Squallbreak Chapter 2

Ewan Decimus Squallbreak
After the incident in the pub, we left the building as soon as it was safe to do so. It was clear once the locks had been released that things were not as safe as we had expected, a mist hung in the air around us. People were always wary when in mist, or even in dark places where shadows hang heavy, these are the places where humans are powerless compared to the mystic ones, but even they at times are uncomfortable with it. The mist and even at times smoke and steam, is capable of pulling things out from elsewhere. Where it is they originate is not known. What these things actually are is known by few, but they are called by the multitude of religions as Demons. This is not the first time I encountered them and it will not be the last, especially since one has taken a keen interest in my existence. I looked at Riona with; some concern.
“How do you feel?” I asked curiosity and concern taking over.
“Cold, slightly afraid; largely due to the presence of the mist around us. What makes it worse; is the voices which sing in the air, trying to break past my mental defences, use my body as their own. My peroun marks bind my essence so that I am of no danger to humans, reducing the magical ability that I can use, but also acting as a ward to those beings which attempt to take over my body as happened with that police officer. Even now I can feel my marks burning in this cool air. What worries me most is that although I have been aware of those beings all my life, their voices whispering in my ears, this is my first true encounter with one. And that scares me.”
I nodded in agreement, “it was the same with my first encounter with them. I can hear them as most beings of a mystical nature can, but I cannot sense them. No need to worry, there doesn’t seem to be any near us; at least not near enough for us to worry.”
We walked on for a while in silence, before Riona turned to me.
“That demon spoke of a Chiyara. Who is she? At least I presume it’s a she.” Riona asked cautiously.
“Ah: her.” I replied, “Well to put it simply,”
“You’re going to say it is a long story.”
“It is. And I will tell you eventually if it interest you. But just to put it into perspective, she is a very powerful demon possessing the body of a fey. I had a run-in with her a couple of years ago. There is more, but that is for later. Now may I also ask you a question: how many Peroun marks do you have?”

Riona Victoria Skyblaze

“How many Peroun marks do you have?”
I stopped in my tracks when I heard that question.
“Why do you want to know that?” I asked with some surprise.
“Call it curiosity. Call it concern. If you find it too intrusive a question, then just say.”
I was taken aback by this, almost as if I did not expect it. “It is an intrusive question…”
“I’m sorry.”
“But that doesn’t mean I won’t answer. I have a total of five Peroun marks.”
Ewan smiled at the answer “that means you’re twenty then.”
I looked at him crossly, before storming off ahead of him.
“I’m sorry I asked. I knew it was rude. He called after me.”
I quickly looked around the area, realising where I was I called back to him.
“Don’t worry about it. I still want your help. Where and when are we meeting?”
“Midday tomorrow outside the city archives.”
I waved back to him in acknowledgment, before setting off through the mist towards my home.

Ewan Decimus Squallbreak

I watched as Riona walked down the street, slowly vanishing into the mist. I considered following her further, but decided against it. I removed my watch from my pocket, fifteen hundred hours. Riona had found me at around thirteen thirty, at which point I was having my lunch. Our conversation and our two rounds must have taken about an hour, including being locked in the pub for around ten minutes afterwards, which means that the two of us walking here has been about half an hour, give or take a bit. I shook my head at these thoughts before setting off back towards the university. The area I was currently in comprised mainly of large buildings, many of which were flats housing both students for the university and workers in the many industrial factories. The size of them is certainly impressive, all of them constructed of once red bricks, now black from the smog. I began to wander back towards the centre of the city, mulling over the events of what had happened.
A young lady had approached me regarding the investigating of a mass disappearance currently being studied by the police. Because she could be connected to the incident in question she was followed by a police officer. A complication appears when the messenger from Chiyara appeared, not that I did not expect it. Since I met her Chiyara has been attempting to make contact with me. Why you may wonder, that I don’t know, but my sudden disappearance from her point of view. But since I had heard nothing from her in the last three months, I thought she had given up. Could she be involved in this incident? That is a possibility. But what would her motives be if it is her.
Then again the police could be right. If they are then that means Riona or one of her co-workers is the cause of this disappearance.
Or neither of them is involved: then it is something to do with a completely different group altogether.
I continued to think about these three different possibilities as I crossed the foyer of the main university building, heading towards my office.

