Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Simone’s Request 1

  Robert is watching a show. He hasn’t had any calls lately. He has 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 is 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 are times where the cat wins.

It’s rare.

But even in this world the cat almost never wins against the mouse.

“Oh, COME ON, please win!”

The door opens.

Simone walks in. He looks 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 sits properly. He leans on his thighs.

“I assume that this is important, then?”

“It is.”

He folds his arms in front of Robert. He looks around the room. Observing everything. His eyes on the bedroom.

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

He takes 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 lifts one eyebrow.

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

He hands over the disk to Robert.

Robert walks up to his computer and sits down.

Place the disk in and play it.

“What’s this?”

“Play it first.”

Robert plays the disk and the clip inside. It's found footage of a group of teenagers entering a forest. As they close in to the treeline they find a masculine old man with a beard reaching his stomach.

“An old man?”

“Not just any old man. He is Lesnik. A temperamental being that has 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.”

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

Simone scratches his head.

“It turns out you have mastery over sealing magic. And your resistance to the supernatural is quite high… even higher than it should be. 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 thinks back to the time he entered the compound.

That heavy feeling pressing down on his shoulders.

Was that it?”

“I only felt suppressed.”

“See? It’s hard to stay still. Your spirit and will might be two times stronger than a person who is 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 takes a letter and skims it.

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

Which means he is required to escort him.

“Okay then.”

Robert’s face went black. The lazy expression turns 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 watches the clip. Frame by frame. He notices that there is an 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 to us..”

“Nothing is free in this world, Simone.”

“I have my price.”

“I don’t.”

Robert presses the spacebar. He looks Simone in the eyes.

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

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

He takes out a horn. Robert inspects the horn. He finds nothing strange on it other than it being old.

Though he can feel that there is something in it.

“So this is 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 pauses. 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 has 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 is because we hunt those who went stray from that responsibility. Being a mage is a status symbol and a burden that we must carry.”

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“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 is a symbol. It is what you’d call Knighthood for my kind.”

Robert can tell it is important to him. And yet he can feel that there is something else that he isn’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 has been twisted by technology. Technology itself is made of many materials mixed together to create a function and it's why we’re having 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 is a higher chance of failure from casting complicated spells. And you know how busy Sir Clarke is and the Agents.”

“How about Miss Juliana?”

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

Robert finds 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 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 isn’t because of trust that Simone wants Robert to watch his back. It’s because Robert knew how to handle himself that Simone’s hoping to get him to agree to this.

Not to mention that he already has 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 takes something out of his bag. Robert remembers 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 twirls the wootz steel made blade and sheathes it on his shoulder holster.

Simone takes 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 looks at him before turning off his computer. He walks to his cabinet and takes his two semi-autos 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 wears an overcoat over his dress shirt and tie. Covering 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 looks at the car that is parked not far from his apartment block. It’s a  Chevelle SS with a V8 engine. Robert whistles at the car.

“Nice, what a beauty.”

“Ain’t she?”

Robert waits outside of the passenger seat.

“Thought you’d want to drive.”

“You want me to?”

“No.”

Robert rides 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 is 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 of the city is strange and full of complexity. 

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

The city itself pays the host country a lot to allow its status.

The only reason that they would allow this kind of city to exist is because CASE’s headquarters is in this city. And that this place is a den full of crime syndicates and all manners of filth. 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 can guess that there are more reasons. But politics is a complicated maze 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 serves a purpose. That purpose is being served. If not then there is no need to keep this place autonomous.

Simone drives his car to the tenth district.

He parks it on this nature reservation park and leads Robert to this rough path leading to an open area.

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

It is then that Robert feels a pressure bearing down on him.

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

There is no sound coming out of the horn.

The birds flew away.

The animals scattered.

Robert can 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 writes a seal on the back of his left hand, lifting the burden.

Trying to stay conscious at the wave of pressure.

“Nine times.”

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

An ethereal voice speaks.

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

Simone moves his mouth away from the horn and looks at the direction where the voice is coming from.

A tall man covered in scales that looks like a 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 changes. The bark-like skin turns into flesh.

A kindly old man.

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

“I welcome you, descendant of Emrys.”

The being called Lesnik turns towards Robert.

“And to you as well.”

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

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