WnW 13.b – Passage

I ran through the sparse pine trees of the Manitoban north, startling grouses into flight as I passed. My heart pumped blood like a finely tuned engine and I felt good. Idly, I considered catching one of the birds in my teeth, really leaning in to the whole Wolf thing. But no, I was aiming for bigger prey.

There was a sonorous call that echoed through the forest, an Aberrant that sounded like those underwater recordings of whales, deep and mournful. I had heard it before, but never laid eyes on the creature. Today was the day to change that.

Neve hummed along in my head as she enjoyed sharing in my exhilaration of the hunt. It was a constant game we played, excitement tempered by calm, teasing mediated by honesty. Perhaps if I was being honest, the game had become strained as of late. If I thought of why, it might travel to Neve and get her thinking about it again, so I pushed the thought away and concentrated on the woods.

There was a blur of movement that my eyes, enhanced by Neve’s power, spotted from miles away, through a gap between trees thousands of meters apart. I dug my foot into the frozen ground and darted towards it.

The mournful sound rippled the pine needles on the ground and I could feel the effect start to take hold. My strides took longer to touch earth again. Barely perceptible, but there. A slowing of time. The perception of time to be exact. Take too long, listen to too much of its song and you would be stuck, perceiving a single second of time lasting a millenia in your own mind.

But I would be faster.

I burst into the clearing and the Aberrant turned to look at me. It had the body of a great stag, with orange fur and five legs, three in the front to support the massive protrusion that rested on its head, giant antlers that had twisted into an eerily perfect circle, with a strange flesh stretched across the space like a drum. It gazed at me with eyes that had three pupils but were otherwise quite human. Scattered across the field were all manner of animals; birds that had fallen from the sky to lay still except for their chests that still rose and fell, foxes frozen with ears laid flat, squirrels that had been still for so long their legs had given out. The antlers shook and the ghostly sound emanated from the drum.

It hit me stronger this time, slowing my movement down to a quarter speed.

Focus. Neve hummed the tune of Eminence Grise, one of our favourite songs. The predictable rhythm helped me not to stumble, which was surprisingly easy to do based on my previous attempts at catching this thing. More time to adjust muscles meant for awkward moments of too much or too little effort.

I grinned, seeing the Aberrant grow more and more restless as I drew closer. It pawed the ground with hooves that had eerily finger-like phalanges. But even if it was immune to its own power, it wasn’t faster than me.

My fingers brushed fur and I savored the feeling of slowly digging my fingers into its hide. A drawn out slow-mo timelapse of a predator catching its prey. Time had slowed to a crawl. Neve pulsed nervousness. Relax. I’ll take my time, but it’ll be done soon enough.

A few hours later, I’d hauled my way up to the antlers. Neve kept me entertained with stories from our past. The fish that swam in smoke in Nova Scotia. The battle against Organ. The time Neve had told her parents she was gay. Amusingly, that was more shocking to them than the fact that she was a Witch.

Grasping the smooth antlers and twisting, they broke with the slowness of a melting glacier. With a final snap, time resumed its normal pace.

I grunted with satisfaction and gave the stag a kiss before releasing it. It staggered away, head tilting from side to side, no doubt unfamiliar with the weight of its own head without its Shape. It looked back at me and I saw sadness in its expression.

Was it sad that its purpose was lost? Even when that purpose was endangering the ecosystem around it? What had it intended? Stroking the smooth branches in my hands, I suddenly had the urge to visit Sage.

I missed running with them. Neve missed them too. They were a fun partner to do adventures with and so fun to tease. Granted, they held an easy confidence around them these days and even fired back a quip or two sometimes. 

Even in this era, it was hard to travel without being observed. I couldn’t visit them too much or everyone we’d fooled into believing that Sage had abandoned Earth and took the Lacunae with her might start catching on.

Even I couldn’t see the Lacunae anymore. It made me wonder if maybe Sage had sent them off into space without her.

My satellite phone vibrated and I pulled it out. Seeing the number, I broke into a huge grin and answered it.

“AJ! It’s been so long! When did you come back to Canada? You’ve been leaving your auntie in the dark… Hm?”

