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downtowns-universe · 3 years ago

Text

Enemy territory

Character: Jack

Words: 8020

Jack eyed the portal, a little sliver of doubt entering his mind now that he was standing in front of it. What if this was a stupid idea? It’s what Chris would tell him, had he known. Tharryn too, probably. Dai might just be unhinged enough to actually come up with something like this, Jack thought – but because he hadn’t, in this case he would also declare him mad.

He pulled the bundle of rowan twigs from his pocket and turned it over in his hands. The fact that this was supposedly magical seemed strange to him. In his experience, magic usually had a certain… vibe about it. A kind of aura. But perhaps that was only because it was a form of magic familiar to him, one he was experienced with – like how he could recognise other Naturals by physical contact. It’s like he connected with the energy on some level. This just felt like a bundle of twigs to him. But if it worked for Chris, it would work for him.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward into the portal’s smooth surface. It was different from the portals he had experienced before, like it was pulling on him from all sides, trying to drag him off track, away from his destination. Perhaps it knew he didn’t belong here. Portals to Downtown had never objected to him, they always felt like moving through a silk curtain brushing gently against his skin.

As soon as he emerged, a feeling of strangeness came over him. It was hard to place, but something in the air seemed to be different. Nevertheless, the forest appeared pretty much the same as it had been on the other side, although perhaps a bit more lush. But it was still just a forest, not some mystical, magical place. He could see tracks on the ground, exactly like Chris had described, like something had been dragged across the forest floor. It was hard to tell because of the encroaching plants, but there were footprints too. He could faintly smell Chris, but another scent was stronger, more recent: his father had come back, like Chris had predicted.

Not wanting to get lost immediately, he followed the tracks for now. The crelor must be long gone, but it wasn’t what he was here for. He was here to get some answers. Recent events had been keeping him up at night: his father; the hunters; the Fae – there was some piece of the puzzle he couldn’t figure out. And since he couldn’t find an answer to what he really wanted to know, he had set his sights on solving the things he could, and perhaps put his mind at ease. If he could figure out why the crelor was here, he could perhaps get a better estimate on how much longer his father planned to stick around. After all, it would be better for all parties if he just left.

As he walked underneath the trees, he started to realise what exactly was so different about this place. His senses were heightened, even more so than usual, as if his wolf side was closer to the surface. He felt it in his bones, in his muscles, like he did just before the full moon. It would make sense, considering werewolf abilities were Fae in nature, probably once having originated as some form of curse. It was why he had considered that perhaps they would be willing to talk to him, or at least more so than to a regular human.

Of course, he’d first tried to get his answers elsewhere, but had been surprised to learn that neither Dai nor the Society had any kind of direct contact with the Fae. And why would they, if the only thing they had in common was magic –and not even compatible magic for that matter. Enveryn didn’t work very well in here, resulting in a kind of quiet his mind did not reach very often. It was refreshing, in a way. Inversely, Fae magic had some issues Downtown. Jack didn’t know the specifics of it, but he hadn’t been able to transform at all there – even though that was more for the lack of a moon than anything else. He hadn’t been able to master transforming without its influence yet, but felt as if he tried it here he might just pull it off – only that was not what he was here for. Instead he shrugged off the thought and focused on his senses, to make sure any Fae that were near wouldn’t be able to sneak up on him.

The forest was eerily quiet, the only thing he heard being the sound of his own footsteps. There were no animals rustling in the underbrush, not even a breeze playing with the leaves. For a place so connected to nature and life, it felt extremely unnatural, like the entire forest was holding its breath, waiting for him to pass. He started to wonder if that was the case: the portal had been breached by outsiders for the third time by now, surely they would have already noticed? Had they been watching him since his arrival?

He stopped in his tracks, staying perfectly still while listening intently. He again realised he didn’t really have a plan. All of his knowledge about this place came through Chris, and even he had only been here twice. He needed to find someone to talk to, but where would he even go? He didn’t know where the Fae actually lived, so he figured his options would be to either wander around until he’d found one, or to let them come to him – and that couldn’t be so hard if they were already watching him, could it?

“Hello?” he called out, not sure to whom in particular. “I’m here to talk!”

A sudden breeze rustled the nearby leaves.

“This is not your place, wolf,” a voice whispered, carried by it.

“I’m not your enemy!” Jack called out into the nothingness, not sure in which direction to turn.

“Are you so sure?” the voice answered. “Enemies have arrived through this portal.”

“That’s why I’m here! I need to know what they’re tracking. I need to know why the crelor is here.”

Jack spun around as a shadow loomed over him. He’d heard no movement, but the fairy was right beside him now. They were tall; much taller than him, not even counting the antlers on their head. They had long, grey limbs, with dark vines snaking across their body.

