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Chapter 12: Visions of the Past and Future, Part 1

As Wes led the way through the Camp, Claire couldn’t help but notice how few people there were in this direction. The area was inhabited, but most of the inhabitants were either indoors or elsewhere. She tensed as she spotted an open area ahead, some sort of square. A large Minotaur armed with an assault rifle stood on the right side of the street, scrutinizing her wordlessly. It was the being on the left, however, that truly drew and held her attention.

She thought, at first glance, that it was a Fenrir, a race of large and intelligent wolves she’d seen once or twice, but if it was a Fenrir, it was an odd-looking one. It reached about 8 feet at the shoulder while standing. Its brown eyes were fierce and intense as it followed her movements, like it saw her as an intruder, a threat. There was intelligence in its eyes but no sapience, more like the intelligence of a dog, an animal as opposed to a sapient being. Its gray fur stuck straight out like spikes.

She made to walk past and it growled at her in warning, raising a lip to bare its teeth. No words registered in her mind, only that feral growl. She scurried back instinctively, away from the wolf.

“Leave her alone, Silver,” Weston growled at it, looking back. “She’s with me.”

The wolf didn’t respond and continued to glare. Her second attempt to pass produced the same result.

“Oh, for the love of…” the Minotaur on her right suddenly swore. “Just walk past him already. Haven’t you ever met a Shrrg before? He won’t do anything to you, not without his master’s command.”

A Shrrg…as a matter of fact, she HADN’T ever met one before. Very big, very dangerous, no sentience whatsoever. An animal in every sense of the word, a Class 4 Mystic. They were also on the verge of extinction, extremely rare and almost never seen outside of mountain ranges. Legend had it that it was possible to tame them – and that there was no companion more undyingly-loyal than a tamed Shrrg.

If this Shrrg – ‘Silver’, as Weston called him – was among other Mystics, then that meant one of the residents here must’ve earned his loyalty. So, he was no threat to her as long as she didn’t piss off and/or harm his master. If she did, she’d end up as dog food. She couldn’t wait to meet whoever could tame a Shrrg, a wolf even bigger than Danny.

She slowly walked past him without breaking eye contact, and this time he made no noise, turning his head to follow her movements.

She was several feet past him when she finally relaxed and broke eye contact. And that was her first mistake while in this Camp.

She’d barely taken another step when a massive weight slammed into her side and hurled her into a nearby wall. She didn’t even have time to draw breath before the massive paw hit her again, a feral snarl emerging from Silver as he slammed her into the ground. He glared down at her and she trembled, struggling futilely to escape his grip.

“Hey, what the hell?” the Minotaur shouted, quickly closing the distance with rifle raised. “What the fuck are you doing, Silver?!” He raised the gun to hit him over the head with the stock and Silver, moving far faster than anything that big had any business moving, turned and grabbed the rifle, tearing it out of the bull’s grip with his teeth. There was a crunch as he easily broke the weapon in half with his powerful jaws, spitting out the remains. He snarled and the Minotaur backed off with his hands raised. All the while Claire remained pinned to the ground beneath Silver’s enormous left forepaw. Her own forepaws were free, but she could barely move. He returned his attention to her and glared down at her, teeth bared.

Her mind raced. Why did he attack her? Was it because she broke eye contact first? She was a Kitsune, a vulpine Mystic, she wasn’t familiar with canine pack rules – or, unfortunately, what she needed to do to get out of this.

Wes kept his distance, watching them warily. Smoke seeped from his nostrils, but no fire emerged. “I need to get Shorak, NOW.” He turned towards the square and Silver, upon hearing the name ‘Shorak’, perked up, turning to look in Wes’ direction.

What Claire did next probably wasn’t the wisest thing she’d ever done, but she saw an opportunity and took it. She reached for the magic within her, something every Kitsune possessed, and tried to hurl a ball of Faux-Fire at the wolf. It was a spell her brother had taught her a long time ago but she didn’t have much experience with casting. She thought the confidence boost from the distraction Wes created would be enough…but it wasn’t. Only a handful of blue cinders came out, striking Silver in the chest.

The effects, however, were instantaneous. Silver yelped and staggered, wiping and batting madly at the spot with his right forepaw. She sank her teeth into his left, eliciting another startled yelp, and she made a break for it, bolting out from under him as his grip on her faltered.

She ran in the direction Weston had gone, but a whine from Silver drew her attention back for a moment. He was rolling around in the dirt, as if trying to put out a fire on his fur. She stared for several seconds, confused by this. It wasn’t even true Faux-Fire, just a few cinders. Then, it suddenly hit her like a punch to the face: ~He’s…he’s afraid of fire!~ Every animal had an innate fear of fire, but THIS…

A mighty screech suddenly pierced the air, causing the buildings around them to shake. There were no words within the sound, but the results were instant. Silver immediately stopped and rolled to his feet, trembling slightly, cowering away as Shorak approached. The Gryphon glared at the wolf angrily, then squawked. Instantly, Silver turned and fled, leaving Claire even more bewildered than when he’d first attacked her. Not a single word, verbally or mentally, yet Silver obeyed unquestioningly.

It suddenly occurred to her that Shorak must’ve been Silver’s master, that one that tamed him. That…she didn’t really know what to think of that.

He looked down at Claire and his gaze softened. “Are you alright, Claire?”

She shook her head. “Why did he attack me?”

“He challenged you and you broke eye contact,” he explained. “He’s more loyal than any dog, but you have to understand that he’s still just an animal, even mentally.” He paused, considering. “You put him in his place, though, with that Faux-Fire. He won’t attack you again. Fire is one of the few things a Shrrg fears and now he knows you have it.”

Claire shivered and stared after the giant wolf. He was long gone, disappeared somewhere within the Camp. She thought it best to not tell Shorak that she wasn’t very good at casting Faux-Fire.

She suddenly heard an oath and turned to see the Minotaur stooping down over the remains of his rifle. The gun was broken in several pieces, completely unfixable. “You need to keep that pet of yours on a shorter leash, Shorak,” he growled, glaring at the Gryphon. “We can’t fix this rifle and we’re low on supplies already.”

Shorak chuffed and turned to walk away. “Take it back to the armory and see if any of the components can be salvaged.” He paused and glared back over his shoulder. “And Silver is NOT a pet. I’ll handle his outbursts, but if you show him respect, he’ll return that respect in kind.” He continued walking and Claire trotted to catch up with him.

“Are you hurt, Claire?” he suddenly asked as they entered the clearing.

She shook her head. “No…no, he really just startled me more than anything.” She grimaced and turned her head, spitting to try and get the horrible taste out of her mouth. “That wolf needs a bath, though; he tasted TERRIBLE.”

Shorak chuckled softly. “You try getting a wolf that big to take a bath. Not even I’M big enough to force him to bathe. He’s loyal but stubborn even towards me sometimes. He makes up for it by always coming through when it matters most.”

He suddenly stopped and laid down near the center of the clearing. Claire realized this was probably where he slept, since he couldn’t fit in any of the buildings. There was a huge nest – big even for a Gryphon, but the perfect size for him – off to the side, cobbled together from tree limbs and branches, shredded blankets, numerous objects she couldn’t identify. It looked well-used, covered in tufts of fur and countless feathers. She noticed he didn’t lay down in it, however, instead laying out in the open and turning to face her. There were numerous other objects scattered across the area, including several large crates and a tarp. The latter was probably stretched between the surrounding buildings when it rained.

She started to grow uncomfortable, fidgeting nervously as he stared at her. He seemed to be studying her, examining her with his eyes. “You…wanted to talk with me?” she finally asked hesitantly.

It was another minute or 2 before he responded. “Jess told me you’re a telepath.”

She shrugged. “It’s not really a secret. Even Charon mentioned that in that throne room in Boston.” She paused. “I’m not very good at it yet, though, I’m barely a novice. I can understand anything sentient beings try to say to me or near me, but I can’t control it. It’s automatic.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That must be invaluable, especially with Mystics that normally can’t speak at all.” He paused, looking away for a moment. “We could use that ability around here, especially if you meant it when you said you have no home to go back to. You’d be welcome here, treated like family.”

She thought for a moment, considering it. “It’s a nice offer and tempting, but I’d rather not stay around here.” She paused. “I…if anywhere, I’d like to go to Kvenland.”

He studied her for a moment. “Kvenland is a long way from here, across hundreds of miles of ocean. I’m sorry, but I have no way of getting you there. If I did, I would’ve gotten as many of the residents here as I could to Kvenland a long time ago.”

Claire’s heart sank at this news, though in all honesty it didn’t surprise her. It really was just wishful thinking that he might’ve been able to.

“That Army convoy…you said you have a friend among them.”

She emerged from her thoughts and nodded. “Yeah, he’s a Gryphon named Daniel. He and I met on New Year’s Eve in Ranelk.”

His eyes widened at this. “You were actually IN Ranelk on New Year’s? That’s…” He looked away. “You’re lucky to be alive. We’ve only ever heard rumors of survivors, nothing solid.”

Claire remained silent, unsure of how to respond. She was still holding out hope that there were others, but the longer it took, the less and less certain she grew. The possibility that Lorcan, Karen and the others were already in Kvenland was at least one hope she could still hold on to. A small hope, but a hope nonetheless.

“Daniel…that’s a rather odd name for a Gryphon,” Shorak suddenly observed.

She chuckled and shook her head. “He’s a rather odd Gryphon, himself. He and I went through a lot together. All of it…” She hesitated, several painful memories coming to her. “It drove him feral at one point. I was scared, more than once, that I was going to lose him, seeing it getting worse and worse. The friend I knew was just…no longer there.”

Shorak suddenly tensed at this, staring at her. He opened and closed his beak several times, then finally asked, “The Overdrive Effect?” She nodded slowly, a tear rolling down her face. “Only Descendants can develop that condition, which means….” He suddenly paused, something occurring to him. “Daniel’s real name is Avery, isn’t it? Avery Daniels?”

