Ouroboros Ch. 01

I'm just going to say straight out that I do not intend to have any sex until chapter 3. There will be plenty, but I want to build the characters up some before that happens. I hope you enjoy what I will be writing, it is a story that has been in my head for some time, and it is going to be a long one. I beg your indulgence and appreciate any feedback to make this all it can be.

spider6niner

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After years of waiting to see how it turned out, Boros was finally committed. What had been simple for others wasn't so for him. Unfortunately he had a vastly different background than most of those who had sat in the seat he now occupied. This was his twenty second visit to the local office of preternatural affairs. Each time, one of two government workers had seen him and no matter how close the meetings had been scheduled, they pretended not to know anything about his case. It had become insulting. Now, it was unacceptable.

"Name?" The functionary asked, unnecessarily, it was clearly on the data viewer before him. Not to mention the score of times Boros had sat across from him as he explained the situation from the beginning each and every time.

"Ouroboros, Mr... What's your name again?" He knew what it was, hell, he'd had to file each and every one of the waivers he'd had to apply for with a reference to the case officer who'd needed it.

"Guffrey. Ell'an Guffrey." The functionary responded. "Honestly, you'd think someone who was trying to gain acceptance in our society might be able to remember the name of the person that can make it possible. Idiot," he mumbled.

That is it, Boros thought. He could already feel the unwillingness to help, no matter how many hoops he jumped through, but this was the first time that a person in the administration had actually given him a verbal reason to lodge a complaint. Something he had been hoping for. If only to get past all of the bureaucratic nonsense.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" Boros asked in an affected offended tone.

"I told you what my name was." the functionary snapped back. Scrolling through the data reader he exclaimed, "Why haven't you filled out all of the fields on the admittance document? You have failed to provide a number of pertinent answers."

Boros, who had been recording from his com-device, laid it against the cubicle so the camera would have a clear view. He didn't know if it would be necessary, but he was being cautious.

"Listen friend. The end of my patience have been in sight for a while now. I think I am going to need to speak to your superior. I'd like to say that it's nothing personal mind you, but I don't think you are emotionally, intelligently, or psychologically equipped to deal with my case. In fact, you have been nothing but a jackass every time I have had to meet with you. I want you to be very clear on something. I am not offering you any kind of harm, I just want to speak with someone in charge. I will wait here patiently while you go and fetch him."

The functionary maintained his chair and gaped openly at the mat who had just confronted him.

"Now, please. If I don't have my registration settled today, I am going to go straight to the preternatural Consul without it. And when asked why, I'll be sure to tell her that is was E'llan Guffrey who couldn't get past his own small minded prejudices and bigotry to do his job." Boros smiled at the gawking man. "I'll wait here while you go and fetch your supervisor."

It took the man a moment, but he stiffly rose from behind his desk and left the cubicle without a word or a backward glance. While he waited for the jackass to return, Boros' thoughts turned toward his immediate plans.

He was new in this part of the country and found it very different from what he was used to. With the exception of his first two decades and the last year he had spent almost his entire life living as a hermit in the unsettled north of the Minnesota boundary waters close to the Canadian border. There were a whole host of reasons why he chose to go off and live alone but mostly he just wanted peace.Others had still found him, sure, but it was reduced to three or four times a year instead of several times a week.

He was shocked when he had learned of the Revelation. Worldwide, the preternatural governing bodies had made themselves known to the human government and once sufficient infrastructure was in place the common people had been clued in. It had taken several years for the mass hysteria to calm down, but it did. Now, for the most part, preternaturals were living openly in society.

None of that mattered to Boros. He desired something far simpler. To know what he was and to learn about his species. He had suspicions, strong suspicions, but he wanted to be sure. The problem was that registering with the human government was mandatory if he wanted to be able to join the local preternatural community and he had to join the community if he wanted answers.

What surprised Boros the most was that during the last several weeks, while he had been wading through the bureaucratic bullshit, he hadn't encountered a single nonhuman. In a moderately sized city like the one he was in that was something altogether odd. Unless things had changed so completely during the time of his self imposed exile.

