The Druid's Spear (Ascent of the Gem Bearers Book 1) (5 page)

The rain drops seeped through the dark, tattered cloak, its protection almost a cruel joke. What was worse than the smell of human flesh? Wet human flesh. Rain made it a bit more difficult to pursue his quarry. Yet Ludo remained diligent, and soon followed the scent to an eating establishment. As the rain cascaded down in sheets of liquid fury, he thanked Mars for his assistance. Without his wrath against Earth, he would still be in hibernation.

Entrance into the eatery proposed a high level of risk. As he traversed through the world of mortals once more, he’d garnered more looks of inquiry than he desired. His size itself made him an object of interest. Seven feet tall, cloaked, gloved, and hooded merely made him more of a spectacle. Mortal children gaped while others ran in fright. A few of those caught between childhood and adulthood attempted to engage him in conversation, but he managed to evade them.

It was a curious world he’d awakened to. It buzzed and hummed in an unnatural way. Electricity arced all around him, channeled into strange, metal towers. Carriages propelled by oil of some kind barreled down the sidewalks. Scents of prepared food drifted in from eateries dotted all over the city. Languages of many sorts assailed his ears, loud and clanging like church bells.

And yet, humans continued in the same destructive path. In his long sleep, nothing had changed.

Something he had counted on.

He refocused his thoughts back to the eatery and decided to enter. To capture Rhychard’s Descendant was worth the hazard of discovery.

As he went inside, a young female came forward and bowed. In a grating voice she said, “Welcome. Please sit wherever you like.”

“Do not waste your pleasantries on me. Give me coffee at once.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

The female’s skin changed to a mottled color of red, but she turned away to do as he’d demanded.

He flared his nostrils. The scent had grown fainter, but he was still able to trace it. It led him to a cramped booth, and there he sat. Here. His quarry had sat here in this same space. A growl of satisfaction escaped his mouth.

The box above his head with moving paintings and noises made him wince. There were hundreds of them everywhere. If he mourned one thing from the past, it was the commodity of silence. However, he focused on the words.

“Four days ago, the East Coast of the United States received unprecedented amount of rainfall. Widespread flooding destroyed thousands of homes, and brought millions of dollars in damages. Hundreds still remain unaccounted for. Meteorologists are baffled by the extreme weather, as it wasn’t caused by a foreseeable event. According to witnesses, the sky simply opened up and rain fell. As of now, no recognizable storm or weather condition is responsible.”

Ludo smirked. Mars’ fury was unmatched compared to the other Children of the Sun. Earth would not be able to withstand too much.

“Here is your coffee. Is there anything I can get for you?” The female set the mug down before him.

“Get away from me.”

The female made a sharp pivot away from him, her posture indicating irritation with his attitude.

Ludo dismissed the observation. Humans were insects.

Coffee was the one human invention he enjoyed. The liquid added a tingling to his insides and somehow heightened his senses. In fact, as soon as he’d taken a sip of the brew, the Descendant’s aroma grew stronger. He drained the hot beverage. Whatever additive they had added to the liquid enhanced his sense. The scent of the Descendant was so potent it threatened to overpower him.

He rose to follow the trail and headed to the door.

“Wait! Sir, you didn’t pay your bill! You have to—”

Ludo stopped and turned, a well of fury rising inside him. This female deserved to have her head crushed.

Perhaps his thoughts conveyed themselves to her since the female stopped in her walk. As he watched, the delicate aroma of fear, metallic and sweet, emanated from her. She backed away, external limbs trembling violently, color seeping from her face until she resembled a pillar of salt. Without any warning, she ran away, glancing once over her shoulder at him before falling to the floor.

Ludo left without further incident.

A mist had formed in the time he’d patronized the eatery. It was another sign of Venus’ subtle attack upon Earth. It became denser the longer he stood there. Unlike humans, he was able to see through it. Murmurs erupted around him as the shock of a fog in mid-afternoon startled the humans. He sent another thanks upward to the Children of the Sun. It would seem they had every intention of aiding him in his quest.