I chuckled.

“Say less. I’ll be there.”

Neve pulsed curiousity.

“He needs my expertise in kicking ass,” I explained. “It’ll be a lovely reunion.”

—

Aj was perched on the edge of a building, along with two others I didn’t recognize. One was playing jump rope with their own arms, limbs stretching to accommodate as if they were made of taffy. The other one was just a kid and he was watching a bug on his finger with rapt attention. It kinda reminded me of Nell. That and the fact that the boy was the only one not wearing shoes, the soles of their feet being made several shades darker by walking barefoot.

I gave the stretchy armed person a wink as I approached AJ, who stood to greet me. He was taller than I was now and he no longer wore his old red hoodie. Instead it was a black one with the sleeves cut off, showing off his toned arms. He smiled softly as I clasped his hand.

“How long has it been? Five years? You’ve grown up,” I said as I slid my hand further up his forearm, feeling the bicep. “I know you said you needed to muscle, but it feels like you’ve got plenty.”

“Still gives me a less than one percent chance of winning a fight against a Wolf,” AJ said. “How are you? How’s Neve?”

I shrugged. “You can ask her yourself, she’s just chilling at ground level right now, there aren’t any stairs up here.”

Neve pulsed annoyance at being left behind.

AJ’s gaze slid downwards. “I’m keeping my Shape usage to a minimum, given what we’re up against,” his expression grew sadder at those words.

“Right, what’s the situation?”

AJ pointed to the town below. I whistled in appreciation. There was an old castle with intact spires and a drawbridge, something from the bygone era of settlers and sieges. Small flames lit up the gathering of people standing outside the castle. Men and women holding torches and standing eerily still.

“Did I ever tell you about this con artist I used to work with, back in the Rings? His name is Terry. He has a Shape that makes you obey his verbal commands.”

“That’s powerful.”

“You can resist the urges to obey if you know it’s coming and brace yourself. But there’s an easier solution.”

I nodded. “Easy enough to remove your hearing temporarily as a Wolf.”

The stretchy armed individual blew a raspberry. “Speak for yourself. Couldn’t figure it out so I’ll just have to rupture my eardrums.” They mimed jabbing their fingers into their ears.

“Daria, this is Kat,” AJ explained. “They’re a Witchless Wolf.”

Kat extended their hand and it grew to three times the initial size, with fingers that were long and drooping. I shook it, raising an eyebrow at AJ.

“I know. We’re going to try to find them a new Witch.”

Kat wiggled their fingers at us. “Might just go a little crazy otherwise.”

“The two of you are going to occupy Terry’s slaves while we try to trap him inside the castle. We’ve already tested it and Terry’s Shape doesn’t work on Aberrants. Fin has control of one, so we’ll use it to pin him down.”

I realized with a start that there was a tall figure now standing next to the boy named Fin. The humanoid Aberrant was wearing a formal black suit with a tie wrapped tightly around its neck. Its face was pale with starkly red veins running along its bald head. Its eyes and mouth were narrow slits with only darkness within. The Aberrant was impossibly still, like a screenshot rather than a living thing.

“Alright,” I said, cracking my knuckles. “A simple plan, I like that. I know you said that this Terry guy used to be part of the Rings, but from what I’ve heard about them, having slaves seems a bit too evil, no? How do you get from con artist to this?”

AJ replied sadly, “I spoke with him a few times in the last couple of days. It’s relatively safe for me to listen when I’m far away. I tried to negotiate with him to release the hostages, but he refuses to be incarcerated. He won’t give up the hostages and lose his security. He’s dissociating. This world doesn’t feel real and he wants out. I suppose after everything he based his world around, it was too difficult for him to adapt. So he kept playing games but upped the stakes.”

“I see. So we’ll bop him on the head and throw him into a locked room until we can get him the help he needs.”

