Fallen Angel

Chapter 37: Brannon

Elstrach gripped his cane tight as he walked to me, limping a rough gait that made me wonder what had happened to him.

"I cannot find her just by looking to this world Brannon but I can send you to someone who will be able to. All you need is something of hers."

I pulled out the only thing that I had, the drawing of the house.

"That is not hers, it belongs to your parents and she merely drew upon it. Is there nothing else?"

"How about this?"

We turned and looked at my father who had an ornate glass vial, inside it was a red hair.

"Brilliant, better than any object."

Elstrach moved slowly over the room, searching through a pile of papers on a nearby desk.

"You need to travel to see this person, the wolf will take you there. When you get there, ask this wizard to create a locator spell with the hair. It will cost you Brannon, the man doesn't take money, he has no need for it when he can conjure anything his heart desires. You must give something that you need, something that is important. I cannot tell you what it is, it varies for each person. When you find him you will know what you need to give. Good luck gentlemen."

I took the card from the seer, looking at with confusion. All it had was an arrow. Turning back to Elstrach the arrow moved, pointing to my side.

"It is a rough guide Brannon, look to the wolf for your path ahead. Just keep it for when you find the wizard, it will be what tells him that I have sent you."

Guiding us to the door, Elstrach opened it and offered a smile as we passed.

"Safe travel friends."

His hand gripped Luca's arm as he reached him, I turned back to see the whites of Elstrach's eyes erupt in lines of black that were like minuscule lightning bolts. He looked like he was in a trance.

"Time to grow up vampire." He said in a dull drone. "Your destiny demands that you are ready for your future. The clock is ticking, time to grow up."

Elstrach blinked and looked at his hand that gripped Luca's arm. He offered a smile as he lifted his gaze to one very freaked out vampire.

"Well look at that, one free vision at no cost to you. Whatever I said should be taken with all seriousness Luca."

"Yeah, sure." Luca said with a lot of uncertainty.

He stepped onto the snow, catching up to us. Luca looked back and huffed as he stepped in line with me.

"That was freaky."

"No, that was good fortune." My father corrected. "Do you know how much he charges for visions? You got that for free, a rare gift. I would heed his advice Luca, take it seriously. Whatever is in your future is going to be big and clearly you need to stop being a party animal and grow up. Enough of the black market under the stairs, enough of the skipping school. Am I getting through to you?"

Luca looked at my father, resembling a deer in headlights.

"Yes."

"Good. Hurry along, the wolf is getting ahead of us."

I looked at the card in my fingers, it pointed directly ahead of us.

"That is some freaky shit." I muttered, slipping it into the inner pocket of my jacket.

Snow began to fall lightly as we walked through the forest. Occasionally a bird would chirp, distracting me from the chattering teeth and complaints of a nearly frozen vampire. He had icicles coming from his nose that were bigger than his fangs, he was positive that his toes were about to break off if he took another step and my least favourite, would putting one of his gloves over his favourite appendage save it, because he'd rather it than his left hand. By the time we reached the outskirts of the town, I was ready to encase him in a fireball so that he'd be warm.

As we passed an abandoned building, I caught up with my father. I was about to suggest something to make Luca happy and ask why he hadn't said anything to all of the vampires complaints when I noticed a cord running from his ear. I pulled the ear bud out and heard the soft strains of music.

"I wish I'd thought of that." I muttered. "How long?"

"About a minute after we left Elstrach. How long did he complain for?"

"The whole way."

My father grinned as he pulled the other ear bud out and turned the music off.

"Spare some change friend?"

We stopped at the edge of the alley between the abandoned building and what looked like another one that was void of life. The wolf sat and waited for us as the beggar lifted his tired body up against the brick wall.

"Of course." My father said with a smile.

His empty hand went out, the black leather glove covered over the top of the worn and rather beaten up metal cup. As he pulled his hand away the cup was flushed with notes and coins.

"Thank you kind sir."

"Not a problem, make sure you eat heartily."

"Oh I will, I promise you."

He looked at my father as he leaned on the wall, almost in tears of joy as he struggled to stay upright. My mother would have been all over this guy, helping him with warm clothes and better shoes, finding a shelter that was better than the cardboard box.

The wolf sat still as he watched the man lower back to the ground slowly, his tired legs shaking.

"Here, take this."

I pulled my jacket off and wrapped it over his shoulders.

"Oh I can't, you'll freeze!"

"It's okay, I can handle the cold."

He took my hand and gripped it firmly, looking up at me with so much happiness.

"You are too kind Brannon, thank you so much."

"Sure."

As I stood he let go of my hand, the wolf edged closer to me.

"Is there a shelter that you can go to?"

"This is my home, I'll be fine."

"Okay."

I still felt uneasy about walking away but the man seemed to be better with the jacket and a cup of money. The wolf whined at me as I stepped back, joining my father and Luca on the pavement.

We began to walk and something niggled at me, something that wasn't right.

"How did he know your name Bran?" Luca whispered.

"Is this yours?" The beggar asked.

I turned back to the beggar who was still sitting on the ground, in his fingers was the card. There was no arrow, just a circle that pulsed brightly.

"Yes. I need that. May I have it back?"

"Of course you can."

I walked back and took the card from him, the circle disappeared and turned back into an arrow. An arrow that pointed at the beggar. Every time I moved it, up, down, left or right, it always pointed at the beggar.

"How did you know my name?"

The beggar smiled at me as he stood to his feet.

"How? I know everyone's name, that's how."