Oracle

Part 19

Water sat still in the docks, glimmering slightly with moonlight from above in the darkness. The smell of sea water and several unmentionable things were strong in along the concrete block of land. The water out at sea was more choppy but the dock barriers kept the waters within the dock calm and gentle. The area, on the other hand, was not so serene.

The docks were not a place to walk about alone at night unless you were strong like Elison. The maze of walkways between the cargo containers, warehouses and offices were lit with harsh fluorescent lights which hurt people's eyes if they looked too close for long. There were shrines dotted about the walkways, shrines to foreign gods which the sailors prayed too. In many ways it was a good thing that the sailors were more suspicious than not, it kept them safe from the monsters which prowled the darkness.

Calder's laws were thin here and in many ways, it was the most lawless part of the city. The location Elison was searching for was an example of this. A place Calder would have happily disposed of and washed his hands clean of the monsters within it but John allowed such places to exist. Some things Calder couldn't fight against.

The place was nicknamed 'Hell Calling,' for the creatures who resided within it. It was a safe haven for creatures who were not of the city to rest before departing to another land or risking remaining in the city. Assuming they could find the entrance. It was hidden deep in the maze and its entrances moved often though the physical location of the hideaway remained the same. Elison had been to Hell Calling, several times and so knew where to look for clues of a way inside. Or rather for someone inside to spot him and tell his Grandfather he was here.

Elison's grandfather, like a lot of the more permanent residents of the squat, was an illegal being in the city. The city was not as open-armed as it seemed at first glance and there were particular species or types of species who were not allowed into the city. IN particular, full bloodied demons were not allowed in. Half-demons and people like Elison who had an unknown amount of demon blood within him were allowed reluctantly but full bloodied were expected to leave the city or face being hunted down by the wardens. The wardens were always happy to dispatch a demon back to the hell fires from which they came.

To be clear, Elison's grandfather wasn't actually his grandfather but his great ten times something or other, grandfather. Elison wasn't sure how far back the line went but when Elison came of age and it became clear that a demon resided inside of him, the demon hunted him down to teach him the basics of their bloodline.

"Not entirely sure you should be wandering about today brat," a familiar voice commented from the shadows. Elison paused, standing under one of the dimmer lights to watch as his grandfather slid out from the shadows. "You make the others nervous when you come this late at night," the man scolded, reaching out to give his descendant a hug.

Elison's grandfather, being a demon and therefore immortal, looked barely old enough to be Elison's father, forget being his grandfather or more. Both had a rich olive skin tone with thick black hair and brown eyes which sometimes turned red. Elison's grandfather was slightly taller however with a more narrow face and an elegant gait about him. Elison was more rugged because of his human blood, his nose bigger, and his chin was wider. Still, it was obvious to anyone who looked at them that there were related.

"Grandfather," Elison greeted warmly, accepting the hug. "I needed some advice. I'm not here as Lord Calder's dog tonight, don't worry about that," he swore.

Since Elison had entered into employment with Calder, a man who had made his opinion on the demons hiding in the dock very clear to the city, he had not actually seen the inside of the hideaway. He had seen one of the doors briefly, but it was like the place itself was hiding from him now and not the people hiding it from him. No one wanted to see how deep his loyalties to Calder went. Instead, when he needed to talk to his grandfather, Elison walked around its general area until the man, or someone to tell him his grandfather was unavailable, showed up.