The sweet rancidly sweet smell of gun oil brought back to his current surroundings. Focusing his hearing, he could detect nine different heartbeats just outside the door of the room he was in. Cursing himself for not paying more attention, he realized that instead of acceding to his reasonable request to speak to someone in charge Mr. Guffrey had instead called security.

Concentrating his vision on the wall to the side of the door, Boros was able to see the heat signatures of the security team stacked along the wall like SWAT. This was the last thing he wanted. The beating of their hearts was for the most part smooth and regular, they were professionals. If they came in here and started shooting, they wouldn't stop until he was dead, or they were. Either way what he was trying to work towards would be pretty much unachievable. He couldn't wait for them to make their move, he would have to try and talk his way out of this.

"I know you are out there." Boros calmly stated. "All nine of you." He could make out their barely whispered conversation questioning the validity of his claim before he continued. "I don't know what Mr. Guffrey told you, but I requested to speak to his superior about his competence. I recorded the entire thing, just so there wouldn't be any question about it. I'd say that rounding you all up, with what I can only assume to be trumped up accusations, was his plan to avoid getting into trouble." Boros made his voice cold and hard. "He almost got you killed. If you would have come through that door and pointed your weapons at me, I would have slaughtered each and every one of you. In self defense of course."

Continuing on in a more friendly tone he made a request. "Now, why don't one of you get on your radio and have someone in charge come and diffuse this situation. I'll wait here calmly and quietly until they get here."

It was only a couple of minutes until the person we were all waiting for arrived. "I am Nancy Bowen. I understand you wanted to speak with me?" She called through the open door.

"Yes. Thank you for coming." Boros responded politely. "I'm sorry for the confusion." He chuckled. "But honestly, I have done nothing to warrant this level of response."

"I am going to come inside with my security chief. Is that acceptable?" She asked.

"It's your office." Boros replied magnanimously.

The woman who entered was over six feet tall, and built like a viking warrior, lean and toned, except she was wearing a conservative black skirt suit. Her long mane of blonde hair was barely tamed and fell down her back lustrously. The man who followed her was almost her exact opposite. He was short, not much over five feet richly tanned, hugely muscular, and his black hair was bushy and unkempt. Tufts of it poured out of the v of his collared shirt and below his beige cargo shorts his legs were thickly harry.

The security chiefs nostrils flared when they caught Boros' scent. His eyes widened and he hurried around his boss stepping between her and the unknown man. "Careful Ms. Bowen. He's dangerous." He informed her. "Maybe we should call the boys in from the hallway."

Nancys eyes narrowed at her chief of securities statement. She couldn't remember a single time he'd ever admitted to not being enough protection. By wanting to call in the security team he as much as admitted he couldn't guarantee her safety by himself.

"I have no objection to that." Boros offered. "I would really like to get this business done with so I can go see the consul. If bringing those other men in here would put your associate's mind to ease, then by all means Ms. Bowen." He directed his next comment to the security chief. "I'm okay with them coming into the room. Not pointing their weapons at me. Understood?"

Ms. Bowen to Mr. Guffrey's seat leaving the arrangement of the other security up to her associate. She didn't say anything at first and the two just sat on opposite ends of the desk, looking at each other. Behind her, the extra security filed into the room taking positions that wouldn't queer their shot if things went down that way.

Wanting to move things along, Boros began. "Did you have any questions for me? Or would you just like to pick up where Mr. Guffrey left off?

Ms. Bowen looked at him sharply for a moment and then laughed. "I think I like you." She admitted. "Yes, I do have some questions for you, but first how about we properly introduce ourselves? My name is Nancy Bowen, director of preternatural affairs for the southwest territory."

Boros knew an olive branch when he saw it, even if it was thrown at him. Fortunately this one was just handed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, director Bowen?" he offered with a lilt at the end asking if that was her correct title. He continued when she nodded that he had gotten it right. "I am Ouroboros, yeah, I know." He chuckled at the look she gave him. "Please, just call me Boros. What questions can I answer for you?"

She gathered her thoughts and began. "How did," she motioned with her hands, "all this happen?"

