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Chapter 6: Questions Asked

Nathanial woke to the sound of rushing wind, the smell of warm fur, and the feel of a strong arm holding him. He gave a soft murr of contentment and sniffed the body holding him. It smelled familiar, but he couldn't place it. Opening his eyes, Nathanial sat up and looked around. He was in Mei Lin's car, in the backseat with Liam. Liam had been holding him, but dropped his arm when Nathanial sat up. "Where are we?"

"Welcome back, Nathanial-san. You gave us quite a scare. You are well, I trust? I do hope so, or McDougal will be quite annoyed with me." Liam looked a little concerned until the last line, which was delivered with a soft smile.

Nathanial was starting to remember what had just happened. He gently shook his head to clear his mind. "Yeah. The cop didn't make you take me to a hospital, or bring us in for questioning?"

"No. Officer Steinbach witnessed the whole thing. We had to provide contact information, but there was no reason to detain us. We were also able to convince her to release you into our custody, as there was nothing physically wrong with you. I...thank you, and I apologize for what happened." Liam looked at the floor, blushing, and Nathanial stared. "I...acted rashly. I did not think there would be accomplices, and assumed my...our assailant was a common thug. They targeted one or both of us for a reason, and not the car. I told Officer Steinbach that it was likely an attempted kidnapping, that they saw our uniforms and tried to take us for ransom. It is a possibility, but unlikely. They were well-trained and too dedicated for something that trivial. It was a brazen attack. I confess to being at a loss. I apologize for placing you in jeopardy."

Nathanial squirmed uncomfortably. He felt that Liam had saved his life twice, and didn't have to apologize for anything. He looked at the floor, blushing. "It may have been the other way around. My dad has a lot of money. It may have been a kidnapping." He looked out the window, already feeling a little nauseated from the motion of the car. He saw Dalhousie Collegiate in the distance before they turned up a side street. "How long was I out?"

"Almost a half-hour. It took us awhile to leave the scene; we had to wait for more police to show up, and traffic was pretty badly snarled. I did not realize how much traffic passes by that intersection during rush hour. It is part of why I do not believe this was a kidnapping or carjacking. Halifax does not have the traffic of Vancouver, Toronto, or New York, but it still is not easy to make a getaway after stealing a car with two 'kids' in it. They would not have been able to leave the city; they must have a base of some sort near my office."

Liam placed his paw on Nathanial's cheek, and looked into his eyes. "Your energies have sorted themselves out, mostly. There is a change that I can not interpret. It may just be due to stress. May I see your arm?"

Nathanial lifted his arm, resisting the temptation to lean into the paw that was on his cheek.

Liam moved the paw to Nathanial's arm. "It is good. The salve I used also contained ingredients to speed the healing. By tomorrow you may remove the bandage if it continues to heal at this rate, but you would still have to be cautious to not reopen the wound."

Nathanial straightened up with a start. "You were shot! How are you? Your arm, the pain, blood! I mean, I felt the pain, the blood running down your arm, staining the shirt. It must be a wreck; the blood was all the way down to your elbow."

Mei Lin was having trouble concentrating on the road at this point, but managed to safely steer into the driveway of a decent-sized two storey home. The footage would be roughly equivalent to the entirety of Nathanial's basement. It was red brick, with a grey shingled roof and from the looks of things, kept very tidy. A carport was on the left-paw side, with a Smart Car parked in it next to a Vespa. Nathanial looked around in confusion, wondering where they were and why they were here.

Liam spoke quietly to Mei Lin in Chinese for short while, then motioned for Nathanial to exit the car. He bowed to Mei Lin as she pulled out of the driveway. He looked at Nathanial and sighed. "I wish you had said nothing about my injury. I will now be pestered for weeks about my health." He pulled out a phone from his pocket.

Nathanial's ears perked in excitement. "Is that a Sony Play? I've really wanted one ever since it was rumoured to be coming out!" He wilted a bit as Liam looked at him blankly. "Oh, right, sorry about that. I just remembered seeing the blood dripping from your arm as you left the car, and I felt it when you ran toward me."

