Therion Chapter 6 - Ruins

 

Ben stared motionless at the man kneeling before him. Finally, he holstered his pistol and pulled an extra set of clothes from his backpack while keeping one eye on this man-beast.

He was older, rough, and weathered with a thick red beard. He glanced at Ben, “Thank you.”

There was an awkward silence as Ben searched for the words. He couldn’t process the town that appeared in the middle of nowhere, or the fact that there was a WEREWOLF being escorted through this town, not to mention the pack of werewolves he had been attacked by last night. Now this – this man in front of him. It was too much.

 

It – he spoke, “We should get out of here if we don’t want to find ourselves on the menu again.”

Ben leered at him, then plopped down on a rock.

“We?” He replied. “We aren’t going anywhere. You’re not even human. Why did – why… sigh.”

 

The man shook his head. “Okay, we’re gonna talk first. My name is Thomas Brown. What’s yours?”

Looking off into the woods, he answered, “Ben Holland.”

Tom extended his hand. Ben reluctantly raised his, accepting his gesture of kindness.

 

“I am a human, just like you or anyone else.”

“Humans don’t turn into beasts and turn back again,” Ben retorted.

“Humans can’t – not on their own. But if they have help, they can be many things.”

“So, what helped you, and why did you want to become a murderous animal?”

“That’s a long story. Where are you headed, Ben?”

“I’m trying to get the heck out of here, back to my truck and back to Heather.”

“They’ve already found your truck, and it’s not safe to go that close to Fallon’s Veil.”

“Fallon’s Veil?”

“That’s the town that doesn’t exist. Might I suggest a safer place?” Asked Tom.

“Absolutely.” Ben stood, and Tom led them toward the eastern forest.

 

Shadows darted across the landscape, flickering in and out of sight. Ben constantly sensed unseen eyes tracking his every move, a presence lurking just out of view. The rocky woodland gradually gave way to rolling hills, where broad-leafed trees flourished, and sunlight painted everything in vivid shades of green. Moss blanketed the ground like a soft carpet, dotted with delicate spring flowers. Keeping pace with Tom became easier as he navigated swiftly and surely toward his safe house.

They crested the final rise, and Ben drew a sharp breath at the sight before him—a magnificent relic from another age. A three-story house jutted from the hillside, its meticulous stonework adorned with graceful arched windows and a grand central doorway. Both the door and windows gaped open, empty and shattered, scarred by some long-ago battle.

The upper levels were constructed of moss-covered red brick, and the stained-glass windows there were left unshattered.

Ben slowed and watched Tom vanish into the darkened doorway, disappearing within the cavernous ruins. He wondered what might lie in wait for him on the inside. Was this a trap? Was Tom the hunter, and he the prey?

Sigh… he reluctantly followed.

Daylight lit the front of the abandoned house, but the pair pushed deeper into its depths. They wound their way through dusty, debris-filled rooms and finally entered what looked, at one time, to be a large office. Ben surveyed the area with keen cop eyes, detecting what he could through the dim light, holding on to every detail. He walked around a large desk sitting in front of empty bookshelves. At the far end of the spacious room, two wingback chairs sat in perfect symmetry on either side of a stone fireplace.

Tom slid his fingers across the mantle until he found a box of matches. He lit 3 candles and motioned to Ben, “Have a seat.”

Tom gazed into the darkness and finally spoke, “I am a human, with many flaws. My mother was abused. She was abused by her father, by her boyfriends – by my father. She became an addict; I was born one.

The cycle of abuse continued, spilling over onto me. My family and my foster family both abused me, so I ran. I left at a very young age and found myself in places that looked a lot like this one, but within were covens of strung-out zombies. I became one.

One day, I found myself in jail. They told me I had stabbed a woman to death. I didn’t remember what had happened, but the evidence all over my face, neck, and hands told the story well enough. I had done something terrible. That I knew, and I deserved to be where I was.

Five years of work farms among monsters in human meat suits were enough to make me listen when a man told me he could get me out.”

Ben listened, pondering Tom's words. “Was this man a recruiter?”

Tom looked at him, “Yup. They put people on the inside to get men like me to join them. I had murdered once; it wouldn’t be hard to do it again, especially for a one-way ticket to freedom.”

“So, he got you out, then he brought you here. But what exactly did you do and where exactly did you do it?” Ben asked.

“Ok, long story short, I became a guardian. Our group protected nomads and traders from the GTR enforcers or just law enforcement like you.”

“What? Law enforcement like me? I never told you I was law enforcement.” Ben retorted.

“You didn’t have to; you have the look. What are you doing out here anyway, looking like that? Alone?

“No,” Ben replied. “You don’t get my story until you finish yours.”

Tom gazed into the flickering candlelight as he stirred up painful memories. “It was a family for about a week. There was food, warmth, and safety. They gave us anything we wanted or needed – drugs, women, whatever. No judgment.”

“So, you were one of many recruits.”

“Yeah,” Tom replied. “But I was the newest. There were eight of us, each at a different stage of training. While I waited around, enjoying the calm, the others would return from wherever they’d been—exhausted, hollow-eyed, their skin tinged gray. They’d collapse into sleep.”

Tom went on. “I learned the names of gods and goddesses, and I was taught to worship them. Then I was taught how to use their power. After all that, the old man took me under his wing. He was the wizard of the clan. He showed me how to project my spirit out of my body. I could go anywhere, it was amazing,” Tom smiled.

“I used it to spy on people. I gathered information and plans. I located allies and enemies and sent out hunters to take them out or bring them in.

Then the wizard – Sharku Orrgrave, said it was time.”

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