novelraw Chapter 149 – Revealed
Chapter 149 – Revealed
Chapter 149 – Revealed
“Hi guys, thanks for tuning in for another episode of ‘Meet the Paras’. I’m your host, Ashlee, and joining me today is my friend Olsven. He has agreed tell us about what being an Orc is like and answer some viewer questions from my Patreon members at the ten dollar and up tiers.” Ashlee Waldorf, social media personality on episode fifteen of her new talk show.
For the first time in her life, Rindi felt like she was going to be sick from nerves. Oh, she had been scared before, but that was always a heat of the moment thing. She had also felt anxious about other things, such at having to sneak into a farm field to retrieve an animal she wounded while hunting or when having to interact with people in a town where she stood out so much.
The reason she felt like she was about to be sick, while her muscles tensed and shivered like she had a fever, was because they just got an update about their target. They had met with a broad-shouldered blond man who handed them a picture that was somehow painted onto perfectly white and smooth paper. They were also given one of the ever-present cell phones and shown how to use it. Apparently, they would be updated by the device as the time for their trap approached.
When Garik passed the picture around, she felt her stomach drop out from under her. It was the man they had bumped into before. While the others didn’t seem to recognize him, she was positive it was him. She was also positive that at least one, if not more, of them would not be returning from this assassination attempt. With that in mind, she began wondering how to make sure that both her and her soon-to-be ex-master were the survivors.
“We should wait and set up an ambush for him when he comes out.” Manto declared. “He has likely parked his caaarrr in that structure with the others.” The lesser angel stumbled over the unfamiliar word, not sure how long to hold the syllables.
Garik looked over toward the four-story structure made of concrete. “Likely he has. I think that will make for an excellent spot. Let’s go that way and see if we can find the likely avenue of approach and lay our trap.”
“Master, I think he might be quite powerful.” Rindi voiced her concerns after they had moved a little further away from the library. “There were also four of them and equal numbers a-“
“Shut up.” Garik said, barely glancing over his shoulder at her. “If you are so worried about it then you can shift when we attack. Sounds like you will need it if you are so scared.”
“Y-yes, master.” Rindi said. She had hoped for a plan but perhaps he intended to make one after they found a location? At the very least, he seemed like he would let her shift to get her full power back.
While she had three forms, her more human one didn’t allow her to summon her winged mantle which would allow for a lightning-fast attack. The human shape she wore now was only useful for blending in despite making her rather uncomfortable. Her other form was far better suited for enclosed spaces, however, and the parking structure looked to be rather lacking in head room. She was debating on the benefits of straight-line speed versus the agility provided by having four clawed feet and a smaller torso.
Rindi sighed as they stepped into the structure, seeing only a handful of cars in its dimly lit interior. She was pretty sure Garik would have her open with her traditional attack, an ambush through the shadowy sub dimension she could enter. That is what usually allowed them to collect bounties in a single attack. Garik liked that strategy since it only risked one person and worked the vast majority of the time.
The problem for Rindi was that this Kurtis Rosk wouldn’t be like most other marks. She had a bad feeling that this wouldn’t go as planned and that it would be her last bounty, one way or another.
*****
“Hi everyone. As Evan said we are from the Order Stabilitas and are here at their invitation to assist with… well, whatever we decide.” Penny said with a big friendly smile as she greeted the assembled group.
The members of the Paranormal Parliament were still out of sorts after it was revealed who they were. Many were surprised that the Order would be there while others didn’t even know who or what the Order was. Many were still in a titter about Felix’s comments about taking what they wanted by force.
After a few awkward moments where Penny just stood there while only half the room awas actually listening, Evan took the stage. Penny shuffled over so he could take the podium for a moment but didn’t go too far.
“Hey, listen up!” he called, bringing many of the side conversations to an instant halt. “Penny and her team are only here for one night, so let’s try and make the most of it. I know we talked about a few various options on how to proceed and that is what they are here to advise on.”
Immediately, there was movement in the crowd and the faux mage hopped up and walked over to the line to ask questions. Penny waited for him to arrive there, trying to set the tone of following procedures. That man was also followed by a few more, likely with differing opinions as they came from separate areas of the room.
