DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Dragonbane
HTML https://dragonsbane.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Creative Corner
*****************************************************
#Post#: 168--------------------------------------------------
Black Ties: Part 6
DIR By: Gallowtree
Date: September 27, 2020, 7:02 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 6
Besides the fact that if we go rogue and leave our base, or do
something that contravenes any of the laws of magic, we get our
heads cut off, there are some perks to being a Black Tie. First
off, we’re protected from the outside world where some of us
wouldn’t last before maybe the witch-burning type got the notion
that we were ripe for the pole, and made us into a gruesome
human kabob. It may be the twenty-first century, but things
don’t change that much, or rather, people don’t. I shuddered to
think what would happen if Dante got loose – it’s more like
protecting the world from him in that case.
We also live in a pretty decent place, a loft designed to
accommodate us complete with a gym, a “blast” room, (things
sometimes go wrong with magic) an armory, a well-stocked
kitchen, and individual apartments that are more spacious than
anything I’ve ever lived in. We also had a common living area
that we constantly fight over. To me, it was too much; I was
always poor, always fighting. It was funny to think about, but
I really had to fuck up bad, and nearly getting executed by the
Wardens, to land on my feet. I landed here because I used my
powers in back-alley brawls for money – the last one I fought
in, I broke a man’s back. The story of what happened reached
the Wardens through police reports, and I was pulled off the
street, thrown into a black van, and given rare choice.
For those not familiar with the wizarding world, it’s pretty
simple: there are a lot of people in the world who can do some
real magic, but nothing spectacular; there are also people who
are specialists who are focused on one particular form of magic,
like me – I’m a kinetomancer, or a wizard who uses lines of
force to work my magic. The third type is the true wizard: a
true wizard knows rituals, can work various powers to cast
spells, and is therefore the most dangerous and powerful type of
wizard in the world. Gage was the third type, which made her a
hot commodity to the White Council.
The White Council was formed by the most powerful,
apocalyptic-strong wizards on earth, with the intent to govern
everyone who has any magic talent through the Laws of Magic.
Wizards who violate those laws are sought by the Council’s
beating stick, the Wardens, who are strong wizards with
incredible combat proficiency, and captured for trial which
often leads to beheading. I broke the law against harming
people with magic; Gage broke the law against altering the minds
of others; Dante didn’t break any laws, but is far too dangerous
to let loose on the general public, lest the demon go on a
rampage. We were all talented, and now well-trained in
conducting investigations on the down-low, acting in situations
in which the Council can’t be seen intervening.
The world is bigger, and nastier, than most people understand
or have been witness to. As if regular human nastiness wasn’t
enough, there are societies of supernatural badasses that
coexist with the human world, sometimes interacting with us,
usually not to our benefit. There are Courts of Vampires.
There are trolls. There are even faeries, the Winter and Summer
Courts, respectively. There are ghosts and wraiths, even
zombies and ghouls. In essence, almost everything human beings
have ever feared and whispered about in the dark hours of the
night really exists. The White Council signs treaties with them
to keep things civil, but sometimes, just like in human affairs,
some crazy buggers decide to go rogue and start tearing things
apart. Things, and people. That’s when we get called in to
eliminate that threat. The Council doesn’t trust the
supernaturals to take a proactive role. We were on-call for
most of the time we stayed at the base, which was, oh, around
ninety-nine percent.
As we rolled into the parking garage below the base, I started
to wonder if my judgment call about Dante hadn’t been a little
skewed by my own fears about his demon getting loose…was I
afraid of it? I’d be stupid if I wasn’t, but maybe that concern
was interfering with what we were doing out there. Despite how
much my head still hurt, maybe I’d get in some sparring tonight
before turning in…hmm…maybe just work out a little…uh…maybe not.
I needed to exorcise my thinking though.
We then headed up the regular elevator to the apartments. Gage
nudged me, and tugged my arm to make me lean over to hear her.
“Come talk to me later in the blast room,” she whispered, giving
me a wink.
I was well past her in terms of attraction, sort of, I mean you
can’t just shut it all down, but I worked with her enough to
build a rapport that focused on other things. A wink could be a
lot of things, ok? And I was about twice her age. I keep
reminding myself.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” I asked.
She smiled and shrugged.
“Hey,” she said, “I didn’t get all sweaty out there.”
Dante piped in.
“Was that some kind of a crack?”
“No, no,” she said, smiling at him.
“Please shower before you show up,” she whispered out of the
corner of her mouth.
The indignity of it all. Seriously.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1