"'Felt?' Your senses had left your body? That is most unusual, but please, one moment." He opened the phone and dialled a number. "Greetings, this is Liam Smith. I am unavailable at the moment, so please leave a message as you will. If this is an inquiry about my well-being, please be assured that as of this recording, I am in good health. Thank you kindly for your concern and well wishes." He closed the phone. "We are in a hurry still, Nathanial-san. Allow me to collect some equipment, change my clothes, and inform my father of the latest events."

"Oh, right, sorry."

Liam walked to the front door. "You acquitted yourself admirably. Thank you for deflecting the attacks of the Rat; they would have been problematic. I was certain she had shot you, though. It was...distressing."

Nathanial stopped in his tracks and Liam paused, paw on the door handle. Nathanial pulled the bullet from his pocket and stared at it. "I stopped it. How...? I felt the bullet leave the gun, I saw it, I saw_everything_ in slow-motion. I...just thought..." He rolled it over in his paw. "I wanted it to stop, and it did. I don't understand."

Liam walked back to him, put a paw on his shoulder, and lifted his chin with the other paw. "Time for thinking, time for preparing, time for action. Now is time for preparing. Think later, yes? Brothers are in grave danger." He patted Nathanial's shoulder. "Now, follow." He walked in a calm, measured pace to the door and entered. "Enter and be welcome, my boy."

Liam wiped his hindpaws on the entry mat and picked up an old wooden cane from a stand. A half-wall to their right separated the hall from an open living room and a dining room beyond it. He walked into the kitchen at the end of the short entry hall. "Ah, good afternoon, good afternoon," he said as he greeted the person in the kitchen.

Nathanial followed Liam and saw another hall running parallel to the kitchen, two closed doors on the same side as the front door, a door outside at the end, and a rec room next to the kitchen. All of the rooms were meticulous, with no clutter anywhere. An easel with a canvas sat in the corner of the rec room on a plastic mat, facing away so Nathanial couldn't see what was being painted. A violin and a bamboo flute were set up on stands next to it. There was a small hallway off the kitchen to his left, and it looked like the staircase up was there. To the right was a door to the dining room.

"Welcome home. You have company with you? May I fix you something?" The voice was as respectful as Mei Lin's was. Nathanial walked in and saw a middle-aged Rottweiler standing by a fridge. He was a metre and three-quarters tall, a little chubby, and had thin wire glasses on. He wore a white apron, though his chest and legs were bare, as far as Nathanial could see. "Let me bring your bag upstairs while you go relax."

"Food is unnecessary, my boy. Have stopped by to inform you of plans." Liam patted the older Rottweiler on the arm and handed him his pack. "I must gather things to prepare for difficult evening. Go, with my thanks. I will bring guest downstairs." He gave a soft chuckle. "Ah, manners, manners. Apologies to both. Nathanial Marks, Walter Smith, father of Liam Smith. Walter, Nathanial, student with tendency for trouble-finding, also in class 10-A."

Nathanial bowed, confused at Liam's wording. He got a better look at the cane as he did so. It was carved in an ancient Chinese style. It had many birds he couldn't recognize on it, until he saw one rising from some flames. They were phoenixes. That 'Honoured Grandfather' thing of Liam's was back again. Nathanial kept a cautious eye on that cane; he didn't want to get smacked or jabbed again, even by a very pretty cane. He wondered how old it was.

Walter bowed in return and backed into the hallway before hastily making his way upstairs.

"This way, this way." Liam led Nathanial around the corner and down the stairs. The stairs down were next to the stairs up, and like the rest of the house that Nathanial could see it was hardwood flooring. The basement appeared to be divided into several rooms. Liam took a key from his pocket as he crossed an open area that was set up with weights, heavy bags, and other fitness gear around a large area with gym mats, and unlocked a door. It contained a set of drawers like the one in his office, a worktable, and a safe. He unlocked the safe and pulled out a sword. Nathanial was unfamiliar with the style; it was a long, thin blade with a red tassel hanging from the hilt. It was Asian, but not Japanese. He was pretty sure he'd seen it in a manga that was set in China, but that was all he was sure of.