Evan stepped aside after that, and the pretend mage spoke up. “Hi, my name is Clark, in case you didn’t remember.”
“Hi Clark, what can we do for you?”
“Would you be able to help us with lobbying if that is the route we would be able to take? I am sure that an organization like yours would have people in power all over the place.”
“Trap. Be very careful how you answer and don’t elude to anything.”
Kurt told Penny over the implant.“We could possibly help with that.” Penny answered. “While the Order and its employees don’t have any official positions within local, state or federal governments, we likely have sympathetic ears that will hear us out.”
Clark nodded then raised his hand for another question and Penny nodded. “In your opinion, is that a viable option? To go through the legislative process.”
“It can be. It can also be a part of a larger initiative.” Penny looked at Kurt who stepped up and replaced her.
“Hi, I’m Kurt. What I think Penny means to say is that a legislative option could be your whole focus or part of a larger plan depending on what goals you wish to achieve.” He gestured to the crowd. “For instance, if you want special privileges then it would make sense to go that route. Things like allowances for certain cultural things or perhaps reduced tax burdens for para owned business, or even having a designated area of control like a reservation. If your goal is to do something like complete integration, then you might be looking at the more judicial side of things.”
“Define Judicial? Like what would that entail?” Clark had a small pencil and notebook out while writing like a 1920’s reporter.
“You could be looking at abolishing laws that negatively impact you. Random example, polygamy is generally not ‘legal’ for tax reason in the States, but you might say it’s of cultural significance to…I don’t know, Orcs or something. You then lawyer your way through the courts to overturn those laws or make exceptions for certain cultures.” Kurt grabbed the first thing that came to mind and immediately regretted it as many eyes in the crowd started flicking from him to the girls.
Penny took back over after that and Clark thanked her and Kurt for the answers before returning to his seat. “Next please?”
The next person in line was a half elf with a mop of curly hair on her head. “Hi, Emily here. I want to know if the Order would back us regardless of the method we decide to peruse?”
“No.” Penny shot that down immediately. “The problem with that would be what we do with other groups. Let’s say a group in Sandiego wants to have a revolution and seize the city or state for themselves but a similar group in L.A. wants to do a slow and peaceful integration over time. We won’t back separate groups doing separate things all the time.”
“So, a one strategy thing?” the half elf pressed.
Penny shrugged. “Maybe. The Order leadership might even say we don’t want to get involved in any way that is more aggressive than legal work or general endorsements. That is up to them.”
Emily just flapped her lips in surprise, unable to comprehend that the Order would choose to sit it out. “Then what good are you? Why are you here?”
“The Director or US Ops gave us the green light to come here and potentially offer assistance. He left it up to us to decide what we are doing for this group. You, the Paranormal Parliament of Grand Rapids, reached out to us, not the Demi-human conglomerate of New York, not Paras United from Columbus, just this group.”
The next man in line stepped around Emily since she seemed to be stuck deciding how to respond. “What about if we do general awareness stuff and community action groups and events?”
Val actually decided to take that question. “That is a great way to show that you mean well but it also might have some unintended consequences. The average human is still very warry about us and many people see a non-human and immediately think monster.”
“That would be the point of the awareness events though.” The man protested. “Wouldn’t that like, I don’t know, let them get used to us?”
“It might.” Val conceded. “It might also pigeonhole paras into a certain reputation. Let’s say your community action is cleaning up a local park and you do that a lot. People might then associate that Paras are only good at being janitors or garbage men, especially if they don’t have a cultural tie to the race in question.”
A hand shot out above the crowd and a short man stood up. “What do you mean cultural ties to the race?”
“Well, lots of things. In the Asian cultures, Kitsune, Naga and others are sometimes seen as good luck or messengers of the gods and the people have a long history of respecting them. But a fairy could be anything from natures little helpers to a spiteful creature meant to ruin your day depending on who you ask and if they are from the British Isles.”
Val organized her thoughts for a moment. “I think an awareness campaign will be essential in promoting the right message and might help with some of the misinformation out there, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you do.”