She was taken aback for a moment, realizing she had revealed too much. He sighed again. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.” He looked away and mumbled something under his breath, so quietly even she couldn’t hear it clearly. However, it sounded almost like he said, “Goddamnit, Charon…” He closed his eyes with a sigh, still looking away from her. “The Overdrive Effect is extremely difficult to treat, especially in its advanced stages. Eventually, the afflicted isn’t even ABLE to comprehend what’s happening to them or that anything is wrong, incapable of higher thought processes.” He finally looked at her again, his expression growing solemn. “Why haven’t they euthanized him yet? It’d be far more humane to put him out of his misery than to allow him to continue living like that.”

It took her a moment to realize he had misinterpreted what she said. She didn’t really think of the consequences of telling him. Maybe it was the sadness in his expression or the fact that he wasn’t forcing answers out of her like William had, but she had to reassure him. “Wait, you misunderstood: he WAS treated for it. He’s perfectly fine now.”

He stared at her for a long time silently. His gaze studied her, as if trying to detect a lie in her demeanor. “What?”

“It was really hard to get him to take it, but in the end, they used modified tranquilizer darts,” she explained. “I haven’t seen him much since then, but he’s getting a LOT better now and he’s learning to live as a Gryphon.”

He looked away, his expression showing worry and uncertainty. “Are you sure it ACTUALLY worked?”

“I was there when they shot him – AND when he woke up afterwards. The Overdrive Effect is COMPLETELY gone.” There was a long silence. Finally, without a word Shorak stood and turned to walk away. Seeing her opportunity slipping away, she quickly called out to him, “Wait, how do you even know Danny? He’s never mentioned you. Are you friends?”

He paused, his back to her. “Friends? No…no, he and I have never met.” He sighed and shook his head. “But I DID know his great grandmother. She and I were…very close. I owe it to her memory to protect him, especially after everything that’s happened.” He looked off to the left. “Wes, take Claire around the Camp, give her a tour. I need some time to think.”

The large Gryphon slowly climbed into his nest and laid down, turned away from her. She remained in place even as Wes approached her, hoping for further explanation but receiving none.

“Come on,” Wes said quietly to her. “He’ll tell you more when the time comes.” She nodded slowly and turned to follow him.

Daniel’s great grandmother…she remembered hearing once that Karen’s Gryphon blood came from her great grandmother on her mother’s side. Could it have been the same for Daniel? The way he spoke of her, though…the amount of emotion in his voice…it sounded like they were more than just friends.

It took her a while to realize Weston wasn’t saying anything, much less giving her a tour. “Aren’t you going to show me around?”

He shook his head. “Not really much to see around here. The Boss just wants you out of his plumage for a few hours.” He nodded off to his right. “There’s an armory, but it’s not very big. In truth, it’s more like a storehouse, anyway.”

“Then where exactly ARE we going?”

“To see Sinar, have him take a look at you.” He nodded straight ahead.

Right on cue, Claire coughed violently. She managed to cover her mouth in time, but her paw had flecks of black phlegm on it. She immediately wiped it clean on the grass beneath her feet, unsettled by the sight.

The Blue Dragon looked back at her worriedly. “And that’s why you need to see Sinar. Whatever that black color means, I guarantee it’s NOT a good thing.” He shook his head and continued walking.

Claire remained motionless for several minutes, staring at her paw. Wes went about 10 more steps before realizing she wasn’t following and turned back. The pain in her chest had returned, a dull ache in her core that was almost imperceptible but undeniably there. It lasted about 20 seconds before going away.

The building they arrived at was mid-sized, on the outside not much different from the ones around it. The inside, however, was neat and tidy, lined by a dozen or so unmarked crates. There were 5 small cots in the room, most unoccupied. There were shelves on 2 of the walls, stocked with medical supplies.

On one of the beds was a winged wolf, a Oliatiau. Wolf body, bat-like wings, a Class 3. There had been 2 in Ranelk, the Selvic brothers Kevin and Shiven Selvic. She thought for a moment that this might have been one of them, but this was clearly a female and much younger. She was sitting upright on her haunches, patiently being examined by a Kabatix with a stethoscope.

The feline nodded to himself and pulled off the medical instrument, lowering it to around his neck. “Alright, you’re good to go, Sarah. A minor cold. It’ll go away in a few days.” He placed a plastic bowl on the cot and filled it with water from a water bottle, then placed 2 pills in front of her. She barked a thank you and downed the cold pills and water. Then she jumped down from the bed and turned to leave. She paused for a moment, gazing curiously at Claire and Wes.

The Kabatix followed her gaze and smiled at them. “Ah, you must be one of the new arrivals. Jess, if I remember right?”

Claire shook her head. “Claire, actually. Jess is my cousin.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “My name’s Sinar. I used to be an EMT, so I have experience with first aid and some medicines. I’m pretty much the Camp’s doctor since I’m the only one here with any real experience, though I get a lot of help from the alchemist living here.” He glanced to the right. “You can go, Sarah.” She nodded and walked out the door, nudging Wes’ left foreleg as she passed. He returned the gesture, though Claire wasn’t sure what it meant. She’d ask him about it later.

He turned and gestured to the bed Sarah had been sitting on. Claire obediently hopped up. “Human form, please.” She paused, confused. That was an odd request; usually, whenever she had a check-up it was in her true form. He sighed. “A shapeshifter’s vitals are slightly different between forms. It’s standard procedure to check both sets of vitals.” She nodded and quickly changed forms, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

He nodded as well and took her hand in his, checking her pulse. “So, how are you feeling today? I’d heard you’ve been feeling sick.”

“I had Double Pneumonia a while back, but I was treated for it. Successfully,” she answered truthfully. “I’ve been having pain in my chest and sometimes cough up this black gunk. I have no idea what it is or why I’m coughing it up.”

He suddenly frowned in concern. “Black gunk…? Oddly-colored phlegm can be a symptom of any number of things. It could simply be something you ate. However, the chest pain is worrying, especially if they’re related. Are there any other symptoms?”

She thought for a moment, considering. “Whenever I wake up coughing, I feel really dizzy.”

His frown deepened. He lifted his left hand and inserted the stethoscope buds into his furry ears. He kneeled in front of her and pressed the cold metal to her sternum. “Inhale, please.” She obeyed, inhaling deeply. “And out.” Exhale. His frown turned into a scowl. “Kitsune form.” She turned back into her true form and almost instantly he rose to his feet, putting the stethoscope aside.

“Is something wrong?” Weston suddenly asked, speaking up for the first time. He had lain down near the door, his tail flicking from side to side occasionally.

Sinar shook his head. “I need to contact my brother.”

“Is that a good idea? The 2 of you had a falling out, last I heard.”

“That’s true, we did, but he doesn’t let personal matters get in the way of helping people,” he answered. “This isn’t Pneumonia and it’s not Influenza. To be honest, I have no idea what it is, but Razur might.”

Claire was growing more worried by the syllable. “Am I…?”

“No,” Sinar immediately answered. “You’re not dying. It’s probably nothing serious, I just need to talk with Razur to be sure. He’d know more about this than I would.”

Claire was sitting in that dining area, the one where she’d eaten lunch earlier, a while later, chatting with Ben and Sarah, the winged wolf she saw in the infirmary. After leaving the infirmary, Wes had shown her around the Camp a bit, introduced her to a few people. One such character was the Gryphon that had been with Shorak in Camp Boston. Just barely into adulthood, the young Gryphon was a strong flier and frequently accompanied Shorak wherever he went, serving as a kind of bodyguard. He used Avian fluently, making his words easy for her to auto-translate. He was friendly and loyal, serving at the time as a watch-guard near the edge of the Camp.

The wolf was very friendly, especially after learning that Claire could understand her. Unfortunately, once she learned that, she WOULD NOT SHUT UP. Canine Mystics were interesting in that because of their muzzle and vocal cord shapes, they could speak Draconic, able to generate the same sounds as a Dragon could. Claire was trying to think of a polite way to just walk away from the conversation. The kid was nice, just annoying as hell.

“I’m 9,” Sarah said jubilantly. “Are you from Boston? Or Cambridge? What’s your favorite color?”

The questions came so quickly, Claire didn’t even have time to answer most of them. Ben, luckily, finally stepped in to rescue her. “My favorite color is red.”

Sarah turned to look at him and paused, cocking her head curiously. “You’re an odd-looking Dragon. Where’s your wings?”

He shrugged. “Never had any. I’m a Basilisk, not a Dragon.” During the day, he had acquired a pouch for his left foreleg like the one Daniel used but smaller, to carry various things around in. Currently, it contained a veil or 2 and a bunch of dulling agent potions.

Her confusion grew. “What’s a Basilisk?”

The conversation dragged on for a while after that, becoming more and more boring. It was late afternoon when someone else finally approached them, this character a Green Dragon. He nodded to Sarah, who returned the look with a curious expression. Then he looked to Claire. “There’s been some…developments. I’m under orders from Shorak to return you - Ben and Claire - to your quarters and make sure you stay there the entire night.”

This took Claire by surprise. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Something’s happening tonight he doesn’t want you involved in, says it’s for your own good.” He nodded toward Ben. “Both of you, plus Ryder and Jess as well. She’s already been taken there.”

She exchanged a look with Ben. He shrugged. “It’s alright. It’s already late in the day, anyway.”

Obediently, she followed the Dragon back to their sleeping quarters. Jess was already inside, as the Dragon had said. She was lying on top of her sleeping bag, reading a book. She had it propped up in front of her and used a paw to turn the pages. Her tails flicked from side to side occasionally, a sign that she was concentrating deeply. Claire couldn’t read the title, it was covered. Ryder was off in his own corner, reading a book as well. He put it down as the 2 of them entered the room and Jess looked up.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked. “They said we had to stay here for the rest of the day, wouldn’t say why. They let me keep this book, though.”

Claire shrugged. “Dunno. They told us something was happening tonight that we should stay out of.”

Jess’ expression fell. “Well, that’s no fun.” Then she returned to reading, turning the page.

Ben lay down in the corner, in his usual spot. “Well, no use worrying about it. We can explore a little more tomorrow.”