“You’ve seen it, then?” they asked, studying him intensely with dark, shimmering eyes.

“Not personally,” Jack admitted. “One of the hunters has been tracking it over a great distance. Now he’s followed it here, and it makes me nervous.”

“Why?” the fairy asked. “You are familiar with this hunter? How do you know about his plans?”

“It’s… complicated,” Jack sighed.

A grin appeared on the fairy’s face, a half-moon of sharp teeth that stretched just a little too wide. A reminder to Jack as to what exactly he was dealing with here.

“My favourite kind,” they smiled.

Jack realised they were waiting for him to continue, and took a nervous breath while trying to ascertain whether the two of them were alone or being watched. His head remained unhelpful and his senses didn’t tell him anything was off – or at least, not more so than before. Nothing in this place seemed to make sense.

“I have a lot of connections,” he started. “With the Naturals, the demons, even with the hunters – or, only one hunter, really. He’s how I found the other one.”

He shrugged, attempting to grin.

“Well… technically we already met before that, when he tried to shoot me full of silver.”

Jack paused, realising he was rambling.

“Looks like he missed,” the fairy remarked dryly. “Lucky you.”

“Lucky me,” Jack agreed, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.

The fairy observed him for a moment, their eyes seeming to look straight through him, trying to pry away at his secrets, trying to figure out the real reason for his intrusion. The truth was, he wasn’t so sure himself.

“This hunter, he concerns you so much that you would risk coming here?”

“I have a terrible sense of self-preservation,” Jack grinned, more successfully this time.

“Evidently.”

The fairy reached out, placing a long finger under his chin and lifting it up in order to study his face better.

“Did you think that simply because there is Fae blood running through your veins, you could just walk in here and make demands?”

Demands? He was just here to ask a question – in exchange for payment, even, since he’d already suspected that was how it worked. It was how it worked with demons, at least. Discussing the price to be paid was where things got tricky, usually.

He slowly raised his hands in a submissive gesture.

“Of course not. I’m not here to make demands, but perhaps there could be an exchange.”

The fairy lowered their hand.

“What kind of exchange?”

Jack took a step back, rubbing the spot where they’d touched him. It felt strangely numb. He cleared his throat.

“This hunter, he claims to know a lot about the Fae. Calls himself an expert. I don’t suppose he earned that title by being exceptionally friendly. I think it would be in both our best interests if he weren’t to stick around for very long.”

“You wish to kill him?”

Jack’s heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. Killing his father. It was not that he hadn’t considered it himself sometimes, but it had always been some angry, irrational part of him doing the talking. A vague threat, never a serious proposal such as this. Not even mentioning the question whether he’d be able to do it. He’d simply imagined things to go back to the way they were: Ben would leave to cause problems elsewhere and none of them would know or care what he was up to.

“Killing would be a… tricky option,” Jack started, still piecing together his answer in his mind. “It could attract unwanted attention from the other hunters. They know he’s here, that he’s currently looking into the Fae. If he were to disappear, or be found dead, the place will be crawling with hunters looking for revenge soon enough. I can imagine that’s not what you want. I know I don’t.”

The fairy nodded in agreement.

“Ideally the suspicion would need to be guided away from the Fae,” they said, looking at Jack again intently.

Jack immediately grasped their meaning. This would be the price he had to pay for the information.

“Not exactly what I had in mind,” he said quickly. “I simply wanted him gone from this place, to move on. Remove suspicion – and the hunters’ gaze – from everyone.”

“You would let him leave to cause trouble elsewhere?” the fairy asked, clearly not pleased. “A rather selfish point of view for someone claiming to be concerned with the safety of others, don’t you think?”

“Look. He’s known to travel around, which means he’s bound to be by himself at some point. If anything were to happen to him then, it’s hard to put the blame on anyone. Might be a while before they even find out.”

“…Which means a smaller chance of retaliation.”

The fairy seemed to consider their options, and took a moment before they spoke again.

“If we were to agree on this, how would you go about it?”

“I’m not sure,” Jack confessed. “I don’t have the necessary information. Yet.”

He held up a hand in an inviting gesture.

“Perhaps we could exchange what we know, and I’ll figure out where to go from there. If I knew more about the crelor and its purpose, I might be able to piece together his plans.”

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in this plan of yours,” the fairy observed.

“You’re right,” Jack sighed. “I know I’m not giving you much reason to agree with me. Truth is, I didn’t know where else to go. None of my usual contacts were of any use, no one could tell me anything. And still this guy is keeping me up at night.”

“You’re personally involved.”

