Cayden Wilde in Calling the Shots – Final Episode

“The Kingston Case. Matthew Kingston was turned into a Satyr through the use of a powerful artefact; the legendary Holy Grail. The Grail not only has the power to turn any liquid poured into it into wine but those who drank from it must adhere to the will of the Grail’s owner. That will could be interpreted into almost anything from forcing someone to do something to even causing physical changes without them even being aware. It took some searching and although there were distractions along the way the investigation led me to Matt’s childhood friend, Trevor.

“I know the item used. I have an inkling on what the motive was. Now all that remains is to find the suspect.”

******

Trevor Stalks lived in the suburbs, fairly close to the Kingstons. Barely a stone’s throw away according to Matt. Apparently, during the summer, the two boys would walk to one anothers' houses and spend the day together. They had been incredibly close until they started college. That was when Matt began hanging out with a new crowd and that same crowd judged Trevor purely upon his species. It would be very easy to see why the Satyr would turn on his former friends in what could only be seen as a form of ironic punishment.

But at the same time, a clever mind could actually conclude that such motivation could be easily capitalised upon.

“Do you honestly think that Trevor did it?”

Cayden parked his car in front of the small, suburban home. The white, wooden walls looked homey, almost like they had been given a fresh coat of paint. Though the front yard was neatly trimmed, the cluttered evidence of a family with roots well engrained were scattered all across grass. A football lay on one side of the footpath while a child’s hockey set lay on the other. Plastic toys were scattered here and there as well along with a small child’s slide and a bicycle.

“Does Trevor have any siblings?” Cayden asked, completely ignoring Matt’s question.

“Two younger brothers,” Matt answered. “Cayden, please. Do you think Trevor did this?”

The werewolf peered into the house. He couldn’t see movement as of yet but there were definitely signs of life. He could see the glimmer of a television through some of the lace curtains and there was a light smell of cooked food coming from within. Smelled like eggs…with a bit of basil and bacon if he wasn’t mistaken. “Honestly? I don’t know, kid.” He hopped out of the car and strode towards the suburban home.

I don’t think Trevor is the culprit… but I’ve been wrong before.

He glanced back towards Matt as the hulking Satyr strode up to him wearing a pair of three-quarter, tan khakis and a black tank top. With Wake Delta’s normally chilly climate Cayden normally wore his jacket everywhere he went; but Matt seemed unfazed. Although that didn’t stop him from sporting a clear outline of his rock hard nipples though the tight fitting shirt that outlined his pectorals ever so nicely…

Cayden shook his head and then fixed his eyes forward and marched up to the red, wooden door. He grasped the door knocker and gave it three swift raps.

The sound of shuffling caught his attention beyond the door.

“I’ll get it!” came a youthful shout and within moments, a young Satyr pulled open the door. Possibly about fourteen or fifteen, the young man was a little on the scrawny side and wore a pair of glasses. His hair was a mustard blonde. “Can I help you?”

“My name is Cayden Wilde. I was hired by Olivia Kingston to look into how and why her son, Matt, was turned into a Satyr. You might recognise Matt.” He gestured at the Satyr standing next to him. “He’s right here.”

The young Paranorm looked up at the hulking Satyr and gawked. “Whoa! Matt!? Is that you?”

Matt gave the stunned Satyr a shy wave. “Hey Steve.”

Heh… Steve the Satyr. Has a nice ring to it.

“I heard the news but I didn’t think it was you!” Then Steve’s expression darkened. “Wait a second. You don’t think Trevor did this do you?”

“We don’t know,” answered Cayden. “We know Trevor probably attended the same bachelor party that Matt and his friends went to and we just want to talk to him.”

“He did and he came home pretty early. I was still playing WoW 3. I think it was about two in the morning.”

Matt leaned towards Cayden. “It’s not a very big house. With five people, the two eldest boys share a room. Ian, the youngest, gets his own room.”

So that’s how Steve would know when Trevor came in.

“Can we talk to Trevor? Is he here?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah. Of course. He’s in the backyard shooting hoops. I’ll show you.”

This would’ve been harder if I had just brought Katie… Maybe even the other Satyrs.

Cayden was suddenly convinced he had made the right decision in just taking Matt.

They were led through the clean house covered in carpet. Most Paranorms who preferred to go around bare foot tended to prefer carpet in their own homes. Cayden opted to go for floorboards himself simply because carpet was way too expensive. Still, it was nice to have warm carpet between his toes.

The backyard was fairly small but had enough room for a flower garden and a small patch of concrete where a basketball hoop could be erected. There was a blonde Satyr, tall and lean but with the broad shoulders of a football player absently tossing a basketball at the ring.

“Hey Trev!” Steve shouted. “Matt’s here to see you.”

Trevor Stalks turned and Cayden’s left eyebrow rose. The Satyr was quite the handsome young man. A strong, square jaw was lightly dusted with a roguish chinstrap beard. His hair was wavy and tumbled past his ears. Shirtless, he exposed his chiselled chest with a distinct treasure trail leading from the crest of his powerful pectorals down to where his basketball shorts hid his crotch.

“Matt?” asked the Satyr. He squinted at Cayden. “You got turned into a werewolf?”

Matt slapped his forehead and let out a groan. “No genius” He hiked a thumb at Cayden “This is Cayden Wilde. The private investigator my mom hired to look into why I got turned into a Satyr.”

Trevor jerked his head back in surprise and then turned to Matt. “Whoa… shit dude. Were you hitting the gym when I wasn’t looking?”

“It’s part of the changes, Trevor,” Matt answered with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “Listen, a couple of nights ago, I went to a bachelor party. Archie’s bachelor party. Did you go there too?”

Trevor looked hurt and his pointed ears drooped. But his voice became rather steely and his brown eyes hard. “Yeah. I did. Though I don’t expect you to have remembered.”

“Actually…” Matt grimaced. “I would’ve remembered, I swear. But the thing is…” He gestured at his form. “This body kind of came with consequences. I forgot most of what happened that night.”