Claire nodded. She thought to ask the Green Dragon when they’d be able to leave, but as she started to turn the handle, she realized it was locked. She frowned at this. He’d said they’d have to stay here, but locking them up sounded excessive.

Ben looked up. “Something wrong, Claire?”

She shook her head. “The door’s locked.”

“Well, what’d you expect? There’s a lock on the door and they want us to stay here the entire night.”

That made sense and she nodded in agreement, but nonetheless it worried her. She couldn’t put her paw on why, though. She sighed and turned toward her sleeping bag.

It was several hours later, deep into the night, that Claire was suddenly awoken by a commotion. She jolted awake and looked around. None of the others had been awoken by the noise. She couldn’t find the source at first, then she heard a VERY familiar screech off in the distance. She went to the door but found it was still locked.

“Hey, Boss says you’re not to leave,” an unfamiliar voice told her.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” he told her. “There’s been an intruder in the Camp, a huge Gryphon.”

A huge Gryphon…? Her pulse quickened. Could it be Daniel? She tried the door again but to no avail.

“Shorak’s orders: you’re not to leave this building. I don’t know why he wants you not to get involved, but you can leave in the morning. Until then, behave.”

“Did that Gryphon have blue feathers?”

“He doesn’t-“ He paused, considering. “Actually, come to think of it, he DOES have blue feathers. But how’d you know that?”

Her spirits sky-rocketed: Danny WAS here!

“Please don’t make my job necessary, kid. I’m a nice guy and I don’t want to be guarding this door anymore than YOU want me to be guarding it. Take my advice and go back to sleep.” He fell silent after that.

Claire backed up, her mind racing. Her eyes flitted about the room, scanning for another possible exit. If Daniel was here, she HAD TO be certain, she had to see him with her own eyes. She felt something at the back of her mind, something strange, and her eyes were drawn quickly to the window. She didn’t give this obviously-telepathic nudge a second thought at the time. It was a large window, more than big enough for her to fit through, but what were the odds it was unlocked? A quick test confirmed that it WAS unlocked. She carefully and very slowly slid it open after turning into a human. Her breath caught as it squeaked, but the guard didn’t hear it, thankfully.

“Claire…?” She looked back, seeing Jess sitting up. Her cousin was blinking sleepily, looking confused. “Where’re you going?”

Claire shook her head. “I’ll just be a few minutes, then I’ll come right back. I need to see something for myself,” she whispered quietly. Then she climbed out the window, shifting forms as she did so.

The grass was cold beneath her paws as she landed softly and silently. The night was chilly, though her pelt kept her warm enough. She looked at the guard for a moment, just around the corner of the building. It was a Naga, male. He didn’t hear her or notice her escape. She turned and quickly, silently made her way to the source of the commotion.

Claire stared at the street ahead of her as she arrived, surprised by the Gryphon she saw splayed out on the ground. She hid in the shadows of a building so she wouldn’t be spotted. The dark-blue feathers…the gray fur…the silvery highlights on his wings and at the tips of his ears…it WAS Danny! He was obviously unconscious, probably knocked out by a spell. He looked healthy and strong, his feathers and fur well-taken-care-of, possessing a healthy sheen.

The Kabatix standing over him withdrew his hand and stepped back. “He’ll be out for 6 or 7 hours, maybe a little longer. You’ll know very quickly once he wakes up whether it worked or not, though there shouldn’t be any reason why it wouldn’t have worked.”

Claire almost ran to Daniel right then and there, but something stopped her, an intuition telling her it wouldn’t be wise. The older Gryphon, Shorak, suddenly knelt down over him, lifting Daniel’s beak in his left talon. Her breath caught for a moment, but rather than harming him, Shorak stroked the feathers on his left cheek with his claws on that talon, his expression softening.

“He’s got a lot of his great grandfather in him,” he said softly, almost whispering. “You can see the family resemblance. He’s going to grow into a Deathclaw Gryphon, I’d stake my life on it.”

This caught Claire by surprise. A Deathclaw? She knew Danny was big, but not THAT big. Deathclaws, sometimes called Kull, were abnormally-large Class 3s, ranging everywhere from a third larger than normal size to triple normal size. She’d never personally seen one before, however, as they were EXTREMELY rare.

He carefully lowered the young Royal’s head back to the ground and turned towards the feline. Claire’s heart skipped a beat as his gaze passed over her hiding place, but his eyes continued onward without pause. He must not have seen her.

The Kabatix shrugged. “It’s possible, though aside from you I don’t have anyone to compare him to. Now, where’s this Kitsune you need help with? Sinar mentioned something about her being sick.”

“Asleep, more than likely. It’s getting late. Maybe you should wait until morning.”

The mage nodded and Claire figured it was time to go back to bed, before someone noticed her missing. She slipped back deeper into the shadows and headed back to the building where they slept. The guard didn’t notice her return and looked half-asleep himself, nodding off. Convenient for her, though it’d probably get him in trouble in the future.

She leapt up on the windowsill, making to enter the room and…

“So…where’ve you been?”

She almost had a heart attack as that voice came out of nowhere, causing her to fall backward on her tails painfully. She jumped to her feet and spun around, tensing as the Blue Dragon Weston stepped around the corner of the building, from the side opposite the guard. He looked amused rather than angry, however.

“I…uhm…er…uh….”

“I don’t know if Shorak did or not,” he explained, noticeably keeping his voice down, “but I saw you arrive on the scene, decided to come back here and see. You shouldn’t have left the window open; it was a dead giveaway.” He paused. “If he DOES find out, though, it won’t be from me. That younger Gryphon…he’s that friend of yours you mentioned, isn’t he?”

She started to relax and nodded. “Yeah, his name’s Daniel. He’s…he and I have been through a lot together, as you already know.”

He nodded as well. “Why didn’t you show yourself? He probably misses you.”

“I…” She hesitated, unsure of how to answer that at first. She didn’t really know why, in all honesty; something kept her from going out there and showing herself, something she couldn’t explain. She shook her head and finally said quietly, “He was already passed out; showing myself wouldn’t have changed anything and I still would’ve ended up back here with my friends.”

He nodded and turned to walk away. “Sleep well, Claire. Stay out of trouble in the future, before someone other than me catches you sneaking out.”

Claire had trouble falling asleep after that, her mind ablaze with thoughts. Daniel had finally arrived in Cambridge. She was indisputably happy to see him again, but…the way Shorak acted towards Daniel, even though the 2 of them had never met before…why…

Suddenly, something occurred to her, something that surprisingly hadn’t before: could Daniel be Shorak’s grandson? There WERE a few resemblances. But Shorak said to Charon that meeting his grandson for the first time was what changed him for the better, yet Shorak told HER that he and Daniel had never met…was he lying to one of them or was she missing something here? She didn’t know if she should even tell Danny about this or not, especially not until she knew for certain.

She did, however, know 1 thing for certain: it was time to leave Shorak’s company. She’d go find Daniel in the morning and leave when he did. From the state he was in when she last saw him, he was most likely being held in the Camp somewhere sleeping it off.

She eventually fell asleep and slept soundly the rest of the night.

She awoke hours later to Wes shaking her awake. She blinked groggily and looked up at Wes’ worried face. “Was I coughing in my sleep again?”

He shrugged. “Only once or twice. Shorak wants to see you. It’s about last night.”

She immediately grew annoyed. “You TOLD HIM?”

He shook his head. “No, of course not, but he seems bothered about something. Just be honest with him and it’ll be fine.” He turned towards the door and quickly followed him out. She noticed as she left that her friends had already left the building.

Her mind raced. Shorak wanting to talk to her, again, so soon after the events of the previous night? What could he want to ask her that she hadn’t already told him? It seemed reuniting with Daniel would have to wait.

It was early morning and the Camp was nearly empty, most of the residents still asleep. They quickly found Shorak outside a large building with a single window and a double-wide door. Silver was nearby, which immediately put her on edge. His glaring blue eyes followed her as they approached, though he made no move towards her.

Shorak nodded to her as she stopped several feet away. “Claire, Weston.” He tilted his head towards the door. “Claire, I need you to confirm something for me. We had a visitor last night, someone I believe you will recognize.”

Her pulse quickened at this, but she quickly composed herself and said, “I doubt I’ll recognize anyone from around here, but I’ll take a look if you want.”

Shorak nodded and nudged the door open with his beak so she could enter.

She paused on the threshold, staring at the sight before her. “Danny…?” His ears flicked at her voice, but he didn’t stir from his slumber.

“So, it IS him,” Shorak said, pushing his head through the doorway. He turned his gaze toward the younger Gryphon. “I suspected he was.”

Claire stared uncertainly at her friend. He looked healthy, his feathers vibrant, but the cell he was in was disconcerting – especially the seeming lack of any cell door. He was sleeping peacefully, his sides expanding and retracting rhythmically with his breathing. She turned to look at Shorak. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s sleeping off the effects of a powerful spell,” he explained. “A spell that’s extremely painful but will help him immensely in the future: it gave him knowledge of Draconic, both to understand it AND to speak it.”

So THAT’S why he collapsed the way he did. It wasn’t really necessary for HER to undergo the spell, though she understood the purpose of it. Basically, the spell rewired parts of a person’s brain to interpret certain sounds in different ways automatically. And, if they possess the vocal cords necessary to speak it, turning their animal noises into a structured language.

Shorak withdrew his head. “Come, we need to talk.”

Claire shook her head. “Wait, but why is he in a cell?”

“So he doesn’t cause any trouble when he wakes up. He could panic, waking up in an unfamiliar place. He and I need to have a long-overdue conversation.” He continued walking and she quickly followed after him.

They had soon returned to his ‘bedroom’, that area of the Camp they had set aside for his nest. He eyed the nest for a moment, then turned to face Claire and laid down on the ground.

“Claire,” he began slowly. Then he hesitated. “I’ve been able to piece together most of his story since New Year’s, including him Awakening that night. However, what I can’t figure out and what your friends refuse to say is why he was there that night in the first place, in Camp Ranelk.”