Liam stalked back into the gym, his movements fluid but purposeful, and placed the cane against a bench. He went through some forms with the blade; they looked graceful and elegant. Liam sheathed the sword as Walter came down the stairs.

He stopped halfway down, a shocked expression on his face. "Xun?! I haven't... That sword. What are you planning?"

Liam's tone was respectful and deliberate. "Honoured father. I have some business to attend to that may be dangerous. I am not at liberty to discuss the details, but please be assured I will not break any laws. It is a Hidden World matter."

Nathanial wondered, 'Well, this is different. What is a 'xun'? Or who? Why is Liam's father surprised? Doesn't Liam act odd all the time?' He smiled briefly. 'Cawhake, indeed. Most peculiar.'

Walter sighed. He appeared leery of the sword, and his tone was cautious. "You will be home tonight? It's a school night, and you need your rest."

Liam put the sword down beside the cane. "Yes, I know it is a school night, Dad. I do not know if I will make it home tonight, or if I will be in any...if I will make it to school tomorrow. It all depends on how things go."

Walter frowned. "Liam, I know you're smart, capable, and responsible. But you still need to go to school. Can't this 'business' wait until the weekend?"

Liam shook his head, his expression neutral. "No, Dad. Not unless you want between one and three pups to die, or worse. It must be done tonight. It should have been done last night. I will be going to Nathanial's house, hopefully with assistance from other members of the Hidden World. I will have much work to do, mostly healing, and if it goes well I will return tonight. I will likely pass out again, possibly for a week to a month."

"What!? The last time that..." Walter stopped and buried his face in his paws, leaning against the railing on the stairs. "Whatever. I trust you; just be as safe as you can, and come back to me when you're done. I will tend to you as I can, again."

Liam smiled and gently licked his father's muzzle as he walked by. Nathanial felt responsible for what was happening and stopped by Walter. "I'm sorry."

Walter lifted his head to look at him and glanced over at Liam, spotting the ripped and bloody sleeve, his jaw dropping. "You! It was you two in the car that got jacked today?! What the hell is going on? Weren't you going to tell me you got shot?"

Liam stopped, tail drooping. "Yes. Yes, I was. I was going to change and ask for your help in bandaging my arm. It is no longer bleeding, and the salve in the bathroom will numb the pain and speed the healing. It was not a major issue, or threat. I am more focused on tonight."

"That's supposed to make me feel better? A carjacking where you killed two out of three thugs is nothing compared to tonight? You must be joking. Please tell me this is the first time in your life where you try to crack a joke."

Liam just shook his head and continued upstairs.

"You, Nathanial, what are you? Spirit, Fey, Mage? I know Liam would never help a Knight or Hunter under any circumstance, so you must be one of those three. Or something else. He said there were more things out there, too. Please, what is happening?"

Nathanial felt a tear run down his face. "I, I'm a Mage. He's trying to save my brothers. He already saved my life, twice. I...can't say any more, I'm sorry." He ran up the stairs, following Liam. Walter sighed and slowly followed.

The stairs were in the middle of the upstairs, and again the floors were all hardwood. To the left were two doors, both open, and a window at the end of the hall. The window had wooden blinds over it, partially closed. A skylight let in sunlight above the stairs. Across from him was a bathroom, and Liam was in it taking off his shirt and jacket. To the right were another two doors, both open, and another window at the end, also partially covered.

Walter walked past Nathanial into the washroom and grabbed a green facecloth. He wetted it and moved to Liam. "May as well use the green one so the blood doesn't stain. Sit down and I'll clean your arm." Walter began cleaning when Liam nodded. "Nathanial, in the room to the left on this side of the hall is Liam's room. In the closet is a black bag. Take it and place two pairs of socks and underwear in it. The grey underwear are his favourite. They are in the dresser: middle-bottom drawer." He rinsed out the cloth, and resumed carefully sponging up the drying blood from the black fur.

