The Deadman

Robert was watching a show. He hasn’t had any calls lately. He had been crashing on his couch for the last two days. Once in a while, he goes out to eat or jog around the promenade of Saint Lucius’s Bay. But most of the time he was watching a cartoon, hoping that something he didn't expect would happen.

“Why are you such a cunt, Jerry?”

The mouse always triumphs over the cat.

There were times when the cat wins.

But it’s rare. 

But even in this world the cat rarely wins against the mouse.

“Oh, COME ON, please win!”

The door opened

Simone walked in. He looked at the television and the show playing on it. 

“Cartoons? Really, Oswald?”

“Mr. Simone. I don’t recall giving you a key to my home.”

“You didn’t. You left your door unlocked.”

“You didn’t knock.”

Robert sat properly. He leaned on his thighs.

“I assume that this was important, then?”

“It was.”

He folded his arms in front of Robert. He scanned the room. Observing everything. He placed his eyes on the bedroom.

“You have a computer. Would you mind if I use it?”

He took out a disk.

“No.”

“Uh, I just need you to play this.”

“Touch the mouse or the keys of my keyboard. I’d break you.”

Simone lifted one eyebrow.

“You don’t like people touching it, got it.”

He handed over the disk to Robert.

Robert walked up to his computer and sat down.

He place the disk in tray and played it.

“What’s this?”

“Play it first.”

Robert played the disk and the clip inside. It's found footage of a group of teenagers entering a forest. As they close into the tree line they found a masculine old man with a beard reaching his stomach looking at them.

“An old man?”

“Not just any old man. He is Lesnik. A temperamental being that had been neutral ever since the Time of Myths. They say that he is the father of druids and his wife Lesovika is the mother of all Witches.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Lesnik knows a lot about magic. They say that if you befriend Lesnik. He will allow you to listen to his teachings and even give you something.”

“That’s great, Mr. Simone. But what does this have to do with me?”

Simone scratched his head.

“It turns out you have mastery over sealing magic. And your resistance to the supernatural was quite high… above average than a normal person should have. It seems that you were not bothered by the field that Dayton Amuso’s helper placed.”

“Field?”

“The field they use to summon the creature to this plain.”

Robert thought back to the time he entered the compound.

That heavy feeling pressed down on his shoulders.

Was that it?”

“I only felt suppressed.”

“See? It’s hard to stay still. Your spirit must be two times stronger than a person who was exposed to this side of the world.”

“Thank you for the compliment, but how does this exactly involve me?”

“Mr. Clarke said that you’d help me.”

“Help you? Why? I think you are sufficient enough to do this on your own?”

“Ah, I should just have shown you this.”

Robert took  a letter and skimmed it. 

It’s a letter ordering Robert to take care of Simone as the Enforcer assigned to watch his back.

Which means he was required to escort him.

“Okay then.”

Robert’s face went black. The lazy expression turned into a perpetual frown.

“Wow, you do know how to keep a stiff upper lip and change gear.”

“It’s a job. Besides, I was told to be more professional.”

“Then does this mean that you’ll watch my back?”

Robert watched the clip. Frame by frame. He noticed that there was interference coming from frame 64 of the clip.

“You’re really looking at it.”

“Simone. I hope that you are honest with me right now. What’s your goal in trying to find this being?”

“Knowledge. What else? Besides, this might benefit you. Old beings like them are usually harmless to humans. They hold secrets that are forgotten by the world and they share some with us..”

“Nothing was free in this world, Simone.”

“I have my price.”

“I don’t.”

Robert pressed the spacebar. He looked Simone in the eyes.

“What I’m gathering from our conversation was that you are trying to meet a mythical creature that was usually harmless. A being that had existed in the Time of Myths. You do understand how dangerous you’re doing.”

“It was. But the opportunity comes with danger. And don’t worry, Oswald. I have a way to make sure that no harm will come to us.”

He took out a horn and inspected it. He found nothing strange about it other than it being old.

Though he could feel that there was something in it.

“So this was our assurance.”

“Yes. Once Lesnik sees this. I’m sure that he will share his knowledge. At least enough to give me an advantage.”

Robert paused. He silently processes something in his head.

“You are familiar with the secret societies, right Simone?”

“I am.”

“Is it really magical as they say?”

“It’s quite normal. You may think that we have some sort of wizarding school or a hidden Academy, but honestly, it's more like a small school where those who have the gift are taught responsibility. Each continent had a place of power where they are taught the magical arts. We are taught responsibility and the proper handling of magic. So that we don’t become rogues. The reason CASE exists was because we hunt those who went stray from that responsibility. Being a mage was a status symbol and a burden that we must carry.”

“Do you want to become a Mage that badly to take this risk?”

“I do. To become a mage means that you are willing to learn and study. It was a symbol. It was what you’d call Knighthood for my kind.”

Robert could tell that it was important to him. And yet he could feel that there was something else that he wasn't revealing. Robert didn’t want to pry so let it go.

“Why not learn from your peers?”

“Magic’s not used to be like this before. Too much distortion. The natural flow of nature had been twisted by technology. Technology itself was made of many materials mixed together to create a function and it's why we’re having a hard time learning from places like this. Too much technology.”

