Chapter 5 – Cloak of Night.

The halls of the building were quiet and empty as Fraser made his way out, not that he wouldn’t be seen by all of the cameras that were installed. He hated that they were there, but it was a compromise. Live in one of the Guardians’ apartment complexes, and get to be with Uriah, even with all of the digital eyes watching them, or still be living at home, with his parents. Of course he’d chosen the former. He’d wanted something on the outskirts of town, but that had been instantly shut down. To be honest, he was still surprised that they’d even let him leave the house. His father had said something about letting him grow as a man. Blerg.

The night was cool, a gentle breeze tugging at his clothes, the sky clear. It would have been a blanket of stars, if it hadn’t been for all of the street lights that illuminated the roads around him in a garish orange. Well, it was still a blanket of stars, they hadn’t gone away, he just couldn’t see most of them at the moment, like he could when he was at the outskirts. The moon was nearing full, hanging low in the sky, a faint haze around it. A hint of things to come for those who knew what it meant. An unknown phenomenon for everyone else, that was still being studied but had otherwise been accepted as just another aspect of the world around them.

Fraser just started walking, down the road and away from the apartment, and out of the complex of the Guardians, and into town proper. He didn’t have a destination in mind. Just to walk, and see if it would help clear his mind. It was thus far, his attention taken up by his surroundings, rather than the thoughts that were still raging within. His magic hadn’t really settled down either. He could still feel it surging within him, and the dampness on his arms as well.

The city felt so different at night. A lot fewer people, the buildings dark and empty, the streets vacant of most of the vehicles. There was a stark difference between the sections of it too. The older districts that had always been here, from when the first settlers had come to this land and decided to make this place their home, and the generations that had followed them, adding to it and making it theirs. And the newer sections that had been built by the Founders, making it into something else again. Bringing in wealth and power to the city. And a lot more as well, that was kept hidden. He liked one section a lot more than the other.

It had been a while since he’d last walked in darkness. He’d had no need, now that he no longer dealt with the creatures. Because he couldn’t. Uriah still went out, every tainted moon, with a team of three others. He had to, given that he was a spellsword, and it was part of their responsibilities as members of the Guardians. Fraser always sat up worrying too. He couldn’t help himself, after what had happened, and Uriah always seemed to be appreciative of that, smiling when he returned. Unharmed of course.

When he’d been doing it, they’d just been a pair, the two of them enough to take on a location by themselves. But now every team had to have at least four members. In part for the additional safety, and in part because a lot of them were just not that skilled. Uriah always complained about those he had to work with. That they were idiots, just didn’t listen, and were more brawn than brain. Fraser could well believe it, from what he knew about them already, and what he’d seen recently when he had watched the sparring matches. Sure, there were others at Uriah’s level of skill, but a lot of them were on other missions or had been sent elsewhere. Magic was all over the world, after all, even if it had all started here, and the Guardians were based here.

The number of people increased as he found himself wandering into the older section of the town, the commercial district, with light from the shopfronts spilling onto the streets. There was still some life here, shops that never closed, catering to those who were up at this time of night. He wasn’t naive about the nature of it all, of all these people. Those in a hurry, those who were drunk, those who were enjoying the company of one another, those who plied their trade, and those who preyed. And those like him, who were avoiding things. It wasn’t that late, for a given definition of late. Sure, the numbers had gone back to being small again, but dawn was a long way off. Fraser walked at the edge of the footpath, carefully following the curbing, trying to avoid those around him. The smells of the food, and of perfumes, was strong. But nowhere near as pleasant as Uriah’s scent had been.

Dammit. Why did that have to just jump into his mind again. Fraser growled to himself as he hurriedly rushed across the street, and then down one of the smaller ones that came off it, barely avoiding a car that had suddenly decided to make a turn without any prior indication, glaring at it as the driver swore at him in return.