Claire’s breath caught and she took an involuntary step back. She looked away, thinking fast. After what William did to get that information from her…

“Whatever horrible things he did that night, I’m sure he good reasons to do it,” Shorak quickly continued. “A lot of people died that night and he would’ve had to protect himself from-“

“He’s changed since then!” She couldn’t stop herself from cutting him off. She would later come to regret saying this, though not for the reasons one would think. “He’s literally not the same person anymore!”

Shorak’s expression changed, showing confusion. “What are you talking about? Why would he…?” He stopped dead and she could practically SEE the cogs sliding into place in his head.

She turned to walk away before he inevitably asked, knowing she had made a huge mistake by saying that. At a growl from Shorak, Silver moved to block her path, cutting off her escape. He looked down at her and lifted a lip in a snarl. She immediately backed up.

“What exactly are you saying, Claire?” the Gryphon demanded, rising to his feet. “You can’t possibly mean he was there WITH the Hunters!”

She remained silent and looked away.

Those gears just kept turning.

“Gods above and below…he WAS, wasn’t he?”

She slowly nodded. It had only been a matter of time before he found out, in hindsight, but his coming statements truly surprised her.

He slowly lay back down, deep in thought. “Avery always had a fear of Mystics and what we’re capable of, from what I’ve heard of him, but this…I don’t understand why he would ever condone such an atrocity, much less take part in it!”

She shook her head. “Turning into a Gryphon was probably the best thing to ever happen to him; it opened his heart and mind. I don’t know why he was there that night, but he’s CHANGED since then, for the better. He truly regrets what happened that night and his role in it. He WANTS to be a better person, unlike people like Charon or The Siren.”

The old man suddenly looked up, ears perking to full alert. “The Siren…?” He looked away, puzzling something over. “But that’s…” He looked up again. “Claire…was Boreas there that night?”

She was confused by the change of subject, unsure of what he was getting at. “What’s that have to-?”

He suddenly rose to his feet, his demeanor undergoing a dramatic change to anger as he snarled, “Answer the question!” She took a step back – and was immediately stopped by Silver. “Was The Siren in Camp Ranelk on New Year’s Eve?”

“He was, but what does that have to do with Daniel being a Hunter…?”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, seeming to calm down. “Everything, it would seem.” He opened his eyes again and growled something untranslatable to Silver. An instant later she felt Silver grab her by the ruff and lift her up.

Startled, she squirmed in vain. She couldn’t even turn far enough to throw cinders at the huge wolf. “Wait, where is he taking me?”

“Back to your quarters,” Shorak answered, climbing into his nest. “And this time, actually STAY THERE.”

“But I was going to leave with Danny when he wakes up!”

“There’s been a change of plans,” he replied as Silver turned to carry her off. “The 4 of you will remain our guests just a bit longer. Don’t worry, I’ll still keep my promise, and have you returned home, just not yet.”

She tried to fight against Silver, but it was in vain. She couldn’t really use Faux-Fire on him and she couldn’t bite him from this angle. So, she had no choice but allow herself to be carried off. Very soon she found herself back in that shack and the door slammed shut behind her.

Claire was left alone and confused, trying to wrap her head around what just happened. She knew that Boreas/Siren instigated the attack on Camp Ranelk for his own amusement and Daniel himself had to have been under his influence as well, but what did that have to do with Daniel being a Hunter? He’d been with Jared and his group since before that.

She was soon joined by her 3 friends, though they looked even more confused than she did.

“What’s going on?” Ben asked worriedly, looking around as the door closed behind them. “They wouldn’t tell us why we’re being thrown in here, only that’s it’s under Shorak’s orders.”

“I don’t know,” Claire answered with a shake of her head. “He said he’ll be keeping us all here a while longer…” she paused, looking away, “…right after I told him that Danny used to be a Hunter.”

There was a long silence. Ryder had gone off to one corner of the room, though she couldn’t tell what he was doing. Finally, Jess spoke up, “Why’d you tell him THAT? He could hurt Daniel!”

Claire shook her head. “I don’t know, it just…it just came out. He wanted to know why Danny was in Camp Ranelk on New Year’s Eve. However, the strange thing is that it was me mentioning the Siren that got him worked up, not the part about Daniel. He demanded to know if the Siren was there on New Year’s Eve, got really ticked off when I hesitated to answer. I said yes and he had me thrown back in here.”

Another long silence. Finally, Ben asked, “Who exactly IS the Siren? You 2 obviously know him.”

Jess and Claire exchanged a glance. The latter looked worriedly in Ryder’s direction and lowered her voice to a whisper. “He caused the attack on New Year’s Eve, inciting the residents of Ranelk against the Mystics to the point of wanting to murder every non-human in the city. The Hunters that were there took advantage of the chaos to farm the Camp for body parts, to make a huge profit. Why did he do it? Because he thought it’d be funny to watch everything burn and everyone die. He’s a sadist, sick in the head.” She paused, looking away. “He’s also the most powerful telepath I’ve ever seen, very skilled.”

Jess’ expression fell and she looked away, a tear rolling down her face.

Finally, Ben spoke again, though his question surprised her: “He can manipulate emotions?”

“Yeah, but he can’t control it. With very few exceptions, everyone near him has their negative emotions intensified: Fear, hatred, anger, paranoia, sadness.”

Ben nodded slowly. “This is starting to make sense. Claire…I think Siren might be the one who…”

Suddenly, the door to their shack opened. Their visitors were 2 Kabatixes, Sinar and whom she assumed was his brother Razur. Sinar looked worried.

“I’m sorry you’re all stuck in here for the time being,” Sinar said, “but Razur has agreed to take a look at Claire and see if he can find what’s wrong with her.”

“I doubt I’d be able to find anything you haven’t,” his brother said, kneeling in front of Claire, “but I have a friend who might.” He whistled softly and a small blue bird landed on his shoulder. Her first thought was that it was a blue jay, but its eyes showed intelligence and, at the moment, curiosity as it looked at her. Its feathers almost sparkled, shining a metallic blue. “This is my familiar Hiro. He has the eyes of a hawk when it comes to symptoms, even spotting things the patients themselves aren’t aware of.”

Claire nodded. She’d seen a few familiars before. Ethan had a wolf familiar a long time ago, though he never spoke of what happened to it.

“He’s pretty,” Ryder suddenly said, smiling at the bird. “He’s all shiny and sparkly.”

Hiro looked away bashfully and shuffled his feet. Razur chuckled and reached up to stroke the bird’s head with his left hand. “It’s a side effect of becoming a familiar, the sparkle, but yeah, he is.” He shook his head and cleared his throat. “So, Claire…Sinar already told me a few of your symptoms. You had Pneumonia recently? Double Pneumonia, more specifically?”

“Yeah, but I was treated for it,” she answered.

He nodded in response. “Does it hurt to cough, in your throat or chest?”

“I sometimes wake up with pain in my chest, but never WHILE coughing.”

He suddenly frowned, looking away in thought. “Hiro,” he said, whistling softly as well to get the bird’s attention. “You see anything?”

The bird looked Claire up and down slowly several times. After about a minute, he chirped quietly. “Black phlegm?” Frowning again, Razur leaned forward and plucked something from Claire’s chest fur. It was a globule of that stuff she kept coughing up, which she hadn’t noticed was stuck in her fur. He rolled it between his fingers for a moment, his frown deepening. Then he pulled a vial from a pocket in his belt and placed the stuff inside. “I need to speak with a few colleagues about this, but I believe I know what it is: you’re showing symptoms of Soyronn’s Disease. It’s not contagious, before you ask.” He shook his head and rose to his feet.

“Soyronn’s Disease?” She’d never heard of that before.

“An illness unique to Kitsunes,” he explained. “Very rare. No one knows what causes it. Jess isn’t showing symptoms, thankfully.”

“Is it treatable?” Jess asked before Claire had a chance to.

Rather than answering, he turned toward the door. “We need to talk, Sinar. NOW.”

With a worried glance at Claire, his brother followed him out the door. The lock immediately clicked into place as the door latched shut. Claire quickly pressed her ear to the door, but they were moving away already, their words indiscernible.

She turned towards the others. They were looking at her uncertainly, the same worry that she felt mirrored in their eyes. “Guys…do any of you know what Soyronn’s Disease is?” They all shook their heads and her spirits fell.

“I’m not feeling sick,” Jess spoke up. “Though it is kinda cold in here.” She looked down at her sleeping bag, probably considering climbing in.

Ryder looked at her worriedly. “Claire…you’re gonna be alright, aren’t you?”

She forced a smile, in an attempt to reassure him, and it came out as more of a grimace. “It’ll be fine, we just have to wait for him to find out more.”

“If it’s treatable, then why didn’t he say so?”

That was exactly what made her worry, and hearing someone else voice her own fears only made the feeling worse. She shook her head. “I don’t know, Ryder. We just have to wait and see.”

He frowned at this but nodded and went to sit over in a corner of the room, deep in thought.

Finally, her gaze turned towards Ben. He hadn’t said anything for a while now. It was nice to see him with his eyes open regularly now, no longer afraid of meeting someone’s gaze. He looked troubled, however, his eyes downcast. “Ben?” He looked up at her. “Something wrong?”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing. I’m probably just overthinking things.” He turned to walk off toward his own corner of the room, but she stopped him.

“Ben…what was it you were saying about the Siren earlier, before the 2 of them came in?”

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “It’s probably nothing, just a crazy idea I had about Daniel and him. It’s far-fetched, at best.”

Daniel…Shorak obviously realized some connection between them, his anger made that perfectly clear. Before then, he’d been soft-spoken and gentle, then that fury surfaced when he demanded she answer his question…

She shook her head. She needed to speak with Shorak again, get some answers…but how? He was adamant she remain here. Her eyes went to the window, but even if it WAS still unlocked (which she had her doubts about), sneaking out to talk to him would be rather counter-productive. He’d just have her thrown back in here. She punched the wall near her in anger and frustration with a forepaw. The pain that came immediately afterwards was her only reward and she swore an oath, something she rarely did. She turned away…

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Chapter 12: Visions of the Past and Future, Part 1

As Wes led the way through the Camp, Claire couldn’t help but notice how few people there were in this direction. The area was inhabited, but most of the inhabitants were either indoors or elsewhere. She tensed as she spotted an open area ahead, some sort of square. A large Minotaur armed with an assault rifle stood on the right side of the street, scrutinizing her wordlessly. It was the being on the left, however, that truly drew and held her attention.