It was a statement, not a question, leading Jack to wonder exactly how much information the fairy had been able to glean simply from observing him. Or perhaps they were reading his mind somehow – was that a thing they could do? He didn’t believe so, but what did he know, exactly?

“He tried to kill me, that night. But that’s not all. I can feel there’s something… wrong with him, somehow.”

It wasn’t a lie. It had taken Jack some time to realise, his anger and adrenaline having had the upper hand during their meeting, but there was something not right. He didn’t quite know how to put it into words, and therefore hadn’t bothered mentioning it to Chris, but something had felt off during their meeting, and he’d felt it again just now when detecting his scent.

The fairy must know what he was talking about, since they nodded, for the first time appearing a little less distant.

“We’ve noticed it, too. He must have some way of avoiding our detection. We only found out he was here in the first place because he brought a younger hunter along.”

They paused a moment.

“That is how you knew to come here,” they realised.

“I have my connections,” Jack shrugged.

He would have to stay vague about the extent of those connections, at least for now.

“Having a way to go unnoticed here would explain how he came to be a Fae-expert,” Jack observed. “He would have had plenty of opportunity to gather information.”

“He may truly be as dangerous to us as you claim him to be,” the fairy considered.

They thought for a moment, then extended a hand.

“Very well, let us exchange what we know.”

Jack let out a sigh of relief, which quickly turned into a grunt as he took the fairy’s hand and his body responded in much the same way as it would to a beam of moonlight.

“Oh, I see,” he managed to utter, gasping for breath while trying to will his bones back into place. “So this is how you seal deals.”

“I’m simply calling on the energy that binds us; I’d hardly call it a deal.”

The fairy grinned as he moved a hand to his jaw and pushed until he felt the familiar pop. His body didn’t feel quite right but he decided to leave it be for now: there were more important things to worry about.

“You’re strong,” the fairy remarked, still observing him.

“So I’ve been told,” Jack attempted to grin, ignoring how much it hurt.

“But you lack experience,” they continued, rather bluntly.

“I- I suppose you’re right,” he admitted, assuming they meant experience with changing his body at will. So far, he’d put most of his focus into not changing, doing the opposite would only be inviting trouble. What if he got stuck?

He noticed the fairy was staring at him, unmoving.

“Well?”

“…Right.”

Jack gave a brief summary of what he had learned, without mentioning his exact personal ties to either Chris or Ben: the man they were dealing with was a self-acclaimed Fae expert, travelling with a companion, researching the Fae world and sharing that research with whatever hunters crossed his path. He had been operating in Germany before following the crelor all the way back here: once his home town. Jack made sure to mention this fact, since his familiarity with the terrain was an extra threat they would need to know about. Then he described his ties to the fanatics way-back-when – not that he thought the Fae would care much about the distinction, since it concerned mostly Naturals. Even a more moderate hunter like Chris would still be a threat to the Fae. He only did it to make him sound more ruthless.

He paused for a moment, looking down at his hands, only now noticing they were vaguely claw-like, the nails thick and pointy. He flexed his fingers a couple of times before continuing.

“It’s strange, though: according to my source, he’s not planning to hurt the crelor. It’s almost… uncharacteristic, considering his history.”

“He must know the true purpose of the crelor, then,” the fairy theorised.

Judging by what Chris told him, he really didn’t, but perhaps he had been keeping information to himself.

“Is it a threat to you?”

The fairy shook their head.

“No, no. Quite the opposite: you could say it’s our salvation.”

Jack furrowed his brow.

“In that case I don’t think he’s aware of it. Saving the Fae couldn’t possibly be his goal.”

The fairy considered this, then gestured at the forest surrounding them.

“Sometimes actions can have consequences that will weigh heavier than the action itself. These worlds we live in exist in a precarious balance, and to keep it, not every action we take can be for our own personal gain or preference. We constantly have to think about the bigger picture.”

Jack nodded. He was all too familiar with this principle. It was why demons or Naturals couldn’t just use magic in any way they pleased; why they had to keep their existence hidden from humans – the risk was just too great.

“So, what you’re saying is: if he is aware of its purpose, he must believe that the balance, and therefore humans, will be safer when the Fae world is… well, not in trouble, I guess. Or he’s clueless and just going to wait and see–”

Jack thought a moment before continuing.

“…how is it the crelor will help exactly?”

The fairy smiled, presumably thinking his rambling was entertaining.

“How much do you know about the Nexus?”

“Nothing,” Jack had to admit.

He might have heard the term once or twice but couldn’t even remember in what context. Tharryn loved to throw words around that sounded just like that, but he didn’t speak about the Fae or their world very often.

