Curse Part 2
Part 2 of Curse
The train ground to a halt at the final station. Mr. Ward moved as if to get off but I put a hand on his shoulder and shook my head. A conductor walked down the aisle and took a quick look at us, he smile and said something into a hand held radio. It was something in one of the old languages, they all said it different but in the end all it meant was that we'd end up where we wanted.
"Better hold on tight." I warned Mr. Ward as the train started moving again.
The tuneless seemed to change as we went though. The air grew close and felt almost feverish. A dim light glowed in the windows constantly shifting its hues while its intensity changed with rhythmic pulses. A soft and eerie song drifted through the train. Beautiful but rather unsettling, it made the fur of Mr. Ward's tail stand on end while he looked wildly around the car to try and find its source. He wouldn't find it though, no one has. I'd once been hired to do just that and while I found the cause of the lights and air, they proved to be no more than residual magics that had seeped down from the city above, I never found the source of the voice. Though I did talk to it for a while when the trains weren't running, nice girl, seemed she didn't know where she was either.
Mr. Ward was seeming rather shaken by the time we reached the station, though given this particular tunnel had a section where everything that when through it had their colors inverted for about five minutes, I could understand why. I almost felt bad for him, though it was only going to get stranger from here.
I lead him out onto the platform and he nearly bolted back into the train. Someone had shot out the lights again and the various critters that usually stuck to the old tunnels had come up for a bit of fresh air. With an irritated flick of my ear I conjured a ball of light that hovered a few inches above us. Things in the darkness hissed and chattered at us as the soft light washed over their contorted forms. Chitinous plates and pitted scales glittered in the dim lights as they skittered and wriggled further into the looming shadows. Glittering and beady eyes glared at us from the depths, only to shy away as I glanced causally about.
I put a hand on Mr. Ward's shoulder and guided him through the platform. Every time he tried to look at the shapes looming in the shadows I would turn his head away. He didn't need to see the true forms of the things we passed. While mostly harmless these creature didn't get out very often so their social skills left much to be desired. And most of them had faces that could curdle milk as twenty paces. Yes, you heard that right, faces. Most of them had several. It had a tenancy to make chatting with them rather difficult, you never knew which one to focus on.
"Eyes straight ahead and just keep walking." I told him.
He just gave a timid nod and hurried to obey. A couple of the things noticed me and muttered greetings in torturous tongues. I responded in kind and felt Mr. Ward shudder with every butchered syllable. I felt him growing tenser by the minute as we walked and tried to suppress a chuckle. He really wasn't going to like it when we got outside.
By the time we reached the stairs to the streets I could feel him trembling and I could have sworn I heard him muttering some kind of prayer. Out of curiosity I let go of him as we got to the point where we could see the streets at the mouth of the stairwell. He all but ran up them only to stop dead as if he hit a brick wall once he reached the top. The monsters dwelled in the dark but the streets are where the real freaks came out to play, especially in this part of the city. And judging by the way his fur puffed up and his ears went flat, he just found that out.
I followed at my own leisurely pace and joined him. A pair of moons, one pale silver and another a dark reddish gold, hung low in the starlit sky. No one paid much mind to them anymore, a backfired ritual was responsible and no one has ever cared enough to fix it. A mind bending collection of buildings littered the streets. They were a bastardization of the buildings in the rest of the city. Gleaming steel and glass merged seamlessly with ancient brick and weathered stone. Technological devices, talismans, and trinkets all sat on elaborate display in shop windows. Everything you could dream of and much more, it was all for sale and the only question was: "are you willing to pay the price?" Most were harmless, little more than exotic curios for someone with more money than brains to put on their mantel thinking it would bring good luck and prosperity, or whatever else it was that the shopkeepers told them. Though every now and then something would come up that's very real and often rather dangerous. Far too many people have lost themselves here and that's when the bounty hunters and folk like me get called in to collect the debts and clean up the mess.