“That ‘body’?” Trevor scowled. “That body belongs to a proud and strong species of Paranorm. A species I was born into. A species that has been ridiculed and stereotyped as a bunch of alcoholic horndogs for decades!” The Satyr’s hands were gripping the basketball tightly. “Though I don’t suppose you could’ve understood that in the few days you were one, huh? I bet you’d do anything to go back to being a ‘perfect, unblemished human’. Right?”

Matt narrowed his gaze at his former friend. “Trevor… did you put this curse on me?”

“A curse now?” spat the born Satyr. “So being a Satyr is a curse!? You got to be huge and buff just like that in a couple of days and you think it’s a curse? Some would consider that a blessing!”

“I didn’t ask for this!”

“Neither did I!”

Cayden turned to Steve. “You better get out of here, kid,” he whispered softly. “Things are about to get pretty heavy. Get your family to stand clear too. The cops are coming.”

Steve nodded hastily and hurried back into the house.

“So is that what your motive for this is?” spat Matt. “You hated how people treated Satyrs so you plan to turn everyone into them just to give them a taste of what it’s like!? You figured that if everyone were Satyrs then there’d be no more stereotypes!?”

Trevor violently tossed the ball into Matt’s chest. The bulkier Satyr caught it with ease, not even losing a breath. “Would just a world be so bad? Every Satyr could be a scientist, a politician or a anything they could ever want to be. Instead, they’re pigeonholed into being drunks and man-whores just because of what they are. I mean, our mayor is an Orc. He isn’t violent or constantly challenging people into trials by combat! But for some reason, Satyrs are constantly thought of as being useless party boys!” He scowled and glanced off to the left. “Doesn’t help that those assholes at PUK perpetuate the fucking stereotype…”

“That doesn’t make it right, Trevor!” Matt sneered. “You don’t get to decide what we are! You illegally turned us into Satyrs!” Matt’s features turned sympathetic. “I get it, okay? I get how you feel. It wasn’t my choice to be a Satyr but I would have at least have had the chance to choose. I wouldn’t want people to force it down my throat. But that’s exactly what you did. You forced your ideals onto us and… that’s a grave offense… You could go to jail for that…”

Cayden had been watching Trevor throughout the entire conversation. A criminal would’ve run. A real criminal would never have participated in the exchange. Outnumbered and outgunned, if the athletic Satyr were the real culprit, he wouldn’t have gone on a rant about his plans or dreams. This was a scene right out of a movie or a comic book.

Something definitely wasn’t right here.

“Tell us about the Holy Grail, Trevor,” he said.

The Satyr scowled at him. “The Grail. It was passed down to my family for generations. It was only fitting. It has the power to turn any liquid into wine. But more than that. If it’s owner wants something, those who drink the wine will be compelled to obey it.” He pointed a finger accusingly at Matt. “And you know what, Matt? I wanted you to know how it felt to be a Satyr!”

“You bastard!” Matt roared and he stormed forward.

Cayden was immediately between the two, holding up his paws. Matt collided with his arm and he caught the Satyr in a headlock, throwing him to the ground. “Matt! Cool it!”

Matt struggled, almost frothing in the mouth. “But he confessed! He confessed!”

He glanced over his shoulder at Trevor. The Satyr was just standing there, looking angrily down at Matt.

“Yes. He did. So why aren’t your running Trevor?”

The Satyr looked confused for a moment then he scoffed. “What’s the point? The police are on their way right. I’m going to jail.”

“That was a bluff. I knew you’d hear me.” He held onto Matt tighter to prevent him from calling the bluff on the bluff. “Trevor. Are you sure you’re giving up because you see no option out of this? Or are you giving up because someone compelled you to do it?”

Both Matt and Trevor gave the werewolf a stunned look.

“What do you mean?” asked the blonde Satyr.

“Did you drink from the Grail that night as well?”

“Well, yeah. Of course. But it won’t affect me. I’m its owner.”

Cayden released Matt, letting the Satyr gasp for breath. Then, he rose to his feet and dusted off his knees. “No you’re not. I went to a friend of mine who did a mystic trace on the Holy Grail which, by the way, is really called the Bacchus Cup. He found out that the owner of the Cup, or rather the surname of the owner, is…” His eyes went back to Matt. “… Kingston.”

Matt’s eyes widened. “Me!?”

“You!?” Trevor exclaimed.

“Anyone who drinks the liquid from the Cup will be compelled to follow the will and desires of the one who owns the Cup,” Cayden recited. “It lines up with the nature of artefacts in general. Artefacts are not inherently malicious. It’s just the owners of the artefact that define how it affects people. My guess is that the owner of the Cup not only wanted people to turn into Satyrs but also to forget or possibly even remember things differently from that night so that a certain someone could take the fall.”

Cayden’s eyes went back to Trevor. “I mean, it’s far too convenient, don’t you think? You came late to the bachelor party. The only Satyr there. Then the rest of the party turns into Satyrs. Blame would automatically go to you. In terms of master plans, that’s really kind of stupid. There were other witnesses there. The bartender saw you. That’s sloppy at best.”

“But I…” Trevor frowned. “I think I did it…?”

“You’re not saying I did it, are you?” Matt exclaimed. “That I turned everyone into Satyrs to…” He locked gazes with Trevor. “… to make everyone realise how badly they were treating Trevor… and then wiped me own memories…? Wiped our own?”

“That wouldn’t make sense,” Cayden replied. “Trevor came into the bachelor party with the Cup. Not you. But I like your thinking.” He tapped the side of his head. “The Cup can turn whatever is poured into it into wine. It can be passed around and drunk from. Hell, the wine can be poured out of it and consumed. But you don’t have to be holding the Cup to be its owner. Someone gave Trevor the Cup. That same someone had the intention of turning everyone into Satyrs.”

He placed his paws into his pockets. “And I think I know who.”

******

The large cauldron bubbled and boiled gently with a thick, green viscous liquid. Mama Cherry Blossom in her full draconic form loomed over the pot, watching its contents bubble gently. She inclined her head to the side, watching her reflection on the glossy surface. With one of her clawed hands, she grabbed a pinch of glowing, red dust and tossed it into the brew. A soft cloud of acrid, black smoke erupted from the surface with a noise like a dozen wind chimes ringing in the air.