The park at the end of the street would have been beautiful once, but time had not been kind to it. The seats were all weathered and cracked, half the play equipment for children was now missing, the rest barely usable, the paint peeling. The gardens had well overgrown, a jumble of flowers, weeds, and shrubs that would eventually win. He’d seen it many times as he’d passed by this area on his way to one job or another that he no longer had. Never for any missions though. Nothing ever seemed to happen in this part of the town. Someone in a jacket that was a dozen sizes too big lay on one of the benches, a group of teens huddled together beside one of the broken pieces of play equipment. He did not want to know what they were up to.

A slightly older pair, a man and a woman, stood just outside the park, under one of the street lamps. Standing close, the man wrapping his arms around her as she melted into his embrace, looking into each other’s eyes, then leaning in for a deep passionate kiss, Fraser unable to look away, even though he felt like a bit of a pervert for watching. They were such a cute pair. He was... He was jealous.

Of her.

Tears stinging his face, he turned and walked away. Why? Why?!

Fraser stared at the pavement as he walked. He did not want to see anyone else. Not tonight. It was all just too much. Too many reminders. Why had he even decided that this was a good idea? He should have just gone to see Felicia instead. It was quiet there, peaceful. Though she would have fawned over him, and possibly teased him about it all too, which was the last thing that he needed. She was like that though, more of a person, more caring, than other certain people that he knew. It was kinda cute.

Felicia would have made an adorable girl, if she’d been given the chance. Been released from all the control that her parents had exerted over her, and given the opportunity to be who she really was. Well, she was that now, he guessed. Just in her ghostly form. The only spirit that he was aware of too, but she wouldn’t be the only one out there. There was pain in their relationship, on his side at least, but she was a friend as well, wasn’t she? She meant a lot to him too.

He had just entered the outer boundary of the complex when he felt it. Something wasn’t quite right. A familiar sensation that he hadn’t sensed since he’d lost his magic. One of them. A creature of the shadows. Except it wasn’t the tainted moon yet. None of them should be around, and certainly not here. The complex of the Guardians of Humanity was the most heavily magically protected place in the world.

Freezing, he carefully looked around, trying to locate where it was. It didn’t take him long. One of the weakest grades, slinking through the shadows, up against the buildings and heading away from the complex and into town. Showing more intelligence and purpose than they usually did. He reached for his combat knife, his hand passing through thin air. Of course he didn’t have it on him. He hadn’t worn it since then either. And its usefulness would be debatable at best. Sure, he’d injured a shadow creature with it, but at great cost. A cost that he would never pay again. What was he even thinking, even considering trying to confront it? He didn’t have his magic.

He should just continue on into the complex. Forget that he even saw it, or let the response team know.

Or call out Uriah.

But it shouldn’t be here. They only existed during the tainted moon. Never any other time. Something wasn’t right, and just killing it wouldn’t tell them anything. It hadn’t noticed him, continuing to walk down the street. He needed to make a decision, now, or he’d run out of time.

He needed to know. Not the why, but the how. Something about that was important.

Turning, he started following it, trying to act as if he’d just changed his mind, and was going back the way that he’d come, keeping it just in his sight. It very quickly became obvious that it was a little predictable, keeping to the shadows, and that made it easier to follow. Old habits die hard, it seemed, for however it was now here. They always kept to the shadows, except when they knew they’d been spotted, or were about to attack.

It knew where it was going. It wasn’t randomly wandering. It was taking pains to avoid being caught out in the street lights, and avoiding areas where other people were, people who were oblivious to the potential danger it posed, lowest grade or not. Except where it couldn’t, and there it seemed to bide its time, Fraser having to modify his route and actions as well. Not once did it attempt to jump out and attack anyone, like they usually did, nor did it even seem to show the desire. Just a focus on its destination. Tracing a path back through where he’d already walked, and then diverging, and heading towards the other wealthy section of the town, the part that wasn’t the complex of the Guardians.

Perhaps it hadn’t been as unaware of him as he’d thought. Or something else hadn’t been. They were now down a private road, large expensive houses around them, the only light coming from the white street lights that made perfect circles on the footpaths but illuminated little else. It moved away from the edges of the street into the middle of the road, and then stopped, turning to face him. Looking at him, a glint in its eye as it tilted its head to the side as if to ask, so what now? It wasn’t alone, that understanding very clear to him, but for the life of him, he couldn’t see anyone or anything else.

