Morgana stopped, one hand on the door into the building. She looked back at me with calculating eyes before her and Regis shared another of their now-familiar glances.
“Eric,” she said, breaking my reverie. “Before we introduce you to your new family, I have a question that I forgot to ask when we discussed the identity of your spirit last night.”
“Oh?” I said, already having a few ideas on the subject of her inquiry. “Feel free to ask me anything. It's been so long since my last life that I may have forgotten something.”
“Did Anu bless others as it did with you?” she asked. Her reserved expression failed to hide the intense interest behind her question. I suppressed a smile.
During our nighttime chat, Morgana had broached the subject of my “spirit’s” identity. I had given her the name Anu which I claimed had been the moniker bestowed by the people of the land that she called Mesopotamia. Her reaction at the name, which I would’ve failed to notice if I couldn’t glean the truth from her soul’s aura, eased my doubts about whether or not my fabricated backstory had the desired effect.
My web of lies would hopefully bear many fruits in the days to come; one of which, I could harvest thanks to Morgana’s latest question.
“Taught.”
“Taught?” she repeated with a hint of confusion on her brow.
“Yes, the spirit didn’t grant blessings,” I said, allowing myself a small smile. “It teaches its chosen whatever it deemed necessary and expected independence from them. In truth, it never made a habit of visiting even its favored mortals, if at all.”
I shrugged and looked to the sky as if pondering my next words for a moment.
“I’ve never met others taught by the spirit but I have heard tales of a sage in the far east, a queen who rules the dead, and the firstborn of Gaia. Aside from those, there are the other fragment bearers but I know no others.”
A pregnant pause stretched between the three of us. I waited patiently while the two leaders of Holsburg processed my words.
“We might know of two of the three,” Morgana said slowly. Regis stepped around to stand beside her, his eyes practically leaking caution.
“Truly? Are any of them alive?” I said with feigned surprise and keeping my hopes low. I didn’t expect much but any information on Sage, Eresh, and Enlil could make my plans easier.
“I couldn’t say,” he said with a shrug. He paused in case Morgana had anything to add but continued when she remained silent. “The Firstborn is more of a legend than someone real. Although… after your story, I’m inclined to think he might exist. Anyway, up until the Shadow’s Passing, it wasn’t uncommon to hear about druids, mystics, and hedge witches who had met him. Supposedly, Morgana’s master has met him multiple times but I wouldn’t trust that fossil’s memory.”
“While I’d caution my dearest husband on disrespecting the man who is responsible for teaching me the very skills that saved him and the rest of this town, I must admit that Master Ian’s memory is rather poor,” Morgana admitted with a slight scowl. “It’s also because of my master that I know of the Nine Sages who rule Asia’s magical community. I never got the chance to meet any of them but Master Ian claimed that the First Sage was thousands of years old. I thought he might be exaggerating but I might owe him an apology.”
Her face fell.
“That’s if he’s still alive.”
Regis laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“If any of the old archdruids in Europe made it through the Shadow’s Passing, it’d have been him.”
“He sounds like a powerful man,” I commented. Unfortunately, I had no recollection of the man, but he and the entirety of the druidic culture emerged during my withdrawal from the Physical. I had also never visited the dream of a druid during the last three millennia which was likely the result of the nature of their bond with Libbu’s earth-bound structures. I’d very much like to verify this Ian’s claims. I wonder if I could find him using the ley lines… Hm, a task for when my power grows a few more Orders.
“He was, is, hopefully,” she said then shook her head. “Anyway, I should tell you something now before you hear about it from someone else. We may know of another person taught by your spirit. Her name is Lucille.”
The corner of Regis’s mouth quirk with the beginnings of a frown, only to be hidden a second later.
“Really?” I said with a bit of genuine surprise. “Does she live here in Holsburg?”
I had thought Lucille was dead because of the powerful release of energy that resulted from the Crawling Shadow ensnaring me in its web. I allowed myself a smile. Sadly, I had lost all of my soul bindings from Brigantī to Lucille during the transformation caused by the Crawling Shadow as a part of my covenant with it. My nature had fundamentally changed, so the bindings had lost the basis of the connection to me. Had I been more cognizant, I might’ve been able to maintain them, but I considered myself lucky to have kept my mind intact. Either way, several uses for my newest protégé came to mind, especially if she had advanced her power in the past two decades.