“Are you actually doing something or is this all for show?” Des asked.

She gave the bulldog a coy and slightly haughty huff. “You know everything I do is with the utmost seriousness, Desmond. Nothing is for show.” Grabbing a black, metal spoon, she stirred the pot. “Gazing into the past especially an undetermined amount of time into the past is very difficult.”

“All I asked was if you could determine how the Bacchus Cup got here in the first place,” Des replied. “We know what it’s called. We know what it was originally used for but the Cup ended up in the hands of someone here in Wake Delta somehow. Someone who could actually use it. Cayden and Katie weren’t completely forthright with me on how they knew about the Cup’s properties but I can only assume they spoke with the Keeper.” He lifted a finger. “From what I can gather, someone has to ‘own’ the Cup and I somehow doubt that Bacchus felt it’d be a good idea to play a prank on humans and turn them into Satyrs for shits and giggles. Someone here can use that Cup. I want to find out who.”

The dragon curled and twisted in the air as the brew began to let out a soft, eerie, green glow. “In order to learn that little factoid, I must gaze into the past and trace the events that led to the Cup’s arrival into this world since the Convergence. Time is a malleable thing, after all, but it takes a lot of effort to shape it.”

She stopped stirring the pot and pulled the spoon out, setting it aside. “Ah… now it is ready.”

“Great. So tell what do I have to do? Do I drink that stuff?”

Mama Cherry Blossom held out her hand, stopping him in place. “No child. We merely gaze into the potion. It will tell us what we need to know.”

Des rolled his eyes and sighed.

Despite being Mama Cherry Blossom’s student, he was always the impatient sort of fellow. It came from coming from a species with a comparatively short lifespan to a dragon. Mama Cherry lowered her gaze into the oddly still mixture. She caught Des’ gaze in their reflection.

“This potion is attuned to the very history of the Feyrealm,” she explained. “It is a window into the past. It will allow us to trace the history of the Cup.”

Images began twisted and turning within the green brew. There was a large, rotund man dressed in a toga with a laurel of olive branches around his head. He was flushed pink, hefting a cup into the air and laughing heartily amongst men and women of all ages and sizes. The man’s voice rose out of the potion as well as the cries of revelry from others.

“Bacchus!” they laughed. “Bacchus!”

The god lifted his cup to the cheers and stumbled out of what appeared to be some sort of palace. Eyes glazed over with alcohol and clearly inebriated, he didn’t catch sight of the shimmering orb of scintillating energy standing in front of him. He stumbled right into it and within moments, the scene changed. Suddenly, he was standing atop a snowy mountain with a host of others.

“The arrival of the gods on Olympus,” said Des. “Sort of anticlimactic…”

“Hush now,” accosted Mama Cherry Blossom. “There is more.”

The images seemed to swirl and pass through the decades. Bacchus rose to prominence, spreading his ideology of revelry and celebration throughout the Greek and Roman people. But the focus was the plain, wooden cup he had been carrying throughout the journey. The Bacchus Cup.

The Cup was dropped in one particular party and utterly forgotten. Ages seemed to pass as dozens of feet walked past the Cup. Then, one particular figure picked it up. The owner’s face was not revealed but it was clear by the way he held it, that it was none other than Jesus Christ. The Cup was held high in the flickering lights of the Last Supper and handed from one man to the other throughout the ages. Bare hands turned into mailed fists. Hammers fell onto the Cup as gold and jewels were embedded into the magical artefact. Blood danced across the polished surfaces as war after war was fought in desperation for the iconic artefact.

Then, the aged hands of a man tossed it through a shimmering green portal, back into the Feyrealm. It landed directly onto Bacchus’ table and the god let out a cry of joy as his Cup had arrived once more. Centuries passed and countless parties and celebrations were reflected on the Cup’s gilded frame.

Then…

Mama Cherry Blossom immediately reeled back. Her eyes caught sight of something dark and sinister crawling in from the corners of the brew. Inky black tendrils were seeping in from the lip of still, green potion, disruption the vision. Des was too focused on the imagery.

“Get down!” she cried and immediately hurled herself at the Chief of Police. At that moment, those tendrils erupted from the potion like a dozen jet-black knives launching from the calm surface of the potion. The bit into her flanks, causing her to hiss. The burning sensation was unnatural like someone had cut her flesh with ice instead of fire.

The dragon crashed to the ground, pushing Des back. The bulldog immediately sprang to his feet. The tentacles burst from the pot, solid and angry. They threw the potion all over the shop and crashed through expensive ingredients in their attempt to disrupt the scrying.

Des pulled out his gun. As if sensing his hostility, the tentacles lashed out to him and immediately seized his wrist. He gasped. The mere touch of the slick, black tentacles was an anathema to his flesh. A sizzling noise filled the shot and black smoke rose from where the dark flesh had wrapped around his skin. He could actually feel it burning through his flesh and fur like acid!

“Fuck!” he shouted.

The weredog grabbed the nearest sharp object, conveniently a knife, and jammed it right into the tendril. At the very least, it could feel pain and he heard a high-pitched screech from it. It let go of his arm, leaving him staggering back in agony. Ugly, black welts were left on his skin and it burned like hell. Not too far away, he could see his gun just melting into inky blackness.

“Run,” Mama Cherry Blossom gasped, clawing her way to the door. “Run!”

“What the hell is that thing!?” Des exclaimed, eyeing the thrashing tentacles springing from the cauldron.

“Something from the Shadoweave. Something powerful and ancient! We must run! Now! We–”

She stopped.

The soft ringing of the shop’s door chimes hit Des’ ears. He turned in time to watch a flurry of silvery hair sweep past him.

Katie immediately danced through the array of tentacles, weaving and dodging through the lashing lengths. But even she was still human, of sorts. She couldn’t dodge everything.

“Katie!” Des cried in warning but one of those tendrils came crashing down on her from above.

