Shadow of the Hunter Complete

Even the affected humor of his smile left his face. "And perhaps if you stopped feeding off his people, he wouldn't be hunting you down. They're unaccountably touchy about that sort of thing."

The goblin forced himself upright in his saddle. "I would expect that sort of thing form[from] the rat--" he started to say, disdain dripping from his voice.

"Well, you're hearing it from me." Qiang's voice rang out, the power unmistakable. "The hunter is here with my permission. Further he's under my protection. If you don't like it, you have two choices: stay out of his way or bring your fight to me. Or perhaps you'd prefer to take it up with those who set him on your trail."

The lead goblin scowled. Losing an easy source of food would be hell to explain. He knew from experience, however, the dragon's dictates were to be taken seriously. That had been learned the hard way. "So be it."

With the goblins still facing Qiang, their backs were to Chad and Ambrose. Chad caught Qiang's eye and gestured towards Ambrose.

"The rat also," Qiang added.

This time the goblin expressed his outrage. "What?! Why the rat?"

In an instant the human was gone and an immense coiled dragon was in his place. The red-gold scales seemed to cast their own light. A mane of gold shot through with red surrounded his head, which was crowned with a magnificent set of antlers. He raised his head high above the goblins and their mounts. The lupine beasts cowered in fear, their ears plastered to their skulls and their tails tucked between their legs. Chad felt Ambrose press in close to him. He gave him a pat for reassurance, though even Chad was awed by Qiang's full manifestation.

"I do not owe you an explanation." Qiang's voice filled the area. "I do not owe you a justification. I do not owe you anything."

He lowered his head down so that it was inches from the terrified goblins and their mounts and gave them a fine showing of his snout full of teeth.

"However, because I'm generous, I will give you thirty seconds to remove yourself from my territory." He stared at the mounts. "Starting NOW!"

He shouted the last part and the wolf-like animals took off in full run, putting as much distance between themselves and the dragon as they possibly could.

Chad started to say something, but Qiang raised his foreleg. After he was certain the party was gone Qiang asked, "Why the rat?"

"He did me a solid. His name is Ambrose."

"Well, it's good to know you honor your debts." Qiang shifted back to human and he turned his attention to Ambrose. "I'm pleased to meet you, Ambrose," he said with an eloquent nod of his head. "I am called Qiang."

Ambrose stepped nervously out from behind Chad. He dipped his head to Qiang. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

"What did you mean by those who set me on them?"

Qiang shrugged. "Just a turn of the phrase, nothing more. A ruse to the goblins." He dismissed the entire thing with a wave of his hand. "Come," he continued as he turned around. "And have some breakfast."

He set off along the wall. Chad looked over to Ambrose who shrugged and the two followed the dragon.

"You know I don't believe that."

Qiang stopped in front of a door. "Now, why does that not surprise me?" he asked with a half-smile then vanished. When Chad reached the door, he saw there wasn't a door knob on his side. He knocked on the door and it opened from within.

"Patience is a virtue," Qiang said and stood aside to let Chad and Ambrose in. Ambrose poked his nose in then paused and looked up to Qiang. With a nod Qiang waved him in. Ambrose entered, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his robe and his head bowed.

"I'm not very virtuous," Chad responded as he slipped off the duster and hoodie.

"So I've been told." He looked over to Ambrose. "I don't think I've had anybody show that much respect to my kitchen." There was genuine amusement in his voice.

"With all deference to your kitchen, can we get back to my question?" Chad said. "What the hell were you talking about out there?"

"I told you." Qiang retrieved food from the walk-in refrigerator and took down pans. "It was a ruse. Goblins can be superstitious and it's wise to play on that." He turned on a burner and set down a wok.

Chad looked to Ambrose for some type of confirmation of Qiang's assessment. Ambrose spread his hands and shrugged.

"Well, where's the dividing line between superstition and belief in legitimate phenomena?"

Qiang paused as the wok warmed up. "Now that's an interesting question. I suppose there's an argument that what you've determined to be true for yourself is true, but that does put faith on shaky ground."

"Couldn't there be a further argument that what you call superstition they call playing the odds?"

"The chances are such-and-so a thing could be correct, so we'll treat it as correct to be safe?" Qiang paused, considering. "Interesting insight. I suppose it's entirely possible."

