Isaac found himself on the hard, dusty ground. His hat lay before him, slightly rolling back and forth from the small bit of breeze. He could feel that same breeze blowing through his long kinked hair, that is, except for the part that was now sticking together at the side of his head that had been facing Azrael. That part was feeling somewhat warm and wet and very sore. Slowly he began to pick himself up off the ground, cursing under his breath. The fall had made him sore all over and ornerier than a bull who just found out what Rocky Mountain Oysters were and why his crotch was so sore. Finally he had gotten back to his feet, his eyes still adjusting the blow to the head. He questioned the efficacy of any magic that required his brain to be scrambled until his eyes finally looked toward the city.
While Fortune City had looked larger and more spectacular than most other cities that Isaac had seen as he rode up with Azrael, the city looked like nothing he had ever seen before. Building had appeared as if out of nowhere, including ones that stood above what Isaac had observed only minutes ago. Odder still was how these new structures managed to look so different from one another in how they were put together. Some looked tall and regal, while others small and looked to have been thrown together. It looked as if the city had almost doubled in size. Then came the people, well, not people, but, Isaac didn't even know how to describe what he was seeing. There were beings of all kinds of shapes and sizes that were coming and going. As he stared in disbelief, he began to realize that he actually did recognize some of the things he was seeing, they were all the creatures he had heard legends about ever since he was a child. All of them and more. He saw trolls and dwarves and gnomes and witches and ghosts and goblins and elves and treefolk and all sorts of other things.
He turned to Azrael, "I can't-AHH! Holy mother of the gods!" Isaac panicked as he jumped back the thing that was sitting on what used to be a horse. It began to laugh in the same way Azrael did.
"I guess I should have warned you. About this, and the wallop I had to give you first," the thing said. "Though to be fair, I told you I wasn't human."
The thing was right. Well, at least it looked like it wasn't a human anymore, but a skeleton that looked to have been picked clean. It was still wearing the same clothes and everything that Azrael had been wearing as a human. Instead of eyes, it had two black orbs that Isaac could swear held some sort of blue flame inside. Like any human skull, it lacked everything else of a human face but the teeth. Somehow he could tell Azrael was looking at him and watching him process everything. He could also somehow tell that Azrael was really having a fun time with all this.
"I haven't had a human see me like this in quite a long time, so pardon me if I enjoy it a bit too much," Azrael somehow said with a smile.
Isaac had moved on to looking at Azrael's horse. It looked as though someone had taken a horse, killed it, left out for a few days, and then somehow brought it back to life. It looked as though huge pieces had rotted off from all over it. Isaac could see its bare ribs, as though everything they once contained had oozed and squelched their way out. Scythe turned its head toward Isaac and he could see that its skull was cracked and its brain was exposed. Isaac began to feel faint in the knees.
"Haha! What's the matter, kid? What did you think I looked like? I am an Angel of Death after all! Did you really think I would look like some dumb human?"
Isaac felt the world spinning around him. "I guess I never really thought about it. This... this is a lot to process." Isaac grabbed his horse's saddle to keep himself from falling. He had his head resting against the warm leather as his eyes were held tightly closed. Slowly, the world stopped spinning and he felt some stability at last.
"I have to say I'm impressed. You handled that well," Azrael stated, "most people just end up going completely mad."
"I hate you."
Entering the city after stabling their horses, the two companions made their way towards the center of the city. It amazed Isaac to see just how packed the town square was, and most of the beings weren't even human. All sorts of different creatures were wandering around, or selling wears, or just engaging in the hustle and bustle of city life. He had no idea how the humans could be so oblivious to the cacophony of otherworldly sounds and sights that surrounded them.
"How the hell do they not see them all?" Isaac asked.
"Well, it's complicated, as most magic is. There is a protective barrier that hides them from the humans. It's called The Veil. It makes it so humans just end up looking past everything supernatural. You ever feel like that something wasn't right with a place, so you stayed away? Or have you ever heard rumors that a certain part of town was peculiar? Or maybe someone you were looking at looked kind of off, like there was something funny about them? That's The Veil."