She thought, at first glance, that it was a Fenrir, a race of large and intelligent wolves she’d seen once or twice, but if it was a Fenrir, it was an odd-looking one. It reached about 8 feet at the shoulder while standing. Its brown eyes were fierce and intense as it followed her movements, like it saw her as an intruder, a threat. There was intelligence in its eyes but no sapience, more like the intelligence of a dog, an animal as opposed to a sapient being. Its gray fur stuck straight out like spikes.

She made to walk past and it growled at her in warning, raising a lip to bare its teeth. No words registered in her mind, only that feral growl. She scurried back instinctively, away from the wolf.

“Leave her alone, Silver,” Weston growled at it, looking back. “She’s with me.”

The wolf didn’t respond and continued to glare. Her second attempt to pass produced the same result.

“Oh, for the love of…” the Minotaur on her right suddenly swore. “Just walk past him already. Haven’t you ever met a Shrrg before? He won’t do anything to you, not without his master’s command.”

A Shrrg…as a matter of fact, she HADN’T ever met one before. Very big, very dangerous, no sentience whatsoever. An animal in every sense of the word, a Class 4 Mystic. They were also on the verge of extinction, extremely rare and almost never seen outside of mountain ranges. Legend had it that it was possible to tame them – and that there was no companion more undyingly-loyal than a tamed Shrrg.

If this Shrrg – ‘Silver’, as Weston called him – was among other Mystics, then that meant one of the residents here must’ve earned his loyalty. So, he was no threat to her as long as she didn’t piss off and/or harm his master. If she did, she’d end up as dog food. She couldn’t wait to meet whoever could tame a Shrrg, a wolf even bigger than Danny.

She slowly walked past him without breaking eye contact, and this time he made no noise, turning his head to follow her movements.

She was several feet past him when she finally relaxed and broke eye contact. And that was her first mistake while in this Camp.

She’d barely taken another step when a massive weight slammed into her side and hurled her into a nearby wall. She didn’t even have time to draw breath before the massive paw hit her again, a feral snarl emerging from Silver as he slammed her into the ground. He glared down at her and she trembled, struggling futilely to escape his grip.

“Hey, what the hell?” the Minotaur shouted, quickly closing the distance with rifle raised. “What the fuck are you doing, Silver?!” He raised the gun to hit him over the head with the stock and Silver, moving far faster than anything that big had any business moving, turned and grabbed the rifle, tearing it out of the bull’s grip with his teeth. There was a crunch as he easily broke the weapon in half with his powerful jaws, spitting out the remains. He snarled and the Minotaur backed off with his hands raised. All the while Claire remained pinned to the ground beneath Silver’s enormous left forepaw. Her own forepaws were free, but she could barely move. He returned his attention to her and glared down at her, teeth bared.

Her mind raced. Why did he attack her? Was it because she broke eye contact first? She was a Kitsune, a vulpine Mystic, she wasn’t familiar with canine pack rules – or, unfortunately, what she needed to do to get out of this.

Wes kept his distance, watching them warily. Smoke seeped from his nostrils, but no fire emerged. “I need to get Shorak, NOW.” He turned towards the square and Silver, upon hearing the name ‘Shorak’, perked up, turning to look in Wes’ direction.

What Claire did next probably wasn’t the wisest thing she’d ever done, but she saw an opportunity and took it. She reached for the magic within her, something every Kitsune possessed, and tried to hurl a ball of Faux-Fire at the wolf. It was a spell her brother had taught her a long time ago but she didn’t have much experience with casting. She thought the confidence boost from the distraction Wes created would be enough…but it wasn’t. Only a handful of blue cinders came out, striking Silver in the chest.

The effects, however, were instantaneous. Silver yelped and staggered, wiping and batting madly at the spot with his right forepaw. She sank her teeth into his left, eliciting another startled yelp, and she made a break for it, bolting out from under him as his grip on her faltered.

She ran in the direction Weston had gone, but a whine from Silver drew her attention back for a moment. He was rolling around in the dirt, as if trying to put out a fire on his fur. She stared for several seconds, confused by this. It wasn’t even true Faux-Fire, just a few cinders. Then, it suddenly hit her like a punch to the face: ~He’s…he’s afraid of fire!~ Every animal had an innate fear of fire, but THIS…

A mighty screech suddenly pierced the air, causing the buildings around them to shake. There were no words within the sound, but the results were instant. Silver immediately stopped and rolled to his feet, trembling slightly, cowering away as Shorak approached. The Gryphon glared at the wolf angrily, then squawked. Instantly, Silver turned and fled, leaving Claire even more bewildered than when he’d first attacked her. Not a single word, verbally or mentally, yet Silver obeyed unquestioningly.

It suddenly occurred to her that Shorak must’ve been Silver’s master, that one that tamed him. That…she didn’t really know what to think of that.

He looked down at Claire and his gaze softened. “Are you alright, Claire?”

She shook her head. “Why did he attack me?”

“He challenged you and you broke eye contact,” he explained. “He’s more loyal than any dog, but you have to understand that he’s still just an animal, even mentally.” He paused, considering. “You put him in his place, though, with that Faux-Fire. He won’t attack you again. Fire is one of the few things a Shrrg fears and now he knows you have it.”

Claire shivered and stared after the giant wolf. He was long gone, disappeared somewhere within the Camp. She thought it best to not tell Shorak that she wasn’t very good at casting Faux-Fire.

She suddenly heard an oath and turned to see the Minotaur stooping down over the remains of his rifle. The gun was broken in several pieces, completely unfixable. “You need to keep that pet of yours on a shorter leash, Shorak,” he growled, glaring at the Gryphon. “We can’t fix this rifle and we’re low on supplies already.”

Shorak chuffed and turned to walk away. “Take it back to the armory and see if any of the components can be salvaged.” He paused and glared back over his shoulder. “And Silver is NOT a pet. I’ll handle his outbursts, but if you show him respect, he’ll return that respect in kind.” He continued walking and Claire trotted to catch up with him.

“Are you hurt, Claire?” he suddenly asked as they entered the clearing.

She shook her head. “No…no, he really just startled me more than anything.” She grimaced and turned her head, spitting to try and get the horrible taste out of her mouth. “That wolf needs a bath, though; he tasted TERRIBLE.”

Shorak chuckled softly. “You try getting a wolf that big to take a bath. Not even I’M big enough to force him to bathe. He’s loyal but stubborn even towards me sometimes. He makes up for it by always coming through when it matters most.”

He suddenly stopped and laid down near the center of the clearing. Claire realized this was probably where he slept, since he couldn’t fit in any of the buildings. There was a huge nest – big even for a Gryphon, but the perfect size for him – off to the side, cobbled together from tree limbs and branches, shredded blankets, numerous objects she couldn’t identify. It looked well-used, covered in tufts of fur and countless feathers. She noticed he didn’t lay down in it, however, instead laying out in the open and turning to face her. There were numerous other objects scattered across the area, including several large crates and a tarp. The latter was probably stretched between the surrounding buildings when it rained.

She started to grow uncomfortable, fidgeting nervously as he stared at her. He seemed to be studying her, examining her with his eyes. “You…wanted to talk with me?” she finally asked hesitantly.

It was another minute or 2 before he responded. “Jess told me you’re a telepath.”

She shrugged. “It’s not really a secret. Even Charon mentioned that in that throne room in Boston.” She paused. “I’m not very good at it yet, though, I’m barely a novice. I can understand anything sentient beings try to say to me or near me, but I can’t control it. It’s automatic.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That must be invaluable, especially with Mystics that normally can’t speak at all.” He paused, looking away for a moment. “We could use that ability around here, especially if you meant it when you said you have no home to go back to. You’d be welcome here, treated like family.”

She thought for a moment, considering it. “It’s a nice offer and tempting, but I’d rather not stay around here.” She paused. “I…if anywhere, I’d like to go to Kvenland.”

He studied her for a moment. “Kvenland is a long way from here, across hundreds of miles of ocean. I’m sorry, but I have no way of getting you there. If I did, I would’ve gotten as many of the residents here as I could to Kvenland a long time ago.”

Claire’s heart sank at this news, though in all honesty it didn’t surprise her. It really was just wishful thinking that he might’ve been able to.

“That Army convoy…you said you have a friend among them.”

She emerged from her thoughts and nodded. “Yeah, he’s a Gryphon named Daniel. He and I met on New Year’s Eve in Ranelk.”

His eyes widened at this. “You were actually IN Ranelk on New Year’s? That’s…” He looked away. “You’re lucky to be alive. We’ve only ever heard rumors of survivors, nothing solid.”

Claire remained silent, unsure of how to respond. She was still holding out hope that there were others, but the longer it took, the less and less certain she grew. The possibility that Lorcan, Karen and the others were already in Kvenland was at least one hope she could still hold on to. A small hope, but a hope nonetheless.

“Daniel…that’s a rather odd name for a Gryphon,” Shorak suddenly observed.

She chuckled and shook her head. “He’s a rather odd Gryphon, himself. He and I went through a lot together. All of it…” She hesitated, several painful memories coming to her. “It drove him feral at one point. I was scared, more than once, that I was going to lose him, seeing it getting worse and worse. The friend I knew was just…no longer there.”

Shorak suddenly tensed at this, staring at her. He opened and closed his beak several times, then finally asked, “The Overdrive Effect?” She nodded slowly, a tear rolling down her face. “Only Descendants can develop that condition, which means….” He suddenly paused, something occurring to him. “Daniel’s real name is Avery, isn’t it? Avery Daniels?”