People of all sorts crowed the sidewalks and streets. No cars or even transports came through here anymore, they caused too many accidents and that was bad for business. Many individuals looked fairly normal but many more did not. That's what currently had Mr. Ward in his latest state of shock. People sporting a wide variety of cybernetic and biological enhancements were passing by. No doubt on their way from one club or party to another. There's something for everyone on this road to Hell. Mr. Ward's gaze was fixed on one person in particular. An eccentric looking sort if there ever was one, the young man was a patchwork mess of the various kin and state of the art tech. Dubbed "Frankenstein" by a reporter that sorely lacked originality, his original body was ruined after an industrial accident and I'm pretty sure the doctors that stitched him back together were on some serious drugs at the time. He saw me and waved, his arm bending in a sickening fashion. I waved back; a while ago he hired me to settle his debt with the doctors, it was a fun job but a messy one. At the same time someone in a serious S&M getup slapped Mr. Ward hard across the rump. He hissed and nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Welcome to the heart of the city, Boy." I told Mr. Ward, trying not to laugh as I watched the offender vanish into the crowd.
He stuttered and mumbled for a bit before giving up on trying to talk.
"This was the original downtown, until someone decided to seal it off as a social experiment. No rules or moral restraint. Anything goes and there's always someone to try it. Everyone was certain it would fail, but here we are almost three hundred years later. Most interesting part of the city and the place where most of the real business is done. Just about everything in the rest of the city is owned by a business that's based out of this district." I told him, the kid seemed to like hard facts so maybe giving him some would help bring him back to reality. So far it didn't seem to be working. "Hell, your business is probably owned by someone living here." That got his attention.
"I assure you I am the sole owner of my company." Mr. Ward's uppity tones snapped back. I have to admit I was kinda glad, it meant that he just might make it where I was planning on stashing him while I worked. But I couldn't help having a bit more fun.
"And do you owe money to anyone for the start-up costs and what not?" I asked in as bland a tone as I could muster.
He mulled that over for a while and I could see him turning some interesting colors under his fur. "Don't worry about it too much, Boy. As long as you don't screw up you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Now come on, we've been standing here too long, best get moving." I actually had to nudge him to get him moving again.
"Lead the way and do be quick, I don't like the thought of being out here any longer than necessary." The Boy was obviously regaining his sense of importance if nothing else.
Having brought Mr. Ward back to reality, I was eager to see how long it would last as I guided him through the crowded streets. Along the way we passed still more outlandish groups and sights. A few cyborgs flinched as static erupted from their earpieces as I passed. That's what you get for buying the cheap stuff. The higher quality cybernetics aren't affected by magic, for whatever reason. Magical creatures were certainly in abundance as well. A yeti was throwing dice with a trio of dwarves while a nearby Cyclops polished his monocle. Many people recognized me as we passed, often pausing to chat or greet me. Mr. Ward spent most of these meetings in one form of shock or another. Though I have to say, compared to some of the other people I've brought here, he was holding up remarkably well. We were a little over half way to our destination when someone leapt onto my back. Two pairs of arms wrapped around my chest and I felt a muzzle resting on both of my shoulders.
"Hello, Tessa. Hello, Jess."
"Aw. How'd you know it was us?" muttered the head on my left.
"You're one of the only two headed wolfkin in the world and the only one I actually know. Kind of narrows my choices down a bit."
"I suppose that might give it away." chuckled Jess, the head on my right. Tessa just laughed. "Who's the suit?" Jess asked as they got off me.
"Latest client, he's got some sort of killer bad luck after him."
"Ah, taking him to Alice's I guess?" muttered Tessa, "Safest place for him I suppose." responded Jess, "If she doesn't kill him." finished Tessa.
Mr. Ward gave the girls an alarmed look, only for his eyes to grow wider as he got a proper look at them. I was pretty sure he was about to start drooling. The twins were outright gorgeous, their two heads and four arms added an air of intrigue rather than detracting from anything. And they knew it, wearing clothes that helped to emphasize their figure, though in retrospect calling it clothing might be a bit generous. Their fur had the rich earthen colors of the feral wolves from the deep forests and they each had one brilliant ruby colored eye and the other was a pure silver. Also the colors swapped sides for each sister, Tessa's ruby eye was on the left while Jess's was on the right.
"It's not polite to stare." I told him.
"Doesn't mean he won't." chuckled Jess. "Mind if were join you? We were on our way to Alice's anyway." asked Tessa.
"Certainly." I answered and turned back towards the street.