Katie immediately crossed her arms over her head just as the lance of black flesh collided with her. There was a loud gong-like noise that rattled all the various glass tubes and jars in the shop. This was immediately accompanied by another high-pitched screech. The tentacle bounced off Katie’s block like it had hit a rubbery surface.

“Be gone!” shouted the lawyer, pointing accusingly at the writhing mass.

The tentacles didn’t obey and merely saw her as their new target. They lashed out at her, all of them cascading down towards the silvery-haired woman with the speed of a hailstorm and the ferocity of a rabid wolf. But the moment they hit her, they froze. That gong-like sound sounded again and the tentacles were knocked back with so much force that they were torn clean apart. They didn’t even get the opportunity to scream.

Shreds of black flesh were thrown against the far wall of the shop, splattering against the wooden frames where they bubbled and sizzled like acid. The cauldron rocked back and forth before falling to the side. Inky black blood seeped out of the pot filling the air with a smell like raw sewerage and rotting flesh.

Katie lowered her hand, her eyes grave and her features uncharacteristically still and lacking mirth.

“What were you two trying to do?” she asked in a low, menacing voice.

“Trying to figure out how the Bacchus Cup got here…” Des grunted. He regarded his injured arm. He could barely move his fingers. “Fuck…”

Katie merely flicked a hand over her shoulder. All the pain instantly vanished and the bubbling flesh disappeared back into Des’ normal grey-white fur. It was as if he had never been touched by that creature from the Shadoweave. Similarly, the angry cuts against Mama Cherry Blossom’s flanks had also vanished.

“How did you do that?” asked the dragon weakly. “That Shadoweave creature was immensely powerful. It’s mere touch was poison to the mortal plane and yet you…”

“I’m not without my talents, Mama,” answered the lawyer, not a single smile on her face. She turned to Des. “Cayden thinks he knows who’s behind this. I tried to call your office but they said you were here. He’s going over to the place now to make the arrest. You best get your people there now.”

The weredog staggered to his feet. “Okay. Alright…”

The Chie of Police was shaken. He wasn’t sure which one was more dangerous. The mysterious creature that had attacked them for trying to look into the past of the Cup… or the lawyer who repelled it.

******

The Stalks Residence was only a couple of blocks away. So it didn’t take too long before the door opened and Matthew finally came home. The big, muscled Satyr’s eyes went wide when the first thing he saw was his mother sitting in the rumpus room, a cup of tea in her hands and a golden, jewel-encrusted cup sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

“Mom?”

Cayden and Trevor followed Matt in and they both stood beside the stunned Kingston as Olivia slowly set down her teacup.

“Welcome home, Matthew,” she said gently.

“You…?” Matt croaked, his voice thick with emotion. “You’re the one who did this…? Did this to me?” He gestured at himself.

Olivia looked up at her son with watery eyes. “Not by intention. I only wanted you to be more like Trevor.”

“Like me?” Trevor repeated. “What does that mean?”

She gave him a pleading smile. “Trevor, dear, you were always so strong, such an individual. You stood out amongst the crowd. Despite what you were, you fought to ensure everyone knew who you were instead. You’re a Satyr, yes, but that’s not all of who you are.” She turned to Matt. “I wanted my son to be more like that.”

“What’s wrong with who I am!?” Matt shouted angrily.

“Nothing except…” Olivia lowered her gaze. “You always blended in with the crowd, Matt. You rode on Trevor’s coattails all through middle and high school. You were just his best friend, never your own. Then when you went to college, you became part of Archie’s group. You didn’t stand out on your own like Trevor did.” She clasped her hands together, pleading to her son. “I just wanted you to be able to make your own choices and to stand on your own two feet!”

Cayden grunted softly. “But the artefact took that a different way, didn’t it? You wanted whoever drank from it ‘to be more like Trevor’. You wanted them to be more like individuals instead of followers. You never intended them to become Satyrs. But ‘more like Trevor’ did mean growing horns, goat legs and hair in strange places.”

Olivia Kingston just nodded grimly. “I was so scared about what had happened…”

“That’s why you came straight to me. Not even a day after the event, you came straight to me. Trevor was your backup. You wanted him to believe that he was the one that did all this. An act of desperation and panic.” Cayden’s eyes narrowed. “You were there that night, weren’t you?”

Again, she nodded. “I convinced Trevor to go into the party and gave him the Cup as a wedding present to Archie so that they would all drink from it. When I heard what had happened, I immediately went to you and then to Trevor. He still had the Cup then so I convinced him to drink from it again, this time with the intention of altering how he remembered events. That’s when I took it back.” She looked to Trevor. “I’m so sorry, dear. I panicked! I… I didn’t know what to do!”

“You messed with our memories!?” Trevor shouted.

“I didn’t want to lose my son!”

Sirens blared outside and Cayden could see the flashes of red and blue. Des and Katie emerged from one of the cars.

“I felt so guilty about what happened…” admitted Olivia. “I tried to make things right. I could only get to Ted who was still passed out at the Triton’s Tub. I tried to make him drink from the Cup to make things right but he was just unconscious. I brought him back to his house, hoping I could get to him afterwards. He must have stumbled back to his own room after I left him at the doorstep. I tried to find the others but Archie and my Matthew had vanished. I guess Vance was sober enough to bring Ron back to campus…”

The door opened. Des came striding in with Katie and a couple of officers in tow. They all looked to Olivia Kingston and the Bacchus Cup sitting in front of her.

Olivia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I am so sorry, everyone. I just… I just wanted to do what was best for my son…”

Matt was fuming. “You should’ve let me decide what was best for me.”

“I know, Matthew, I know.”

She picked up the Cup and the officers were immediately on alert, reaching for their guns. Cayden lifted his arm, holding Des back from reacting. Olivia stepped over to Matt, holding up the Bacchus Cup in both hands to him.

“So I want to make things right,” she said gently. “I, Olivia Kingston, of sound mind, hereby bequeath to you, my son, the Bacchus Cup. It’s up to you now who you use it.”

She gently rested the cup in Matt’s hands, offering him one last smile. Then, she turned to Des, holding up her wrists. “I’m ready to go, officer.”