She was taken aback for a moment, realizing she had revealed too much. He sighed again. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.” He looked away and mumbled something under his breath, so quietly even she couldn’t hear it clearly. However, it sounded almost like he said, “Goddamnit, Charon…” He closed his eyes with a sigh, still looking away from her. “The Overdrive Effect is extremely difficult to treat, especially in its advanced stages. Eventually, the afflicted isn’t even ABLE to comprehend what’s happening to them or that anything is wrong, incapable of higher thought processes.” He finally looked at her again, his expression growing solemn. “Why haven’t they euthanized him yet? It’d be far more humane to put him out of his misery than to allow him to continue living like that.”

It took her a moment to realize he had misinterpreted what she said. She didn’t really think of the consequences of telling him. Maybe it was the sadness in his expression or the fact that he wasn’t forcing answers out of her like William had, but she had to reassure him. “Wait, you misunderstood: he WAS treated for it. He’s perfectly fine now.”

He stared at her for a long time silently. His gaze studied her, as if trying to detect a lie in her demeanor. “What?”

“It was really hard to get him to take it, but in the end, they used modified tranquilizer darts,” she explained. “I haven’t seen him much since then, but he’s getting a LOT better now and he’s learning to live as a Gryphon.”

He looked away, his expression showing worry and uncertainty. “Are you sure it ACTUALLY worked?”

“I was there when they shot him – AND when he woke up afterwards. The Overdrive Effect is COMPLETELY gone.” There was a long silence. Finally, without a word Shorak stood and turned to walk away. Seeing her opportunity slipping away, she quickly called out to him, “Wait, how do you even know Danny? He’s never mentioned you. Are you friends?”

He paused, his back to her. “Friends? No…no, he and I have never met.” He sighed and shook his head. “But I DID know his great grandmother. She and I were…very close. I owe it to her memory to protect him, especially after everything that’s happened.” He looked off to the left. “Wes, take Claire around the Camp, give her a tour. I need some time to think.”

The large Gryphon slowly climbed into his nest and laid down, turned away from her. She remained in place even as Wes approached her, hoping for further explanation but receiving none.

“Come on,” Wes said quietly to her. “He’ll tell you more when the time comes.” She nodded slowly and turned to follow him.

Daniel’s great grandmother…she remembered hearing once that Karen’s Gryphon blood came from her great grandmother on her mother’s side. Could it have been the same for Daniel? The way he spoke of her, though…the amount of emotion in his voice…it sounded like they were more than just friends.

It took her a while to realize Weston wasn’t saying anything, much less giving her a tour. “Aren’t you going to show me around?”

He shook his head. “Not really much to see around here. The Boss just wants you out of his plumage for a few hours.” He nodded off to his right. “There’s an armory, but it’s not very big. In truth, it’s more like a storehouse, anyway.”

“Then where exactly ARE we going?”

“To see Sinar, have him take a look at you.” He nodded straight ahead.

Right on cue, Claire coughed violently. She managed to cover her mouth in time, but her paw had flecks of black phlegm on it. She immediately wiped it clean on the grass beneath her feet, unsettled by the sight.

The Blue Dragon looked back at her worriedly. “And that’s why you need to see Sinar. Whatever that black color means, I guarantee it’s NOT a good thing.” He shook his head and continued walking.

Claire remained motionless for several minutes, staring at her paw. Wes went about 10 more steps before realizing she wasn’t following and turned back. The pain in her chest had returned, a dull ache in her core that was almost imperceptible but undeniably there. It lasted about 20 seconds before going away.

The building they arrived at was mid-sized, on the outside not much different from the ones around it. The inside, however, was neat and tidy, lined by a dozen or so unmarked crates. There were 5 small cots in the room, most unoccupied. There were shelves on 2 of the walls, stocked with medical supplies.

On one of the beds was a winged wolf, a Oliatiau. Wolf body, bat-like wings, a Class 3. There had been 2 in Ranelk, the Selvic brothers Kevin and Shiven Selvic. She thought for a moment that this might have been one of them, but this was clearly a female and much younger. She was sitting upright on her haunches, patiently being examined by a Kabatix with a stethoscope.

The feline nodded to himself and pulled off the medical instrument, lowering it to around his neck. “Alright, you’re good to go, Sarah. A minor cold. It’ll go away in a few days.” He placed a plastic bowl on the cot and filled it with water from a water bottle, then placed 2 pills in front of her. She barked a thank you and downed the cold pills and water. Then she jumped down from the bed and turned to leave. She paused for a moment, gazing curiously at Claire and Wes.

The Kabatix followed her gaze and smiled at them. “Ah, you must be one of the new arrivals. Jess, if I remember right?”

Claire shook her head. “Claire, actually. Jess is my cousin.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “My name’s Sinar. I used to be an EMT, so I have experience with first aid and some medicines. I’m pretty much the Camp’s doctor since I’m the only one here with any real experience, though I get a lot of help from the alchemist living here.” He glanced to the right. “You can go, Sarah.” She nodded and walked out the door, nudging Wes’ left foreleg as she passed. He returned the gesture, though Claire wasn’t sure what it meant. She’d ask him about it later.

He turned and gestured to the bed Sarah had been sitting on. Claire obediently hopped up. “Human form, please.” She paused, confused. That was an odd request; usually, whenever she had a check-up it was in her true form. He sighed. “A shapeshifter’s vitals are slightly different between forms. It’s standard procedure to check both sets of vitals.” She nodded and quickly changed forms, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

He nodded as well and took her hand in his, checking her pulse. “So, how are you feeling today? I’d heard you’ve been feeling sick.”

“I had Double Pneumonia a while back, but I was treated for it. Successfully,” she answered truthfully. “I’ve been having pain in my chest and sometimes cough up this black gunk. I have no idea what it is or why I’m coughing it up.”

He suddenly frowned in concern. “Black gunk…? Oddly-colored phlegm can be a symptom of any number of things. It could simply be something you ate. However, the chest pain is worrying, especially if they’re related. Are there any other symptoms?”

She thought for a moment, considering. “Whenever I wake up coughing, I feel really dizzy.”

His frown deepened. He lifted his left hand and inserted the stethoscope buds into his furry ears. He kneeled in front of her and pressed the cold metal to her sternum. “Inhale, please.” She obeyed, inhaling deeply. “And out.” Exhale. His frown turned into a scowl. “Kitsune form.” She turned back into her true form and almost instantly he rose to his feet, putting the stethoscope aside.

“Is something wrong?” Weston suddenly asked, speaking up for the first time. He had lain down near the door, his tail flicking from side to side occasionally.

Sinar shook his head. “I need to contact my brother.”

“Is that a good idea? The 2 of you had a falling out, last I heard.”

“That’s true, we did, but he doesn’t let personal matters get in the way of helping people,” he answered. “This isn’t Pneumonia and it’s not Influenza. To be honest, I have no idea what it is, but Razur might.”

Claire was growing more worried by the syllable. “Am I…?”

“No,” Sinar immediately answered. “You’re not dying. It’s probably nothing serious, I just need to talk with Razur to be sure. He’d know more about this than I would.”

Claire was sitting in that dining area, the one where she’d eaten lunch earlier, a while later, chatting with Ben and Sarah, the winged wolf she saw in the infirmary. After leaving the infirmary, Wes had shown her around the Camp a bit, introduced her to a few people. One such character was the Gryphon that had been with Shorak in Camp Boston. Just barely into adulthood, the young Gryphon was a strong flier and frequently accompanied Shorak wherever he went, serving as a kind of bodyguard. He used Avian fluently, making his words easy for her to auto-translate. He was friendly and loyal, serving at the time as a watch-guard near the edge of the Camp.

The wolf was very friendly, especially after learning that Claire could understand her. Unfortunately, once she learned that, she WOULD NOT SHUT UP. Canine Mystics were interesting in that because of their muzzle and vocal cord shapes, they could speak Draconic, able to generate the same sounds as a Dragon could. Claire was trying to think of a polite way to just walk away from the conversation. The kid was nice, just annoying as hell.

“I’m 9,” Sarah said jubilantly. “Are you from Boston? Or Cambridge? What’s your favorite color?”

The questions came so quickly, Claire didn’t even have time to answer most of them. Ben, luckily, finally stepped in to rescue her. “My favorite color is red.”

Sarah turned to look at him and paused, cocking her head curiously. “You’re an odd-looking Dragon. Where’s your wings?”

He shrugged. “Never had any. I’m a Basilisk, not a Dragon.” During the day, he had acquired a pouch for his left foreleg like the one Daniel used but smaller, to carry various things around in. Currently, it contained a veil or 2 and a bunch of dulling agent potions.

Her confusion grew. “What’s a Basilisk?”

The conversation dragged on for a while after that, becoming more and more boring. It was late afternoon when someone else finally approached them, this character a Green Dragon. He nodded to Sarah, who returned the look with a curious expression. Then he looked to Claire. “There’s been some…developments. I’m under orders from Shorak to return you - Ben and Claire - to your quarters and make sure you stay there the entire night.”

This took Claire by surprise. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Something’s happening tonight he doesn’t want you involved in, says it’s for your own good.” He nodded toward Ben. “Both of you, plus Ryder and Jess as well. She’s already been taken there.”

She exchanged a look with Ben. He shrugged. “It’s alright. It’s already late in the day, anyway.”

Obediently, she followed the Dragon back to their sleeping quarters. Jess was already inside, as the Dragon had said. She was lying on top of her sleeping bag, reading a book. She had it propped up in front of her and used a paw to turn the pages. Her tails flicked from side to side occasionally, a sign that she was concentrating deeply. Claire couldn’t read the title, it was covered. Ryder was off in his own corner, reading a book as well. He put it down as the 2 of them entered the room and Jess looked up.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked. “They said we had to stay here for the rest of the day, wouldn’t say why. They let me keep this book, though.”

Claire shrugged. “Dunno. They told us something was happening tonight that we should stay out of.”

Jess’ expression fell. “Well, that’s no fun.” Then she returned to reading, turning the page.

Ben lay down in the corner, in his usual spot. “Well, no use worrying about it. We can explore a little more tomorrow.”

