Toki's Tale

Maybe it was Orae's death, or Tae'Pan's attempt on her life, but something had changed in Toki. She felt cold and bitter, full of a rage bottled up inside her.
She and Rel had travelled to Mimir, the largest city on Midgard. It was vastly different to the monastery, full of dozens of different races who kept to themselves. She had seen her first Grendel here, screaming and snarling at a innkeeper for not allowing him to drink ale straight from the keg.

Rel was busy buying food from a shrewd old Elf, so Toki had a look around the marketplace. A couple of Grendels loomed past her, despite the fact they were shorter than her. They seemed to loom automatically, regardless of height or size.
A Hexenmeister was also wandering around the marketplace, a thick oak staff in his hand. A large spherical crystal has embedded in the tip, and Toki could hear a faint humming on the edge of her hearing. The Hexenmeister wore the look that Toki had seen on all Hexenmeisters, a sort of bored arrogance.

Rel finished bartering with the Elf, which mainly consisted of him shouting until the Elf lowered the price by a Mark or two. The food was mostly bread, meat, vegetables and tobacco.
"Who's that?" Toki asked, gesturing at the Hexenmeister.
"That's Brox, the chief Hexenmeister," Rel replied. "Not one to mess with."
"Correct, Rel. I would say the same about you." Brox said, in a dry voice that shared the same bored arrogance as his expression. By his side was a younger Hexenmeister, who had probably just gained the slim ash staff that he gripped tightly in his hand.
"Ah. 'Nornus Signum Vitiosum'," Brox said, looking at Toki, "or the not-so-common Gargoyle."
Toki pulled her cloak around her some more, not eager for the general populace to see her wings. Even though Grendels, Dwarves and the occasional centaur walked the streets of Mimir, she still felt out of place like a vampire at a mob convention.
"Who's the boy, Brox?" Rel asked, pulling some tobacco from his pouch and rolling a cigarette.
"Mnemnor, my apprentice. Those things are bad for you, you know," he added pointing at the cigarette.
"And this coming from someone who chews the damn stuff..."

Paying scant attention to the two old Norns, Toki had a look around again. A merchant from Toresc was trying to bargain with a young Prophet, a bad idea when your customer can read minds.
Suddenly a shadow flickered on the edge of her sight. She whirled round and saw the end of an old leather coat disappearing into an alleyway. Mnemnor seemed to sense something as well, and a small green fireball appeared in his hand with a quiet 'pwf' noise.

Toki nodded and they moved silently towards the dark, damp alleyway. Doozers scurried to and fro in the fetid rubbish that lay strewn around the place, while a stray hound slept in the corner, it's hair matted and dirty.
There was the sound of someone trying to quietly smash a window, making the hound stir fitfully. Toki and Mnemnor crept closer, the dim jade light from the Hexenmeister's fireball lighting their way.

At the end of the alleyway was an inconspicuous shop, with a faded sign that only a select few could read.
"Magic shop." Mnemnor whispered bluntly.
As Toki got closer, she could see the broken pane of glass in the door, and the lock that had been wrenched out by force. She moved carefully, as shards still littered the cobbles.

Inside the shop Toki could see Tae'Pan, holding a velvet bag in one hand and pointing a crossbow at the unfortunate owner. She and Mnemnor crouched behind a large bookcase, keeping out of sight.
"You don't know what's in the bag," the shopkeeper said, not even a faint tremor in his voice.
"GrimSkull Powder. Rots through armour, flesh and bone," Tae'Pan said, a malicious hiss in his voice.
"Actually, it's Fairy Dust."
There was a long pause.
"Fairy... Dust..."
"You don't think I'd put GrimSkull Powder on a bloody display stand, would you? You'd have to be a complete-"
There was a click as Tae'pan drew back the crossbow string a little more.
"Finish that sentence and I'll kill you."
"-idiot-"
There was another click and the blot flew across the store and hit the shopkeeper in the side. He fell backwards into a shelf which collapsed on top of him, showering him with magical objects.
"I warned you," said Tae'Pan with a chuckle. He strode towards the door, but stopped in his tracks. The rubble behind the counter was stirring.
"That... Hurt..."
Toki watched with satisfaction as Tae'Pan's face fell. The shopkeeper was standing in a mess of bottles and boxes, the bolt still sticking in his side.
"Normally," he growled, "I wouldn't resort to this with a mere... thief."
"I am no mere thief!" Tae'Pan hissed, but the shopkeeper wasn't listening.
"But I haven't tasted blood for... days."
"You're a vampire!"
The shopkeeper howled in pain as the change took place. His fur grew longer and wilder, and his face became the snout of a wolf. He became taller, towering over Tae'Pan.
"Close, Spirit-Hunter," he growled, yellow eyes blazing. "I am GreatWere!"
The beast howled and picked up Tae'Pan by his throat, great claws gripping into his skin. He brought the Spirit-Hunter close to his face and breathed two words.
"Get. Out."

With minimum effort, the GreatWere slung the terrified Tae'Pan through the broken door and onto the wall on the other side of the alley. He hit the bricks with a loud crack and scurried off, limping slightly.

Suddenly the bookcase was wrenched aside with great force, leaving Toki and Mnemnor in the open. A feral snarl gazed down at them with contempt.
Toki felt warm breath on her face and two angry yellow eyes staring at her. She gulped, worried, especially after what the thing did to Tae'Pan.
"Relax, Jorvan."
It was Mnemnor, who looked completed calm in the circumstances. The green fireball had disappeared from his hand, and he was standing up. He held out his hand and helped Toki up. The shopkeeper, Jorvan, was changing back to his Norn self.
"Who's the Gargoyle?" Jorvan asked, after the last fang had returned to normal. Mnemnor shrugged at looked at Toki.
"Not sure. I sensed the Spirit-Hunter and followed him here. She came along too."
Jorvan pushed the bookcase back to where it was and restacked the books carefully.
"She's not magic, is she?"
"Nope. Doesn't have the Gift," Mnemnor said, pointing his staff at the broken shelves behind the counter. The sprang back into place and the boxes and books followed.

"Er, excuse me?"
Mnemnor and Jorvan turned around and looked at Toki. She was shaking slightly with anger.
"Yes?" Mnemnor asked, calmly.
"STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE THAT!" she screamed. Both Jorvan and Mnemnor looked shocked.
"Like what?"
"As if I'm a specimen!"
The two Hexenmeisters looked sheepishly at each other and then at Toki.
"We're sorry," they said.

Toki took a deep breath and calmed down.
"How do you know Tae'Pan?"
"Tae who?"
"You know, Tae'Pan! The Spirit-Hunter!"
"He steals magic things," said Mnemnor. "But apparently didn't know about Jorvan's little... talent."
Toki looked at Jorvan, the broken door and the splatter of Tae'Pan's blood on the wall outside.
"Little?"
Jorvan rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
"I'm a GreatWere. They're usually destructive and mindless, but magic helps me control my hindbrain."
Toki nodded, though she didn't understand the last part. So Tae'Pan stole from Hexenmeisters. This worried her, though she didn't know why.
"Next time..." she said to Jorvan. "Next time..."
"Pardon?"

Toki looked at the broken door and growled with unnatural menace, feelings of hatred boiling inside her.
"Next time... Kill him... Kill him slowly..."

Chapter 3

Chapter 5