AJ’s expression hardened. “I know you’ve heard things about how the Rings used to be, but you don’t get it. Every person in the Rings knew they were going to die young. There was no future for us, for anyone who wasn’t at the top. The gangs pitted us against each other just to keep us down, like crabs in a bucket. If Terry wants that world back, I can’t let that slide. He’s already deluded himself to the point where he’s using other people like dolls to play games. Quite a few have died already. And it isn’t just his Shape. He’s cunning and an expert manipulator. I can’t know if he’s had a change of heart. He could easily deceive us and subtly use his Shape to worm his way into whatever group we leave him with. Then the same thing will happen again, as he tried to make his little kingdom,” AJ spat the last word. “So this is the last time. It has to stop.”

I clapped him on the back and it was the first time he didn’t stagger from the blow. “Well said. Let’s get to it.”

AJ nodded and motioned to Kat. They screwed up their face and jammed sharpened nails into their ears. Their expressions were so exaggerated it was cartoonish, almost comedic if it wasn’t for the stringy blood that came with the fingers as they pulled them out. Then Kay jumped off the roof and I followed suit. The strange Wolf landed and squished into a puddle before springing back up again, fully unharmed.

Neve walked out of the building and I landed narrowly close to her, kicking up plumes of dust from the untended city streets. 

She gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Did you tell AJ?”

“N- not yet.”

“Hmm? How is it that my big scary warrior is scared of this? My my.”

“You’re enjoying this a little too much.”

Neve said something back, but she’d already sealed up my ears and patted me on the butt. Get going.

Kat began to run, feet staying in contact with the ground a little too long with each stride, legs stretching to compensate. I started after them, wondering what Neve had said.

The castle loomed above the small houses and in just a few moments, we came to the throng of people holding torches. They stared at us with wide eyes and one mouthed at me, help.

Someone leaned out over the ramparts. I could see his face clearly with my enhanced eyes, a middle-aged man with whitened teeth and a clean shaven face. His clothes were clean and tailored, save for a tattered scarf that he wore around his neck. He didn’t look much like a king, more like a stocks broker. He raised his hands in welcome. His lips parted and with Neve’s help, I read them.

“Hail travelers! You’ve… my humble fiefdom. Wouldst… wish to rest after what was no doubt a long journey to find this… I can provide a grand feast and a room to stay the night. Perchance, if w… one of my servants will tend to you and make sure your stay is most pleasant.”

His captives cringed at the sound of his voice. They were poorly clothed, some wearing cheap medieval costumes that weren’t fitted properly and no doubt were poor protection from the cold. I also noticed that each person had a small radio attached to their clothes.

AJ’s voice rang out from just below my chin, meaning his mouth had sprouted on my neck. Through vibrations and Neve’s power, I had a good idea of what he was saying. 

“Terry! Last chance to let these people go.”

Terry’s shoulders sagged as he heard AJ’s voice. His voice immediately dropped its Shakespearean lilt. “AJ, you shithead. Leave me be. There are plenty of crises for you to go play the hero at. Stop getting involved.”

AJ paused, then said, “Do you remember the barber shop where we used to hang out?”

Terry’s eye twitched and his expression softened. “Of course.”

“We used to watch T.V. and play board games on the second floor. You even let me try on one of your suits. Didn’t that mean anything to you? We were allies. We had each other’s back. Graham would be disappointed in you.”

Terry’s brow creased with worry. “Right… Of course he would be. I hadn’t thought of that. Is it true that I’ve become such a villain? I’ve changed from the good, moral person I used to be. Except…” Terry covered his face, shoulders shaking.

“Except that’s a fucking made up history!” 

He slammed his hands on the stone parapet, a vein pulsating in his forehead. “I was never a good person! I’ve cheated and lied to gain every good thing I ever had in life. You think just because we worked together that I thought of you as anything more than a snotty-nosed brat? It’s time you came back to reality, AJ. There are no villains or heroes here. Only power, taken by stepping on the grasping fingers of others. Grow up and face the music. I’m tired of entertaining your fantasies about good and evil.”

“Funny, that’s what I was gonna say,” AJ said. “Wake up, Terry. You haven’t built a thing in your life. You’ve accumulated things, sure. You thought that meant something? All that effort on appearances and all I see is a control freak.”

