Chapter 7: Demystified

A Chapter by Andrew Akuna

Demystified

Xero pursued the wolf on the rooftops, matching his speed easily. He got along side of the wolf and attempted to get out a spell.

"Gelamen umbra, pareo meus-- AHHH!"

The wolf snapped his fingers and held his paw out toward the roof where Xero was running, transmuting concrete spikes under the chasing panther. The wolf stopped running

"You irritate me. DIE!" He snapped his fingers again, this time a pillar blasted from the roof, knocking Xero off his feet. The top of the pillar changed into spikes and lunged at the panther. Xero changed his body into shadows and slithered around th pillar, ascending to the spiked top. He changed back into flesh and blood, then jumped from the pillar.

"You'll pay, wolf!" Xero shouted as he took aim in midair with the sniper gauntlet. He fired a round, but missed. Xero landed on one knee on the roof the wolf had just jumped from. He got to both feet and bolted after him again. "Longinus, get back here so I can rip you apart!"

The wolf turned around and smirked. He reached into his coat with both hands and pulled out a pair of knives. Xero ducked as the wolf swung one of the knives at his face. He kicked his right leg out, knocking the wolf's left leg from under him. While he tried to regain his balance, Xero pushed off on his bent right leg and got up onto his paws, kicking the wolf in his forehead. Xero turned rapidly in an attempt at striking again, but the wolf hooked his left leg behind one of Xero's wrists and pulled it out from under him, bringing the panther to the ground. He reached down and grabbed a pawfull of Xero's hair and lifted him from the rooftop.

"Time to put out the cat..." the wolf said before slamming Xero's head on the concrete and knocking him out. He walked (dragged) the panther to the edge of the building and hurled him out over the street. Xero's eyes opened for just long enough to see Longinus waving sinisterly to him before he completely blacked out.

"Xero? Xero, wake up...D****T! STOP PLAYING DEAD, IT'S GETTING OLD!"

Xero sat straight up and put his left paw on his right shoulder to take aim with the sniper gauntlet, only to find it missing.

"'Bout time you woke up. I was getting bored." Xero looked to his left to see Longinus sitting in a chair across an unfamiliar room. It was bright in here, too bright. Xero put his right paw on the side of his head and in a burst of black flames, a pair of black shades appeared on his nose. He looked around the room. Across from where he was, he could see his shadow cast against a white door. He looked behind himself to see that above him, and all along that wall, were large windows, all of which were open. To the right of Longinus was an iron table with a glass top and a large book sitting on it. He looked down to find that, somehow, he had ended up in a bed.

"W-where am I?" Xero asked no one in particular. Longinus got up and walked over to him. Xero turned sharply and held both paws out toward the wolf. "Magnus Umbra Flatus!" Xero shouted. To his dismay, he only got a few black sparks instead of the massive shadow sphere he was expecting.

"Your powers won't work so well here." Longinus said. "But I have to ask, why are you trying to hurt me? I SAVED YOUR A*S!"

"You threw me from a twelve-story FRICKIN' BUILDING!" Xero roared

"I DID NOT!" Longinus replied incredulously.

"Really, the I suppose you expect me to believe someone that looks exactly like you tried to kill me?" he scoffed."My hair is silver not blonde."

"I'm telling you, it WASN'T ME!" The angry wolf walked back to his chair and fell into it. "My brother looks exactly like me. I was chasing him before I saw you falling. Maybe it was him!"

"...where are my guns?" Xero asked when he realized that along with his missing sniper gauntlet, he could not feel his revolver.

"Other side of the bed." Longinus replied. "As for where you are, you're in my apartment. If you'll be staying in Raven's Way to help me, you may stay here."

"Don't get used to the idea." Xero said. "I'm only staying until I can pay your brother back for knocking me on the head..."

Longinus shrugged. "Fair enough, we just need to wait until he finds us again."

"How long could that take?"

"Well, considering that he knows we're here, quite a while."

"Damn..." Xero got up and stretched, then looked out the window next to him. They were on the top floor of a red brick building.

“Why were you carrying weapons?” Longinus asked. “Not confident in your ‘magic’”

Xero turned around and took aim at Longinus, but once more only got black sparks.

“For just such a situation.” The panther replied. “My powers work in daylight. You’ve done something to stop me…”

“Really, prove it.”

Xero opened his mouth and tried to breathe fire, but got nothing but smoke.

“You need shadows.” Longinus said, walking over to Xero. “I have no inhibitions, even in the night.” He turned and walked toward his table, beyond which was a kitchen area.

"So how do you propose we remedy my lack of power?"

"Learn to use Light."

"Hell no."

"Then get used to being powerless here." Longinus replied with a shrug. "During the day, there's no way there's enough shadow to give you power."

Xero sighed and took a crouching position on one of the open window fames. "I'd rather be dead." He said before jumping.

He landed on one knee on the sidewalk below and looked around. The streets and sidewalks were not as crowded now, but there were still a few furs out walking.

What separates me from them now? Xero thought. I might as well be human... He started walking, begging for something supernatural to happen.