Nathanial went into the aforementioned room. It was spotless and in perfect order. It had a carefully made double bed with a soft grey and white bedspread with pillows under it. The dressers were oak, in a light varnish. On the wall were four frames. Two were of Chinese characters -- no pictures, just the word or phrase (Nathanial could never be sure if a single character was one or the other) in black ink. The other two were also ink: one of a Chinese dragon, and the other looked to be a Japanese landscape. He looked in the closet. The clothes were lined up by style and colour, carefully hung or folded. On the floor were several different bags: duffle, gym, and book. He picked up the black gym bag and brought it to the dresser.

He paused with his paw around the handles. "Let me guess. Lined up by briefs, boxer-briefs, and boxers. Each will be sub-sorted by colour."

"You are correct, Nathanial-san," Liam called from the bathroom. "It makes it easy to find what I am looking for." Nathanial jumped, surprised that Liam could hear him. "If you could grab the black kung fu outfit, third one in, it would be appreciated. Just lay them on the bed."

Nathanial complied. He just put them down as Liam walked into the room, shirtless, a white bandage wrapped around his left bicep. Nathanial admired his physique again.

Liam pulled off his pants and pulled on the loose black pants Nathanial had lain out. Small buttons closed the baggy silk pants around his ankles. The top had faint phoenix patterns stitched into the silk, with black thread to keep them barely visible. Liam swiftly did up the buttons on the front, right up to the straight collar. He hung the sword on his left hip. He picked out another set of clothing and neatly placed it in the gym bag, along with a small jar of salve, some bandages, and a small overnight bag with overnight toiletries. He paused before slowly walking over to his dresser. He opened a small jewellery case with a puzzled expression and pulled out a medallion. "Why is this important?"

Nathanial gasped as his head ached horribly, and he was no longer in Liam's room; instead, he was once again sliding down the side of Mei Lin's car, the corpse of the Crocodile a few feet away with a medallion hanging around his neck. It was the same crucifix that Liam held. And then he was back, weak and shaky.

He began to fall as Liam looked over, and the Rottweiler's strong arms caught him before he reached the ground. "Are you all right, Nathanial-san? What happened?"

"The medallion." Nathanial nodded weakly as Liam held it up. "Why do you have it? What is it? The gunmen today wore them."

Liam's eyebrows shot up towards his ears. "You are certain?" Nathanial nodded. "It is the mark of the Hunters. I took this from a would-be assassin years ago. They were displeased with my working for the Monks -- a group of Furs dedicated to unifying the Hidden and mundane worlds, as well as protecting innocent magic beings from the Hunters. I most certainly was careless today. As were they. I must not have been the target or they would never have dared to get that close. That would also explain why I did not sense them. Most interesting. Still, it is something we must ponder later. Your brothers await."

Walter was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and was waiting when they went downstairs to the front door. "Two thermoses of hot water, if you need them later. Protein shakes for you two to drink now. Granola bars, four sandwiches, and two oranges." He handed them two glasses and placed a bag of food into Liam's gym bag. "Be as safe as you can."

"Thank you, Dad. I will." They chugged down the drinks and handed back the glasses.

Nathanial felt horribly guilty. "Thanks, Mr. Smith. I'm sorry." Walter nodded and waved them off.

Nathanial ran after Liam, who set a gruelling pace -- about half the speed he saw Geoff and Faelen use. "You said something about help? Where are we going?"

"Around the corner." Liam ran to the end of the block and turned right. At the end of the street was a larger two storey house, painted green. It didn't have houses adjacent to it, but there were a number of large trees in the oversized lot. They could see a forest behind it. "A conservation group suddenly got a large amount of money a month ago and bought up all the land behind this house, right before some people moved in. I got suspicious and investigated. They should be able to help."

He jogged up to the house and rang the doorbell. Nathanial caught up, panting and holding a stitch in his side. A very muscular adult Wolf with dark grey fur answered the door; he looked to be in his early- to mid-twenties. Liam nodded his head. "Hello, Mr. O'Conall. May I speak to Conor McDougal?"

Nathanial was dumbfounded. "O'Conall, McDougal? Do Geoff and Faelen live here?" Was this Faelen's older brother? He thought Geoff and Faelen were here with just their dads. Could this be Faelen's dad? How old was he when he had Faelen?