"Come to think of it, I thought there wasn't something off about you when I first saw you. I mean, I thought you might have been drunk, but the more I paid attention, the more it felt like there was something off about you," Isaac mused.
"Bingo. I guess you've got a sharper eye than most. Some people are so oblivious they never even feel something is off."
"Interesting," Isaac responded as he thought about all the people in the bar who didn't seem to notice anything peculiar about Azrael. "So where are we headed? I thought we were looking for supplies or chits."
"Yep," Azrael confirmed. "We're headed to see The Court. Specifically the Winter one."
"The Court? Winter? What in the hell are you talking about? Isn't it Summer?"
"Kid. I take back anything positive I have ever said about you. I'm talking about the Winter Court. It's like a high council of Faeries. One of four. Each named after a different season. You may not know this, but Fortune City is practically owned by the Faeries."
"Faeries? Like, the little people that fly with those wings? The kind little girls like to play with? Those faeries?" Isaac said incredulously.
"Kid, if there is one thing you need to learn right now, it's that you do not mess with faeries. I don't care how harmless they seem, they wouldn't hesitate to swindle you if it meant they got a nice deal. They are tiny little sociopaths that would just as soon see you dead than their bag of gold feel a little light."
"Okay, I get it," Isaac rolled his eyes. "Don't mess with faeries."
"Good. Now, we're here. You stay out here and don't cause any trouble. I'm going to see what I can do to make us some chits," Azrael said as he made his way into a large, ornate building that seemed to class with every single surrounding one. Isaac guessed that it probably looked normal to every other human around here. He marvelled at how much things had changed in just under an hour. What hadn't changed was his hunger. Despite the meal which shall not be named, he had still gone without food for far too long. His stomach panged. Sorrowfully, he felt his empty pockets. There was nothing to be done but to stand in agony as the smells of the food being prepared around him wafted to his nostrils.
"You there!" a voice called. "You! Yes! You! Young lad!" Isaac looked around before realizing it was calling to him. He hoped that the voice might call again so that he would be able to find the source.
"You!" the voice said loudly, as Isaac realized it was coming from a little winged man buzzing around him.
"Gah! What?!" Isaac replied. "What do you want?"
The little man responded, "You look hungry! I wondered if you might want some of the food I have prepared. I run a small restaurant and have made too much food for the lunch crowd. I'd be willing to let you have as much as you could eat for just a small amount of chits."
Isaac's stomach groaned in agony at the idea. "I don't have anything to pay with."
"That's okay, how about you just pay for it with some work? How about you get as much as you can eat for an hour of work? Sound fair?"
Isaac looked at the small man. He was about two feet tall, the size of a large girl's doll. He seemed friendly enough, and he did look adorable in his little cook's outfit.
"Ok. Deal."
Azrael made his way into the Winter Court's headquarters, hoping to make his way to the one lead he had for finding work in this city. This was all strange to him because for most of his existence he had never needed to find work. He knew his purpose and fulfilling his duty was as automatic as an ant knowing that it needed to go out to find some more food for the colony. All he had now was what little information he had gained during that time he was a drone. He did not do much in the way of talking in his line of work and neither did those who he was tasked to visit, especially after he was done killing them.
The Court's headquarters was opulent and showy, much like the fairies who ran it. There were four courts in all and each one was named after a season and each one contained only the finest assortment of scumbags ready to throw anyone under the proverbial wagon if it meant they could pocket the corpse's wallet. Each one was a schemer and a liar and was ready to scheme and lie in order to become head schemer and liar until they were inevitable betrayed by a new schemer and liar. The good news was, with all the scheming and lying, there was often work to be done for those with a very particular set of skills, and Azrael didn't mind getting his hands dirty if it meant he wouldn't be flat broke.
Making his way to the front desk, Azrael cleared his throat to get the Fairy who was sitting behind it to notice him and not the book she was reading. "I'm looking for work, thought maybe Griffon might have some. Let him know I'm here," Azrael stated gruffly.
