Shades of Grey

JZASACH— NOVEMBER 1843

I turned as Farrah ascended the stairs, followed by her father.

“Father, look, we aren’t the only ones,” Farrah said, noticing the crowd outside.

“That’s odd, we’ve never had so many deaths before,” Mr Hallington whispered, opening the door and walking out to the street, joining the crowd with an interest that offset his intense grief. Farrah and I watched as he began asking people questions and others began to voice their wonderings about the state of things. Something was clearly not right.

“How many deaths do you typically experience?” I asked.

“None. Occasionally, a dog or a horse will die due to a wolf who cannot locate the meat storage that we open just before it happens, but that is all.”

I frowned.

“So, something occurred last night to spark the change early and make the men…insane?” I concluded.

“I suppose so, but what sort of something?”

I looked at Farrah out of the corner of my eye, worried that she could possibly make a connection between my presence and the sudden increase in deaths, but her mystified expression told me she was not at all suspicious.

Wordlessly, we both left the house and joined the crowd who were now chattering amongst themselves, brainstorming theories about how such a tragedy could have happened.

“Franklin,” Farrah cried, calling to a muscular and imposing middle aged man talking with her father. “Franklin, what’s happening?”

“They’re saying that one of the Witches came to make sure that the curse is still effectual and that she wasn’t pleased with our methods of preparation, so she augmented the hunger of all the wolves, making them mad,” Franklin responded in a voice that sounded so chillingly deep, I felt it should have belonged to God himself.

“That’s terrible!” I said suddenly without thinking. Franklin looked at me, as though I had no place to judge whether or not it was terrible — which I would agree, I did not.

“And who might you be?” he asked patronisingly.

“Franklin, this is Jacob Keller. He was travelling through Jzasach on his way to Romania,” Farrah introduced, with a forceful undertone that told Franklin I was a friend. Franklin scoffed.

“You selected a mighty fine day to travel through here, young man,” marvelled Franklin. “Mighty fine indeed.”

“Ladies and gentleman!”

A large young man dressed in clothes equally as torn as every other frighteningly tall man in the town stood atop a fountain in the middle of a nearby square. Anxious for answers, the crowd filed eagerly around him.

“We all know something is amiss. This is the largest slaughter we have ever experienced…”

“Was it a Witch?” asked someone from the back.

“It has to be! Who else could have such control over the wolves inside of us?” the man continued on. “Citizens, we have suffered for far too long at the hands of the Witches! We must—”

“No,” I interjected suddenly. Farrah looked at me strangely, as did everyone in the immediate area. I made my way through the crowd and joined the confused man atop the fountain. He looked at my in tact clothing with disdain and folded his arms.

“Who are you to know whether a Witch has been here or not? You’re just a foreigner who has probably never even heard of Jzasach,” marvelled the young man.

In one smooth motion, I pulled off the cloak. The crowd gasped and began whispering to one another. I primed myself to give the same speech I had given Farrah about Hunters, but I could practically feel her gobsmacked stare. I did my best not to look at her.

“What are you?!” I heard several people exclaim.

“My name is Grey Echo and I am a Creature Hunter. My Maisling, Forma, and I are passing through on our way to Vikka.”

I paused to allow Forma time to change into an eagle and fly over to my shoulder, which took all of five seconds and garnered copious gasps from the crowd, but my mention of the Vampire City resonated more strongly in their minds.

“The city of Vanguards?!”

“Are you mad?!”

“Vanguards are near impossible to defeat!”

“What makes you think you are skilled enough to kill one?”

I withdrew my Flamesword and held it high above my head. Forma then morphed into a Redlight Dragon and blew a steady stream of fire just over the crowd. They cried out in shock and ducked, watching Forma circumspectly.

“I have spent ten years at a school that trains select children to destroy the monsters left over from the Ancient Rip, including Witches. I have skills and knowledge that may help end this curse upon your people. I can track and hunt the Witches that brought this upon you and free you from your fate!”

“Were you the reason that we went mad during the last transformation?” asked a young man to my right. “Did the Witches send us after you?”

I could almost hear the comprehension sweep across the crowd as it melted into hate. I closed my eyes, sheathed my Flamesword and looked at Forma, who changed back into her human size and stood strongly at my side.

“I can’t be sure until I find the Witch Clan and talk to their queen, but I swear that I can and will make this right!”

I looked down at a horror-struck Farrah, and swept the rest of the crowd with my eyes. Their silent, stony stares told me that they were debating internally whether I was worthy of their trust.

“Next month marks the start of the Witch New Year. One of the Witch Queen’s attendants will be sweeping through to validate that the curse is still potent. That is all we can tell you that will be of any use. We know nothing else,” said Franklin, avoiding my eyes.

“Thank you,” I nodded. “I will do everything in my power to help.”

The crowd collectively gave me a dull moan of doubtful gratefulness and began to disperse. I sat down on the edge of the fountain as the square cleared and sighed. Forma sat next to me, stretching her wings out behind her.

“You’re doing what you can,” she said, dipping them in the water. “Take solace in that.”

“Forma, Witches are a whole new level of opposition. I don’t know if I can adequately compete with magic!”

“You alone cannot, but together, we can hunt anything.”

I chuckled uncertainly and then turned to Farrah and Arthur as they looked at me with awed eyes.

“Is there really such a profession? Monster-Killer?” wondered Arthur.

I did not say anything, I merely handed him my Flamesword so he could investigate its legitimacy. Arthur examined the sheathed sword and withdrew the unlit blade, giving it a few swings. He then returned it, confirmation in his eyes.

“You are the first Hunter we have ever come across. Jzasach is not exactly on any well travelled roads,” he said, a saddened frustration in his voice.

I smiled and turned to Farrah, fury boiling in her eyes.

“Farrah, I’m sorry. Hunters sometimes need to camouflage themselves...”

She slapped me across the face with such unexpected power that I stumbled backwards into Forma. She helped me stand, doing her best to retain laughter — of course she would find the situation comical...

“How could you?!” Farrah shouted.

“I’m sorry Farrah, but I needed a disguise. It is dangerous for citizens to know the identity of a Hunter and I did not want to put you in any more danger.”

“Then why reveal yourself now? What makes Jzasach so different from the other cities you have encountered?”

I opened my mouth to retaliate, but sighed as I realised her point and stole a glance at Forma, who gave me a passive shrug.

“We’re breaking all the rules aren’t we?” Forma quipped. I gave her an acquiescent chuckle and turned to Farrah.

“Because I don’t think I can help you whilst undercover and you need every ounce of my power that I have to give. But you are right,” I replied. “I should have told you. I apologise.”

I took off my hat and bowed. Arthur put his hand on Farrah’s shoulder. It took several breaths, but she visibly relaxed, storming off towards the house.