"So, chances are what you said was possibly true."

Qiang shrugged. "I guess you'll just have to determine the truth of it for yourself."

Qiang refused to say anything further on the matter. He prepared a simple breakfast of eggs scrambled around shrimp, ginger, and vegetables, and set it on a table in back, much to Ambrose's chagrin. As Chad and Ambrose seated themselves, Qiang brought over plates and silverware.

"Really, sir," Ambrose said as a bowl and silverware were set before him. "This isn't necessary. I don't expect to be served by the master of the house."

Qiang laughed. "'Master of the house'. My, is that archaic." He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't mind. You are a guest in my home." He placed a setting before Chad. "Besides," he added with a smile and a nod to Chad. "You're now under my protection. At the least that should be commemorated with a meal."

Ambrose folded his hands on his lap and bowed his head. "I would not have presumed on that either, sir."

Qiang set a bowl and chopsticks at the head of the table and took a seat. He handed the serving bowl to Ambrose first. Ambrose humbly accepted the bowl and served himself.

"I know. It was Chad's presumption. But what's said is said. Welcome aboard."

Ambrose ducked his head in response and handed the bowl to Chad who took his helping then passed it back to Qiang. Qiang scooped himself a serving and the meal commenced. For a simple breakfast, it was very good.

"What happens now?" Chad asked between bites.

"Hard to say for certain." Qiang paused in his meal. "But most likely they will back off for at least a little bit. The stray animal population will take an unfortunate hit. The question is will they go back to the usual prey when they think you're not looking. Only time will tell that."

"Well, hopefully, they will take some time off. I'm going to have to scare up a new rifle."

"What happened to the other one?"

"It just fell out of my grasp when I shifted to the hawk," he griped.

Qiang looked at him for a moment before asking, "And you expected?"

"The clothes change."

"True."

After a few moments Chad asked, "And that is because...?"

Qiang set down his chopsticks. "Honestly, I couldn't say. I riffed the hawk spell off what Chang did for the goldfinch. When you mimicked the magic to become a hawk again, you replicated the same thing. So, I guess you'd have to ask Chang. Propriety, maybe? Wouldn't want you to suddenly be standing naked somewhere."

"Especially in the winter," Ambrose interjected.

"Great, clothed but weaponless."

"It's no great loss," Qiang said.

"Says you," Chad replied, irked.

"It was crass."

"Who are you, the Martha Stewart of killing things?"

"I'll find you something better. More appropriate. And it will be in a lovely shade of ecru."

Ambrose watched the exchange the great interest. He'd never had direct interaction with Qiang, but knew his reputation well. The dragon was known to have a great fascination for the hidden worlds of the city, always hungry for information and willing to bargain for it. The dragon was also known to have a short, fiery temper, unsociable demeanor, and general dislike of apparently everybody. It was understood that he was a Chinese dragon and considered himself apart from any community of the city. Yet, here he was conversing with this boy. Had he been more certain of his manners, Ambrose would have inquired after the whys and wherefores of their friendship. As it was, he was still reeling from his sudden induction into the dragon's circle and wasn't going to make any assumptions.

As the breakfast wound down, Qiang made known Sebastian's request.

"See me?" Chad went on alert. "Why?"

Qiang's look became inscrutable and his manner reserved, very much the dragon Ambrose had expected to meet. "There is much unfinished business between the two of you. On both sides."

"Yeah, I guess there is."

"So?" The single syllable and short silence was rife with expectation.

"I'll go see him today."

Qiang simply nodded.

*************

Ambrose and Chad walked through the downtown streets. The air was already warming up, but it still promised to be a chilly day. Chad thought of the Snow Miser, and wondered what he was up to.

Chad had accepted Qiang's offer of a cab ride. Qiang had intended it to go to the river, but Chad had stopped it at downtown. The money Qiang had given him far exceeded the cost of the cab ride, even if he'd gone to the river. Chad smiled at the thought of Qiang slipping him money.

In retrospect, however, while his reserves weren't yet exhausted, he figured he could only eke out maybe two more months on the stash he had. After that he would need to find a source of income. Before that would probably be wiser. He sighed. He'd have to talk with Qiang about that.