“The Nexus is a giant tree. It’s an important part of our world,” the fairy started to explain, putting their hand against a nearby tree as if caressing it. “Much like this tree absorbs nutrients through its roots and distributes them to every part of itself, so does the Nexus distribute energy towards wherever it’s needed. Every plant or tree is connected to it; and so are we.”

They gestured at the vines curling down from their legs, digging into the earth beneath their feet.

“Even you – although its grip on you is only strong enough during the full moon. But you can feel it, can’t you? Its pull?”

Jack nodded, although he couldn’t say for certain whether what he felt was caused by a tree. There was something, for sure. The fairy may have kick-started his change earlier, but even before that he could feel it smouldering inside, something just beneath his skin, ready to be let out. And he may have let it slip a little since, judging by how itchy he felt underneath his clothes. His fur must be growing in. Great – it always looked patchy and horrible at first. He suddenly wondered if he would end up fully transformed if he only just stayed here long enough. Perhaps he should try a little harder to push it down if he wanted to finish this conversation. But at the same time he found fighting it to be very difficult. This place was doing something to him, pulling him in, and he wasn’t ready for it.

“I feel it,” he confirmed. “But the wolf feels different in this place. Stronger, but also… erratic?”

“The Nexus is dying,” the fairy said matter-of-factly, like this would explain everything. “It’s reaching out in desperation, grasping at whatever it can find. You aren’t attuned to its voice, but if you were, you would hear its cries.”

“The crelor is hearing them, too,” Jack realised.

The fairy nodded.

“As crelors maintain the balance, they are deeply connected to the energy flow, so much that they can tell when something is off hundreds of miles away. That’s how interconnected the different Nexuses are. Unfortunately, the nearest crelor was still very, very far away. The delay hasn’t done the Nexus much good.”

“How long does it have? And what would happen if it died?”

“It doesn’t have long, but now that the crelor is here, I’m optimistic about its chances. We can bridge the gap until it is restored.”

The fairy sighed.

“Its death would be catastrophic. Without the Nexus, life would become very difficult around here. We would lose our connection to each other. And it won’t be as easy to find the energy to sustain ourselves and our surroundings: we would need to venture to earth more often.”

“To draw in humans for their energy,” Jack realised.

“We would be putting ourselves at risk.”

That was one way to think about it, Jack thought, but was wise enough to keep his mouth shut about it. He wasn’t planning to add himself to the list of people at risk – but he also realised that perhaps it was a little late for that.

“What caused the Nexus to get sick in the first place?” he asked.

“We’re not sure. Sometimes humans are to blame, sometimes the energies just shift. Change is inevitable in nature. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the recent earthquakes had something to do with it.”

So the local population weren’t the only ones plagued by them, Jack thought. He wondered how much the Fae knew or understood about what had been causing them – whether they realised the humans were at fault.

“And you’re sure the crelor will be able to fix it?”

“If it can’t, nothing can,” the fairy sighed. “Healing is what they do. It’s their purpose.”

“What about after it’s done? Will it walk all the way back to where it came from? Or is it going to stick around and live here now?”

Jack was hoping it would leave, as it likely meant his father would follow suit.

“Oh, honey – it will not be doing much after it’s completed its task, I’m afraid.”

“…Oh.”

That changed the situation. Jack wasn’t sure in what way, but the crelor not leaving sure removed the easiest solution to his problem from the board entirely.

“That’s… unfortunate,” he said, truthfully. “For it to cross such a distance only to die.”

“That’s its purpose,” the fairy shrugged. “And besides, nothing ever truly dies. Its energy will be absorbed by the Nexus, and it will live on as a part of it.”

“I see.”

He thought for a moment, scratching the itchy fur on his arm – and promptly leaving deep scratch marks since he’d already forgotten about his claws.

“How bad would it be if the hunter discovered the Nexus’ location? The crelor will likely lead him straight to it.”

“It depends. If he truly knows about the purpose of the crelor, and hasn’t acted yet, I don’t expect him to be much of a threat to it. If it is as you say, and he is merely curious, the outcome is less easy to predict.”

“All I know is that he and his partner seemed fascinated by its healing abilities, and that this isn’t the first crelor they’ve studied. But that doesn’t mean he has seen it heal a Nexus before. I can’t imagine they’re on the brink of death very often.”

“Whatever his intentions with it, the Nexus will never allow him to get close to it. It’s capable of defending itself, or calling others to its aid.”

A worried look showed on the fairy’s face.

“After it’s properly healed, I mean.”

Jack crossed his arms, mostly to stop himself from scratching any further.

“What about his ability to hide himself? Would it be strong enough to fool the Nexus?”

