Family

White dust here, White dust there, everywhere we looked the streets were covered in heaps of snow.

I kick a pile absently as we trek towards the house that houses our prisoner... Albert, the lessons we had with sly bastard are concluded, He can finally have the fight with Maxie he so desires....

"That's if he can walk on his two feet," I laughed.

"Sorry..." Iva muttered under her breath, she cuddled up under her bear skin coat.

"It's not your fault.... he shouldn't have attacked Bar- our Chief Karl," Booker patted her on the back.

Yes.... it happened a few weeks back, During our lessons, Maxie for some reason decided to show up, 'I'm bored what's this language class all about, anyways?' He said.

Now Albert.... his blood was boiling at this point but Maxie couldn't have given a horse's arse what he felt, he just casually propped up next to me and started cracking some jokes.

Needless to say, Albert was irritated, The greasy haired little bastard refused to continue with the lessons, I rose up and challenged to beat him within an inch of his life if he didn't continue.

I threatened a suicidal man with torture.... Yes, he was not fazed in the slightest, he refused to continue unless Maxie got outta the class, Maxie reluctantly left and class continued as usual.... until Peters mentioned something that made him snap.

You see.... That's the day Amari found out she was pregnant, Peters told me after lessons, Albert overheard us and he snapped!

Lunging right at me with murder in his eyes, Iva tackled him and beat him senseless before I ordered her to stop.... if the fella couldn't handle her.... Yeah, He's dead when it's time for Maxie, there's no doubt about that.

Still... where does the bastard get off being pissed at me for having a child!? He's lucky He had Iva deal with him instead, I'm hoping his legs are okay, we tried to heal him with magic but he refused calling our powers demonic, Bah! To Hel with him! I hope it hurt like a bitch when she snapped his legs.

"Chief Karl I needed to inform you about something I sensed earlier in the room.."

"Which is?"

"There's a man hiding in the boards underneath the house, I don't think the others know about him but the Mayor definitely knows..."

"I'm aware,"

"I say we- what?"

"I'm aware... the man's probably our Sol Master, He's badly injured from his travel, Hence why he hasn't harmed any of us so far,"

"If you knew.... then why?"

"Because injured or not he's still a Sol Master, you think I'll risk our people storming the cellars with an unknown like him, Maxie and the others have sensed him too.... I doubt he'll try anything until he's healed but just incase I'd avoid removing the villagers until nightfall, besides..... you think I'll risk anything like that since Daken?"

"That's not my fault!" She got defensive.

"Not fault!" Iva added.

I patted Iva on the head, "I never said it was your fault.... if anything It's probably mine..."

"Chief Karl..."

".....Blood sacrifice? where does a Kid learn stuff like that? Thankfully no one on our side died,"

I shuddered as I recall the ghastly scene of that day.

I'd murdered many before.... but there was something.... unnatural about what I saw that night, were any living things meant to make those kinds of noises?

Were their eyes meant to be that dark and pitless?

Who.... no, what was that thing? Our healers and Mages detected nothing, so did our Shadowstalkers.... yet there was something eerily familiar about the whole thing.

".....Those other kids though...."

"Sara is still alive, is she not? Besides the others died before they could be reborn, so no losses,"

"No losses!" Iva repeated after me shaking her head.

".....You hate them so much but our ancestors were once humans too, y'know?" Booker said coolly.

"Do not..... remind me...."

"Yes, Aunty Amanda talked about it a lot, Our Ancestors were pirates that hailed from Akaar Continent, she said they all have Dark skin like us, she said-"

"I don't bloody care what she told you!" I spat.

Booker seemed taken aback, "Y-You don't? She really wanted to visit there one day."

I looked upwards and sigh.

"We're here, let's just get this over with..."

"As you say...."

********

"Go to Hel creature!" Albert spat, his eyes filled with hate.

"Good afternoon to you too!" I patted his head, he hurled profanity after profanity at me as he struggled in his chains futilely, I was impressed not only is his strength back, his vocabulary has increased as well!

Most of those insults were in the common tongue.

I clapped for him which seemed to anger him even more.

"Now, Now.... haven't I been kind enough to you? I removed you from the bitter cold when I brought here, didn't I?"

"You murdered the villagers this morning to do so!"

Iva slapped him for me, a bit softer than I'd like but I guess he got the message.

"I don't want to hear that from the bastard that destroyed Fred's Village while transporting a Basilisk here!"

"Why do you care? I thought you hated all humans?"

"Oh I do! But I have a soft spot for those that aided my Mother, besides Fred and his people are now my people! I turned them myself, 'I've never felt more alive!' He told me during his first night!"

