pasthegate

[pasthegate]

The Serpent man and The Fairy Godmother

The air tasted stale. Like a room untouched for many years. The rain had miraculously stopped, the sky overhead clear of clouds and stuck in blood red sunset. Oak folded away the umbrella and Tine squinted up at the building far ahead. The normal house that had been before him was gone, replaced by a tall hunching behemoth of a mansion. Four stories tall and stitched together with brick and wood, the shingles on the roof so thick the house looked like it was curving inward, with any of the massive chimneys atop ready to fall at any moment. 

The garden was filled with trees bearing multitudes of fruit, their branches drooping with the weight and their roots entangled with garlands of flowers with spots of mushrooms peeking through the petals. Curious, Tine reached up to pick a pear off a tree as they walked up the winding pathway of black pebbles leading to the house. Bringing the fruit to his lips he sniffed it first and took a bite to examine its insides. 

Black and rotting with millipedes and maggots squirming around each other within the fruits fleshy skin. Tine merely spat the piece from his teeth and tossed the pear away.

“Her sense of humour is much the same as ever.” A muttering under his breath. Appealing on the outside and toxic on the inside. If anyone who approached this house took a moment to check the delicious looking fruit they could save themselves. Yet so many literally walked away from salvation. A cruel joke.

Honestly he would like her if she weren’t such an unbearable cun-

“Good evening gentleman. How may I assist you?”

They had reached the door already and now stood before a figure wearing a purple and white striped suit, a cat mask with an ear to ear smile covering their face. Despite the mask covering the figure’s mouth their words were not muffled and they extended a a striped glove hand in greeting.

“I regret to inform you there is no party tonight. If you have come for a private show please-”

“Call the witch down.Tell her the shape shifter wants to make a trade.”

The cat masked figure pulled their hand back and nodded in understanding, taking a step back and stepping inside the house. Left to stand before the porch Tine removed his coat and hat to  hand off to Oak and straightened out his vest.It was a rather strange situation he found himself in. While he had no qualms using any means to get what he wanted he usually held all the cards or at least had a hand he could bluff with. In this particular scenario he was yet to be dealt anything and the name of the game eluded him. The ace up his sleeves could be worthless or the key to his winning. All of it was up in the air.

Speaking of up.

Pale eyes flicking to above the porch Tine smirked with an amused chuckle. 

Perched on the aged cherub statue was a creature of great size, human in shape but hunched and crouched like a beast. Covered in thick black latex from head to toe, the material pulled tight over solid muscle lined with protruding veins. Two glass half spheres bulged from where its eyes should be, a yellow glow dimly shining under them and a large zip running across the mouth from ear to ear. 

The creature didn’t move until the door opened again, leaping from its perch and landing in front of Tine to block his view of the porch. It stood to its full height and came up only centimetres short of the twin giants own eye line. Tine continued to smile, cocking his head as he looked over the body builder physic and casually spoke up as thought it wasn’t there.

“Your guard dog is rather poorly trained. I must say I am taken aback my good lady.”

A dry soft laugh came from the doorway and a quiet frail voice replied.

“I must refute you on that. Atticus is merely ensuring his master’s safety.” 

Slowly the beast slowly stepped out of the way and Tine’s gaze shifted to a small and thin elderly woman standing hunched with a welcoming smile. Silver hair tied back in a loose bun with a violet ribbon and a lavender dress buttoned up to the neck, hem brushing the ground and black slippers peeking out from under, she stood the picture of a kind elderly grandmother, a black velvet shawl draped over her shoulders to keep out the evening chill.

The cat masked figure carefully held the woman’s arm as she stepped onto the porch, her steps small and reinforcing the fragile appearance she gave off. Slowly she raised a thin wrinkled hand dotted with liver spots and cupped the underside of the black clad beast’s jaw.

“How curious to see you again shapeshifter, here I had thought you wished to wash your hands of us for good.” Faded red eyes, like those of a wilting rose bud stared from behind oval spectacles rimmed gold and resting on the bridge of her slim nose. In her youth she would be quite the beauty, sharp in chin and cheekbones. Old, she held a certain dignified beauty but her sharp features were rounded out with loose skin and bubbles of fat lingering over the aged muscles.  “Time has been good to you shifter. Or should I say, ignorant, of you?”

“The latter I would concur. For you dear lady it has been most attentive.” Smirk slipping into a full smile Tine bowed at the waist. “Yet its efforts have stolen none of your splendour.”