Riona Victoria Skyblaze

I glanced behind to see Ewan wander off into the mist. As he went, I could feel my marks burning more and more intensely on my skin. The sound of the singing voices drifted past me through the smog-like air. Ahead I could clearly see the entrance to the flats.
Just: a bit, further.
I pressed on, tired from working a night shift, tired for staying up during the day in order to meet Ewan, tired from the endless assault of them against my mind. I was weak with tiredness, weak to the point that the Peroun marks may not be enough to ward me against possession. I quickened my step, fatigue weighing my body down. The siren song increased in volume with each step I took. Louder and louder, on and on, like a never ending hypnotic sound, sweeter than the sweetest nectar, continual, eternal. I sprinted through the doorway, slamming it closed and leaning on it for support. The singing stopped as I was separated from the mist. I waited in silence at the foot of the stairwell with my back against the doorframe, trying desperately to get my breath back. I listened as the silence outside was gently broken. The singing had begun again, but this time I was not worried. No-one would have their windows open in this weather. I began to slowly mount the stairs, heading upwards towards my flat. I reached it on the fourth floor, exhaustion filling my muscles. I glanced over the handrail to the four floors below me. Was something there? I couldn’t tell, yet my marks were still burning, not a good sign. I realised that I was breathing very rapidly; I could feel my heart beating at a pace I was not used to. I closed my eyes and slowed my breath, calming myself. I jumped suddenly when the door opened behind me.
“Sis. Why are you back so late?” a small voice warbled behind me.
In the doorway; stood my youngest sister; Maria. She was still at home following the inscription of her third mark earlier in the week.
“I was in a meeting with someone.” I smiled.
“Oh right.” She replied moving into the flat.
“How’s Grandma?” I asked as I stepped across the threshold into the flat.
“She’s up and about.” Maria replied, disappearing into the bedroom.
I wandered around the main living area which also doubled as my bedroom during most of the day. There were a total of four of us living in this small three roomed flat, me, Maria and our grandparents. My parents had decided to send my sister here due to them having to look after my five other siblings. I decided to move here soon afterwards in order to study at the university. However despite both my grandparents drawing a pension: there was barely enough money to feed the four of us, and to maintain the flat. So I ended up working at an engineering factory as a manual labourer, something I decided to keep from Ewan, not that it would have done any good: - my work uniform would have more than likely given away my position anyway. I wish I was in admin rather than on the factory floor with the hot metal. I sat down on the sofa which dominated the living room. I tried to settle down, realised I couldn’t: I was so tired that my entire body ached. I quickly made my way to the bedroom, changed into my nightclothes (or more precisely day clothes) before heading back towards the living room, I glanced back at Maria: she was resting at her end of the bed silently waiting for me to go to sleep. I went back, kissed her on the forehead, before heading to the sofa with a blanket, and slowly falling to sleep.
“Thank goodness there is no work for me tonight.” I muttered to myself as I drifted off.

Celia Jessica Arwain

I sat at my desk, slowly working through the pile of documents. The office around me was the main administrative hub for all members of the humanities department: it is here that all members gather within a large communal office, researchers, tutors, students and examiners as well as administrators all have a desk or room in this corner of the university. Of all the subjects here, the most active is the history department. When I first joined it was the size and depth of the historians, as well as their further subdivisions as a department. There are the four main areas of modern, early modern, medieval and ancient, but even then there is sub divisions based on different countries, rulers, conflicts, social classes. The precise list is almost endless. Now what is my role within this office area you may ask? Well I am currently the secretary slash administrator slash manager to a group of researchers, students and one tutor specialising in history regarding religion and the Occult. The official leader of this group of overgrown schoolboys is Doctor Henry Pendefig, an amiable man in his mid-twenties, physically quite large and fond of his food. Of the group he is the only one who actually teaches any students. Beneath him are the three junior researchers: Messers Richards, Archer and Blake. These three respect Dr Pendefig, but as with many in this little sub department I find them slightly strange. The appearances of these three; is of a bookish scholar, a brute possibly from a military background, and an attractive but complete cad not interested in anything other than bedding as many young ladies as possible. Of course there is the knowledge of other races of a supernatural nature, represented within the department by a young student, a girl actually, by the name of Dymphna Greenfield, as well as myself. There are other students attached to the group, but there is one more paid member of the faculty that I must mention. Whereas Dr Pendefig is officially in charge of the group, the real leader is a charismatic man by the name of Ewan Squallbreak.
I noticed a presence approach me on the other side of the desk.
“Hello Ewan. What is it this time?” I asked with a sigh, not looking up from my work.
“Oh nothing much Celia.” He replied in such a tone that I immediately realised that he was onto something big. “By the way is room HI-13 open for use in about.”
I looked up at him. Ewan was checking his watch, deciding when to call the meeting. I pre-empted his statement as I grabbed the list of rotas regarding the other members of the department. “The room will be free from seven pm, about the time that the other staff members and students of the department will be available. Is that what you were going to ask?”
He nodded with a pout of approval.
I took it as half a confirmation of what was being planned. “You’re onto something aren’t you? From the way to are talking it is something big and important. Your previous ventures of this size have also been dangerous, not only to yourself but to me, Dr Pendefig and other members of this department.”
As I issued this warning I could feel my tail begin to twitch crossly at Ewan. I glared at him through my glasses, eye to eye.
And then he kissed me, fiercely. Initially surprised by his actions, I briefly resisted, but then reciprocated the gesture. We moved our arms in a gentle embrace, with Ewan supporting my back. We slowly released from the embrace.
Ewan smiled roguishly through his short and slightly scruffy beard. “But that is why you love working with me.”
I sighed pulling away further, “there is never a dull day around you Ewan Squallbreak.”
He stepped back and began walking off before turning back towards me, “you will organise the meeting for seven, won’t you?”
“Of course. I’ll inform the others when I see them.”
“Good.” He replied. “Oh and how about dinner?”
“Dinner?”
“At five? I’ll pay for it.”
I smiled to myself “Where are we going?”
“Anywhere, as long as it is within five minutes’ walk.”
“I trust your choice.”
“How about: The Old Library restaurant? “
“See you there then.” I replied watching him go smiling gently to myself.
Hang on. I’ve just agreed to a dinner date haven’t I?