“No,” Regis answered bluntly. “She’s a malefica, a wanted criminal, and trouble, associating with her could spell big trouble for our family and the town.”
He gave me a look that said all I needed to know. I looked to Morgana and she offered a brief explanation. After hearing the tale, I scowled at the clear picture of Lucille’s situation. The Conclave was an enormous organization of sorcerers who had manipulated human affairs from the shadows until the Crawling Shadow had, ironically, forced them and most of the supernatural community out of hiding as everyone tried to survive. Supposedly, their leaders were all archmages who each headed a sorcerous order or family. As of late, they effectively held the reigns on most governments and presented themselves as humanity’s shield against maligned supernatural elements.
“Do you know if she still lives?” I asked, realizing that she very well could’ve been hunted down and killed after so many years on the run.
“I can’t say for sure but I heard a rumor from a friend of mine a couple of years ago that she’d been seen on the east coast. I can inquire if you’d like,” she offered.
“No,” I said and nearly chuckled at the noticeable release in tension from Regis’s jaw. “If she’s alive, I’ll seek her out when I have the chance. If we truly share a patron, I have faith that she’ll survive until then.”
I had a strange feeling at that moment. I wasn’t in the habit of using the word faith, but it felt right as I stood there. I had no guarantee of Lucille’s physical or mental wellbeing nor did I peg her as some sort of extraordinary talent aside from her keen mana sensitivity. I didn’t know whether she had survived thanks to the soul protection I placed on her before the fight with Archmage Joseph or because the Crawling Shadow had allowed her to live. Even still, I had confidence in her tenacity and the eventuality of our meeting.
Morgana looked like she was about to say something but a commotion sounded from beyond the door.
We pushed into the building without another word. Regis took the lead with Morgana and me close behind. He stopped at the end of the hall in the doorway that I’d heard music from earlier.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, his voice instantly silencing the source of the commotion.
I finally stepped into the room and saw the issue. Beyond the bar top that in front of the doorway from which entered, Liberty faced off against the young woman with green eyes and chestnut hair. In between them, a boy who looked to have recently hit puberty was attempting to deescalate the situation and from the looks on the women’s faces, he’d been failing.
They occupied the open floor space closer to the bar top, but the rest of the large area was populated by people sitting at booths or standing around the room. The only other person behind the bar, aside from Morgana, Regis, and I was a caramel-skinned man with a vague resemblance to Regis who regarded the scene with an unimpressed expression.
“This witch needs to learn some manners,” the young woman said. Several people around the saloon cringed. Liberty’s expression cooled, and a joyless smile curled onto her lips.
“Yes, I’m sure a petulant child like you has much to teach me about manners. While you’re at it, please lecture me more about how my husband’s death has upset you.” Liberty said, her voice barely above an icy whisper.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I could almost hear the young woman’s jaw clenching from where I stood. Thankfully, Regis stepped in to end the altercation before it went any further.
“Nessa, that’s enough,” he said. A few steps put him between them. A firm hand on Nessa’s shoulder and a moment of eye contact ended the matter. I observed the situation with mild curiosity through my augmented vision. Thin tendrils of soul-stuff extended from Regis to almost two dozen of the people present including Nessa, nearly two-thirds of those present.
Those must be my soon-to-be pack mates.
I noticed several of the pack members regarded Liberty with open suspicion or barely concealed hostility. Regis’s gaze swept the room making eye contact with each one of these malcontents before they lowered their heads. The entire process took about thirty seconds and an awkward silence hung over the room. Amidst the tension, Liberty stood her ground, but her soul practically bred sorrow and loneliness. She stuck out like a black rose in the middle of a field of dandelions and daffodils.
I sighed when the emotion from earlier reared its ugly head beckoning me to comfort the woman. My lips pulled into a tight line as I made my way around the bar toward my “mother”. She, and many others, caught sight of me and her face lit up with a relieved smile.
Before I reached her, a newly-familiar voice yelled across the room.
“Brother!” Ricky yelled across the room. His enormous frame emerged from a booth toward the front left corner of the room hidden behind the gathered crowd. “I found our sister! Hahaha, two more and we’ve got all the marbles!”
Without any hesitation, he reached over and lifted a surprised Yotta into the air. She yelped as she suddenly found herself held aloft by her waist overlooking a room full of people, all of them staring at her. Curiously, she wore a blue bucket hat with the crude image of a cat stitched into it.