The old woman laughed in her throat, a sound that could have been taken for a cough and took her hand back from the beast to wave at the air between them.

“Save your flattery for the fools shifter. Why have you come?”

“I wish to make a trade.”

“A trade of what?”

“I require a spell from you.”

“And your offer?”

“What do you desire?”

The old woman’s lips pursed in thought and red eyes looked over the gentleman in deep consideration.

“I want... your life.”

In a blur of black the beast swiped its paw out at Tine’s still bowed neck, aiming like a guillotine to sever his head from his shoulders. Its impact was cut short by a large hand grabbing the creature’s thick wrist and wrenching it back. Ash squeezed the wrist until he felt bone’s bend and Atticus dug his heels into the porch’s concrete to keep a steady foothold as he pulled for his arm’s release. 

Tine straightened, Ash forcing the beast’s arm back further to keep it from his employer. Atticus struck out with his other hand and that too was caught by the giant, his own arms cris-crossed from where he stood. Shoulder’s hunching the beast’s skin tight clothing squeaked as he crouched and launched himself at  Ash, a heavy knee connecting with the giant’s jaw. Ash took the blow and stumbled back, using his grip on the arms to throw the beast down towards the orchard of trees.

Atticus landed on his feet and flicked out his arms to regain the feeling, crouching to all fours and preparing for another lunge. Ash looked back to Tine for but a moment before removing his jacket and handing it to Oak. Cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders Ash began to walk towards Atticus .His walk growing to a run. Then sprint. Then a full on charge. 

The crouched beast lunged at the charging giant and aimed an elbow for his temple. The blow connected but lost its impact as Ash’s own elbow struck out at its stomach and pushed it over head. Grabbing at Atticus’s ankle the giant swung the beast at the ground, the gravel jumping off the earth at the force of the slam. The attack did little to rattle the creature however as it kicked at Ash’s shoulder and dislocated the ball from its socket. Ash dropped the creature limply and grabbed his own arm to set the bone back in. Atticus rolled back to his feet and the flesh under the black spandex rippled with the resetting of bones and muscle.

Both beings stared each other down for several seconds before each launching into a second round of blows.

Back at the house Tine and Oak watched the fighters for a few more seconds before Tine turned back to the woman and cocked his head to the side.

“Well now, shall we begin negotiations?”

Another cough laugh and the woman waved a hand to the cat masked fellow, the servant stepping back and clapping their hands. From within the house two small creatures exited carrying a table. The first was a young harpy, her wings plucked and bound with thick chains around her wrists and neck. Patches of her skin were burned and stripped away, the flesh on her shoulder so thin the white of bone could be seen jutting against the skin.

 The second was, difficult to discern what it could have been. There was fur. Feathers. Scales. Many different parts of different creatures sewn onto its body and obscuring its original form. The sewn on parts appeared to have no physical purpose either. No, they were merely woven in on whims, flights of fancy like adding new accessories to a handbag.

They set the table down between Tine and the woman and scurried back in to retrieve two chairs. As the malformed children prepared the furniture the cat masked figure set out a table cloth and retrieved a tea seat from inside.There was never a bad time for tea and negotiations went much smoother if you had something to occupy the silence in between contemplating deals. It was easy to lose your composure if all you can do is watch the other person sit silently for minutes on end, hence the refreshments and the little show going on behind them.

The mutilated harpy set his chair down behind him and Tine spared her any gawking or useless sympathy. He did not enjoy seeing children done harm, in fact he took a certain pleasure from the torture of paedophiles and child beaters that other offenders did not supply, but this child belonged to the old woman and her house and nothing he said or did now would change their fate. If anything he would make it worse. 

Waiting for the woman to sit he took his seat after and watched in silence as tea and biscuits were set out on the table. At his side Oak took care to rearrange the tea set to his master’s taste so the table looked split in two, the porcelain and silver the same but the arrangements notably different.

“So.” Tine began “I fear I must reject your first offer given such a trade would make any benefits mute to I.”

“I suppose it would. Forgive an old lady her indulgences. Atticus hasn’t been getting near enough exercise as of late.”

“Big dogs are a chore to be certain.”

“But so loyal. You should look into getting one yourself.”

“I have my own preference of beast to keep as pets.”

“So I have heard.” If her tone didn’t make her displeasure clear the small pull down at the corner of her lips did.  “But we are getting sidetracked. What spell are you after?”