The man who had asked the question thanked her for the opinion and returned to his seat where he was immediately pulled into a whispered conversation. He was replaced by another man, this one a dwarf.
“Evening, I’m Jayson. Wanted to follow up on what you can offer this group.” He looked them over. “What is it you normally do for that Order?”
“We normally handle things with direct action and tend to be on the more militant side of the organization.” Penny answered in a very cheerful voice.
“So, if we decided to take a more aggressive approach to this and say, try to carve out a bit of the city?”
Penny shrugged. “That would be your prerogative. I don’t know what that has to do with us.”
“Wouldn’t the Order want us to be in power? Paras in general?” Jayson pressed.
“No, not in particular. If anything, they would mostly want you to be treated like regular people, like on the other worlds, and they will take the most cost-effective option to achieve that goal.” Penny answered.
“So, it comes down to money then? How much would we have to pay to have you help us?”
Kurt stepped up and Penny moved over for him. “Listen, we have no interest in getting overly involved in whatever militant bullshit you have planned.” He looked around the room, making eye contact with a few people he had singled out. “We are here to offer advice and opinions on some questions you have and none of us want to get entrenched in a particular ideology.”
Felix seized his chance to step up, cutting in line for the next speaker. “Well, it’s a good thing that it isn’t up to you, Kurt. All we have to do is find a price and get your boss here to agree to it.” He pointed to Penny.
Frowning slightly, Kurt was about to retort but Val began laughing and Kristi looked rather amused. Felix on the other hand didn’t find the situation humorous. “What’s so fucking funny?”
“You seem to be very misinformed.” Penny began. “Kurt is in charge here. I just coordinate for him and his team.”
“Bullshit.” Felix took a few steps across the open area between him and the podium. “How about I put a beating on him and just force you to do the job?” He was completely ignoring the rest of the leaders who were trying to talk him down… from a safe distance that is.
Smirking a little, Kurt looked him up and down, noting that the front row of people were backing up. “You think you could?”
“You bet your ass I can. Don’t know if you have ever met a werewolf bef-“
“Oh, I have.” Kurt cut him off. “And you aren’t one, so shut the fuck up and sit down like a good boy.”
“What do you mean? I am a werewolf!” Felix’s expression had turned into an ugly mix of nervous and angry.
“Prove it.” Kurt said and crossed his arms over his chest, planting his feet and standing between him and the podium. “Go ahead and shift.”
“It’s not that simple.” Felix shot back, taking another step forward to try and loom over Kurt.
Kurt smiled. “Sure it is, watch.” Then he shifted.
He didn’t shift to his full height, mostly because head room was at a premium, but he stopped himself at his previous max height of around nine feet. The popping and ripping sound persisted for a moment longer than normal as he shifted the parts of his face and throat responsible for talking.
“See, easy. My nose doesn’t know every race, but I know humans when I smell them and posers when I see them.” The words were stretched and the syllables slightly off, but it was clearly heard over the gasps and panicked voices from the crowd. He then heard Penny speak up from behind him while he kept his eyes on the now panicking Felix.
Penny raised her voice to be heard over the general clamor in the room. “Let me be a little more clear. Our boss gave us the task of making a decision here. He gave us complete authority over it. We could help, offer funding, do nothing, offer some connections and much more. He also said, and I quote “’I don’t give a fuck about that city, much less this group of paras. Kill them all if you think that makes our lives easier… or if you want to.’
“So be aware, that option is very much on the table and growing more appealing by the moment.” Penny waived her hand at the crowd. “You all have to get your shit together. A good number of the people here claiming to be para are just humans pretending. Even some pretending to be human are actually para and are trying to lie low. You shou-“ She stopped as Kurt growled.
Kurt’s lips had pulled back in a snarl as Felix had reached for his waistband but stopped at the warning sound. What he didn’t notice was Val walking over under cover of illusion to snatch a gun out of his waistband.
“H-hey! That’s mine!” Felix protested after flinching away from Val as she suddenly appeared, grabbed the gun and tossed it to Kristi.
