Wales, England, August 25th, 1888, 9:30 am
Bethyinine looked out the window at the pouring rain. She smiled and turned her attention to the street below her. The lampposts just barely lighting the foggy cobblestone streets. She then fixed her gaze back on the cloudy gray sky and started to doze off for a bit. Yet she was quickly awoken from her nap by a knock at the door.
Bethyinine growled, made her way down to the foyer, and opened the front door. At first she thought there was nobody there. But then Bethyinine looked down and noticed the courier beaming at her. He had to be no more than twelve, an errand boy perhaps. Bethyinine squatted down so as to grab the parcel that the boy was offering her.
”How much do I have to pay you, lad?” She asked.
”50 shillings.” The boy answered, his tone rather cheery.
Bethyinine smiled and walked back into the foyer. She looked around for a bit before picking up a small pouch in an oak drawer. She then returned to the boy, and after drawing five pounds from the pouch, handed them to him.
“That should cover it, and an umbrella too, it’s pouring out after all.” Bethyinine chuckled.
”Thank you, ma’am.” The boy squealed.
Bethyinine watched as the courier carefully made his way down the stairs before closing the door. She sighed before taking a seat next to the fireplace. She then glanced down at the parcel, noticing that it was addressed specifically to her.
“Normally Luxcious would be the one who gets all of the mail. I wonder why, and how for that matter, I even got this package?” Bethyinine said to herself.
She then began to open the parcel, trying to be as careful as her claws would let her. Occasionally Bethyinine would tear a bit of the parcel, which caused her to wince in pain. Once she had finished opening it, she set aside the remains of the parcel and took a look at its contents.
Inside of the parcel was a heavy leather-bound book and a letter. Bethyinine struggled to place the book on one of the empty shelves before sitting back down. She sighed and turned her attention to the letter, noticing that its handwriting wasn’t at all familiar to her. Yet she opened it up anyways, her curiosity goading her on.
Dear Bethyinine,
Meet me at the coffee house, I’d like to discuss some things.
Sincerely, “Eggs” Benedict O’Connor
Bethyinine’s ears perked up as she finished reading the letter. She quickly sprung up from her chair, placed the letter in a nearby drawer, and went over to the front door. She smiled and stepped out into the pouring rain, enjoying the feeling of it caressing her scales. Bethyinine didn’t quite know the directions to the coffee house, yet she didn’t really care. Besides, she had already memorized the scent of Benedict, or at least memorized it enough to be able to track him.
So she began to follow the scent, or what little of it there was to follow. Given there were so many people about, so many other scents for her to pick up on. Bethyinine had to make sure that she wasn’t too distracted. Yet with the rain pouring down it was hard for her not to be.
For she liked the rain, she liked being wet, and the comforting feeling that it gave her. Nonetheless she continued her walk, though she didn’t bother to increase her pace. Seeing as all she wanted to do now was enjoy herself out in the open rain. After a while she had finally found the source of Benedict’s scent. Not after wandering around aimlessly for a good half hour.
“I wonder if he’s still there?” Bethyinine smirked as she crossed the street.
Bethyinine entered the coffee house and frowned as the rain outside stopped. She then noticed a man in a white naval officer’s uniform at a nearby table. He gestured for her to come and sit next to him, and offer which Bethyinine obliged.
”Am I late?” She asked.
”No, not at all, frankly I think you’re early.” Benedict chuckled.
”I take it there’s no need for any sort of introductions between us?” Bethyinine inquired.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Considering this is the first time we’ve met, I’d say introductions are in order. Would you mind some coffee first though?” Benedict said as he passed her a cup.
”Yes sir.” Bethyinine smiled as she grasped the cup with one of her claws.
”Good, then I’ll start first. Benedict, Benedict O’Connor, though you could call me “Eggs” if you want to use a nickname.” Benedict smirked.
“Bethyinine, Mistress Bethyinine. Though considering we’re sort of using shorthand here you could just call me Beth.” Bethyinine replied as she took a sip from the cup.
Her eyes widened as she tasted the coffee, it was bitter, almost poisonous. Bethyinine quickly got up, grabbed a napkin, and spat in it.
”You didn’t poison this, did you?” Bethyinine wheezed as she began pouring sugar into the cup.
”No, I haven’t. For starters there’s too many people here. And I wanted to meet you, not kidnap, or kill you for that matter.” Benedict answered as he rummaged through his pockets for her.
“Fair point, then I guess it’s just the fact that I’ve never had coffee like this. Normally I put a lot of sugar in it.” Bethyinine chuckled.
”So, we’re just going to sit here and chat?” Benedict asked.