“The Witch’s House spell.”

“That’s quite a heavy priced spell.”

“I reiterate, name your desire. Excluding my life of course.”

The cat masked fellow poured a cup of tea and the elderly woman took a thoughtful sip.As she considered her price Tine glanced back at the ongoing battle below.

Ash’s shirt had been torn apart, shreds of white fabric hanging off the belt around his waist. Atticus appeared unscratched but his movements had become more sluggish. The two were locked in grappling, each trying to push the other back as their feet crushed the earth beneath them.

In a sudden move Ash stopped pushing and allowed Atticus to lunge atop him, one foot lifting to kick against the dog’s stomach and launch him over head. Atticus tightened its grip on Ash’s hands and twisted its body to try and brace the impact but only half succeeded, striking the ground on its side and sweeping a leg out to try and claw across Ash’s head. Ash raised his head in time to avoid it but was slashed across his shoulder blades. The cuts were deep and the pain made the giant stagger and struggle to stand. Releasing his hands Atticus rolled onto all fours and lunged again, aiming for the jugular. Ash grabbed an extended black clad arm and flipped the dog over his shoulder, closing his legs around Atticus’s body and holding it down as he began pulling the captured arm away from its shoulder. Atticus clawed at Ash’s legs, tearing his pants below the knee to strands of bloodied fabric and flesh. The onslaught did not stop Ash from applying more and more strength to pull the arm free from its shoulder socket and snap the muscles holding it in place until-

Skin and latex tore with a flurry of blood spraying across the grass and ash’s face, the arm in his grip going limp as the last stretching pieces of muscles broke under the strain. Atticus made no sound of pain and only hesitated in its attack for a moment before continuing with renewed vigour. Ash, wishing to save his legs before the bone could be exposed dropped an elbow against Atticus’s temple and spread his legs to roll backwards to his feet, unable to stand on them and falling to his knees to ease off the pressure and pain it caused him.  Atticus too rolled onto its feet, grabbing the shoulder that had lost its limb to try and stem the bleeding.

A quiet cough in her throat alerted the dog to its master, Atticus’s head snapping towards the porch where the elderly woman placed her cup down and adjusted her glasses to stare down at the two fighters. Another small show of displeasure crossed her face before she daintily touched wrinkled fingertips to her lips and gently blew a soft whistle between them. A high but short sound that made the dog look back to its enemy and reach up with its good hand to unzip the zip around its mouth.

Beneath the latex a strong dark skinned chin speckled with black hair along its jaw line could be briefly glimpsed. Brief, as the human feature quickly began to twist and contort into an elongated snout, black fur sprouting up in clumps and coming together to cover the brown skin beneath. There was no nose at the end of its snout, only two nostrils and a series of stitches that the fur quickly covered over.  The latex around its body already pulled tight was stretched further as the form beneath it began to grow and pulse with a new raw energy.The beast grew in size, doubling its original height and width with a symphony of snapping and cracks within its body. The exposed shoulder shuddered and from its wound a bony hand burst forth , muscle, fat, flesh and skin coating it from its fingertips slowly. From the ivory wrist the beginning of an ulna and radius pushed the hand out further from the bleeding wound. Raising its head Atticus parted its jaws and revealed two sets of sharped elongated fangs with a mighty roar. Ash watched the transformation and discarded the lost arm, climbing to his feet in intense pain but the threat before him too great to ignore. In a moment of sympathy, or perhaps understanding, the giant noted the beast before him was missing its tongue. The moment quickly passed and digging his heels into the dirt he launched himself at the werewolf to do as much damage as possible before it could regrow its arm entirely.

“I want something of yours.”

The answer returned Tine’s gaze from the fight back to the table. Oak poured a cup of tea for him and added three sugar cubes, Tine taking the cup with a tilt of his head.

“Anything specific? If you are referring to my current companions I am afraid they come as something of a set and would prove less than efficient working for someone other than I.”

“No. I want your body.”

“....” Tine took a long sip. “In the literal sense I take it?”

The woman laughed dryly and touched a hand to her chest.

“Goodness me sir, do you think I so bold?” Lazily she moved the shawl aside and stroked over her covered bosom in a manner intended to be alluring. “Though if you were to insist.” Tine finished his cup and held it out for Oak to refill, his expression neutral even as he downed the second cup in a single gulp. That was a mental image he could have done without. The woman laughed again and fixed her shawl back in place. “I don’t recall hearing any complaints after the first time we had such an encounter but no, you are correct, I meant a piece of your body.”