Matt was unmoving, his face steely and unreadable.

I can only imagine what must be going through his mind right now, Cayden thought bitterly. He regarded the Bacchus Cup. At least we now have a means to turn everyone back…

“There’s one thing,” Katie said suddenly, stepping forward. Des latched a pair of handcuffs around Olivia’s wrists, ones with arcane runes engraved into it. “How did you get the Cup in first place? Last I remember, it belonged to a god. How could it have come to you?”

Olivia lifted her head to the No One, a frown on her face. “There was a garage sale not too far from here. 44 Islelow Drive. The man there called himself the ‘Artificer’. He was just closing up shop when I passed by after church. He sold me the Cup and told me some grand tale about its properties. When I poured some water into it that night, I believed him.”

Katie and Des exchanged glances.

“Go,” barked the Chief of Police to his fellow officers. “44 Islelow Drive.” The weredogs saluted and headed off. Des then read Olivia her rights but Matt’s mother wasn’t listening. She was watching her son’s expression. Matt, however, was not interested. The Satyr’s eyes were fixed solely on the cup in his hands.

“I’m sorry, Matthew!” she pleaded. Des gently led her away. “I only wanted to help!”

Matt did not reply. Trevor gripped his shoulder and slowly led him outside.

Katie broke the silence when she turned to Cayden. “So… what happened exactly?”

Cayden blew out his cheeks and let out a soft whistle out of his muzzle. “Olivia Kingston did it. She wanted her son to ‘be more like Trevor’, an individual, strong-willed and outgoing person. She convinced Trevor to take the Cup with her intentions to the bachelor party as a party favour, kind of a neat trick for the groom. Trevor didn’t know it could do more than just turn water into wine. Everyone drank from the Cup. The initial effect didn’t hit Trevor because he already is Trevor. When the party broke up, however, the transformations began. Olivia was called and she got scared. She immediately went to me with the issue. Didn’t even wait until the police investigation had fully begun.”

“Makes sense…” Katie murmured. “You were just a few steps behind the police in some places and could even get ahead of them in others.”

“Right. Realising that she could be held responsible, Olivia tracked down Trevor and the Cup and got him to drink from it again, this time making him believe that he had perpetrated this act all in the name of ‘Satyr rights’ or something. She also tried to get others to drink from it to prevent them from turning but only managed to bring Ted home, unable to get him to drink. The rest… well… you know.”

Katie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “She’s not going to get an easy trial,” she whispered softly. “The Illegal Parafication could be forgiven under the Monkey Paw Act. The artefact took her wish literally and twisted it beyond her true intentions. At best, she would get community service. At worst, a six months to a year in a correctional facility. But given that she purposefully hindered police investigation by throwing up false leads and then purposefully altered someone’s memories with the same artefact…”

“Years in jail,” murmured Cayden. “At best.”

“Life at worst,” she added. “Comes under malicious intent. The courts aren’t very lenient to those who cast curses or use artefacts to cast curses. In some cases, it’s on par with murder.”

Outside, Olivia Kingston was being hauled into a police car. Her eyes were cast down, openly weeping.

“Sometimes the best of intentions can lead to the worst results,” he sighed. “What’ll happen now? To Matt and the others?”

Katie shrugged. “We have the Bacchus Cup. We have the means to turn them back into humans. They’ll be forced to take that route one way or another. Whether they change back of their own volition is something else entirely.”

“Did… you sort everything out with Matt?”

She gave him a sly smile. “You mean is he still mad at you for what you did?” Again, she shrugged. “I honestly can’t say, Cayden. You were basically mirroring what his mother tried to do to him. If how he reacted to her is any indication of how he feels towards you… well… I think it’s safe to say that you two might want to keep your distance from one another. At least for a little while.”

Cayden looked about the house and sighed softly. “Yeah… I guess you’re right.”

******

Back in his quiet home, Jacob Reaper sat in a plain, white room with the view of Wake Delta in front of him. He sat in a simple chair with a table beside him and a bottle of Dionysus’ Blood and two glasses atop. Without looking he gently poured a healthy dose of wine into both glasses. He brought one glass to his nose, taking in the aromatic scent.

“I wish I could say it’s over,” he said. “But unfortunately, this is merely the beginning.”

The creator of the wine, Dionysus otherwise known as Bacchus, sat in the opposite chair. The God of Revelry picked up the other glass and downed its contents entirely. “It was my hubris that created that artefact. I should have known better than to believe that such a thing would always remain true to its intended purpose.”

Jacob chuckled softly. “Creators do not hold responsibility for how others use their creations. It is one of the things that we No Ones insist those who opts to forge their own universes learn. Holding yourself responsible for every war, death or act of malice is useless especially when you grant your creations free will.”

Bacchus laughed bitterly. “They say that when Pandora opened that vase that held all the world’s evils, hope remained inside. They were wrong. Hope fled with the rest of the evils. It was choice that remained within the box and that is why we Gods held so much sway over the fates of mortals back then. But when we returned to our realms, the power of choice was given back to mortals. And oh what destruction they wrought…”

“Choice was always there. You Gods merely created a physical representation of it in an attempt to create your utopia without all the ‘evils’. But I’m sure, as you’ve all learned, that is like trying to curb the tide. Human nature cannot be supressed. Rob a man of a brain and he will grow one. Take a man’s sight and he will see with his hands. Break a man’s heart and he will build it anew.”

Jacob took a sip from his wine with a smile. “You cannot stop human nature, Bacchus. Just as you cannot stop your own. So there is no point in blaming yourself for how your Cup wound up back here on the Material Plane and was the tool that caused this little bit of chaos.”

The God set down his glass. “Perhaps not. But I still have to thank you for intervening at my request, old friend. Had you not…”

“People would have died,” answered the No One with a nod. “Hearts would have been broken. The stigma against Satyrs would have been heightened and you certainly wouldn’t want to have people going up in arms against the species of Paranorm that have sought refuge under your wings, now would you?”