“I can’t imagine it would,” the fairy contemplated. “It’s very perceptive, even in its current state. And it has been under close watch ever since we discovered its illness.”

Jack nodded.

“If any Nexus would attack him on sight, and presuming he has encountered them before, he would already know to avoid it – otherwise, what kind of Fae expert would he be?” he grinned.

“The kind that likes to get himself in trouble? A concept you seem to be familiar with.”

Even though it was unintentional, the comparison to his father still stung. Suddenly, Jack doubted whether he truly had been able to hide the truth about his relation to the hunter, or if the fairy had already figured it out. Either way, bringing it up was going to make sure of it, so he decided to keep avoiding the topic for now.

“Am I in trouble?” Jack grinned.

As he did, he realised the pain in his jaw had gotten worse, meaning it had shifted even further. He’d been focusing most of his efforts on keeping it from changing, knowing that if he wanted to talk himself out of here, he would have to be able to… well, talk. Although he was fairly certain the fairy would understand wolfish, it would certainly not make it easier for him to express himself.

“Depends on how you look at it,” they smiled, observing him with that look he couldn’t quite place.

Hungry, he realised, and clumsily took a step back. His legs felt like jelly and his feet fit uncomfortably in his shoes. They must be changing too, he figured.

He was about to ask what they were doing to him, when they spoke first.

“What are you planning to do about the hunter?”

“I…”

“You said you needed more information. I have given it to you. Now how are you going to make him go away?”

The fairy had crossed the distance between them, getting uncomfortably close.

“I haven’t quite worked it out yet,” Jack said quickly. “But I will do it, I swear!”

He took another step back, but impacted with something solid; a tree blocked his path. Had there been a tree there before? He couldn’t remember.

“I’ll need to wait until after the Nexus is healed. He wouldn’t let anything diverge his attention from the crelor until then.”

“How are you so sure he won’t just acquire a new fascination in the form of the Nexus?”

“I don’t,” Jack admitted. “But I will make him leave, even if I’ll have to make him chase me to do it.”

“Hmm.”

Jack attempted a smile.

“I’d prefer something that’s a little safer for me, of course. But if we play this right, he will never be a threat to us again.”

The fairy leaned in uncomfortably close again.

“Us? There is no “us”. You barely have a plan, and still you expect me to just let you leave here?”

“B-but we made a deal?”

“A deal pertaining the exchange of information, and nothing else,” the fairy grinned. “What is to stop me from taking control of you…”

They clenched their fist and Jack felt another wave of pain and nausea pass through him. Now he was glad to have the tree there to support him.

“…and using you to simply wipe him out right now? The hunters would be so busy with you they’d never even cast us another look.”

They smiled.

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before.”

Jack didn’t find that very hard to believe at all. He needed to make sure he wouldn’t be added to that list.

“I-I could be of use to you!” he blurted out. “We could work together, in the future!”

“And what kind of services would you have to offer?” the fairy mused, intrigued now.

Jack gasped for air when they released their grip and the pain subsided. Most of his body felt wrong now, like his bones were in the wrong places. A familiar feeling, but usually it would be over quicker.

“I was thinking, earlier…”

He cleared his throat. His voice had started to sound raspy – he wouldn’t have long. This was not going well.

“I was trying to contact you, or at least find out how to do so. As I’ve mentioned, I have a lot of connections. But I noticed you guys don’t really talk to any of them. It’s like you’re all avoiding each other.”

“And with good reason.”

Their eyes narrowed as they loomed over him threateningly, waiting for him to continue.

“That’s fair,” Jack nodded. “You’re doing your thing, they’re doing theirs. But we all have to deal with hunters. Or regular humans, even. Wouldn’t it be convenient to have this kind of contact, in case it’s needed? I have ties to both of your worlds: I could play that role.”

“You would act as some sort of… negotiator? I’d hardly qualify you as an objective third party – or a good negotiator, for that matter.”

“Well, I’m not claiming to be,” Jack shrugged, knowing better than to argue the matter. “I’d simply be some kind of messenger. If you need anything, I’ll know the correct person to turn to. I could arrange a meeting.”

“Again: you would expect me to simply trust you? These forces you work for, we are not friends. Never have been. You may have ties to both worlds – but they own you. Any meeting you provide, I will assume to be a trap.”

“I understand,” Jack nodded. “I’m not Fae. I know nothing about your world, about the Nexus. I’m barely even connected to it. I wouldn’t trust me either. As far as you know, I’m just trying to talk myself out of here.”

“…Is that not what you’re doing?”

“Well, it’s starting to get a little harder,” he admitted, his voice low and gravelly. “Impressive, how you did that.”