"Well," Boros replied, "I'll assume that you aren't familiar with my case so I'll just start from the beginning. Do you realize that this is my twenty second appointment for registration?" he asked her. She shook her head in the negative and he continued. "I've had to apply and then wait for eighteen waivers so far. I've been at it for more than three months. First it was for my name, only having the one. The people who took me in when I was younger wouldn't let me take the family name, They only gave me the name Ouroboros. Then it was my date of birth because there aren't any records of it. Then the fact that I haven't been in a database since two thousand two. Then..."

"Wait, that was a hundred fourty years ago." She exclaimed.

"Yes. I kind of called it quits with everything when I was twenty." he explained. "I was getting too much flack from both humans and preternaturals, so I've been living in the woods pretty much ever since. It's just been this last year that I've begun to reintegrate myself into society, picking up all those things I've missed. Language, technology, you know. I was horribly behind the times." He regathered his wandering thoughts and continued.

"So," he motioned at the holopad in front of her, "I've jumped through every hoop, it's all there. Anyway, I usually only deal with Mrs. Shultz or Mr. Guffrey and can you believe that neither one of them can seem to remember me? Every time I have to start from the beginning and work through with them raising the same objections every time. Either they are incredibly brave bigots and racists or they are simply stupid. But I don't think they are stupid. So, today I did the same as Mr. Guffrey and pretended not to remember his name, well, he got mouthy and I asked to speak to his supervisor. The next thing I know I have security stacked up like a swat team about to breach the room. I explained the situation and here you are." Boros finished.

Director Bowen was frowning, hard. "Let me clarify this. You asked to speak to his supervisor and he called security on you? Did you threaten him in any way that might have made him think he was in danger?"

"No, I didn't. Actually, the last couple of times I've come here I have been recording the interviews. I started to suspect that I was being intentionally messed with, because of the runaround I was having to go through. I have a reason for wanting to register, if it was anything else I wouldn't bother but it's important to me and I'm trying to do it right. I could have made up all manner of lies and there wouldn't have been anything anyone could do to prove otherwise. I've played it straight, and God damnit I expect the same in return." Boros finished that a little more loudly than he might have wished, but when he looked around at the men with the guns he saw no condemnation in their eyes. He even received a couple of nods.

He retrieved his com-device and replayed the conversation for the director. When they got to the part where Boros threatened the security team she interrupted. "You were bluffing?" she asked, almost stated. She wanted it to be a ruse.

"No director. If they would have come in pointing weapons at me I would have killed them all." he looked around at the men. "It's nothing personal, but if you're pointing you're halfway to shooting and I won't just lie down and die. I will always fight back. I'm sure you men can understand that."

"Yes, sir. I do understand. But understand me. You might have taken one, maybe two of us, out but we would have got you." The guard in the left corner told him.

"You're wrong son, you are very wrong." Boros directed his question to director Bowen. "Don't they train against preternaturals?"

She shook her head. "Not even Sam will train with them." When she saw his confusion she introduced her security chief. "Boros, this is Sam Wolfe."

Boros laughed harder than he had in a long while. He managed to wheeze out a comment. "Your last name's Wolfe." The werewolf security chief was Chief Wolfe! Boros had a hard time reigning his composure in the surprise. It took a few moments. "Oh, that's just too perfect." Finally gaining control of himself Boros was able to manage an acceptable greeting. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Wolfe. I am Ouroboros."

Sam Wolfe was not the kind of person to just let matters lie though. "That's a mighty powerful name you have there. Are you sure it hasn't unhinged your senses?" He straightened to his full height which wasn't that much taller than when he stooped but the intensity of his animal side made him seem much taller. The werewolf locked eyes with Boros challengingly.

"It is, and no, it hasn't." Boros replied. Almost against his will he had to make sure. "Do you accede?" he asked the security chief formally.

"I must." Was all the security chief replied and averted his gaze.

Director Bowman was looking between the two of them with a confused expression on her face. "What just happened?" She asked.

"We came to an understanding." Boros replied.

"What does that mean?" the director asked.

Answering for the werewolf to help him save face in front of his boss Boros replied. "We agreed not to cause harm to each other unless provoked."