As we started walking the sisters passed Mr. Ward before snagging the collar of his shirt and pulling him along. After about a block and a half he managed to shake of the sisters' charm looking blearily around as if he just become aware of his surroundings.
"What the hell is going on? And where are going?" he didn't sound too happy.
"Hey, you're the one who fell for a pretty face, well more than just the face really. As for where we're going, we're going to a bar."
"We're what?"
"You heard me." This was fun.
He glared at me. Tessa giggled while Jess tried to hide a grin.
"But in all seriousness, it's one of the safest places in the city. I cast the magic protections around the place myself and you'd have to be insane, or suicidal, to try to start anything unpleasant there."
"And why is that?"
"Anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions? By the way where here."
I lead him and the sisters down a narrow alleyway, about half way along the driving sound of death metal floated up from the ground. It got more intense as we worked our way down a short flight of iron stairs. My skin tingled as I passed through my own barriers, the others didn't feel a thing. Not much of a surprise since I was the only mage here.
We stopped before a heavy steel door with the words "Drop Dead" written across it in black paint. The person that wrote it was long dead but we were never able to wash the graffiti off. We ducked through the low door and into the bar proper. The sisters bounced straight for the bar, their usual drinks already waiting for them. I turned my attention to the bartender, Alice. She glanced up and gave me a wicked smile and I felt a jolt run down my spine. As terrifying as she was beautiful, the six foot tall albino wolfess had the kind of body that would make a centerfold model look plain. She wore black combat pants and a matching black tee shirt, the loose clothing doing little to hide her impressive figure. Her pure white fur glowed in the dim light of the bar, giving her a somewhat ethereal look. While her deep crimson eyes were both enticing and unsettling; they had no iris, pupils, or even whites, they looked like orbs of frozen blood. Half her teeth were metal, the originals had been knocked out during a brawl shortly after she opened the bar. I felt a phantom pain in my shoulder as the light glittered off the stainless steel fangs. I had been nipped by Alice on numerous occasions. The tips of her ears were tattered and both had a row of gold rings up one edge. Thought what really got people's attention was her right arm; she lost it when she was a child and her latest prosthetic looked like she stole it from the future, and knowing her, she probably did. All matte black metal and carbon fiber the only spots of color on it were the reinforced steel caps over the knuckles and the matching steel fingertips, which had been tapered into cruel claws. I also know there's a retractable blade hidden in the forearm.
"You're here early, Hon." she purred as I leaned against the bar. Before I could answer she pulled me into a passionate kiss, the claws of her cybernetic hand digging into my neck. As she pulled away I felt a trickle of blood run down my back. "You here for pleasure, or you get your ass in too deep and need me to pull it out for you?"
I had a wonderful mental image of what she'd do with my ass once she pulled it out of the metaphorical fire. It involved a wide variety of things most people didn't even knew existed.
I sighed inwardly as I answered, "Here on business I'm afraid." I gestured towards Mr. Ward.
"One moment, please." I turned to see what had drawn Alice's attention.
A fight had started, two human men had gotten into a heated argument over last night's ball game. She watched the fight for a few moments until one of them reached for a bar stool. Two shots rang out and both men fell to the ground clutching their knees. A thin wisp of smoke trailed from the barrel of a Colt .38 special; Alice kept one every couple of feet along the bar so she was always within reach of at least two of them at any time. She also kept a 12 gauge shotgun under the register for when things got serious. She had a low tolerance for fights or anyone that broke any of the bar's few rules.
Mr. Ward gave her a startled stare, only to hurriedly look away as she calmly met his gaze.
"Someone's using a curse to try and kill my client so I needed somewhere safe to keep him while I try to figure out who."
"Mmm, sounds fun. Been a while since I got out of here, mind if I join you." Most people would have heard a question mark in her voice, I didn't.
"I know better than to say no." I told her.
"Excellent. Hey, Ross, take over the bar for a while." She shouted towards a large shadowy lump in the back corner.
The lump stirred and gradually heaved itself to its feet. The massive creature stooped low to keep its misshapen head from brushing the ceiling. It was roughly humanoid in shape with pallid slime coating skin stretched over heavy slabs of muscle. A pair of grand wings were held close to its back. The Cthulhu spawn lumbered towards the bar and bowed. "Of course, madam. Is there anything else you require?" Its voice was low but surprisingly eloquent.