Claire nodded. She thought to ask the Green Dragon when they’d be able to leave, but as she started to turn the handle, she realized it was locked. She frowned at this. He’d said they’d have to stay here, but locking them up sounded excessive.

Ben looked up. “Something wrong, Claire?”

She shook her head. “The door’s locked.”

“Well, what’d you expect? There’s a lock on the door and they want us to stay here the entire night.”

That made sense and she nodded in agreement, but nonetheless it worried her. She couldn’t put her paw on why, though. She sighed and turned toward her sleeping bag.

It was several hours later, deep into the night, that Claire was suddenly awoken by a commotion. She jolted awake and looked around. None of the others had been awoken by the noise. She couldn’t find the source at first, then she heard a VERY familiar screech off in the distance. She went to the door but found it was still locked.

“Hey, Boss says you’re not to leave,” an unfamiliar voice told her.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” he told her. “There’s been an intruder in the Camp, a huge Gryphon.”

A huge Gryphon…? Her pulse quickened. Could it be Daniel? She tried the door again but to no avail.

“Shorak’s orders: you’re not to leave this building. I don’t know why he wants you not to get involved, but you can leave in the morning. Until then, behave.”

“Did that Gryphon have blue feathers?”

“He doesn’t-“ He paused, considering. “Actually, come to think of it, he DOES have blue feathers. But how’d you know that?”

Her spirits sky-rocketed: Danny WAS here!

“Please don’t make my job necessary, kid. I’m a nice guy and I don’t want to be guarding this door anymore than YOU want me to be guarding it. Take my advice and go back to sleep.” He fell silent after that.

Claire backed up, her mind racing. Her eyes flitted about the room, scanning for another possible exit. If Daniel was here, she HAD TO be certain, she had to see him with her own eyes. She felt something at the back of her mind, something strange, and her eyes were drawn quickly to the window. She didn’t give this obviously-telepathic nudge a second thought at the time. It was a large window, more than big enough for her to fit through, but what were the odds it was unlocked? A quick test confirmed that it WAS unlocked. She carefully and very slowly slid it open after turning into a human. Her breath caught as it squeaked, but the guard didn’t hear it, thankfully.

“Claire…?” She looked back, seeing Jess sitting up. Her cousin was blinking sleepily, looking confused. “Where’re you going?”

Claire shook her head. “I’ll just be a few minutes, then I’ll come right back. I need to see something for myself,” she whispered quietly. Then she climbed out the window, shifting forms as she did so.

The grass was cold beneath her paws as she landed softly and silently. The night was chilly, though her pelt kept her warm enough. She looked at the guard for a moment, just around the corner of the building. It was a Naga, male. He didn’t hear her or notice her escape. She turned and quickly, silently made her way to the source of the commotion.

Claire stared at the street ahead of her as she arrived, surprised by the Gryphon she saw splayed out on the ground. She hid in the shadows of a building so she wouldn’t be spotted. The dark-blue feathers…the gray fur…the silvery highlights on his wings and at the tips of his ears…it WAS Danny! He was obviously unconscious, probably knocked out by a spell. He looked healthy and strong, his feathers and fur well-taken-care-of, possessing a healthy sheen.

The Kabatix standing over him withdrew his hand and stepped back. “He’ll be out for 6 or 7 hours, maybe a little longer. You’ll know very quickly once he wakes up whether it worked or not, though there shouldn’t be any reason why it wouldn’t have worked.”

Claire almost ran to Daniel right then and there, but something stopped her, an intuition telling her it wouldn’t be wise. The older Gryphon, Shorak, suddenly knelt down over him, lifting Daniel’s beak in his left talon. Her breath caught for a moment, but rather than harming him, Shorak stroked the feathers on his left cheek with his claws on that talon, his expression softening.

“He’s got a lot of his great grandfather in him,” he said softly, almost whispering. “You can see the family resemblance. He’s going to grow into a Deathclaw Gryphon, I’d stake my life on it.”

This caught Claire by surprise. A Deathclaw? She knew Danny was big, but not THAT big. Deathclaws, sometimes called Kull, were abnormally-large Class 3s, ranging everywhere from a third larger than normal size to triple normal size. She’d never personally seen one before, however, as they were EXTREMELY rare.

He carefully lowered the young Royal’s head back to the ground and turned towards the feline. Claire’s heart skipped a beat as his gaze passed over her hiding place, but his eyes continued onward without pause. He must not have seen her.

The Kabatix shrugged. “It’s possible, though aside from you I don’t have anyone to compare him to. Now, where’s this Kitsune you need help with? Sinar mentioned something about her being sick.”

“Asleep, more than likely. It’s getting late. Maybe you should wait until morning.”

The mage nodded and Claire figured it was time to go back to bed, before someone noticed her missing. She slipped back deeper into the shadows and headed back to the building where they slept. The guard didn’t notice her return and looked half-asleep himself, nodding off. Convenient for her, though it’d probably get him in trouble in the future.

She leapt up on the windowsill, making to enter the room and…

“So…where’ve you been?”

She almost had a heart attack as that voice came out of nowhere, causing her to fall backward on her tails painfully. She jumped to her feet and spun around, tensing as the Blue Dragon Weston stepped around the corner of the building, from the side opposite the guard. He looked amused rather than angry, however.

“I…uhm…er…uh….”

“I don’t know if Shorak did or not,” he explained, noticeably keeping his voice down, “but I saw you arrive on the scene, decided to come back here and see. You shouldn’t have left the window open; it was a dead giveaway.” He paused. “If he DOES find out, though, it won’t be from me. That younger Gryphon…he’s that friend of yours you mentioned, isn’t he?”

She started to relax and nodded. “Yeah, his name’s Daniel. He’s…he and I have been through a lot together, as you already know.”

He nodded as well. “Why didn’t you show yourself? He probably misses you.”

“I…” She hesitated, unsure of how to answer that at first. She didn’t really know why, in all honesty; something kept her from going out there and showing herself, something she couldn’t explain. She shook her head and finally said quietly, “He was already passed out; showing myself wouldn’t have changed anything and I still would’ve ended up back here with my friends.”

He nodded and turned to walk away. “Sleep well, Claire. Stay out of trouble in the future, before someone other than me catches you sneaking out.”

Claire had trouble falling asleep after that, her mind ablaze with thoughts. Daniel had finally arrived in Cambridge. She was indisputably happy to see him again, but…the way Shorak acted towards Daniel, even though the 2 of them had never met before…why…

Suddenly, something occurred to her, something that surprisingly hadn’t before: could Daniel be Shorak’s grandson? There WERE a few resemblances. But Shorak said to Charon that meeting his grandson for the first time was what changed him for the better, yet Shorak told HER that he and Daniel had never met…was he lying to one of them or was she missing something here? She didn’t know if she should even tell Danny about this or not, especially not until she knew for certain.

She did, however, know 1 thing for certain: it was time to leave Shorak’s company. She’d go find Daniel in the morning and leave when he did. From the state he was in when she last saw him, he was most likely being held in the Camp somewhere sleeping it off.

She eventually fell asleep and slept soundly the rest of the night.

She awoke hours later to Wes shaking her awake. She blinked groggily and looked up at Wes’ worried face. “Was I coughing in my sleep again?”

He shrugged. “Only once or twice. Shorak wants to see you. It’s about last night.”

She immediately grew annoyed. “You TOLD HIM?”

He shook his head. “No, of course not, but he seems bothered about something. Just be honest with him and it’ll be fine.” He turned towards the door and quickly followed him out. She noticed as she left that her friends had already left the building.

Her mind raced. Shorak wanting to talk to her, again, so soon after the events of the previous night? What could he want to ask her that she hadn’t already told him? It seemed reuniting with Daniel would have to wait.

It was early morning and the Camp was nearly empty, most of the residents still asleep. They quickly found Shorak outside a large building with a single window and a double-wide door. Silver was nearby, which immediately put her on edge. His glaring blue eyes followed her as they approached, though he made no move towards her.

Shorak nodded to her as she stopped several feet away. “Claire, Weston.” He tilted his head towards the door. “Claire, I need you to confirm something for me. We had a visitor last night, someone I believe you will recognize.”

Her pulse quickened at this, but she quickly composed herself and said, “I doubt I’ll recognize anyone from around here, but I’ll take a look if you want.”

Shorak nodded and nudged the door open with his beak so she could enter.

She paused on the threshold, staring at the sight before her. “Danny…?” His ears flicked at her voice, but he didn’t stir from his slumber.

“So, it IS him,” Shorak said, pushing his head through the doorway. He turned his gaze toward the younger Gryphon. “I suspected he was.”

Claire stared uncertainly at her friend. He looked healthy, his feathers vibrant, but the cell he was in was disconcerting – especially the seeming lack of any cell door. He was sleeping peacefully, his sides expanding and retracting rhythmically with his breathing. She turned to look at Shorak. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s sleeping off the effects of a powerful spell,” he explained. “A spell that’s extremely painful but will help him immensely in the future: it gave him knowledge of Draconic, both to understand it AND to speak it.”

So THAT’S why he collapsed the way he did. It wasn’t really necessary for HER to undergo the spell, though she understood the purpose of it. Basically, the spell rewired parts of a person’s brain to interpret certain sounds in different ways automatically. And, if they possess the vocal cords necessary to speak it, turning their animal noises into a structured language.

Shorak withdrew his head. “Come, we need to talk.”

Claire shook her head. “Wait, but why is he in a cell?”

“So he doesn’t cause any trouble when he wakes up. He could panic, waking up in an unfamiliar place. He and I need to have a long-overdue conversation.” He continued walking and she quickly followed after him.

They had soon returned to his ‘bedroom’, that area of the Camp they had set aside for his nest. He eyed the nest for a moment, then turned to face Claire and laid down on the ground.

“Claire,” he began slowly. Then he hesitated. “I’ve been able to piece together most of his story since New Year’s, including him Awakening that night. However, what I can’t figure out and what your friends refuse to say is why he was there that night in the first place, in Camp Ranelk.”