"He likes being a demon?"

This time it was Booker that decked him, oof a bit harder than I'd like, Ohh... now he's spitting blood!

"Don't hurt him too much, I want him Healthy and hearty for Maxie on the morrow,"

Albert gave me the nastiest smile I'd ever seen in my entire life.

"Finally..." He muttered.

This guy....

"It's a shame Fred couldn't come here.... I wanted him to see you sing like Bird when Maxie rips you apart,"

"After I finish with your Fool, I'll Try you next and maybe that big bitch of You-"

This time I slapped him, not to hard, not to soft, just right! He stayed silent after that.... not a damn word, even as I jested him on and on about about what I'd do to his remains when Maxie was done with him.

SILENCE.

".....You're no fun, you know that?"

SILENCE.

"Very well, I get it, I get it, Let's go, Oh have Nicki heal him up for tomorrow," I tell one of the guards.

"No! I will not-"

"Shut up!" Iva shouted, before kicking the fool in the gut, he doubled over in pain.

"I don't give a shit! I want you at full strength when you die tomorrow, no more, no less! Ladies let's go!"

************

We made our way back to the inn, I wanted to get a little nap before night fell, I always get sleepy after a meal like today, an entire herd just throwing itself at us, I laughed absently, which made Iva give me a quizzical look.

"I'm good, I'm good! Just need some rest is all" I waved her off.

She stood outside my room skulking around like some guard, I like the devotion but I think she's overdoing it a bit.

"Well.... time for bed,"

"Chief Karl Barker!"

"What!? What do you want Booker?"

"We didn't finish our discussion earlier..."

"There's nothing to-"

"She always said it was a beautiful place!"

"Boo-"

"The people in the North like wearing wooden masks, The southerners live in massive wooden towers!"

"Booker I-"

"And the-"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!"

"I-I-"

"IF SHE LOVED IT SO MUCH...." I take a deep breath to calm myself, damn it the others are coming into my room now!

"Everything is okay.... we're just having a discussion, that's all...."

The others seem reluctant to leave but Iva chases them off.

I look back over at Booker, she looks pained, Damn it.... I didn't mean...

"I'll take my leave now,"

"Wait, Look.... Bookie, I don't hate you... nor do I hate Mother, you know that right?"

"I....I know but Chief Karl,"

"Barker...."

"What?"

"You can call me Barker, but if you call me Barkie I swear I'll kill you, Curse be damned!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Sure, sure.... Barker, why don't you like me? I know I hurt you before but...."

"It's just strange, you know? We weren't really that close to begin with, Why the sudden need to close the gap? I know you're not shallow enough because I've gotten a better position in the pack, so what's this really about?"

She sighs and takes a seat by the fireplace.

"I want us to be a real family- Don't look at me like that! I'm serious! Okay!? I never knew my Mom.... Father died while hunting so I was practically raised by Elder Michala, Me and Amari.... The closest thing to family I got was Aunty Amanda...."

"....."

"I got Jealous of you growing up, Amari clearly loved you more, So did Elder Michala and to top it off.... you had Aunty Amanda too! I always loved the stories she told me about her little ol' Adventures and the souvenirs, Fenris help me! I'm sure she did the same for you no..... better! yet you never seemed.... happy,"

"Happy?"

"Yeah.... always angry for some reason, I don't know about the Others but Aunty Amanda sensed it deep within you and.... it saddened her, you know? it didn't help that she was always away at some adventure,"

"Yeah.... she could have stayed home a bit more...."

"I always, always thought you must've hated her or something!"

"Never!"

"Yeah.... I didn't realize that until the day you lost her.... what...what were her last words? i-if you don't mind me asking?"

"..... Nicklaus, Nora.... I don't know who Nora is but Nicklaus!"

"The Werewolf hunter eh?"

I nodded my head.

"..... The healers said she couldn't speak through most of it, I wasn't around at the time, was it true?"

"....."

"I see..."

She rose from her seat and made for the door, "If....if you ever need someone, someone to talk to about this stuff.... tough stuff, I want to be that person, I want to try again.... will you let me?"

"...Okay,"

"You promise?"

"Yeah.... I promise,"

"Thanks Barkie!"

I hurl my canteen at her but she's already gone and the cup lands flatly on the floor with a full metal Clank!

" okay?" Iva asked.

"Yeah everything okay, need to nap now, wake me up in an hour, oh and tell our Shadowstalkers to prepare for battle against the Sol Master this evening," I didn't wait for her to respond, I turned around and closed my eyes.

Happy huh.....? What does that mean really?