Ewan Decimus Squallbreak

I have always had a soft spot for Celia; she has been a good friend for years. Well I will not lie; we dated several times whilst we were studying here at the university. We still are to an extent, although our relationship had a break two years ago after we had graduated with our degrees. It was during that period when everything changed for me, except possibly my feelings for Celia. There is one name regarding my year of travelling, the reason I went missing whilst I was training in one of the lands of the empire of SuKanen when I encountered the girl: the one who I would soon call Chiyara.
I headed back to my apartment, a good sized living space, within the perimeter of the university campus. The once white stone building houses a number of staff members who could not afford to own their own property, or need somewhere else to live whilst at work away from their families. I entered through the pair of large elegant wooden doors into a large foyer with a double staircases leading up from the ground floor up to the first then onwards up to the sixth. Each floor consisted of a total of five wings, each containing fifty apartments. I headed up the stairs, towards the northern branch of the eastern wing on the third floor, room thirteen for the floor. I unlocked the door and walked in.
“About time you appeared. I’ve been sat here for hours.” A man spoke in a bored tone.
I moved carefully into the room, closing the door behind me.
“Octavius.” I acknowledged the man grimly.

Michael Octavius Squallbreak

I smiled to myself as my younger brother acknowledged my presence.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here.” I stated to him, waiting for his reaction.
“Not really. The ministry of supernatural security is probably interested about the small incident at ‘The Bridge’ public house. In particular; the incident regarding a police officer being possessed by a demon. Am I correct, or is there something else you wish to talk about?”
He was always a sharp one was Decimus, the youngest of us ten siblings. He knew precisely what I wanted to know.
“Your dealings with Chiyara and her servants are of little consequence to us at the moment. No we are more concerned with the incident with the airship ‘queen Sufeila’ and your involvement with one of the suspects.”
He turned towards me as he crossed the room, suspicion was written across his face.
“So what does that mean?”
“It means that your contact with that girl has made my people suspicious that you are going to do something idiotic again.”
“From what you say, as well as the newspaper reports, I presume you are; no nearer knowing what happened to those passengers when they passed over the Caerlaich mountains.” My brother replied.
Damn! He had hit the problem on the head. The clues were there, yet despite questioning all the surviving passengers several times, as well as beginning to question members of staff connected to the company, in particular those of the supernatural races. We have not questioned the girl my brother was seen talking to, yet I doubt there will be any use in talking to her at all.
“Oh we know all right. The police will hopefully have made an arrest by the end of next week. Just, don’t do anything that will get you into too much trouble.” I told him in a matter of fact sort of way. “Also say hello to your Trasllew girlfriend for me.”
“You mean Celia.”
“That’s the one. See you again soon Decimus.” I called back to him as I left the room.
“Goodbye Octavius.” He replied crossly.
I left him be for now, knowing what his next actions will be over the week. He was going to help me by researching the incident. I had purposely warned him off in order to make him investigate. I smiled to myself as I prowled the corridors, leaving Decimus to prepare for his date.