The Wolf looked at the pups, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Yes, they do. You must be Liam and Nathanial. Why do you want to talk to Conor? How did you know we lived here?"

"Is that why Geoff said--?"

"Silence, Nathanial-san. Mr. O'Conall, I need help. Help I think your employer may be able to provide. May I step inside and discuss this out of general sight?" The Wolf stepped back and let them in. "Thank you. Close the door, please, Nath... Are you alright?"

Nathanial stopped abruptly as soon as stepped into the house and doubled over in pain. He pressed his paw to his head in a vain attempt to suppress the agony caused by an intensely powerful magical field somewhere in the house. "Gah! Today isn't a good day, I think. I got a splitting headache as soon as I stepped in. It's like...ah!" He stood up slowly, blinking back tears. He focused on trying to tune out the 'frequency' of the magic and managed to reduce it to an annoying buzz in the back of his mind. His headache slowly subsided. "Something is here. Ooh, ow." He closed the door.

They were standing on a small landing with stairs heading down to the left and a few stairs on the right leading up to the main floor. The railing overlooking the stairs was broken.

Liam looked into Nathanial's eyes, a kindly twinkle dancing in the brown pools. "Going to be well, my boy? Hmm?" Liam placed a paw on Nathanial's head, between his ears, and a paw on his right forearm. "Hmm, yes, yes. Overwhelmed by great power, no danger. Arm is well. O'Conall, speak with you, about Demons and portals. Demon portal has opened nearby, and open I believe it remains. Pups are in danger, and will help them. Seeking the help of others to minimize danger." Liam shook his head, as if clearing it. "So, if you would not mind, I need to speak with your employer. Nathanial may visit with Geoff and Faelen in the interim."

The Wolf's eyes searched Liam's. "I trust Faelen's judgement; I'll allow this. But be on your best behaviour. I'll remain close."

"As you will," Liam said. Mr. O'Conall's back stiffened, and he glared at the impassive Rottweiler, who ignored the look. "Please, time is precious. Hunters are already prowling."

Faelen's father's eyes widened, and he nodded.

Mr. O'Conall banged on the wall and waved Nathanial down.

Nathanial crept down the dim stairs into the basement. The rec room was laid out similarly to his, but these guys seemed to have an aversion to light; there were only a few lights on in the entire place. He could hear weights being racked in the room to his right, so he poked his head in.

Faelen was there, just putting a set of large weights back onto their supports, and he sat up from the weight bench. He was shirtless, but wore loose gym shorts. "Nathanial! What the hell are you doing here!?"

"Nathanial? What?!" he heard Geoff yell from somewhere behind him, and his heart skipped a beat. Geoff ran into the weight room and scooped Nathanial up in a big hug. "Pup!" He continued to hold Nathanial off the ground, sliding one paw under his tail to help hold him, and kissed him passionately. Nathanial opened his muzzle to grant him access and returned the kiss.

Faelen waited one minute, timing it by the clock on the wall as he enjoyed the show, before clearing his throat. "Who else is here? I thought I heard Liam, but I discounted it. Was it him? Why does he need to talk to Conor?"

Geoff put Nathanial down but held him close, paw still on his rump. 'Yup, some Furs really like butts,' Nathanial thought before answering out loud, "Tent ask, I mean, to ask for help with the Demon portal that's still open."

Faelen looked at him, puzzled, before noticing he had gotten a little hard watching the kiss and his gym shorts had 'tented' up a bit. He blushed and adjusted himself. "Sorry." He glared at Geoff, but spoke to Nathanial. "Why would he ask Geoff's da for help?" Geoff looked away.

"I don't know, I didn't say anything. But he was saying something about a conservation group getting lots of money and buying the forest behind your house just before you moved in. He got suspicious and 'investigated.' I don't know what he meant by that." He turned back to snuggle into Geoff's bare chest before he noticed that wasn't all that was bare. He looked down, blushing, and then snuggled in, Geoff's sheath pressing into his lower belly.