The dragoness caught it out of mid air and made a show of ejecting the magazine and racking the round out of the chamber to catch it. “Oh, enchanted bullets, I think. That is a costly item and not one normally seen outside of certain groups who do very nasty things to people.” She had seen a slight shimmer of mana on each projectile, deducing that they had something going on besides being a FMJ.
Penny frowned at the scene. “Who exactly are you, mister Felix? You claimed to be a werewolf but so far you can’t back that claim and the one actual werewolf here is saying you aren’t. Then there is you clearly trying to incite violence, using the paras to do the deed. Are you an agent of the government, perhaps? Hmm, doesn’t matter.”
She pulled out her phone and began a call. “Hi, Jay. Got a live one here for you. Yep. Yeah, room three.” She paused for a moment then said a brief goodbye. Everyone stood there in complete silence for several long seconds until the door suddenly opened and a familiar man in a suit appeared.
“You are lucky I am an early riser, Penny.” Jay said as he walked over to stand next to Kurt. “Sniffed out a mole, eh?”
“Really? Puns?” Kurt managed to say.
“Had to take the shot.” Jay shrugged and looked to Val. “Tag him.”
Val triggered the paralyze wand she had palmed earlier, and Felix suddenly froze up. Kristi walked over with the gun and magazine in a plastic bag. She told Jay about the ammunition, and he took the ‘evidence’ before tearing open a portal right there in the room.
He walked over to the frozen man and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him like a sack tossed over one shoulder. “Come on, mister Felix, I want to ask a few questions before I decide on if the necromancers get you while you are still alive.” They both disappeared through the portal a moment later and it snapped shut behind them.
“Well, now that that is over, shall we get on with it?” Penny asked rhetorically as Kurt and the girls returned to their places.
Kurt shifted back, glad that he had fixed his clothing problem with the ring update. He then had a telepathic conversation with the girls as Penny went back to the much more subdued Q&A. It seemed that all the bluster had left the Paranormal Parliament and their questions were much more focused on peaceful methods.
“What do you think he was?” Val asked.
“Definitely human.” Kurt answered.
”Well, duh. I meant what organization does he belong to?” Val’s mental voice somehow included an eye roll.
Kristi’s eyes flicked her way for a moment. “My bet is FBI. Those are the guys that have bugged you before, right?”
”That’s right.” Kurt fought the urge to nod. “But I doubt it was them. This felt like something else. He had a different sort of feel to him.”
“I take it he didn’t pass the sniff test?”
“Something like that. He rubbed me the wrong way since I laid eyes on him.” Kurt hadn’t stopped scanning the faces in the crowd. He was looking for anyone that was playing it too cool. In this case, people that didn’t keep glancing their way. In the end he didn’t see anyone else for the rest of the time they were there.
After another hour, they left, allowing the group to close out without them and talk amongst themselves about the topics of the day. Kurt had a feeling that they would be lacking a lot of members for the next meeting after he called them out.
They were walking back to the car, crossing the mostly empty street to the parking ramp where they had left the SUV. Jades team was mirroring them, returning to their vehicle parked on the other side of the ramp several hundred yards away. Their conversation had transitioned to using the implants as they didn’t want to openly discuss things where others might overhear them.
Suddenly Val stopped and tilted her head before making a strange gesture with her fist like she was tearing down a curtain. Naturally everyone else stopped as she did and watched the strange display.
“Oh, how naughty, sneaking around in my domain.” Val said with a smile as she yanked on the invisible curtain, revealing a very large and very stunned woman holding an equally large stiletto. Kurt thought he vaguely recognized her, but it was hard to tell in the low light of the parking structure. Her features were also… strange.
The woman stared at them, blinking owlishly before her eyes locked on Kurt. Her expression morphed to something he couldn’t decipher before the fuzzy, orange and black striped wings on her back flapped once. She rocketed backward, vanishing up the ramp with surprising speed. A sound of muffled yelling preceded the sound of footsteps coming their way, echoing strangely off the concrete walls and ceiling.
“Looks like we are doing this after all.” Kurt muttered and pulled out a suppressed rifle before thinking better of it. “Let’s try to do this quietly.” He then withdrew his enchanted knife as the next of their would-be assassins rounded the corner at the top of the ramp and sprinted at them.