“Holy crap, you guys have been busy!” Larry stared with wide eyes at Cerri as she finished updating him on what had happened while he recovered from his magical burnout.
Cerri nodded in confirmation. “Also, the ferrous demons have narrowed down the location of the Universum and estimate they’ll reach the final protections shortly.”
Larry’s shook his head, muzzle open in wonder. Then his gaze turned soft and he peered up at his erstwhile magical partner. “Is it true, what Cerri says? You contacted DEAF and told them what’s been going on ... and they agreed to dissolve your Familiar bond with Cleo and transfer it to me?”
“Yep. It’s done. Cleo no longer has access to my thoughts. That’s how the bad guys knew of our attack, and why they were ready for us. But now you’re stuck with me as your magical partner.” Jesse’s face creased with concern. “I’m sorry, Larry. I should have known that Cleo was lying when she told you she’d been reassigned to Litha. Speaking of not trusting your gut, I’m as guilty of it as you are.” With a shrug, she added, “Cleo’s always been power hungry. We’ve had many battles over my lack of ambition.”
“So, what will happen to Cleo now? Once we catch her, I mean.” Larry licked his paw for comfort. “It’s almost unheard of for a Familiar to go rogue, betray their magical partner and unilaterally align themselves with another.” His eyes narrowed in anger as an image of Cleo standing defiantly at Councilman Jenkins’ side as the battle raged around them filled his mind.
Jesse snickered. “Oh, Cleo’s in for a world of hurt. DEAF is going to recall her. At the least, she’ll have to go for retraining. At worst—”
Larry nodded. “At worst, they’ll deconstruct her soul.” He shivered in horror. Deconstruction was rumored to be excruciatingly painful and bloody. And, at the end of it, you were no more, ever again.
Grim silence filled the room as everyone considered Cleo’s grisly fate.
Midnight arched her back, chittering impatiently. “It’s no more than she deserves. But why haven’t they recalled her yet? Why are they leaving her in place with that idiot Councilman ... oh, I get it.”
Cerri smiled evilly. “That’s right, by leaving her in place, with DEAF’s cooperation, we now have a direct line to Councilman Jenkins’ mess of a mind. And, since we know the Councilman is in league with the magical mobster hunting the Universum, we have a pretty good idea of his plans as well. Unknowingly, Cleo has helped us to formulate our plan going forward. But we need help if we’re to pull it off.” She rubbed her eyes tiredly. “We drastically underestimated the scope of this plot, Larry. They currently have more magical firepower than we do. We are going to need reinforcements.”
* * *
Later that night, the scrapyard office heaved with furred and feathered creatures.“So, who’s on board?” Midnight gazed around the room, ensuring she met the eyes of every Familiar present. “We can’t have Familiars going rogue. Cleo’s actions have damaged our standing with the Supernatural Council and alerted DEAF to a betrayal of one of our own. They will clamp down on us, and it won’t be pleasant.”
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The click of many claws on the hardwood floor, as well as the clacking of beaks and ruffle of feathers, filled the tense silence. The scrapyard’s office was stuffed to the gills with Familiars from all over the Tri-state region. DEAF had issued an urgent command to several score of the Familiars closest to the scrapyard, commanding them to leave their posts and report for duty. A battle was brewing, and these Familiars knew it, but hesitation still showed on several faces.
Larry huffed impatiently. “Look, guys, Cleo betrayed her oath to protect her magical partner. She lied about it and aligned herself with those who wish to destroy Earth and all the realms. The way DEAF sees it, if she can do that, so can we. The way I see it is that we must band together, both to save Earth, and ourselves, from this existential threat, AND to regain our collective honor.”
“Who is with us?” Larry held in a smile, his gaze serious as he scanned the room. He hoped his rousing speech did the trick.
A large beaver lumbered forward, his tail leaving a trail of dirt on the formerly pristine office floor. He sat up on his hind legs, his lugubrious face swiveling between Larry and Midnight.
“We get it. We Familiars have to save the day. Yet again.” The beaver’s tail slapped angrily against the wooden boards. “Don’t these supernaturals ever consider our needs? Our wants? Granted, we were created to give magical support to our witch and mage partners, but what’s in it for us? We go where we’re told, work with whatever magical loser DEAF assigns us to, and when—not if—we eventually lose our physical bodies in service to the supernatural community, we are just shoved into another body, and sent on yet another assignment. Rinse and repeat.”
Larry noted that several heads in the room nodded in agreement with the beaver’s words. He decided to drop a truth bomb. His gut told him that everyone present, even the not-so-eager beaver, would do their duty and help him—and his team, save the world.
“Look guys, I get it. I really do. I’m pretty sure I’m the oldest Familiar here. I’ve been ... uh ... recycled over a dozen times.” He gazed down at his massive and heavily muscled canine form. “And not all of my physical forms have been as impressive as this one.” Larry gave an over-the-top shudder, his lips curling in disdain. “And don’t ask me about my gig as a cat.”
“Hey! Watch it!” Several annoyed feline voices rose above the general guffaws of the audience.
The tense atmosphere in the room lightened, as Larry had intended. “But, overall, my work as a Familiar has been truly amazing. Thanks to DEAF, I get to experience the sun on my face and the exhilaration of working powerful magic with, mostly, great magical partners. I get to enjoy good food and good friends. Most of all, I get to live.” Larry’s enquiring gaze raked the room. “How many of you would rather never have been created—never have experienced any of those things?”
After an electric moment, the rafters shook with roars, meows, woofs, and caws of approval. Once the din died down, Larry faced his chief opponent in the battle for hearts and minds. “Well? How about you? It can’t be so bad being a beaver.” Larry couldn’t help himself, adding, “Well, except for all the beaver jokes.”
“Oh, fuck you, dog breath!” The beaver shook a clenched paw at Larry. Then his shoulders drooped. “But you’re right, dammit. I’m glad to be alive, and, without DEAF and the supernatural community, I wouldn’t be. I’ll help you—we’ll help you, right, folks?” He grumbled a last retort. “But quit it with the beaver jokes, guys.”
The beaver held out his paw. “By the way, Larry, my name’s Ed.”
“Nice to meet you, Ed.” Larry sighed in relief and touched paws with the now cooperative beaver.
Amid a chorus of hoots and hollers, they reached agreement. The gathered Familiars would stand beside Larry and Midnight—and the rest of their team, in the coming battle.
Midnight’s caustic, mind-spoken comment sounded in Larry’s head. “Good job—for a canine.”
“You, too—for a cat.”