suddenly broke free of her bindings and spun around to face the dwarf. Rage burned hot within her empty eye sockets, and Aaron could hear a voice in his mind.
I curse you, dwarf! I will find you, and I will have my way with you. I curse you! I—
The portal closed, cutting off the voice in Aaron’s mind. He stood, holding a fear-frozen gnome in his arms that wore a cursed sombrero filled to the brim with crystal clear tequila and the echoes of the witch's curse circulating through his mind.