“Greetings, Eric,” Yotta said with a hesitant smile. The impassive demeanor that I first saw her with lingered in her eyes, but otherwise, her expression spoke of confusion and acceptance.
“Ricky!” shouted a woman’s voice. “Put her down! I’ve taught you better than to go pickin’ up ladies like some neanderthal. You ain’t even bought her a meal yet.”
I couldn’t see the speaker behind the other people, but several chuckles spread through the crowd as Ricky put Yotta down. He looked down at the speaker, presumably, like a kicked puppy.
“Auntie Donna, I wasn’t doin nothin like that. I was just—”
“Actin like a damn fool is what you were doing. Now, sit back down and stop embarrassing yourself,” the woman snapped. A hand reached up grabbing ahold of Ricky’s collar. I barely caught sight of the same chestnut curls that Morgana and Nessa had.
More people joined in the mirth of watching my unfortunate covenant mate. In only a few moments, the tense atmosphere was a memory banished by Regis’s authority and Ricky’s antics. A hand around my midsection brought me back to the task at hand.
Liberty embraced me like I hadn’t seen her in years. When she pulled away, she cupped my cheek in one hand and used her thumb to brush a few errant hairs away from my eyes. We stood like that for a few seconds as she smiled up at me while I tried to appear genuinely pleased by her affection despite some mild agitation on my part.
Morgana cleared her throat, saving me from the situation and grabbing the attention of everyone in the room even over the rising din of ambient conversations. Regis made his way back to stand beside her leaving a booth with Nessa, a middle-aged man that looked a lot like a younger Regis, and a few others including the young boy who had tried to break up the argument earlier.
“Everyone!” Morgana said, her presence immediately taking control of the room. Every person in the room went silent, each waiting for her next words. I had seen such displays in the past and one thing always remained consistent with any individual capable of the feat.
They were extraordinary leaders who held the fear or respect of all their subjects, and in some cases, they wielded both.
“I know many of you still mourn the loss of our Jonny. He was taken from us far too soon,” Morgana said. Her facial muscles worked a bit and a look flashed across her face, only to disappear. My survey of the room found more than a few lowered heads, moist eyes, and clenched jaws. I wondered if my “father” had been such a beloved man despite the apparent resentment toward his marriage to Liberty or if there was something else I missed. The matriarch of Holsburg continued, “But he wouldn’t want us to despair… No, he is with Gaia now and instead of wallowing in our sorrow, we should welcome our new family.”
Morgana stepped between Liberty and me, her hands grabbing my left and Liberty’s right. She brought our hands to her bosom pulling us closer to her. At the same time, she swept her gaze across the room.
“Jonny died to bring them to us and I’ll not waste his last gift to our family,” she said. Her voice sounded off like a wave of pressure shaming some in the crowd while gaining nods of approval from others. There wasn’t any mana involved, but there was a near-magical quality in her presence all the same. She let go of our hands and stepped to the right wrapping Liberty in a tight hug. Her next words weren’t loud, but everyone heard them all the same. “Welcome home, Liberty. No matter our differences, you’ll always have a place here.”
A complicated expression overtook my mother’s face, but she returned Morgana’s embrace. For several seconds, everyone watched in silence. When they pulled away from each other, Liberty swiped the sleeve of the black dress across her eyes and nodded at the matriarch. She sent a hesitant look at me before stepping back leaving only Regis, Morgana, and I as the center of attention.
The two leaders of the town moved so that one stood on either side of me. A gentle hand on my shoulder and a nod from Morgana was the signal to prepare myself for the important part of today’s meeting.
“Everyone, I’d like to introduce Eric,” she said projecting her voice, Genuine happiness and excitement radiated from the woman and shone in her eyes. Her words sparked a rush of whispers and increased focus from those present. “I’m sure I don’t need to point of the family resemblance. He’s Jonny’s son and until Viola’s baby is born, the newest member of our family!”
“WOOO!” shouted Ricky. “Brothers for life!”
Once again, Ricky had surged to his feet flinging his arms in the air. When I saw several people jump at the sudden motion, including Yotta who flinched away from the giant while for some reason, still wearing that ridiculous hat, I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.