Terry left the balcony without another word. But the response came from the hundreds of radios that squawked to life, little red lights blinking on. The fear from the captives was immediate. I could guess what his orders were: Kill the outsiders.

The people clumsily rushed us all at once, with torches and knives and gardening tools. It was hardly a fair fight. One knife stroke was all it took for me to become immune to their blades. I tossed them around, bowling them over with ease. It was like I was fighting against a horde of stuffed animals, granted they were more fragile than that. I laughed as I charged through the battlefield, toying with their clumsy attempts to harm me by stepping close before darting away.

Then I spotted Kay cracking two people’s head together. They blinked a few times, as if surprised by their own action. Then they shrugged and kept pummeling.

What the fuck. Heat rose to my face and I fought off the captives around me before leaping over to Kat, pulling them off of their victims.

“What are you doing?!” I shouted. Another attacker came at me with garden shears and I caught them by the neck, holding them at bay.

Kay held a bloodied hand up to their destroyed ears. “Hmm?”

“What the fuck are you-” I stopped as Neve pierced my awareness with her alarm. I suddenly became aware of how hard I was squeezing the captive’s neck. I let go, horrified. I could have broken it.

More captives swarmed us and I fought back, punching one of them in the stomach. They doubled over, blood pouring from their mouth. I stumbled back, clutching my hand. What is this?

As we fought, markings on the people’s skin was revealed beneath their torn clothing. They were words. Kill. Maim. Destroy.

Kat seemed to realize it too, although they were much less careful with how they handled the victims as they squeezed their eyes shut.

Commands written into words? AJ didn’t tell me about that.

But I could adapt. Most likely, this was a new change to Terry’s Shape that AJ wasn’t aware of. Mutations like this were happening more and more these days.

No problem. I could fend off the horde without seeing them. I took a few more painful blows from the torches and wooden implements but it wasn’t like these were Wolves-

A blow rattled my skull and sent me hurtling through the air. I smashed into a wall and my eyes flew open. The drawbridge to the castle had been lowered and two people had entered the fray. They were tattooed from head to foot with words. Even their eyes were black with ink. Before I could stop myself, I’d read them from afar. Kill. Maim. Destroy.

My body lurched free from the destroyed stone wall, ready to inflict pain. I shut my eyes forcefully and chuckled. “Now this is getting exciting!” I roared and launched myself back into the fray.

I’m gonna need your help, Neve.

I felt the ripples of emotion through our bond. Fear and confidence in equal measures. Neve had been fighting Wolves for as long as I had. She knew how they moved, she could react to their speed.

I listened without hearing, I saw without sight. I took the brunt of her emotion, riding it, avoiding where she told me to, striking when the timing was perfect. Strikes slid past me as I seized an arm and shattered it. 

“It’s too bad-” I breathed, dodging a flurry of blows. “That I’m the strongest.” 

I planted a kick and felt the satisfaction ripple through our connection and imagined the Wolf crashing into the nearest building.

Then I got the signal from Neve. They’d got him.

I squinted, just to orient myself to the castle gate and then rushed towards it. I spotted Kat choking out the other Wolf while taking hits from all sides. Those with bladed weapons seemed to be having trouble pulling them out of Kat’s skin. I trusted them to handle the aggression while we stopped this madness for good.

Navigating the empty castle, I quickly found the group.

AJ and Fin watched Terry closely, who was seemingly stuck. Fin held a flashlight beam on him. The Aberrant in the suit was between them, frozen mid-lunge with eyes that bulged, mouth stretching further than human.

AJ motioned to me that it was fine to restore my hearing.

“The Aberrant will kill him if he tries anything,” he explained.

“Well fought,” Terry said, giving a lazy smile, as if unbothered by the monster poised to strike.

“We’re not bantering anymore, Terry,” AJ said. “There were twice as many captives out there yesterday, tell me where they are.”

“I’m surrendering,” Terry said, smirking. “If you don’t want me to talk, we can go to the cell right now. Lock me up.”

AJ paused. “Terry,” he said quietly. “You were in a much different mood yesterday. You said you would rather die than be taken in.”