Geoff lifted the Akita's chin and kissed him gently again before licking him between the ears. "I'll throw some clothes on, then we can go check and see what's up."

Nathanial's tail was wagging as fast as it could go. "I'll go with you, but I don't think we're allowed to be in on the meeting. Liam sent me down here, I think to distract you, or me, or both. I don't mind." He had his arms around Geoff, and felt him tense up.

Geoff gently disengaged from Nathanial. "I don't know if I trust him, pup. There are too many questions around him." He kissed Nathanial again. "Let me get dressed and I'll be right back."

Nathanial wrapped his arms around Geoff's neck. "He saved my life, twice." He blushed, smiling. "He also gave me 'advice' to show you." He stood as high as he could to lick Geoff's ear as he whispered, "In bed." Faelen choked as he stifled a laugh. Nathanial felt Geoff's reaction poke him in the belly.

"Why was he giving you 'advice' like that?" He was pleased, but still suspicious. "Wait! What? Twice? Your life twice? What happened? He was just supposed to..." He noticed that both of Nathanial's arms were wrapped around him. "And he did fix your arm. Wow. He's good." He started to pull off Nathanial's school jacket to look at his arm. He stopped, seeming to realize that he was getting distracted again. "Life. What happened?"

"The Demon taint in the cut. It was spreading. He said it was moving way too fast, and that I'd likely die soon. He cured me. We, um... Did you hear the news about the attempted car hijacking this afternoon?" Faelen nodded. "That was us."

Faelen's jaw dropped. "No shitting!"

Geoff's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he said, shocked, "Faelen!" He looked back at Nathanial. "Speak."

"Arf?" Nathanial smiled as Geoff shot him a dirty look. "Hunters. Three of them." He didn't expect them to know what Hunters were, and was shocked at the deep rumbling growls around him. The vibrations he felt through his chest flattened his ears against his head at the same time they comforted him. 'He's so strong, tough, and brave. Why can't I be like that?' He burrowed his nose into Geoff's armpit, snuggling in as he felt the shivers returning. His headache was also spiking again; he felt his legs get a bit weak.

Geoff picked him up, an arm around his back, the other under his knees. "Pup! Hey, what's wrong? Here, you look like you should lie down for a bit." He turned and walked out of the gym, Faelen following.

Nathanial saw a door next to the gym door. The source of his headache was in there. Geoff walked into his room and put Nathanial on his bed before switching the dim light on. Nathanial looked around. It was the opposite of Liam's room. Dark walls and fabrics, things slightly untidy, placed almost haphazardly around. It wasn't messy, but it certainly wasn't tidy. Just disorganized.

Geoff lay down beside him, wrapping his arms around his pup. "Better?"

Nathanial felt his sky blue eyes drawn to the icy blue eyes of the Wolf and he fell into them, unable to answer. He could feel a deep, dark, power lurking behind the concerned face. It scared him.

"Hey, c'mon. What is it? Talk to me, please!"

A faint, timid voice answered him. "Who, what are you?"

Geoff felt his muscles stiffen, before he smiled and relaxed. "I'm the Wolf who fell deeply in love with you at first sight. I'm the one who wants to be with you all the time, and wants to protect you. Please, what is going on, with and around you? Let me in. Stop trying to run away and hide from me. Please." He gently licked the white muzzle and the orange fur around the Akita's pointy ears.

Nathanial sighed, breath catching slightly; he wasn't sure he'd ever heard anyone say the word love in reference to him. At least, anyone who wasn't his brothers. "Say that first bit again, please?"

"Which part? The 'I love you' part?" Geoff nuzzled into Nathanial's ear as a tear rolled down the Akita's cheek. He nodded. "I love you."

Nathanial quickly told him about the Hunters attacking, and how they thought he was likely the target, and how the Succubus was likely influencing his brothers, particularly Nicholas. He showed them the bullet he'd stopped, and talked about how he'd felt 'off' since the attack started.

Faelen asked, "How does Smith know so much about the Hid...magic stuff?"

Nathanial countered in a soft voice, "How do you?"