"No. That wasn't it. Tell me what's going on." Director Bowen told Mr. Wolfe. "You know me. I won't settle for ambiguities. What just happened. Tell me."

"Clear the room." Wolfe yelled. "Ten meter perimeter and no listening devices. Sweep and let me know when we're clear." he ordered. In a much softer voice he instructed, "She's good people. The best I've known of their kind. She can be trusted."

"I'm not saying she isn't." Boros replied. "Quite the opposite. My instincts tell me I can trust her, but I'm not ruled by my instincts. Not anymore at least."

The radio in Mr. Wolfe's cargo pocket crackled. "All clear sir.'

"Alright Nancy, here's how it is. Mr. Ouroboros over her..."

"Just Boros, please." Boros interrupted.

Wolfe nodded to him. "Boros over here isn't lying. If he wanted to, he could probably take this building apart from the top, floor by floor, and massacre everyone in it all in a few minutes. He's scary powerful, but I don't know why he's flaunting his aura like he is unless it's to say 'I'm big, I'm bad, don't fuck with me." Wolfe paused a moment and thought. "If that's it, then it's a pretty good plan because I don't think anyone but our Consul could even come close to matching his raw power. Anyway, he was playing nice when he gave you his explanation. Probably trying to spare my pride. But that's another thing right there. In our society, if someone has the power to, they usually try to cram it down your throat any chancy they get. What really happened was I challenged him and he backed me down without a fight. I admitted that there was no chance I could win a fight against him. He accepted without making an issue out of it. And that's it."

"What is he?' Nancy asked. While Wolfe had been explaining, she had been going over his holopad reviewing his file. "He hasn't filled that out on the form yet."

Wolfe looked Boros over, carefully not making eye contact. "I don't know. I've never smelled anything like him before. He smells like power and a predator and," he inhaled deeply, "good. Wait, that came out wrong."Wolfe's blush was barely visible on his tanned face. "I meant he smells the opposite of evil."

"You can smell that?" Director Bowen asked.

"You can if you're powerful enough and it's a strong enough trait." He answered.

"Hm," she mused. "Alright Boros. What are you. You know I can't finalize your registration until you tell me."

"Actually director Bowen, that's not quite true. That was one of the first things I inquired about. The truth is that I don't know exactly what I am."

"How can't you?" She asked. "You seem fairly comfortable with your abilities, at least enough to calmly deliberate when you have half a score of highly trained armed guards surrounding you."

"That really doesn't mean anything." Boros rebutted. "I've lived a hard life and have learned to protect myself when it is necessary. But I'm telling you the truth. I have never encountered anything even remotely similar to myself, and believe me. I have come across more races and species than you would believe." A note of sadness had crept into his voice at the end.

"Why so mauldin?" Director Bowen asked.

He sighed. It was never easy sharing some of the things he held in his heart. "Because director, I've had to kill to preserve my life. Before I left the world of men, other preternaturals would seek me out six or even tin times a week, drawn by my aura Mr. Wolfe commented on earlier. Some to try and prove something, but some because they wouldn't or couldn't believe that I was peaceful. Sometimes I was able to avoid the ultimate result, but most of the time I wasn't. I've orphaned children, and widowed husbands and wives. As an orphan myself that cut deeply into my soul. But when my choices were them or me, I chose me every time. Sometimes, when I knew I was being challenged out of fear, when I couldn't make them believe I posed them no threat, afterwards I always contemplated the lives that I took and whether it was worth it for just myself." He had to take a moment. He didn't want to embarrass himself by crying. One look at Mr. Wolfe's face told him that at least he understood, the tears standing in his eyes told Boros more than words ever could that this man understood.

"This primary reason I left my hermitry after seeing that the Revelation was real was two fold. Mainly to find out for sure what I am if I could and if there was anyone else like me. Secondly to learn about the abilities I have and how to more finely control them. I don't hold out hope for my more fantastical want, to be accepted into a community. To live and help and grow." Boros would not have normally been so open and blunt, but he felt strongly that the two people in the room were trustworthy.