“Why not go to a mountain then?”

“Then where should I learn? Most of the books and knowledge are in the civilized world. It’s not that we are totally unable to use them. It’s just that there was a higher chance of failure from casting complicated spells. And you know how busy Sir Clarke was and the Agents.”

“How about Miss Juliana?”

“I’d rather not. She’s… different and her school of magic was different from mine. Besides, this was something that might take a lifetime to achieve. I must meet Lesnik.”

Robert found it even stranger.

“I’m sorry to say this. But it sounds like you’re desperate. So much that you’d trust someone like me.”

“Mr. Oswald. I do admit that I was a bit condescending when I met you. But I’m not a fool who doesn’t understand and learn from a mistake. I understand why Sir Clarke would have you watch my back. And that’s why I’m hoping that you can do that now.”

It wasn’t because of trust that Simone wanted Robert to watch his back. It was because Robert knew how to handle himself that Simone’s hoping to get him to agree to this as an extra precaution.

Not to mention that he already had a letter to make Robert follow him.

“Fine. I hope that you can at least supply me with something.”

“You wanted a blade, right Oswald?”

“I do.”

Simone took something out of his bag. Robert gaped at the blade.

The watery pattern on the flat of the blade and its sharpness.

“Did you take it from the evidence room?”

“I had the Lieutenant procure it. You really need to get some silver from the armory. It’s a good thing that you were able to kill that creature with normal weaponry. They usually die if you just keep shooting or stabbing them, but it’s good to do it fast.”

Robert wielded the wootz steel-made blade and sheathed it on his shoulder holster.

Simone took two magazines out of his pockets.

“Fourteen silver rounds. They are depleted uranium bullets.”

“Must be expensive.”

“They are expensive. If I’m loaning you that. You’d need six years to pay this with your salary, Oswald.”

“Jesus Christ, are you sure this isn't some kind of scam?”

“It’s what I can give you as an assurance. Seeing that you aren’t interested in going out or enjoying anything else.”

“I like money, Simone.”

“Sorry, I can’t give you that.”

Robert looked at him before turning off his computer. He walked to his cabinet and took his two semi-auto pistols and a sawed-off double-barreled shotgun.

“You carry a lot of weapons.”

“It’s not that heavy, besides, they can be concealed inside the jacket.”

Robert wore an overcoat over his dress shirt and tie. He covered the weapons on his harness and belt. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared. He learned that lesson badly in the past.

“You have a car?”

“Why don’t you have one?”

Robert looked at the car that was parked not far from his apartment block.

It was a Chevelle SS with a V8 engine. 

Robert whistles at the sight of the car.

“Nice, what a beauty.”

“Ain’t she?”

Robert waited outside of the passenger seat.

“Thought you’d want to drive.”

“You want me to?”

“No.”

Robert rode shotgun. Simone didn’t waste time. He glides out of the block and heads straight to the main road. The city-state of Saint Lucius was large, having nine official districts, with the tenth district being a large reservation of forests and mountains.

Being inside another country’s borders. 

The situation in the city was strange and full of complexity. 

It’s autonomous and because it’s close to the Mediterranean sea, the port was used frequently.

The city-state itself pays the host country a lot to allow it to keep its status.

The only reason that they would allow this kind of city to exist was that CASE’s headquarters was in this city. And that this place was a den full of crime syndicates and all manners of filth that attracts the worst and keeps them in here. It’s because of this city’s ability to gather these kinds of folks that they are willing to allow the existence of this city.

Robert could guess that there were more reasons. But politics was a complicated web that he didn’t want to stick his head into. No sane governmental body in this world would allow a city like this to exist unless it served a purpose. That purpose was being served. If not then there was no need to keep this place autonomous.

Simone drove his car to the tenth district.

He parked it on this nature reservation station and led Robert to this rough path leading to an open area.

Crossing the open area, they slowly approach the tree line.

It was then that Robert felt pressure bearing down on him. 

Simone, who almost slipped up, took the horn out of his bag and blew on it.

There was no sound coming out of the horn.

The birds flew away.

The animals scattered.

Robert could see strange creatures looking in their direction. The ankle-high grass starts growing up to their knees. The pressure bearing down on him made Robert feel encumbered. He hurriedly wrote a seal on the back of his left hand to lift the burden.

Trying to stay conscious as the wave of pressure bears down on him.

“Nine times.”

Simone kept on blowing on the horn until the light around the entrance to the tree line became dim. There was movement in the forest. Robert’s knees gave in at the pressure.

An ethereal voice spoke them.

“The Horn of Bran Galed. Speak boy, why do you carry Emrys’s treasure?”

Simone moved his mouth away from the horn and looked in the direction where the voice was coming from.

A tall man covered in scales that looks like bark walks out of the tree line.

“I see that you have come to this place with blood so pure. Is it an accident? Or simply fate?”

The appearance of the man changed. His bark-like skin turned into flesh.

The image of a kindly old man.

That was the impression that Robert was getting from this being.

“I welcome you, Descendant of Emrys.”

The being called Lesnik turned towards Robert.

“And to you as well.”

Robert’s entire being shook at Lesnik’s gaze.