Ludo spent the rest of the afternoon hunting down the source. Unencumbered by the fog, he steadily made his way. The carriages slammed into each other at times, while others were at a standstill. Some humans stood in groups while others hefted boxes with strange colored lights and sticks with oval tops, speaking into them.

Yet, the newness of this world did not detract him from his search. It turned out it was better for him to have gone on his own. With the fog, his
juusha
would have been unable to pursue the hunt.

When night fell, the fog lifted as suddenly as it came. Crowds disbursed. Humans went to their homes to do whatever humans did. As the streets emptied, the lingering stench of human flesh also dissipated. Ludo welcomed the breath of fresh air that finally made it to his nostrils.

The trail of Rhychard’s descendant grew stronger and stronger. Ludo’s heart thumped in his chest. It would be the last time he’d hibernate. All he wanted now was the gem and the opportunity to taste Rhychard’s Descendant’s blood on his talons.

Ludo stopped at a large housing building. Several stories high, it was the place where his prey’s trail ended. The front entrance boasted of guards of some sort that greeted people by bowing and engaging in conversation. They all spoke about the dense fog that had covered the city earlier that day. From the looks of it, it seemed they would be a while. Humans had to discuss everything without fail. He scanned the area, searching for another entry way. A small window on the western edge of the building drew his attention. It was in a darkened area, away from the lights. Unobtrusive and obscure. Ludo made his way toward it with one thought in mind.
Time to hunt.

“Wow! You’re so tall! How tall—”

Ludo whirled around, reached out and grasped the human’s face in his hand. The short spurt of a surprised cry was all that pierced the night before his hands closed and crushed the human’s skull. The bones shifted like glass under his gloved fingers and a wetness dribbled down his wrists. Coppery scent wafted upward and he inhaled it. Dead human flesh didn’t bother him as much. He preferred it.

“Did you hear that?” A voice from the entrance of the housing building met his ears.

“Was that a scream?” Another joined in.

Ludo debated taking care of the humans that were making their way toward his position. The Descendant was within his reach, so close he could almost taste his blood. It would be easy to depose those striding toward him now.

Yet, he figured this new world wasn’t too much different from the one he’d left. A dead body was a dead body, after all. Someone was bound to take an interest.

Ludo turned and walked away as the first cries of shock wafted behind him. There was always tomorrow.

“All right,” Ken sighed as he slid into the seat across from his best friend in the booth four days after his mother’s funeral. “What house is on fire?” He tugged off the lightweight jacket and set it next to him on the seat.

A splash of sunlight highlighted the excitement in John’s eyes. “You won’t believe what I found.”

“What? A new star?” Ken scoffed. He picked up a menu.

“Even better.” John threw his jacket at him. Ken shook his head as John opened his backpack and pulled out his tablet. Several quick taps on the screen and then he turned it toward him.

“See?”

Ken glanced up, more so out of habit than anything else, and the image he saw made him freeze.

“Who is that?”

“That’s what I’m trying tell to you! It’s your ancestor.”

Slowly, Ken set the menu on the table and then he gently took the tablet out of John’s hand. The image, although grainy, was clear enough for him to see his ancestor’s face. He jerked. The man in the picture, from what he could remember, looked like his father. He’d had precious few memories of his sire, but he’d seen enough photographs from his mother to recognize the man.

“Where did you get this?” He tapped the screen and zoomed in closer. The image grew grainier.

John laughed, thoroughly pleased with himself. “I was doing some looking around into the Druid’s Spear phenomenon happening right now and I came across this.”

Ken’s brow furrowed. “What does that have to do with my ancestor?”

“I don’t know!” John exclaimed as he took back the tablet. “That’s why I’m so excited. Here’s a hundred year old picture of your ancestor and somehow it’s related to the planetary alignment.”

“I thought you said this type of alignment only happens every two hundred years.”

“I knew you were listening!” John grinned. “Yes, but all kinds of astronomical events occur all the time. This could be related to an alignment of two or more planets, the appearance of a comet, any number of things. I’ll have to do some more digging.” He nodded at the picture. “This particular picture came up when I was doing some research. Apparently, a hundred years ago or so, your ancestor was part of a group of professors who were looking for modern connection to Druids.”