It was seven in the morning, and the earliest shops were opening, mostly donut and coffee shops that catered to the early morning office workers. The cupcake place was open, a different woman worked the early shift. Chad looked over to Ambrose.

"You want a cupcake?" he asked.

Ambrose looked surprised. "Are you still hungry?"

"Not really, but I'd like a cup of coffee. Thought I'd have a cupcake instead of a donut."

Ambrose shrugged amiably. "Certainly. The ones you'd left for me previously were quite tasty."

They entered the building. Chad ordered a large black coffee and a chocolate cupcake. Ambrose was nowhere near as decisive. He waffled between flavors until he settled on a gingerbread cupcake and a peppermint cupcake. Chad knew the clerk wouldn't see Ambrose as he truly was, a three-foot rat in a robe, but the dichotomy of the image of Ambrose leaning against the counter threatened to break Chad out in laughter.

As they walked to find a place to enjoy their repast, it occurred to Chad he was stalling. He had told Qiang he would see Sebastian, and knew he would have to do it before he saw Qiang again. Preferably he should do it sometime that day. They found a bench and sat. Chad removed his cupcake from the bag and handed it to Ambrose who removed his first cupcake and nibbled at it while taking in the Christmas lights.

"It's almost a shame the sun will be coming up soon," he said.

"Why's that?" Chad asked, taking a drink of his coffee.

"The Christmas lights aren't quite as pretty in the daytime."

Chad shrugged. "Guess so."

"And thank you again, for the food. Also for having the dragon include me under his protection."

"No problem. He was the one who said it."

"At your suggestion, yes." Ambrose paused a moment and nibbled further on his cupcake. "You know, you are a very odd hunter."

Chad rankled a bit at the title, but was becoming resigned to it. "How's that?"

"Most hunters are not gifted with the sight, and those with the sight are not hunters. In fact, I cannot think of a time when I have encountered this combination before."

Chad leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs, and turned the coffee cup back and forth in his hands. He ruminated over what he wanted to say.

"Well, I wasn't always a hunter and I haven't always been...gifted...either."

"You're not very comfortable with your gifts, are you?"

"Let's just say that if this is a gift, I wish someone had kept the receipt."

"Ah, I see. How long have your gifts...your talents been active?"

Chad shrugged. "Couple of months."

"And how did they arise?"

Chad shook his head and his gray eyes became distant. "I pissed of this dragon."

"Qiang?"

"No," Chad said, then quipped, "but I don't doubt I annoy the hell out of him at times. No, it was this dragon on the river."

Ambrose's eyes lit up. "So there is a dragon on the river," he whispered. "There had been rumors and speculation about such a thing."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"The river was practically a dead spot. The dragon will cause the magic there to quicken, and it will spread. It is a very good thing."

"Oh. Good to know, I guess. Well, that's the dragon I pissed off and after our first meeting, or I suppose confrontation is more correct, I could suddenly see the world in great, grand, 3-D Technicolor. The next day my world went upside down."

"He just awoke you and left you to wander?" Ambrose was flabbergasted. "What a horrible punishment. Whatever you did to deserve that must have been truly awful."

Chad sighed and studied the Styrofoam cup holding his coffee. "It wasn't a punishment," he explained. "I don't think he'd even realized what he'd done. And, yeah, I was being an ass."

The pause between them lengthened as Chad memorized the twisting coffee cup in his hands. Ambrose sat patiently. He could see beneath the hunter was a conflicted young man with a wounded spirit. It was Ambrose's sense that he needed to show the wounds at his own pace.

With a deep breath, Chad continued. "He was with this woman I wanted. Dakota. She and I had been out a few times. I hadn't seen her for a few days and I get this text from my buddy that she's out with some other guy. So I go to where they're at...and..."

Chad sat back against the bench, then slouched down, his eyes becoming ever more distant. "Then hilarity ensued."

"Was there violence?" Ambrose softly asked.

"Not at that time. Actually, it never came down to violence between us. I punched him once, but nothing really came of that." His voice dropped to a whisper. "No, I was violent with Dakota."

"I see. Was that what lead to," Ambrose gestured to Chad, "this?"