”I certainly wouldn’t mind that.” Bethyinine answered.
“Yet we have something important to discuss!” Benedict yelled as he slammed his fist on the table.
”Go on, tell me then. Tell me what you want to discuss.” Bethyinine cooed, her tone almost mocking him.
She smiled and then began to absentmindedly tap her claws against the table. Benedict simply looked at her and sighed.
”You’re very difficult to work with, you know that?” He said.
”James once said the same thing about me.” Bethyinine sighed as tears began to form in her eyes.
”Is something the matter?” Benedict asked as he noticed the shift in her tone.
”It’s just that… James is dead. He’s gone and he’s not coming back.” She cried.
”Wait. Silas is dead? As in, permanently dead?” Benedict stammered.
Bethyinine nodded and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.
”How’d he die?” Benedict asked.
”Took himself out with this.” Bethyinine answered as she slid the revolver across the table.
“Was he engaged with something before he did this?” Benedict inquired.
”Yes, he was, and I’m pretty sure he blinded it.” Bethyinine replied.
”Blinded what, exactly?” Benedict asked as he tilted his head.
”An ouroboros, something that was considered extinct two millennia ago.” Bethyinine stated.
”That thing is precisely why I brought you here. I want to tell you how we could kill it.” Benedict declared.
”We? You want to help?” Bethyinine stuttered.
”Yes I want to help, well, me and the rest of my associates that is.” Benedict answered as he handed her his business card.
Bethyinine looked down at it, and squinted her eyes so as to read the finely printed letters.
Benedict O’Connor, Bureau
Director of Foreign Relations
“So you’re the bastards that James told me about!” She hissed.
”How much has he lied to you about?” Benedict said.
”Wait, he’s been lying to me?” Bethyinine spat.
”He’s been lying to people his whole life. I’m just surprised you didn’t catch him doing it.” Benedict chuckled.
”I… I didn’t know. I thought he was telling the truth. I trusted him.. I. Trusted. Him.” Bethyinine sighed.
”Well, he isn’t trust you, and he also didn’t trust me either.” Benedict said.
”What do you mean by that?” Bethyinine asked.
”Told me he was going to be doing diplomatic work with your people. Then he faked his death, all so he could get us to come and lay our respects.” Benedict started as he took another sip of his coffee.
”After that he killed me, well, he almost did. Lucky for me, the living aren’t supposed to be in your world. And after a few weeks, and some bloodshed on James’s part, I came back to the land of the living.” He finished.
”Oh, and he planned on killing you too, by the way.” Benedict added.
”No, that can’t be right! James told me himself that he’d take himself out before he even thought about killing me.” Bethyinine stated.
”Was that him lying to you, or was that Cassius speaking?” Benedict asked.
”You know about him?” Bethyinine inquired.
”I’ve heard about him. The Bureau doesn’t keep tabs on everything you know.” Benedict chuckled.
”You can only spread your resources so thin. Especially now, given what’s going on back home for me.” Bethyinine sighed.
Benedict nodded and passed the revolver back to her.
“Now for us to discuss the details of our little project.” Benedict stated.
“Go on.” Bethyinine smiled as she retracted her claws.
“Every single ouroboros is merely a beast of raw psionic power. Which means they lack any true connection to our physical world.” Benedict started.
”So they have to take control of us in order to even interact with the rest of the world.” Bethyinine shuddered.
”You’ve been possessed by one of these beasts?” Benedict asked.
”Yes, and it was not at all pleasant.” Bethyinine replied.
”Then you’re very much vulnerable to being overtaken again.” Benedict sighed.
”Couldn’t that work in our favor though?” Bethyinine said.
”How so?” Benedict asked.
”Let it take complete control of me, then take me out. Given it now has a physical body, that should put it down for good.” Bethyinine suggested.
”You really want us to do a suicide mission for this?” Benedict inquired.
”Unless you have any other ways to kill this thing.” Bethyinine sneered.
“I do, actually, and it might be worse than what you’ve just suggested.” Benedict sighed.
”And that is?” Bethyinine insisted.
”Your niece, what she’s capable of is.. Honestly I don’t even know what her powers even do. But she is very much a viable candidate.” Benedict said.
”Candidate for what? Your version of a suicide mission?” Bethyinine hissed.
”No. We’ll have her gain the beasts trust before killing it. Last I checked, she helped you cope with James’s false death. So what’s stopping her from tricking some wayward beast?” Benedict smirked.
Bethyinine simply nodded, smiled, and walked over to Benedict. She extended her hand for him to shake, which the Director gladly did.
”We have a deal then.” He sighed.
”Indeed we do, Eggs. Indeed we do.” Bethyinine cooed.