He gestured vaguely at his body, taking a moment to assess the state of it. His limbs were in all kinds of odd angles, his spine felt like it was on fire. Without the tree, he would have collapsed onto the ground, his shifting muscles no longer able to support him. But if he gave in now, it meant the fairy had won. With a last shred of willpower he forced his body to behave, to stand up a little straighter.

“I’ll admit, I had expected this to be over by now.”

The fairy reached for him, and Jack braced himself for another wave, but to his surprise they simply caressed his face with long fingers.

“Stop fighting it,” they said softly.

“That’s what you want, don’t you? Get me stuck like this? Control me?”

They smiled, entertained by the idea.

“For weaker creatures: yes. It’s very enjoyable. But you’ve shown a certain degree of control regarding your transformation. You could feel that something was not right about the Nexus without ever having heard of it. You may be more in touch with your Fae side than you realise.”

“So? You’re going to let me go?” Jack suggested.

“The trick to gaining control,” they continued, pretending to not have heard him. “real control, is to realise the wolf is not your enemy, but a part of yourself. That you are both, at the same time, no matter what shape you’re in.”

“I’m well aware,” Jack growled.

The fairy cocked their head.

“Are you? Seems to me like all you know how to do is push it away.”

“Because I need to be human right now, to talk to you.”

The fairy laughed; a strange, tittering sound.

“This is the last place you’d be expected to be human. This is the wolf’s territory. Your body knows that, but you’re not listening to it. You’re doing this to yourself.”

“You started it!” Jack protested.

“I just jabbed at you. You decided to twist the knife. And to just… keep… twisting it.”

Their finger traced down across his shoulder, his chest, his stomach, until Jack batted their hand away with a growl. They simply smiled.

“You believe that letting go is giving up control, to let something else take over. But…”

“But the wolf is still me,” Jack finished their sentence. “I know that. It’s one of the first things you learn as a werewolf. Being in control. Trusting your instincts. Well, right now my instincts are telling me this place is sketchy and I want to get out.”

“Why are you so convinced that letting go will turn you into a wolf?”

“Have you seen me?!”

It came out more as a growl than actual words, his anger allowing his grip on humanity to slip away further.

“I see someone who’s torturing himself, unable to find a balance between incompatible energies inside. Who’s desperately holding on to something that’s out of reach and utterly ineffective in this place. You are so used to your magic being at your fingertips you’re not even realising you’re using it as a crutch, putting your body through whatever it is you’re doing in a futile attempt to regain it. You may have accepted the wolf, but you’ve also put it away in its designated space, only to be taken out when needed, as to not interfere with your precious magic.”

They took a step back, their eyes on him.

“Am I seeing you correctly?”

Jack didn’t know what to say – and also wasn’t so sure if he was even still capable. He hadn’t expected this analysis, and moreover, hadn’t expected them to be right. Hell, he hadn’t even realised they were right until a moment ago. Sure, he’d accepted the fact that he’d have to spend one night a month running around the forest – he even enjoyed it thoroughly. He had learned to rely on the wolf’s senses, to trust its instincts, in both of his forms. When he was angry, he felt it claw its way to the surface – but he always pushed it back down. You are not needed, he would think. And of course: in most cases letting the wolf out would be a terrible decision indeed. But in cases where perhaps it wouldn’t be, he’d always gone with his magic instead. People counted on him being able to use his magic. Dai counted on him. His head was already unpredictable to begin with, he couldn’t let people down by being unavailable on top of that. Sure, the idea of getting stuck while attempting to transform scared him, but the idea of his magic being out of his reach during this time scared him even more.

He slumped against the tree, suddenly feeling very tired. At the moment, he didn’t care what was going to happen. The Fae could take him, for all he cared.

“That’s more like it.”

The fairy knelt beside him, the softness having returned to their voice.

Jack realised his body had stopped protesting, his bones having shifted back into a position where they didn’t hurt. He wasn’t quite human, but felt like himself nevertheless. Some new version of him. His hands had returned to their earlier, claw-like state, a soft down covering the backs of them. His teeth were sharp, his canines more prominent than usual, but the shape of his face felt mostly human. While most of his shape had reverted back to human, his tail had remained – but strangely it felt like it belonged there, instead of something alien that the rest of his body still had to catch up with, like it had when he’d changed previously.

He couldn’t reach his magic – he hadn’t been able to since he’d set foot in here, but in some way he just hadn’t been able to let go of it. Surprisingly, even now his head wasn’t quiet: in the back of his mind he could hear a low rumble, a deep, vibrating hum that rose and fell like a breath.

He looked around.

“What’s that noise? Where does it come from?”

The fairy looked at him incredulously.

“The Nexus? You can hear it?”

“I think so?”