Ken twisted the watch on his wrist. There was no way the man in the picture could be his father if it was that old.

“Druids?” Ken’s eyebrow rose into his forehead. “Huh? What does that have to do with astronomy?”

The waitress came at that moment and took their order. Ken gave his first, since it was obvious she and John were making eyes again. With his friend being temporarily distracted, he took the tablet from John’s grip and stared at the photo.

A nagging thought crossed his mind. This didn’t just look like an ancestor of his lineage. It appeared to be his father, exact copy and all.
Okasan
would know.

He cleared his throat as a sudden lump appeared. Would the ache ever go away?

With a determined lift of his head, he pressed the surface of the tablet and minimized the photo. According to the accompanying information in the page that appeared, the professors sought to understand what the ancient Druids believed and their practices. They had developed some interesting theories contrary to mainstream knowledge
“So what do you think?”

Ken twisted his watch. He didn’t know what to think. When his mother died, life loomed before him, a road with no end. There wasn’t a woman in his life he found special. Except for John, there was no one else in his life: he worked and stayed near his mother. Now in the past four days since her death, strange things had happened to him. Inheriting the strange rock and half cut whatever it was. The underwater event still filled his heart with unease. Now this picture of an ancestor that he was sure was his father.

“I’m not sure what to make of it, John. Not sure at all.”

Why didn’t these things happen to him while his mother was alive? Why now?

A large shadow landed on the table, and Ken glanced up to see a tall man stopped in front of the window. Sunlight from behind obscured his face but Ken saw the man pull out a cell phone and fiddle with it. He dismissed the intruder.

The waitress came back with the order, a ready smile on her face, when she glanced up at the window and screamed. The tray slapped against the table and sloshed them both with liquid and food before toppling over.

“Whoa!” John exclaimed, jumping to his feet and gaping at his ruined clothes. Ken escaped most of the damage except for a few splatters.

“Go away! Go away!” she cried out. The woman’s eyes were wide with fear and her body trembled.

The man outside stared into the window look up at them, then shook his head and walked away.

Ken stood to help with the clean-up.

“What happened?” John asked the woman as he bent to pick up the debris.

The woman swallowed audibly and wiped her hand on her skirt. She bowed low. “
Sumimasen
.” As she knelt to help another porter came over. “I don’t know what came over me. I thought—”

“Thought what?” John prompted.

Ken watched her shake again. “I thought it was that strange man from before.”

“Who?”

Dark brown eyes met his. “A few days ago, a very tall man, hooded and gloved, came into the diner. He was extremely rude to me. When he left, he didn’t pay for his drink.”

“Prick,” John muttered, “but that doesn’t seem so bad.”

She shook her head. “When I approached him to pay for his meal…”

If possible, the color from her face whitened further. The trembling that had subsided returned in full force.

“Hey, hey, sweetheart,” John cooed, as he gripped her hands in his. “Did he attack you? Hurt you?”

A dry sob heaved from her throat. “When he looked back at me, I saw his eyes. They were gleaming like…like…cat’s eyes.”

“Oh, come on!” John rocked back on his heels. “You have to be kidding.”

“I’m not making this up,” the woman declared emphatically. “I know it sounds like something from a movie but I know what I saw. And what I felt.”

“What do you mean?”

She fixed her gaze on the broken pieces of dishes on the floor. “I was glad to be alive. He looked at me and I knew I was glad to be alive. Something was strange about him. Wrong. Evil. Almost as if he wasn’t human. I didn’t even want his money. If I never see him again, it would too short a time.”

“You must have imagined. Oh!” John perked up. “Or, maybe it was the glow-in-the-dark contacts you can get from—”

“Do you take me for a fool?” She shook her hands out of his grip. Ken saw John’s admiration plummet like the stock market prices. “I know what I saw.” She stood briskly and then and gave a polite bow. “Please feel free to order again, and it’s on the house.” With that, she turned and walked away. The porter finished the job.