The deity shook his head and leaned back into his seat. “Sometimes I am simply at awe at your abilities. You led Cayden Wilde to Wake Delta just for this day, didn’t you? You planted the Keeper there, built the relationship between them. All to foil this plan.”

“Not just this plan, Bacchus. Everyone deserves a happy ending. Stories may intertwine, characters may meet and leave, tales may mix and weave but in the end, each and every person alive deserves their own happily ever after.” He shrugged absently. “If it just so happens that the fact someone asked me to help Cayden in turn helps others with their stories, then so be it. So much the better.”

Again, Bacchus chuckled softly. “I am still very grateful for your assistance. And sorry I was so drunk that I yelled at your front door for hours on end.”

The No One smirked. “Time does not exist in Naught, Bacchus. But I appreciate your thanks.” He set down his cup. “What would you like me to do with Cup? Would you like it back?”

The god in a toga lifted his hand and shook his head. “Do with it what you will. Destroy it. Bury it. Give it to someone wiser than I. I care not. I trust you will ensure it is put to good use.”

The No One smiled, his dark blue eyes glistening with mirth.

“Haven’t you heard, Bacchus? Trust No One.”

******

Several weeks later…

The Kingston Trial had finally come to a close. Despite the fact that Olivia Kingston plead guilty to the charges of malicious cursing and illegal Parafication, a protest group known as Parachoice argued that she did nothing wrong and was only being a caring mother who just made a mistake. This caused a trial and a bit of a public spectacle in Wake Delta that had all the local news stations talking about it. It didn’t spread much farther, however, as the case was eventually dismissed as a simple illegal use of an artefact. Apparently, the higher ups didn’t want to advertise that the powerful Bacchus Cup AKA the Holy Grail was now in US soil. There would be too many religious fanatics going crazy over how the cup was used and even more would try coming to the city to steal it. Someone was meant to bring it back to the United Kingdom where a portal to the Feyrealm would send it back to Bacchus for safe keeping. In the end, Olivia was sentenced to 10 years in prison for brainwashing and falsely implicating an innocent, effectively crimes against humanity.

Once the case had been resolved and the boys turned back, Ron and Ted had both applied for and were successfully granted the opportunity to transform back into Satyrs. Apparently, Ron was starting up an awareness group for Satyr discrimination and Ted was heading up the events organization department. As Cayden rifled through his letters from the mailbox out the front of his apartment, he found an invitation to a party at the PUK Fraternity House for an event they were hosting.

Cayden rolled his eyes.

Well, they’re at least trying.

A cold wind blew and brushed through his short fur. Covered in sweat from the gym and having run back, he was compelled to read the rest of his mail inside before he froze. He turned, inserted his key into the security door and stepped inside. The interior of the apartment complex was slightly better but he longed for an actual air conditioner rather than a tiny space heater.

Making his way up to the second floor, he leafed through the rest of the mail and found an invitation for Archie and Nessie’s wedding. He had met the couple shortly after the case closed. Archie announced his intentions to go back to being human and it seemed that he, Nessie and Vance were entering into some sort of polygamous marriage. Apparently, the naiad got off watching the two boys furiously have sex with one another as she gave orders. He wished them the best of luck but wasn’t so sure about whether or not he’d go to the wedding.

Especially if Matt was there.

He hadn’t heard from Matt since the first court appearance when he had been asked to testify against Olivia Kingston. Matt had been there as well and he had been turned back into a human. Apparently, though, since he was the owner of the Bacchus Cup, he had to be flown over to Washington D.C. where he would bequeath the cup onto some official for its transport back to the Feyrealm.

But since then, he hadn’t heard from Matt.

The pang of regret filled Cayden’s chest as he headed up to his apartment. He dearly wished he had at least gotten a chance to really apologise to him. But with the caucus of the case and the publicity it garnered, Matt had been busy.

While Cayden… well, he faded back into obscurity.

Probably better this way. I’m not good in the public eye.

He pushed open his apartment door and was instantly met with the delicious scent of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of the television on. Instantly on guard, he bared his fangs… and then caught another scent.

A familiar one.

Confused, he strode into his lounge room… only to find a young human with brownish-red hair watching the news.

“Matt?”

Matthew Kingston turned his head and lifted the cup of coffee he had in greeting. “Hey Cayden. I made a fresh pot if you wanted.”

“Maybe later…” he answered, utterly confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Katie let me in.”

“Okay but… I meant why are you in my apartment? It’s been weeks since we spoke…”

Matt shut off the television and got up. “Right sorry. I was really busy getting my assets in order.” He bobbed his head from side to side. “See, with my mom in jail, all her assets went to me. I am an adult, after all. And the thing is I don’t have a job that can sustain a house like that. So I had to work with Katie to get it all sold off and some other legal stuff.”

“You sold your house?”

“And quit college.”

“What!?” Cayden cried, throwing his paws into the air. “Why would you do that!?”

“You said it was just a waste of time.”

He growled and ran a paw down his face. “God Matt… So what’s your plan now? What are you going to do for a living?”

Though I’ve got a sinking feeling I already know the answer…

“I’m going to be your personal assistant!” Matt exclaimed brightly.

“So you’re moving in.”

“Yep! Movers are going to be here in a couple of hours.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?”

Matt produced a piece of paper and handed it to him.

It was from Katie.

Dear Mr. Huggiewuffums,

_ I know what you’re going to say. Matt is making a stupid decision. He shouldn’t be throwing his life away like this and he should go back to college instead of following in the footsteps of a no-good, smoking, drinking, werewolf detective who believes he doesn’t have the right to go back to being human. But if this case has taught us anything, it’s that we should make our own decisions. No one can force us into it. We can advise others and they can tell us what they think but ultimately, the choice and the consequences, rests with us and us alone._

_ We can’t blame others for the mistakes that we did. That’s what Olivia tried to do with Trevor. We can’t try to fool others into seeing the consequences of their choices. That’s what you tried to do with Matt._

_ You only have one life, Cayden, but it’s not worth living if you know what’s going to happen every step of the way. One life. Make it count._

Love,

Mrs. Lovebottoms

Cayden re-read the letter a couple of times before dropping his arms and staring up at the ceiling with an exasperated look.