"No." Chad raised his hand and tapped the side of his head. "This is what lead to that. There was a point during our confrontation where I realized there was something...off, I guess about this guy, Sebastian's his name." He paused again, gathering his thoughts. "To be honest, I always had little... feelings. Goose running over your grave kind of things. I never assigned much to it, you know, outside of maybe taking another route to avoid a street that felt funny, or changing plans because something felt off. Shit like that. Well, I could tell something was off about him. And it made me nervous because I didn't think I could back away. I needed to save face. Well, he did something with that fear. It was like something clicked. That night nothing really happened, but the next day I was through the looking glass. I saw shiteverywhere." He shuddered at the memory. "And I started to lose it. Badly." There was another long pause as Chad took a deep drink of his coffee, draining the cup.

"It all crashed down around me. And the one thought I kept coming back to was if I could get at Dakota or Sebastian, I could make it stop. The madness." Chad looked over to Ambrose, the ache in his eyes made more apparent in the increasing morning light. He shook his head and fell silent again.

Ambrose laid his hand on Chad's shoulder. "If you do not wish to speak of these things, you do not have to."

"I don't know," Chad said. "I think maybe I do."

Ambrose gave a single nod. "Do what you feel you must, then. If you wish to unburden to me, I will gladly bear witness."

"Thank you." He fell back into silence for awhile and watched the people on the sidewalk. When he spoke again, he looked forward and his voice held little expression. "I've always had a...need...to hurt people so they couldn't hurt me. I could...keep it in check most of the time. But when the switch got thrown I started to lose control...of it, of me, of everything."

Chad leaned forward again, with his arms across his thighs, dropped the empty coffee cup and rested his head in his hands. Ambrose waited for him to compose himself.

"And it was like if I could just break Dakota everything would go back to normal. I managed to keep it somewhat together until this one night, I couldn't take it anymore. I lost control entirely." Chad pushed himself back upright.

"So I went to her house. The first time she'd called 911 and I was hauled out before I could to too much damage, thankfully. I spent the rest of that night in jail, though I don't remember much of it. I was bailed out by my roommate, and went back the next night. That time she had someone with her."

"The dragon, Sebastian?"

"No, the dragon, Chang."

Ambrose furrowed his brow, causing his head covering to bunch. "How many dragons are there here abouts?"

Chad shrugged. "Don't know, I haven't done a dragon census. I know of three. And Chang is the most powerful of them."

Ambrose assimilated the information. "I see. And he was displeased?"

Chad barked a laugh. "Oh yeah. But his solution was creative, I gotta say that. Turned me into a goldfinch."

Ambrose nodded, remembering Qiang's reference to the spell.

"Considering what he could have done, I got off kinda light. Not that I thought so at the time. From there I ended up getting involved with this huge thing involving something called a Jorogumo. Ever hear of that?"

Ambrose shook his head.

"Big nasty spider thing with a human torso. Fugly. But that wasn't the worse thing, just the physical look of her. The sense of her, what she felt like..."

Chad trailed off and his eyes took on a haunted quality. A thousand-yard stare that spoke of a horror he hadn't been fully prepared to experience. Ambrose thought Chad might still not be ready to experience it, even now. He pressed closer and set his paw-like hand on Chad's leg.

"It was worse than predatory. The goblins, they're a pretty unpleasant crew. But this, the energy she gave off was malignant, like cancer, and she wanted to spread it as far she could. And the worst thing..." Chad lowered his head.

"I saw in it a reflection of me," he finished quietly. "The malevolence, the desire to destroy, the need to possess something, someone, to the point that they're destroyed. Yeah, seeing the Jorogumo yanked out what was left of my foundation." Chad fell silent again.

Ambrose digested Chad's words and at length said, "I'm sorry you had to go through such a horrible experience. Often our shadows are terrifying to behold."

"Shadows, huh?"

Ambrose nodded. "Everyone has a shadow side, things about themselves they don't like. But, if integrated with wisdom, they can give us strength. May I ask what happened next?"

Chad shrugged. "Well, eventually, I hooked up with Qiang. I picked up the hawk thing from him. I guess he said that, didn't he? Anyway, I latched onto the idea that if theJorogumo was destroyed, things would be better. And she was. And you know what? Nothing fucking changed. I was on my way back from killing the Jorogumo when I ran into you and the goblins that first time." Chad shook his head. "I have to confess, I picked up the hunting for a similar reason, a focus until I can get back. Sometimes I don't think I'll ever find my way back from the madness."