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Man or Monster
RAIJIN
He had long ago lost the ability to be afraid of the things that went bump in the night, when he’d realized he was one of the worst creatures who inhabited it.
He took another left, and mentally went over what he knew about witches. Nothing stood out, except that most other creatures stayed away from them. They were mysterious to both humans and Beings, having dealt with prejudice from both sides.
Raijin’s irritation grew. Once again, he was cleaning up after the Council. Taking their fucking laundry out. If the people knew about the true face of the Council they’d riot.
The underbelly of this world created to be an oasis forothershad become as disgusting and complicated as the human world. Stopping at the edge of the block, Raijin looked around. He slightly bent his knees and with little effort, he leapt and his body shot into the air. He landed easily onto a ten-story building. He muttered a curse when a pixie flew into his face. He slapped it away and continued on his way.
His back tingled as he stopped at the edge of building. Looking across, he could see the high glass doors of the Council’s tower. The glass had a picture of Pegasus carved into it.
The iron statues of heroes long past, rose to at least the mid-level. The building itself boasted a hundred floors. From the sixth floor, he could see flashes of white light as messages were sent and received from other realms that existed as mirrors to other major cities. To him it would always be a symbol of his damnation. The beautiful covering merely hid the illness beneath the surface.
Raijin took a single step, and fell, his body hit the ground hard. He didn’t flinch as the asphalt broke under his feet and a fire alarm sounded within the building. Ignoring it, he made his way across the street to the steps that led up to the glass doors. Seeing a few of the Council employees were headed home.
He reached the landing and paused only when the soft white lights switched to a red, the changed caused by his presence. Those who’d been headed out ran down the steps, while the doors of the Council building slammed shut at the sound of the alarm. The once still statues that guarded the doors came to life. With inhuman speed the statue holding a spear whirled it and aimed the tip for his chest. Raijin crouched deftly avoiding the first attack. He rose swiftly and lifted his left arm using two fingers to catch the edge of an axe aimed for his throat from the second statue. The force of the blow stirred up a powerful wind that lifted the edges of his jacket.
The first statue returned and once again aimed for his back. Half turning, he grabbed the edge the spear, the sound of stone cracking filled the tense silence. The statues tried to pull their weapons from his hold, but they didn’t budge an inch.
Raijin grinned, “Now what?” He taunted.
“Stop.”
A sharp whistle drew the statues’ attention. Their heads made a cracking sound as they turned them in the direction of the entrance, where a tall, thin man with ashen grey hair and bright golden eyes rushed out. His suit, the same color as his hair almost made him seem unnoticeable, but his feminine, beautiful features drew the eye.
“That’s enough, Hercules and Poseidon. He’s on our side. He’s a good Ogre.” Raijin released their weapons, as the other man approached them. “Must we have this conversation every time?” He demanded, stopping in front of Raijin he gave him his back while he glared at the statues.
The two statues looked from him to each other before they removed themselves, and retook their stances by the door and froze in place as if they’d never moved. The workers who’d remained inside waiting for the statues to return to their place slowly began to make their way out, giving Raijin and Tiller wide berth as they descended down the steps.
“A good Ogre?” Raijin asked as Tiller turned to face him. His expression blank. Not that Tiller could see it with his face covered. “That’s the first time I’ve heard our kind called ‘good’.”
Tiller laughed bringing his hands together interlocking his fingers. “I’m sure it is,” Eyes narrowing, Tiller’s expression dropped in its warmth. “But you didn’t come here to argue over whether your kind is good or not?”
Raijin who’d maintained the cold relationship with Tiller, enjoyed seeing the man irritated. The fucker deserved it for all the shit he’d put him through. “The witches, Hagen said I had to find out the rest from you.”
“Ah.” Tiller’s eyes lit up with excitement, the way they always did when he was able to show off his knowledge. Personally, Raijin always desired to remove Tiller’s eyes the minute they showed anything other than cold amusement. Tiller motioned to Raijin to follow him. “I’ll explain, but first I wonder how much you know aboutNumb Witches.”
After asking such an ominous question, Tiller headed inside.
“Numb Witches?” Raijin asked as he followed Tiller, ignoring the looks of hostility and fear from those coming and going in the main receiving area.
Tiller nodded as they made their way to a row of elevator doors. The room was filled with a high glass ceiling that gave view to a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds. A Pegasus flew over the false sky. Raijin mildly wondered what it would taste like. Horse or chicken?
Pressing a blue button the elevator doors opened, and Tiller entered it easily. “Yes, Numb Witches. After a few of the autopsies came back, they revealed some unpleasant news.…” He paused, realizing that Raijin hadn’t followed him inside the elevator. Frowning, Tiller looked from Raijin to the insides of the elevator. He lifted his brow as he quickly realized the issue. Tapping the iron walls, he changed the appearance to be similar to the glass roof above. Nothing but sky and the view of the countryside covered the walls now.
But Raijin still knew it was box. He could feel the pressure in his chest increase. The noise of the building had fallen away as a sharp ringing filled his ears. Years of being in the dark, had made small places a curse to him. Inhaling deeply through his nose he fixed his eyes on the wall telling himself over and over it wasn’t a cell nor a box. It barely helped.
“Come on, we don’t have all day.”’ Tiller urged him.
Gritting his teeth, Raijin avoided Tiller’s eyes as he entered the elevator. He forced his breathing back to normal. He hated showing weakness in front of anyone, especially Tiller. His existence couldn’t allow for weakness.
He spoke, trying to move forward from his moment of hesitation. “What did it reveal exactly?”
“What the Council hadn’t wished it to,” Tiller said with a sadistic chuckle. “That the women were being taken because someone wanted to turn them into Numb Witches. Witches with little magic would be more receptive to such an experimentation. There had been some whispers about the possibility, but no one believed it. Witches don’t just do a few spells and become a Numb Witch, it’s something you’re born with, not given.”
Raijin frowned, hearing the humor in the man’s voice. “Tiller, why would someone go through all that? What makes a Numb Witch different from a normal one?”