Claire’s breath caught and she took an involuntary step back. She looked away, thinking fast. After what William did to get that information from her…

“Whatever horrible things he did that night, I’m sure he good reasons to do it,” Shorak quickly continued. “A lot of people died that night and he would’ve had to protect himself from-“

“He’s changed since then!” She couldn’t stop herself from cutting him off. She would later come to regret saying this, though not for the reasons one would think. “He’s literally not the same person anymore!”

Shorak’s expression changed, showing confusion. “What are you talking about? Why would he…?” He stopped dead and she could practically SEE the cogs sliding into place in his head.

She turned to walk away before he inevitably asked, knowing she had made a huge mistake by saying that. At a growl from Shorak, Silver moved to block her path, cutting off her escape. He looked down at her and lifted a lip in a snarl. She immediately backed up.

“What exactly are you saying, Claire?” the Gryphon demanded, rising to his feet. “You can’t possibly mean he was there WITH the Hunters!”

She remained silent and looked away.

Those gears just kept turning.

“Gods above and below…he WAS, wasn’t he?”

She slowly nodded. It had only been a matter of time before he found out, in hindsight, but his coming statements truly surprised her.

He slowly lay back down, deep in thought. “Avery always had a fear of Mystics and what we’re capable of, from what I’ve heard of him, but this…I don’t understand why he would ever condone such an atrocity, much less take part in it!”

She shook her head. “Turning into a Gryphon was probably the best thing to ever happen to him; it opened his heart and mind. I don’t know why he was there that night, but he’s CHANGED since then, for the better. He truly regrets what happened that night and his role in it. He WANTS to be a better person, unlike people like Charon or The Siren.”

The old man suddenly looked up, ears perking to full alert. “The Siren…?” He looked away, puzzling something over. “But that’s…” He looked up again. “Claire…was Boreas there that night?”

She was confused by the change of subject, unsure of what he was getting at. “What’s that have to-?”

He suddenly rose to his feet, his demeanor undergoing a dramatic change to anger as he snarled, “Answer the question!” She took a step back – and was immediately stopped by Silver. “Was The Siren in Camp Ranelk on New Year’s Eve?”

“He was, but what does that have to do with Daniel being a Hunter…?”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, seeming to calm down. “Everything, it would seem.” He opened his eyes again and growled something untranslatable to Silver. An instant later she felt Silver grab her by the ruff and lift her up.

Startled, she squirmed in vain. She couldn’t even turn far enough to throw cinders at the huge wolf. “Wait, where is he taking me?”

“Back to your quarters,” Shorak answered, climbing into his nest. “And this time, actually STAY THERE.”

“But I was going to leave with Danny when he wakes up!”

“There’s been a change of plans,” he replied as Silver turned to carry her off. “The 4 of you will remain our guests just a bit longer. Don’t worry, I’ll still keep my promise, and have you returned home, just not yet.”

She tried to fight against Silver, but it was in vain. She couldn’t really use Faux-Fire on him and she couldn’t bite him from this angle. So, she had no choice but allow herself to be carried off. Very soon she found herself back in that shack and the door slammed shut behind her.

Claire was left alone and confused, trying to wrap her head around what just happened. She knew that Boreas/Siren instigated the attack on Camp Ranelk for his own amusement and Daniel himself had to have been under his influence as well, but what did that have to do with Daniel being a Hunter? He’d been with Jared and his group since before that.

She was soon joined by her 3 friends, though they looked even more confused than she did.

“What’s going on?” Ben asked worriedly, looking around as the door closed behind them. “They wouldn’t tell us why we’re being thrown in here, only that’s it’s under Shorak’s orders.”

“I don’t know,” Claire answered with a shake of her head. “He said he’ll be keeping us all here a while longer…” she paused, looking away, “…right after I told him that Danny used to be a Hunter.”

There was a long silence. Ryder had gone off to one corner of the room, though she couldn’t tell what he was doing. Finally, Jess spoke up, “Why’d you tell him THAT? He could hurt Daniel!”

Claire shook her head. “I don’t know, it just…it just came out. He wanted to know why Danny was in Camp Ranelk on New Year’s Eve. However, the strange thing is that it was me mentioning the Siren that got him worked up, not the part about Daniel. He demanded to know if the Siren was there on New Year’s Eve, got really ticked off when I hesitated to answer. I said yes and he had me thrown back in here.”

Another long silence. Finally, Ben asked, “Who exactly IS the Siren? You 2 obviously know him.”

Jess and Claire exchanged a glance. The latter looked worriedly in Ryder’s direction and lowered her voice to a whisper. “He caused the attack on New Year’s Eve, inciting the residents of Ranelk against the Mystics to the point of wanting to murder every non-human in the city. The Hunters that were there took advantage of the chaos to farm the Camp for body parts, to make a huge profit. Why did he do it? Because he thought it’d be funny to watch everything burn and everyone die. He’s a sadist, sick in the head.” She paused, looking away. “He’s also the most powerful telepath I’ve ever seen, very skilled.”

Jess’ expression fell and she looked away, a tear rolling down her face.

Finally, Ben spoke again, though his question surprised her: “He can manipulate emotions?”

“Yeah, but he can’t control it. With very few exceptions, everyone near him has their negative emotions intensified: Fear, hatred, anger, paranoia, sadness.”

Ben nodded slowly. “This is starting to make sense. Claire…I think Siren might be the one who…”

Suddenly, the door to their shack opened. Their visitors were 2 Kabatixes, Sinar and whom she assumed was his brother Razur. Sinar looked worried.

“I’m sorry you’re all stuck in here for the time being,” Sinar said, “but Razur has agreed to take a look at Claire and see if he can find what’s wrong with her.”

“I doubt I’d be able to find anything you haven’t,” his brother said, kneeling in front of Claire, “but I have a friend who might.” He whistled softly and a small blue bird landed on his shoulder. Her first thought was that it was a blue jay, but its eyes showed intelligence and, at the moment, curiosity as it looked at her. Its feathers almost sparkled, shining a metallic blue. “This is my familiar Hiro. He has the eyes of a hawk when it comes to symptoms, even spotting things the patients themselves aren’t aware of.”

Claire nodded. She’d seen a few familiars before. Ethan had a wolf familiar a long time ago, though he never spoke of what happened to it.

“He’s pretty,” Ryder suddenly said, smiling at the bird. “He’s all shiny and sparkly.”

Hiro looked away bashfully and shuffled his feet. Razur chuckled and reached up to stroke the bird’s head with his left hand. “It’s a side effect of becoming a familiar, the sparkle, but yeah, he is.” He shook his head and cleared his throat. “So, Claire…Sinar already told me a few of your symptoms. You had Pneumonia recently? Double Pneumonia, more specifically?”

“Yeah, but I was treated for it,” she answered.

He nodded in response. “Does it hurt to cough, in your throat or chest?”

“I sometimes wake up with pain in my chest, but never WHILE coughing.”

He suddenly frowned, looking away in thought. “Hiro,” he said, whistling softly as well to get the bird’s attention. “You see anything?”

The bird looked Claire up and down slowly several times. After about a minute, he chirped quietly. “Black phlegm?” Frowning again, Razur leaned forward and plucked something from Claire’s chest fur. It was a globule of that stuff she kept coughing up, which she hadn’t noticed was stuck in her fur. He rolled it between his fingers for a moment, his frown deepening. Then he pulled a vial from a pocket in his belt and placed the stuff inside. “I need to speak with a few colleagues about this, but I believe I know what it is: you’re showing symptoms of Soyronn’s Disease. It’s not contagious, before you ask.” He shook his head and rose to his feet.

“Soyronn’s Disease?” She’d never heard of that before.

“An illness unique to Kitsunes,” he explained. “Very rare. No one knows what causes it. Jess isn’t showing symptoms, thankfully.”

“Is it treatable?” Jess asked before Claire had a chance to.

Rather than answering, he turned toward the door. “We need to talk, Sinar. NOW.”

With a worried glance at Claire, his brother followed him out the door. The lock immediately clicked into place as the door latched shut. Claire quickly pressed her ear to the door, but they were moving away already, their words indiscernible.

She turned towards the others. They were looking at her uncertainly, the same worry that she felt mirrored in their eyes. “Guys…do any of you know what Soyronn’s Disease is?” They all shook their heads and her spirits fell.

“I’m not feeling sick,” Jess spoke up. “Though it is kinda cold in here.” She looked down at her sleeping bag, probably considering climbing in.

Ryder looked at her worriedly. “Claire…you’re gonna be alright, aren’t you?”

She forced a smile, in an attempt to reassure him, and it came out as more of a grimace. “It’ll be fine, we just have to wait for him to find out more.”

“If it’s treatable, then why didn’t he say so?”

That was exactly what made her worry, and hearing someone else voice her own fears only made the feeling worse. She shook her head. “I don’t know, Ryder. We just have to wait and see.”

He frowned at this but nodded and went to sit over in a corner of the room, deep in thought.

Finally, her gaze turned towards Ben. He hadn’t said anything for a while now. It was nice to see him with his eyes open regularly now, no longer afraid of meeting someone’s gaze. He looked troubled, however, his eyes downcast. “Ben?” He looked up at her. “Something wrong?”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing. I’m probably just overthinking things.” He turned to walk off toward his own corner of the room, but she stopped him.

“Ben…what was it you were saying about the Siren earlier, before the 2 of them came in?”

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “It’s probably nothing, just a crazy idea I had about Daniel and him. It’s far-fetched, at best.”

Daniel…Shorak obviously realized some connection between them, his anger made that perfectly clear. Before then, he’d been soft-spoken and gentle, then that fury surfaced when he demanded she answer his question…

She shook her head. She needed to speak with Shorak again, get some answers…but how? He was adamant she remain here. Her eyes went to the window, but even if it WAS still unlocked (which she had her doubts about), sneaking out to talk to him would be rather counter-productive. He’d just have her thrown back in here. She punched the wall near her in anger and frustration with a forepaw. The pain that came immediately afterwards was her only reward and she swore an oath, something she rarely did. She turned away…