"Good lord, are you..." she responded, her book dropping to the desk. Her hands were shaking. "Are you Azrael?" she finally let out.
"Indeed I am, miss. Now how about you get me Griffon. Please," Azrael said in what he considered a polite tone. It wasn't, but for him he was trying. The fairy quickly turned around in her chair and used the bell system behind her to summon the man azrael was hoping to meet with. Quitely, she then spun back to face Azrael.
"He. He'll be here shortly," she said tersely before trying to avoid eye contact. She brought her hand up to her face and began wrapping her finger in her hair. Azrael could tell this was likely something she only did to relieve stress. Her other hand was stick shaking, though less than before. She then moved the hand to begin fidgeting with her dress.
Azrael heard footsteps. He turned to his left to see a fairy coming down the stairs. He was older than the receptionist be some decades, his hair white where he still had it. He was dressed in a suit with a black tie that matched his dower mood.He wore a small pair of glasses that looked as though they were about to fall off when he noticed Azrael.
"Good heavens! Ms. Tracy, is this the visitor?! Sir, whatever it is that brings you here I assure you it is a lie. I am innocent! I will have you meet with my attorneys to discuss it," he said with a start.
"Save it," Azrael replied. "If I was here to kill you, you'd be dead. I'm looking for work and I've heard you are always looking for help."
"Sir, that is outrageous. I am a lawful citizen of the town and have never been involved in any sort of underhanded dealings. I will once more ask you to talk to my lawyers," the man answered as he began to search through his pockets for the business card of his lawyers.
Azrael rolled the empty sockets in his skull. "Oh, cut the act. We both know you have your hand in more crimes than the entire lot in the Ironside Prison. Now I'm only going to ask you once to please give me some work or I will do all the horrible things that are currently flashing through your tiny head."
Silently, the fairy replaced the card back into his pocket. "Very well. Tracy, please make some tea for our visitor and me and deliver it to my room at once. Sir, if you would be so kind as to follow," he said as he beckoned Azrael to follow. Soon, they were climbing the stairway to the highest floor. It was amazing that a magical race that was so short in stature would choose to own a building so large. Everything was lavish, from the carpeting on the floor to the paintings hanging on the walls. Finally, after walking a ways down the hall, they came to a stop at a doorway. Griffon opened the door and ushered Azrael inside. The room inside was massive, far bigger than it had any right to be. It had a fountain that looked to be inlaid with gold and made of marble. There was a massive fireplace that was roaring with a lavish pair of chairs with a small table next to it. Completing the picture of wealth was a decanture filled with what was undoubtedly priceless liquor and two glasses on the small table. Azrael gave a whistle.
"This is one hell of a place you've got here," he said as he laid his eyes on the booze.
"Mmhmm, sure do. Now, what is this all about? Why did you come here? Why me? I've been rather fortunate to have never seen you before in my life. What I do know about you is terrifying," Griffon said anxiously.
"Well, sometimes, you can't always believe what you hear. This isn't one of those times. But that is the past. Right now, I am looking for work. I've heard your name more than a few times as a fairy who is always looking for people to do some dirty work. Seems that is how you've managed to stick around this long without getting a knife in your back," Azrael made his way to the decanter before pouring himself a very generous glass. He raised it to his nose-hole and breathed deep. "Wonderful," he said contentedly.
Griffon stood silently before the door, now some fifteen feet away from where Azrael had moved to. His face looked tense as he struggled to find words. His eyes drifted downward before coming back to stare at Azrael.
"So why do i have to work first? I'm starving. You'll be lucky if I don't end up passing out ten minutes from now," Isaac complained.
"Well, I am not saying you would do such a thing, but if I were to let you eat first, who's to say you wouldn't just run away?" the cook replied.
"I mean, I guess that makes sense, but how do I know you aren't going to refuse to let me eat after I get done working?" Isaac responded.
"Okay, okay, how about this. I'll make you a nice sandwich to tide you over and then once you finish you can have your fill. Deal?"
"Deal," Isaac said with a smile.
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