“Should I take it out?” Uriah asked, as he walked up behind him, dropping the cloak.

Fraser hadn’t realised that he’d been there, but he should have guessed. He knew his best friend well enough to know that Uriah wouldn’t want to leave him alone in the state that he was in. And, Fraser did appreciate that. It meant a lot to him, making him feel warm inside, and bringing back up memories again. Memories that were the entire point of this walk, that he’d been trying to forget. Argh! But, he wanted Uriah here, with him, memory or not. Circumstances or not. Uriah had gotten a lot better with that skill than he’d ever been as well. Much much better. He was kinda proud of Uriah about that.

“No. It’s not alone. And it’s strange too...” Fraser let that hang as he tried looking around again.

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A flicker of shadows around the creature, a cloaked figure seeming to appear out of the air beside it, Fraser taking a step back in spite of trying not to. He could feel its presence clearly now, and its power. It was strong.

“An observant one.” Its voice was feminine, and strong. “And you two are an interesting pair.”

“Who are you? What do you want?” Uriah asked. Fraser could feel magic gathering within his best friend. He was on edge, prepared.

“Oh, no one of consequence, Guardians,” the lady replied, pulling her hood back. “Just someone passing through. Your mark though,” she continued, looking at Fraser, “is rather curious. I’ve never seen one quite that... complex.” A dangerous smile, her tongue passing over her lips.

Not that he was paying much attention to what she was saying, as he just stared at her. Like hell she was no one of consequence. Even if it had been twenty years, he still recognised her. In fact, she looked exactly the same as she had then. She was beautiful, elegant, hair as dark as the night, laced with red, her eyes the same, and her skin, as pale as the moon. When it wasn’t in its tainted phase.

“Vampire...” he said before he could stop himself.

“Oh,” the lady said, tilting her head in curiosity. “What makes you say that?”

“It’s what I’ve always called you,” he said, wondering at the same time why he was revealing that. “You were there, at the tear.”

“Stop it lady,” Uriah hissed, flames licking at his hands.

The lady smiled again, revealing a pair of fangs. “Well, you’re not wrong on any of those points, but still, I did not lie. Right now, I am no one of consequence, just passing through. But you two,” her eyes were on him again, even though she was talking about them both, “you certainly are curious. We shall meet again I am sure, but not till I get to meet the real yous.”

“What do you mean? How do you know that?” Fraser stood there, shocked, more thoughts slipping out.

“Your magic is more in tune with you than you realise. It is part of you, after all.” Another dangerous smile, and then she pulled her hood back up, turned, and the two of them vanished. Vampire and the creature.

Fraser felt himself almost collapse, Uriah quickly wrapping an arm around him.

“She was doing something to you, Fraser.” Uriah was sounding really worried.

He was right, but Fraser wasn’t sure exactly what. He hadn’t felt her using any magic, except when she had appeared and vanished again, her presence having quickly faded. She had indeed left the area.

“She was dangerous. What the hell was she doing here?” Fraser straightened, standing steadily again.

“Who was she?” Uriah asked.

“One of the five, who was there at the tear, when it all happened. They, aren’t from this realm.” He had told Uriah about them, probably quite a lot, especially when they were younger, but Uriah hadn’t actually seen them. Few had.

“Do we tell them?”

Fraser cringed at the thought of having to tell his parents. He was in no hurry to see them again. Ever. Especially after the events of that evening. But, there were so many things amiss with what had just happened. On the other hand, while he had no idea why she had been here, she hadn’t seemed to be hostile. He also had no idea if any of them would be able to stand up to her if it came to it. He had felt her power.

Fraser sighed. He didn’t actually know. “We’ll think about that in the morning.” Or whatever time that ended up being. It was really late now, well, early, and everything was catching up with him. “Let’s just go home.”

Uriah nodded, pulling out his phone and summoning a taxi.

“Hey, Uriah?”

“Hmm?” Uriah looked back at him. With that handsome face, that caring smile.

“Thanks. For everything.” Fraser leaned into him, enjoying his warmth, his comfort, as they waited for the ride.