Jack cocked his head.

“Could also be an earthquake.”

“That’s it, alright.”

They smiled, but not as deviously as before. This appeared to be a genuine smile – if such a thing was possible for a creature with this many teeth. Jack noticed small plants started to sprout around where they were sitting, tiny little stems and leaves. He wondered if it meant they were letting their guard down.

“Why can I suddenly hear it now?”

“It means you’re connecting to your Fae side.”

“…Is that good or bad?”

“That’s up to you to decide,” they shrugged, touching one of the sprouts, which started to bloom. “I’d say it’s a good thing, but I might be a tad biased.”

“Does it mean you’ll trust me more?”

“It’s a start. It means I’ll allow you to leave, at least.”

“That’s enough – for now.”

Jack sat for a moment, drawing lines into the earth to test the sharpness of his claws. It was strange, being in this state without feeling the pressure of transformation.

“Were you really going to take control of me, if you’d decided you didn’t like me?”

The fairy looked up.

“I don’t like you. And yes, I was going to – in fact I’d already started, when I realised just how strong your so-called “connections” were.”

“What do you mean?”

“…You don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?”

Jack felt a little spike of panic. Was there something he didn’t know?”

“They own you, you moron. If I laid a finger on you, your boss would have my head.”

“Oh, that.”

This was a fact he was well aware of. What he didn’t know was that the Fae could tell, as if his mind was a roped-off area indicated “off-limits”. Who else would be able to tell? And would it mean he’d be virtually untouchable? Or would it pull attention to him, like wearing a neon sign saying “please use me as leverage” in bright, flashing letters? And would Dai even care enough if something did happen to him? Perhaps it was better not to test that hypothesis.

“So what you’re saying is, you couldn’t have stopped me from walking out of here regardless, whether you “liked” me or not?”

“Stop assuming I like you. If I did, it would be in the way someone likes a puppy: because it’s endearing and a little helpless.”

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it.

“And there are plenty of ways I could have kept you here. Occasionally, people just get lost and never find their way out. Truly tragic.”

“That way you’d be stuck with me, though.”

“Exactly why I’ve decided to let you go,” they responded dryly.

They focused their attention on another sprout blooming at their touch.

“And perhaps the things you were saying earlier weren’t complete nonsense,” they continued, without looking up. “While I don’t see us collaborating with demons – and especially with hunters – anytime soon, perhaps it would be good to have some kind of contact in place.”

“Really?”

He’d just been saying things, trying to talk himself out of a situation, like he always did. Usually his chatter was merely a way to stall what was coming, while his mind worked full force to find an actual solution, or perhaps a weak spot – a tactic he wasn’t able to employ here. Had this contributed to the battle he’d apparently been fighting against himself? It was possible; they did say he used his magic as a crutch without realising it.

They nodded.

“Besides, who else is going to guide you through what’s to come?”

“What’s to…? What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see,” they smiled mysteriously.

Jack did not like the implications made here. Was something going to happen that they knew about and he didn’t? Did it have anything to do with him, or the whole crelor business? And perhaps the most frightening of all: had they managed to do something to him after all?

“And since I can tell you’re a nosy little brat,” the fairy observed, continuing to tend to their plant. “I know sooner or later you’re going to come wandering into a portal again, risking your life and making a complete fool out of yourself in the process.”

Jack wanted to protest, but they held up a finger to shush him.

“Come closer,” they gestured.

To his surprise, Jack found he couldn’t refuse: something tugged on his chest like a little hook had been attached to it. Whatever magic they had tried to unleash on him earlier clearly hadn’t been completely ineffective.

As he scooted within their reach, the fairy broke the stem of the plant with a loud snap.

“Hold still for a moment.”

They touched a finger under his chin and angled his head slightly. They reached out with their other hand, two pointy fingers taking hold of his ear – his distinctly non-human ear, which felt a little odd.

“Ow!”

There was a stabbing pain, followed by a digging sensation as something was pushed through the hole that had just been made. The fairy fumbled for a second, then gave his ear a playful tug that made him wince.

“All done!”

Jack reached for it, feeling something small and solid just below the pointy tip of his wolf-ear. It was a small loop, much like the piercing he wore through his other ear, but presumably made of wood instead of metal.

His hand came away with a trickle of blood, and he looked from it back to the fairy.

“Did you just pierce my ear? You do know there’s already a hole right there, ready to go?”

“That one was taken,” they shrugged.

“Piercings can be removed!”

They smiled.

“Don’t worry, this one can’t.”