“Wow, and I was beginning to like her,” Don Juan shook his head mournfully and sat down again. “Now look at my clothes.”

“You’ll live,” Ken answered in a dry tone. “Did you want to order something else or just leave?”

His friend’s lips pursed comically. “I never turn down free food.” John picked up his chopsticks when suddenly they broke without an apparent cause. Although Ken didn’t consider himself superstitious, nonetheless, a wave on unease passed over him.

His friend played it off with a nervous laugh. “I’ll just get another set.”

A different server came, a man who didn’t pique John’s interest at all. Ken smiled at the hilarity of a budding relationship gone astray. Such was life.

Over the food, they went through the Net, trying to discover more information about the picture and how his ancestor fit into it. It was a couple of hours before they decided to call it quits.

“Maybe those books from the library will help.” John yawned and stretched as they rose to leave.

“What books?”

“When I saw that picture, I went to the library to see if I could get more info and took out a couple.” He gave a shrug. “It won’t hurt anything.”

“If nothing comes from it, don’t be upset.”

“How are you feeling, Kenny?”

How should he answer that? With the truth or a polite nothing?

“Like a steaming pile of—”

Before he realized what John was about to do, he found himself in the other man’s grasp and John was hugging him tightly.

“I miss Aoki-kasan
like mad. It feels like it’s been a thousand years since I last saw her. She was my mom too, just like you’re my brother. I’m here.”

The unexpectedness of the gesture froze Ken in place. Then a tear leaked from his eye and he was hugging his best friend back, uncaring that there were curious eyes watching them. A kaleidoscope of images flew through his memory. Born in America, John’s parents had immigrated to Japan when he was a baby. His mother hated the land of the Rising Sun and left one day to never return. They’d attended preschool, middle school, high school, and university together. They may not have been born in the same womb, but they might as well have been. John had been there when his mother had collapsed while he went on an errand. He stood by his side when the doctor told him of the diagnosis. Stuck with him while he transferred her to hospice. Held him while he sobbed at his mother’s grave.

Somewhere along the line, he’d taken all the pain of his mother’s loss on himself, thinking no one could understand. And yet, John felt the same.

A moment later, they pulled apart. Ken cleared his throat. “
Gomenasai
.”

John shrugged. “Nothing to be sorry about, bro.” Unshed tears moistened his eyes. “I’ll get the books and bring them to your house.”

Ken coughed and wiped at his face. A quick glimpse of his watch showed he had to be at Tanaka-sensei’s
office in about twenty minutes to sign some more paperwork regarding the transfer of funds from the life insurance. He grabbed his jacket and put it on.

“I’ll be back at my apartment in an hour, so if you get there before me just go on in.”

John nodded and turned to leave when the waitress from before came up to him. “Maybe I was crazy,” she said in a low tone, her head bowed.

“Oh, not at all,” his friend naysaid, attraction sparked once more. “I was being an insensitive jerk.”

Ken knew where this was going, so he headed out the door. A grin lifted his mouth for the first time in days. From that moment on, he would no longer refer to John as his friend but his brother.

Ludo’s talons were choked with human gore as he made his way down the hall to the next place where Rhychard’s scent lingered. Each step fueled his rage, blistering his cold-blooded body and causing his scales to lift in reaction, similar to the effect of goosebumps on a human.

With disinterest he used one blood-stained talon to flick the gore out of the other. The mess landed along the wall in the hallway, and slid down in a blood teardrop. He cleaned his talons to the best of his ability as he made his way. Once again, the nostrils flared to capture the scent. It was a door to his right. Impatient, he lifted his fist to pound on the door when he caught a stronger hint. Quickly, he turned and saw the door ajar, and entered it.

Ludo clutched the gem roped around his neck and squeezed. Satisfaction rolled over him as the room was saturated in the scent of his rival. This place was obviously where he lay his head. His home.

Ludo glanced around and lifted himself into a corner along the ceiling, talons embedded above him and his eyes facing toward the door. After he destroyed Rhychard’s seed, nothing would be even capable to stop him.

A long forked tooth tongue slithered out and he licked his split lip in anticipation.

And waited.