Tine put the cup down and held a hand up to stop Oak refilling it again.

“And which piece has caught your eye?”

The woman smiled.

Left knee cap shattered. Three fingers broken on left hand and right thumb lost. Open wound between neck and shoulder, non-lethal but bleeding heavily. Vision impaired by blood loss and balance thrown off from damaged shins.  Ash calculated the damage to his body as he ducked the snapping jaws aiming to take his head clean off. It was not often he fought a creature larger than himself and its regenerative abilities put him at a great disadvantage. If Oak was with him victory would be guaranteed regardless but he was on his own and rusty.

Claws swiped. Left shoulder caught and deeply scarred. Keep as much damage to non dominant side as much as possible. Aim for the solar plexus. Use the monster’s size against it.

Ash landed a punch in Atticus’s gut but the blow barely winded it, his own size a disadvantage as it made slipping between the beast’s limbs difficult. The punch was followed up with a kick to its knee but the impact was like hitting a thick tree.

Keep moving. Keep attacking. Avoid the teeth. Use its impaired sight to advantage. Don’t be deceived by its slower moments it moves swifter than appearances allow.

Yet even being careful Ash could not avoid the clawed paw that landed in his left shoulder and pulled him back, a second newly grown set claw landing in his right shoulder. The new arm was covered in thick black fur and twitched with the constant quick pulse of the creature’s heart. Watching the arm regrow had been something horrific and as Ash tried to pry the claws out of his shoulders they were no weaker from being new than their counterparts. 

Atticus held oak out, yellow hues barely visible behind the glass circles that covered its eyes and regarded him a moment before beginning to pull at the shoulder blades connected to his collar bone. It was only fitting. It lost an arm to him so he should lose two to it. Digging the claws in deeper until the tips scratched bone it began applying more and more pressure until the first stretch of muscles rubbed against its claws.

A sudden poke to its back made the creature pause, turning its head to see the blond man and the second giant standing behind it, the man’s cane poking at its side.

“Our business is concluded. Drop him.”

Attitcus regarded the man a moment before looking to its master still sitting at the porch watching. No order came to stop and so it continued to pull apart the giant in hand.Yet as quickly as it decided to continue Atticus found itself freezing up, unable to move. There was a presence. A bigger animal. A bigger hunter watching and preparing to attack. Instincts told it of the threat and looming danger that was closing in on it.

Right behind it.

The presence eased off, still present but enough to let Atticus release the giant. The second one rushed to his twin’s aid and helped him toward their master. Without looking back Atticus hunched down and leaped to the top of the garden, landing in front of the porch.

“Run back to our bitch with tail between your legs... my dog is better. “ Even if the stubborn bastard wouldn’t wear a collar.

Ash found it difficult to stand even with aid from his twin and at his employer’s comment he looked up with blurred vision to a confusing and alarming sight. Part of Tine was missing. Gone and traded. In his hand clutched in gloved fingers was a small orb that swirled with a purple hue. The deal was done and he wanted out of this farce of a wonderland.

From the porch the old woman watched the shapeshifter and his goons pass through the gate to the other side, leaving her world and only a mess at the end of her garden and empty tea cup behind in their wake.

Oh and of course the piece of the shapeshifter she now had floating in her own tea cup. Such a proud and strong creature he was, so arrogant and self assured of his superiority. Now she had a part of him. Something no one else could ever have. Her sense of humour was indeed the same as it ever was.

Atticus turned its lumbering head towards her and with a scowl she promptly chucked the tea pot and the remaining scalding tea inside at it.

“Will you get out of that hideous form? You played too long and looked what happened. You are worthless. Useless! A stupid monstrous lumix of an existence! You-”

And she stops. And she turns her head.

And she stares at you.

Yes you.

She sees you now, spectators and peeping toms, voyeurs of the night’s sordid affairs. She looks to you and she smiles kindly.

And you are outside the house, staring at an ordinary house with dull cream bricks and a neatly trimmed lawn. She has pushed you from her realm. Did you enjoy it? The sights you saw? I should hope so!

What? You want to know who she is? Or is your concern what part of himself Tine traded off? Well you’ve come this far I could give you some reward.

She is The Fairy Godmother.

And the second answer is yet to come.