Damn you, Katie…

“Okay, okay,” he said, holding up his paws. “You can stay. And I guess… It’d be nice to have an assistant.” He scratched behind his left ear absently. “I kind of liked having the place clean…”

“Tell me about it,” Matt grumbled. “How did you turn this place into a pigsty again in six weeks!?” The young man picked up his cup and carried it back over to the kitchen. “And remember, I’m your personal assistant and roommate, not your maid. You’re not getting away with not doing any chores, okay?”

“Yes, mom,” Cayden groaned. Then he realised that could be really insensitive and let out a soft yelp.

Matt laughed at that and waved it away absently. “Don’t worry. I’m over the whole ‘my mom tried to manipulate me’ thing. She’s were she belongs.”

He folded his ears back a little. “Don’t you miss her?”

“I thought I would but I don’t. She tried to mess with my head, Cayden. She tried to change who I am and then blame someone else for it. That’s not the mother that raised me.”

Cayden averted his gaze. “I guess so…” He suddenly found a cup of coffee being pushed into his paws.

“So, are we going to Archie, Vance and Nessie’s wedding? It’s already called the VAN wedding. They’re even thinking of doing the whole ceremony on top of a van.”

He grimaced and took a sip from his coffee. It was good. “Really? Are they serious?”

“Very serious,” answered Matt with a roll of his eyes. “Vance’s family is pretty rich. They’ve got one of the biggest farms in Wake Delta. They’re paying for a good portion of the wedding because they’re just so happy Vance is lucky enough not to have found one person but two.”

Again, Cayden grimaced. “I dunno. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. Vance likes Archie, not Nessie. Archie likes them both. Nessie was going to marry Archie. That sort of one-way relationship isn’t going to work out.”

Matt gave him a sly smirk. “Not based on their sex life from what I hear.”

Cayden’s ears flicked forward. “Huh?”

“Nessie likes to be on top. Vance likes to be on the bottom. Nessie straps on a rubber dick, ploughs Vance and Archie stuffs his cock down Vance’s throat. From what I hear, Vance’s current record for consecutive orgasms is four.”

“Fuck… and also, eew.” Cayden shook his head. “Well, as long as they’re happy I guess. And I guess we can go to the wedding.” He pointed directly at Matt. “We’re not getting them a cup for their wedding present.”

Matt’s expression soured. “They’ve put a ban on all forms of dishes in terms of wedding gifts.”

“Good.” They moved back towards the couch and sat down. “Will Ron and Ted be there? Are they a couple now too?”

“There are rumours,” answered his new roommate with a shrug. “But nothing official. Ron’s awareness group, the Panpipes, is really taking off. Everyone in the PUK frat is in it now, apparently. And they’re all trying to make sure everyone knows that they’re more than just party animals.”

“Last time I was there it wasn’t even noon and they were already partying,” Cayden mumbled.

Matt shrugged his shoulder and winced a little. “They still do that but it’s not all they do, you know. They wouldn’t be able to graduate otherwise.”

“Point taken.” He sipped his coffee, trying to imagine what the PUK frat did other than partying and fucking. “And Ted? Why’d he choose to go Satyr?”

“As a reminder,” Matt responded. “Ted wanted to clean up his act and he’s decided to live by the ideal that you don’t get any do-overs.”

Ouch… I wonder if Matt spoke to Katie about that letter…

“He figured that if he just got to go back to being human, it’d be like none of the Satyr stuff happened,” Matt continued. “It’d be easy to just slip back to how he was, pass out somewhere and not even know he was dragged halfway across town back home by my mom. By becoming a Satyr, he reminds himself of what he was and tries to be better.”

Huh… that’s very grown up of him.

“So… then, why’d you choose to go human?”

Matt suddenly grew very grave and set his cup down on the coffee table. A moment of silence passed. Cayden watched the young man’s hands for any fidgeting but that was no longer Matt. Instead, the red-haired human wrung his hands together in determination.

“Because I want to become a werewolf.”

…

I think my brain just broke.

“You’re going to have to pass that by me again,” Cayden said. “I thought you just said…”

“I want to become a werewolf,” Matt repeated firmly. “And I want you to turn me.”

He pulled away from Matt, holding his coffee up against his chest like he was about ready to throw it in Matt’s face. “You realise what you’re asking right?”

“Yes. This is an infection type of Parafacition. It’s not so easily cured.” Matt began listed off notes with his fingers. “Every full moon, I’ll be really hormonal. I can’t touch silver and the first few months after the transformation are going to be hell as I adjust to me new body but…” He fixed Cayden with a determined stare. “This is what I want, Cayden. I want to become stronger. I don’t want to just accidentally drink something and turn into a Paranorm. I want to make that choice for myself. I want to have the power to decide what I want to become in the future.”

“Matt –”

“I’ve already had Katie draw up all the paperwork.” Matt reached down beside him where he had brought a satchel back. He retrieved a whole set of documents and set it on the table. “I’ve got everything signed and ready. I just need you to sign your name, we file this, wait a couple of weeks for the official record to be changed and then you can turn me.”

“But –”

“Don’t think this is about you, Cayden,” Matt said sharply, holding up his hand. “This is about me and my choices.” His eyes narrowed. “You know Des never found anything in the Artificer’s house, right? Except for one thing?”

One detail about the case that no one ever made public for the sheer terror that it brought to the police. When the police entered 44 Islelow Drive, they found it abandoned, recently too. Official records stated that the man living there had moved elsewhere but when investigations into this man came up, they couldn’t find any birth certificates, hospital records, dental records or even a job. The guy was simply not in the system.

But worse.

In the master bedroom, painted on the wall just above where the bed should’ve been… were a series of characters made in blood.

(=O.O=)

The officers claimed it was like the wall was staring straight at them.

No one had seen it before and the blood was unidentified. But it was the one part of the investigation that creeped everyone out.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Cayden asked.

“Did you hear about what happened at Mama Cherry Blossom’s place just before Katie had gotten there?”