He stared at them, his hand reaching for the earring again. It felt smooth; he couldn’t detect any sort of clasp. Strangely enough it was also slightly warm, but he could be imagining it. What he was sure of, was that it wasn’t just a regular piece of wood. It seemed to hum in the same frequency as the one in the back of his mind.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to lay a hand on me,” he said. “I don’t think my boss will be happy about that.”

“I don’t think he’d be happy to know you’re playing at diplomacy without his knowledge or permission, either,” they smiled. “It’s not exactly your strong suit.”

“Well, I won’t get the chance to practice if he decides to see this as a provocation, as you laying claim to me somehow.”

“A claim? Oh no, child. It’s a charm of protection. It will let other Fae know you are not to be toyed with. Not all of them will be able to detect your… status like I did.”

“Why, ‘cause they’re not as strong as you?”

He figured that if they were potentially going to be working together, he might as well ask. It was important to know who or what you were dealing with.

“It’s not that they’re weak, it’s that a lot of them won’t hesitate. Anyone who wanders in here is fair game to them. Yes, even werewolves.”

“Then what made you act differently? Curiosity?”

“Responsibility. Our safety was on the line. I had been keeping an eye on the portal ever since we discovered the breach, hoping to learn more.”

“It’s your task to keep everyone safe?” Jack asked, fiddling with his new piercing. “Does that mean you’re some kind of leader?”

The fairy nodded.

“We call it the Root: one amongst us who shares a special bond with the Nexus, and guides us towards the right path. The task has fallen to me ever since our last Root got taken from us.”

They stared into the distance, leading Jack to believe the memory was still fresh.

“This happened recently?”

They focused their attention on a new flower, a different kind from the rest; this one was pure white.

“We were trying to figure out ways to restore the Nexus. The process asked a lot of them; they didn’t stand a chance against the hunter…”

They picked the flower and wove it into their vines, where it started to softly glow.

“The Nexus picked me as their successor, but we deemed it too weak to start the initiation process.”

They sighed.

“I feel like I’m just grasping at straws.”

Jack noticed their entire demeanour had changed during the last couple of minutes. Earlier they’d been on guard, keeping a close eye on his every movement, ready to react to any provocations. After they’d sat down their posture had already been more relaxed – but now they were slumped down, like they were very tired. It was almost as if marking him had put them at ease, like they believed he was no longer a threat. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but he figured that as long as he didn’t actively go against them, he’d be fine for now. He’d figure the rest out later.

“Having people depend on you can be tough,” he agreed.

“Are you speaking from experience?” they asked.

It seemed like Jack wasn’t the only one probing for answers today.

“No, no, I’m not the boss of anything,” he grinned. “But people expect a lot from my abilities, and I hate letting them down.”

“That much is obvious,” they remarked, gesturing at him. “There’s a lot going on in there.”

“Seems like we both have our issues to deal with. But I suppose we’ll need to deal with the hunter and the crelor first.”

The fairy nodded.

“The Nexus needs to be restored, if we want to be ready for any scenario.”

Jack observed them for a moment. Just a couple of minutes ago, “we” had been a forbidden word, now they were using it freely themselves.

“I will keep an eye on things from my side, and let you know if it looks like he’s making a move.”

He paused, thinking.

“…Just a few things. How exactly would I contact you? And how would I know if he’s close when I don’t actually know where the Nexus is?”

They reached out and plucked some berries – Jack could have sworn they hadn’t been there a moment ago – and placed them into his hand.

“Crush these, and draw a circle. I will be able to hear you.”

This was very different from the magic he was used to, but Jack decided not to question them about it. If they said it worked, it probably would.

“As for the Nexus: I will leave you to figure that out for yourself,” they smiled sweetly. “It’s not that hard, if you tune in to your Fae side. Consider it a challenge.”

“…Alright.”

Jack didn’t have high hopes, but he would just have to try. After all, he hadn’t managed to hear the Nexus before, so he must be doing something right. And if all else failed, there was always his mind to fall back on. It would have to be a last resort, however, considering the fairy’s observations about his dependence on it.

“I should probably get going.”

He got up, keeping one eye on the fairy to see whether they would let him, but they seemed to allow it, as they promised.

“What about all this?” he asked, gesturing at his body. “Will it revert as soon as I get back?”

“You’re asking me?”

“…Right. I’ll just have to find out, then.”

He backed away, clumsily trying to put the berries in his pocket without squishing them.

“Uh… see you around.”

The fairy just sat there, looking at him with that grin that made him feel highly uncomfortable. He backed up further, almost tripping over a root, then turned his back to them hesitantly to be able to see where he was going.

“Good luck,” he heard a sugar-coated voice behind him.

Not wanting to push his luck by turning around and asking what they meant by that, he quickened his pace, heading straight for the portal.

#2022challenge #story #jack

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