Like the first of many tipped dominos, my laugh led to others and many in the crowd shouting greetings and welcomes. Morgana let the atmosphere hold for a time before lifting a hand and silencing the room once more.
“But our new family members aren’t the only blessing Mother Gaia has given us,” she said. Conviction reinforced her voice with further authority causing some people to lean forward in their seats. “Mother Gaia saved Eric from the brink of death! And, when she did, an animist was born, the first since the Knights of Chthon!”
The plan hadn’t involved announcing my abilities as an animist since Morgana had only recently discovered my capability in that regard. However, I realized that I should’ve inquired about its significance on our walk back to town when I saw the reaction of the assembled family members. Over half of them, including most of my future pack, were split between widened eyes, gaping mouths, and outright disbelief.
“And that’s not all,” Regis said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. Now, came the part that Morgana had stressed would require my cooperation the most. Regis met my gaze and nodded before looking back out at the family. “Today, our pack welcomes a new shifter.”
Mounting on top of the already palpable astonishment, his announcement evoked a flurry of exclamations.
“You’ve gotta be fucking with me…,” said a scrawny teenager with a face that looked like it took punches for fun.
“I thought shifters couldn’t use magic?” said someone else I couldn’t see.
“Does that mean he’s a—”
“No, he couldn’t be…”
“A Grayback Aninist?”
These words and more filled the room, the same sentiment of incredulity being echoed again and again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nessa staring at me with an intensity that I couldn’t decipher. Regis, like Morgana had earlier, let the mood of the room stew for several long moments before his eyes turned from grey to lupine gold. His head snapped back and the veins of his neck glowed with the telltale sign of potent mana.
A bestial howl ripped from his throat filling the room. The power in it shook the room sending vibrations through his bones. One after another, the pack joined in, some howling along with Regis, while others roared, screeched, or bellowed. Animalistic features manifested on every one of the participants. With my mana-sight, I saw the soul-stuff connecting the pack to their leader well.
Regis turned to me, his eyes burning with golden energy. The eye contact triggered an awakening in my body. The latent shifter structure which rested dormant in my body roused. A binding of sorts extended from the sheriff to me causing the structure to seize the offered thread like a starving man might a bowl of hearty soup. It siphoned sustenance from the connection of soul-stuff absorbing the golden energy swirling within Regis.
Slowly, the self-sustaining structure activated causing my blood to burn with infused mana. I clenched my jaw from the sudden discomfort but allowed the process to continue. The shifter structure ingrained itself into my body in less than a minute and the mana pushed into my soul. There, it tried to claim the central portion of my soul, yet something much greater seized it instead.
I had planned on integrating the structure into my soul’s structures to keep true to my agreement with Morgana and Regis even though my time in the Grove had removed any notions I had that I was bound by anything but my word to do so. However, I didn’t get the chance. Like when I absorbed Elijah Daniel’s soul, my Astral Gate whirred to life. The shifter structure vanished into the matrix of power.
Without warning, I let out a primal roar, full of pain and power.
The shifter structure, or at least, something like it, burned its form into the fabric of my soul. The pain was excruciating, rivaling the caustic erosion of the death curse that had greeted me upon my entrance into the Physical.
Thankfully, I kept my wits and restrained the strength of my soul. I sensed every member of the pack at that moment. I shared in the pack’s connection. The souls of them all resonated through the link, a far more intimate induction than a mundane ceremony could match.
I sensed the potential in the bond. Many possibilities formulated in my thoughts, whispers of power yet to come. From the black sun orbiting my Astral Gate, a notion came forth.
Seeds to fuel growth… The pack… The family… The town… A dark mockery of my voice murmured. Visions of myself as I drained the soul from every living creature for miles crawled into my cognition.
I pushed the voice and its visions out of my thoughts, wary of the Shadow’s insidious influence. I didn’t necessarily have a problem with what the voice suggested, but I wouldn’t do so in Holsburg, especially not with the recent developments. My knowledge and former power offered several advantages but ignoring the limits of my current capabilities, some actions had poor benefits compared to the alternatives.
For that same reason, I let Regis cement his place as my pack leader instead of seizing the position for myself using my knowledge of bindings and soul’s strength. I knew the binding wouldn’t affect me as it did my pack mates, but its existence would appease my new family.
“To a strong pack, and a bountiful hunt!” Regis roared raising my hand along with his. The entire room erupted with shouts, everyone joining in the cheer.