He had. The dragon had filled him in with the details and even Des offered his insights. It was Katie who had shut herself off in that respect and remained rather distant and non-committal. When pressed for information, she just refused to speak and would walk away. For something to disturb a No One… well, that was certainly something. The most he had gotten out of her since the end of the case was the letter Matt had handed him.

“I did…” he replied softly.

“It’s about me getting stronger,” Matt said firmly. “As a human, I can still be turned into any Paranorm out there. As a Paranorm, I can’t be changed. If I were to be turned into a werewolf, I’d be stronger, faster and have sharper senses to find out who this ‘Artificer’ is.”

Cayden shook his head and lifted a paw. “Kid, that’s a business for the police. I don’t give a rat’s ass who this Artificer is. I got paid, my job is done. Let the police deal with this maniac.” He pointed a finger right at Matt. “And I am not going to turn you into a werewolf for that.”

“If not you, then I’ll ask someone else,” Matt said firmly. “Don’t pretend you’re not worried about this, Cayden. Katie is scared shitless. Someone sold my mom the Bacchus Cup. From the sounds of it, this guy has more artefacts that he could be using to spread across the whole goddamn town. There are going to be a lot more people like me who are going to get their identities rewritten and their lives turned upside down. I don’t care if you don’t care but I am going to do something to stop it.”

Matt got to his feet and turned to the door. “You can help me or not. Either way, I’ve made up my mind.”

It’s his choice. He’ll have to live with the consequences.

But I have my choice to.

And my choice is to…

He seized Matt’s wrist.

“Wait.”

******

Oxford University England.

Still as stunning and beautiful as it was back before the Convergence. Of course now instead of young men and women milling about, there were males and females of all sorts of species mingling, studying and relaxing in the cool sun. None of them really paid much attention to the young human with black hair and blonde streaks running from his temples striding through the hallways with purpose. He looked like he belonged, after all, so they didn’t asked any questions.

Jacob Reaper stepped up to Room 13 in the Paranormal Studies wing and waited patiently as class ended. Students of all species came pouring out from Orcs, Centaurs, Elves and even the occasional werewolf. But he wasn’t here for them. He was after the professor.

The white-haired man stood at the podium helping a young girl with some assignment questions. He kept his hair short as was the fashion and his beard was thick and full of body but tripped close to his pointed chin. Jacob approached the podium as the professor in his suit smiled brightly at the student and dismissed her. When the man caught sight of him with his watery, baby-blue eyes, all mirth left his features.

He waited until the student had left before speaking.

“Well, this is certainly a surprise,” the professor said. “Shouldn’t you be on the other side of the world?”

“I should,” Jacob responded, striding up to the podium. “But then again, I just did intercept this little thing and decided that you ought to see it before I eradicated it from all existence.” Jacob set the large, black briefcase he had been carrying onto the professor’s table. With a click, he opened it.

“My… The Holy Grail…”

“Been a while since you’ve seen it, eh Merlin?” Jacob laughed softly.

“An eternity, it seems,” answered the world’s more famous magician. “I had hidden it away to prevent it from being the object of ‘holy’ crusades and desperate power struggles the like of which sent Arthur into his deep slumber. It and so many other artefacts that I thought one man could keep safe from the rest of the world’s greedy hands and avaricious eyes. Yet, they somehow found their way back here.”

“And then you performed a ritual hoping to get an angel to come down from Paradiso to help you track them down,” Jacob finished with a shrug. “And you got me.”

“Indeed,” chuckled Merlin, shutting the case tightly. “How did you find it?”

“Not me. It seems that a certain ‘funny faced’ Paranorm has gone under the pseudonym of the ‘Artificer’ and has been distribution the Faceless Man’s artefacts around Wake Delta. The Delta is a nexus. Big enough to be able to charge multiple artefacts but not big enough to attract corporations or government officials. From all appearances, Faceless has recruited Smiley as well.”

Jacob reached into his coat and pulled out a few folders, setting it in front of Merlin. “The Faceless, the guy that stole the artefacts in the first place, is charging them while Funny and Smiley are distribution them to people.”

“To what end?”

“I can’t say.”

Merlin regarded the contents of the folders grimly. “This is troublesome. These artefacts are all extremely dangerous. In the wrong hands, they could cause untold damage.”

Jacob gave the wizard a sly smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve got my best detective on the case. He’ll figure it out eventually.” He tapped the briefcase. “But I’ll be destroying this now. The US diplomat carrying another case won’t be able to tell I gave him a substitute. And even the British government won’t be able to tell the Cup within the case is a fake. Unless, that is, someone tries to use it.”

“I would’ve preferred if the Cup went missing.”

“Yeah but the US made a stink about it. Bragged to the Brits that they had it and now is offering it back as a sign of good will. If it went missing there would be blame. And the last thing we want is a war over a stupid cup.”

Jacob turned, taking the briefcase with him. “Just keep your eyes and ears open, Merry. This was just the opening salvo. There is more to come.”

Merlin set one of the folders down. “Wait.” He pointed a bony finger at the picture. “Is this him? Is this the Faceless Man?”

“Yep.” Jacob smirked. “He’s looking a little… slender, don’t you think?”

******

Deep within the confines of his lair, the Faceless Man pored over the three artefacts set before him.

“I wonder,” he mused darkly. “Which one of these is primed for the public?”

His rake-like fingers flew over the three objects resting in front of him. One was a javelin. The other, a tiny needle. And the last was a big, pink, conch shell.

“Which one? Which one?”

******

Well folks, thank you all for reading and participating in the story of Cayden Wilde in Calling the Shots!

But before we fully finish the series, there is one last choice to be made.

Which artefact should the Faceless Man send upon Wake Delta next? I naturally won’t tell you what the artefact does so you’ll have to guess! Each one has a different species of Paranorm that the target will transform into and a different means to inflict its special spell. So be sure to pick!

And no bribing my mate for the answers!

1) _ _The Legacy Spear

2) _ _The Mahabharata Spine

3) _ _Ahab’s Conch