Terry shrugged. “A change of heart. I’m a liar after all.”

AJ pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Terry’s head. His hands didn’t waver. “Tell me where they are. Now.”

Terry’s eyes widened for a moment, then he leaned forward. “Be sure to hit me in the head. I don’t want to suffer.”

AJ shook his head. “You wanted a fight to the death, then you wanted to be captured, now you want death again? You’re making no goddamn sense.”

“No. I’ve decided. Death please,” Terry said with an empty stare.

“AJ,” I said. “You don’t have to-”

BANG. The gunshot cut me off. Terry’s head snapped back, then slumped to his chest before he crashed to the ground in a motionless heap.

AJ lowered the smoking gun and met my eyes with sadness. “Daria, I’m not a kid anymore. I understand what it means to be a hero. It means doing what others can’t. It means standing up for those who are being trod on by people who think they’re somehow above others. I don’t want any more bosses or rulers.”

Fin made a small noise, the first time I’d heard him at all.

AJ turned to him, “What is it?”

The boy just pointed at Terry’s body, shaking his head.

I walked over to the body and crouched down, lifting Terry’s head. The bullet hole was evident, a clean shot. His eyes were rolled back in his head. He was dead as a-

Terry’s hand shot towards me and I leaped back, twisting in the air to keep Terry from touching me.

“What the fuck…” AJ whispered.

I landed and pulsed alarm to Neve. Something is very wrong.

The hand that had tried to touch me lowered down to push the body up. Terry’s mouth hung open and blood poured into it from the bullet wound. Terry stood and both hands raised up to touch his head, feeling the bullet wound. Then he grasped his own hair firmly and yanked. There was a squelching sound and AJ’s hands shook as he re-aimed the gun back at Terry.

Another twist and the head popped off, a clean break from partway down the neck. Black fumes poured from the opening. The body tossed the head aside, where it rolled into a corner.

A voice spoke from the headless being, sounding wet, like many vocal flaps were sliding over one another, “Caught me.”

“Who are you?” I asked, muscles tensed for anything.

“Mmm. You can use Guillotine.”

AJ choked back a noise of disgust. “You were using his head?!”

Guillotine’s hands hung at their sides, palms pointed at the ground. “Depends… what do you think of Loki’s wager?”

“We’re not playing fucking games!” AJ shouted. “Why do this? What are you? How long have you been impersonating him?”

“Just a few minutes before you arrived. Too short a time. I’ll learn from my mistake in timing.”

“You won’t be making any mistakes again,” AJ said, fingers tightening on the trigger.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Careful. We don’t know what it’s capable of. And I want to hear an answer. What do you want?”

Guillotine made no attempt to make their emotions known through body language. They answered with a question, “Are you one of the Awake?”

“I don’t know what that means,” I answered.

“You wouldn’t remember anyway. You have seconds left. Maybe time for one more question?”

“We’re deciding the flow of conversation here,” I said confidently. “Don’t think my caution will last forever. I have a Witch on the way who will rip you to shreds.”

“Guess not,” Guillotine said without inflection. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

—

“What-”

I blinked rapidly as harsh sunlight shone through the window. A sick feeling rose in my stomach. It was just midnight.

Everyone else was gone. I reached out through my connection and sighed with relief. Neve was still outside. She responded groggily, having just woken up.

What were we still doing here? I assumed that everything had been taken care of. It was weird that I had returned to this room. Perhaps that strange Guillotine person had made me uneasy, but I was pretty sure everything had worked out.

My arm throbbed and I focused on healing it. Out of the corner of my eye, I read the words carved into it. You won’t remember, but it will happen again.

Whatever could that mean? I brushed it off and the words soon faded from my memory like an unimportant dream.

—

AJ

A rumbling earthquake shook the entire castle, yet Daria remained still, unmoving. Her chest rose and fell. 

Sleeping?

AJ breathed in deeply, calming himself. It was fine. This was just another new thing he had to learn about Shaping and this world. He would handle it. The torch had been passed to him after all.

Leave it to me, Sage. I got this.

– The End For Now –