The one thing I hate the most about living in Michigan is the weather.
I know in other states, they must say the same thing, but I don't live in other states and the weather here is insane. We just went from 40 to 50 degree weather with beautiful skies, down to 20 degrees and snow. But, of course, that wasn't enough. It had to rain before all the snow.
But, I have to keep on the good side of things, so lets stop bitching about the snow and onto the part-time job with Old Man Winters.
When Wyld fold come over through the portals, there's usually a period of adjustment time. OMW calls them "Foundlings" and well the term is appropriate enough. I was given the job (more like an internship though cause I don't get paid) to help foundlings in their transition period.
And Portals only stay open for about an hour.
Timmy Guttersnipe is like the radar for our Wyld-Folk-Immigration-Program. He's a cute little halfling with a great laugh and a pair of foot-long blades he called "daggers" that were as sharp as his wit and longer then his forearm. Timmy had found the portal that night.
The snow was coming down steady by then and had already coated the roads in about a inch of snow that hide the layer of ice underneath. I slipped across three lanes of 94 to get off at my exit and almost was hit twice by jackasses driving like there wasn't any ice on the ground. It always happens. Whenever the snow stops, everyone like forgets how to drive.
The portal was between two abandoned factories within earshot of EMU's campus. Luckily the weather was keeping the college kids in their house parties.
By the time I arrived at the portal, it had just closed and OMW was wrapping the foundling up in a thick cloak. The girl was a daemon, specifically a fire-daemon. Daemon were the offspring of an elemental and a more human like Wyldfolk, something like an elf, dwarf, or orc.
Only the girls light red face was visible in the cloak. She had two small horns that peaked out from her fiery red hair. Each snowflake that touched her skin turned into a sizzle of steam.
But, she wasn't the only thing that came through the portal. I smelled the beast before I saw it, giving me the time to aim.
The worg slipped out from behind a Dumpster and leaped us, the spines around its neck quivering in anticipation, the stench hitting me like a wall. I widened my stance and raised my right hand like I was telling the 600 pound wolf on steroids to stop, summoning all my anger and frustration from the slippery Michigan road. I felt magic gather in my chest and waited for a clean shot at the worg's chest. It reared back in mid-air to strike and I saw my chance. A lance of dark purple, almost black energy shot from my hand and struck the worg directly in the chest.
I felt the magic leave me and readied another blast while the worg flew backwards and dented in the Dumpster. I smelled burning fur and flesh and aimed the second lance directly between the black, beady eyes. It snarled once more and I lashed out, splitting the things face down the middle.
Suddenly Timmy appeared next to it, a "dagger" in each hand. I stepped around OMW as he gathered up the girl in his arms and watched as the worg fell limp. The worg slowly turned black then began slowly swirled into shadows and melted into the night.
When beings of the Wyld died, there wasn't anything left. No body was left to announce that anything had ever existed here on Earth. All the Wyld can do is remember what they left behind through their dreams.
OMW had slid the girl into the back seat of my SUV and was waving to me as he walked down the street in the snow. I still don't know how that old coot gets around so fast without a car. Timmy was already sitting in mine, seat-belt bucked and ready to go.
I lit a cigarette on my way back to the car.
Nasty habit I know, but it's the little things that help.
We dropped off the girl with Sister Deborah, an old orc women who worked at a homeless shelter in Ann Arbor. She wasn't really a nun, but she could crack your knuckles like a nun in a catholic school. Sister Deborah gave the foundlings a place to stay until they got their bearings.
By the time I dropped Timmy off and got back to my home in Canton, the sun was coming up and I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.
Some girls go out dancing, I get to help the immigrants of the Wyld-World.
-Leah
No comments:
Post a Comment