"Yes, don't call me madam."
"Certainly mistress, my apologies."
Mr. Ward shuddered as the monstrosity oozed passed him and slid behind the bar. He didn't have anything to worry about though. Ross was the result of an experiment that was carried out nearly twenty years ago. Some scientists had acquired him while he was quite young and attempted to educate and culture him. The results were a fairly well-spoken and very polite Cthulhu spawn. They touted the experiment as a success, at least until he accidentally used the chairman of the board's sanity as an After-eight mint. I found him not long after the incident and brought him here until we could figure out what to do with him. There was no bounty, anyone that could have posted one was, and still is, gibbering to themselves in an asylum somewhere, and we really didn't have anywhere else to put him. It was a few days later that we found he had an uncanny talent for mixing drinks and cooking so Alice gave him a job. By now he's become one of the bar's claims to fame.
I picked one of the tables near the back of the place and set down my sword. Alice soon joined me and Mr. Ward sat across from me.
"Now that we don't have to worry about anyone dropping dead, let get down to business." I announced. Alice looked like she was going to say something but when I glanced at her she just smiled. The two of us bounced questions off Mr. Ward for the next several hours. By the time we finished we had gathered that his company processed raw materials for use in both civilian and military cybernetics. A rapidly growing industry given recent advancements in the technology. He droned on and on about the deals and whatnot he had cut with others in the industry, including his parent's company which produced weaponized cybernetics. I glanced over at Alice and found her carefully cleaning her claws. I watched the blackened steel blade slid from her forearm with a bone chilling sounds and she began running a whetstone over its edge. In the background I watched as the sisters finished their drinks and start chatting with a feline and a wolfkin. By the end of our chat I had learned far more about the cybernetics industry than I cared to know. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything new to work with, other than the fact that this kid seriously needed to get out more.
I sighed and rose, seems I'd have to do some leg work to find anything useful. A few seconds later I felt a surge of energy as another instance of the boy's curse slammed against the bar's barriers. Alice's ears snapped up and she turned her attention to the door. Her eyes narrowed as she wiped the honing oil from her blade, once that was done she drew a heavy .44 magnum from a shoulder holster hidden under her shirt. I, on the other hand, lazily rested a hand on the hilt of my sword, channeling energy into the scabbard.
"Seems we have some company." Alice growled. I held up a hand and motioned for her to wait. I released my spell and a narrow trail of energy slithered along the floor and under the door. I closed my eyes and focused on the spot where the spell stopped. The alleyway snapped into focus. It was dead empty though I could still see the spot where the curse hit: an angry red splatter of energy clinging to the glittering blue wall that was my spells. Slowly it faded away as my barrier drained its remaining energy. I released the scouting spell and returned my attention to the inside of the bar.
"Just the next round of the curse. Barrier caught the whole thing. Though this is a bit worrying." I announced.
"Wh-Why's that?" Mr. Ward asked.
"Because it's far too early for it to be cast again. With the amount of effort and resources a curse like that would take to cast, a modern sorcerer would only be able to pull it off once a day. This one's just a few hours after the last."
"You think whoever it is has more than one sorcerer working for them?" Alice asked, as soon as I had announced we were clear the blade vanished back into her arm and the gun disappeared into its holster.
"That's quite possible."
"More fun for us then." Her eyes glittered cruelly. "Ross, let the kid downstairs, give him what he wants till we get back."
"Of course mistress. Right this way sir." the Cthulhu spawn gestured for the boy to join him behind the counter.
Mr. Ward looked rather nervous as he approached the mild-mannered monstrosity.
"Please make yourself comfortable and let me know if there is anything you require." Ross showed Mr. Ward to the doorway leading down to Alice's apartment. I wasn't too sure how comfortable someone like him would be in the home of someone whose living room center piece was a BDSM cross.
"Well, any ideas on where we should start?" Alice asked.
I told her.
"Think he'll actually cooperate this time?"
"After what you did to him last time we came knocking, he'd be an idiot not too." I said as we rose and headed for the door.