The Sea and the Wolf: Chapter 6

“You completely blanked out on me, were you thinking about something?”

 

He nodded, standing he returned to the kitchen, taking off, leaving Hali in the café. Alone she returned to looking at the blessed brick dust. It seemed so innocent, and incapable of saving her, but yet it also meant the world to her. Conan seemed to know what he was doing, so it seemed to her that it reasonably true that she was safe. She frowned though, secretly hoping that he really could help her. She slowly looked around the café once before she entered the kitchen going after him.

 

The day really went by quickly once the café opened. It was far too busy for him to train her on making the fancy express drinks, so she stuck to the cash, and serving desserts. The cash was not entirely hard to grasp, Conan had already placed a price guide next to the cash. All in alphabetical order, making her job pretty easy.

 

Once the lunch rush came in Conan sent Hali into the kitchen to get the sandwich prep. Adonis came in and took over the cash and espressos, while Conan placed himself on the sandwich station. Hali quickly brought the preparations out and Conan took over making the sandwiches.

 

With Conan’s request Hali took the bus pan in her arms and started to clean the café up. Cleaning the tables for awaiting customers. It was a busy and fast pace job, and once the rush was over, Hali could hardly believe it. The café was mostly completely empty now and Hali wasn’t sure what to do.

 

“Hey Bridget, why don’t you go out back and take a break?”

 

Hali had to get use to Conan calling her by that name when Adonis arrived. She nodded as she returned her cleaning cloth to the sink behind the counter.

 

“What would you like to have for lunch?”

 

She was surprised by him asking her this. “What?”

 

He looked at her strangely. “I feed my employee’s. Where have you been working?”

 

“At museums, we always brought our lunches.”

 

“What do you want for lunch?” he repeated, as if she hadn’t spoken at all. She frowned, he was quite blunt and to the point. She instead of saying another thing just turned her attention to the menu above them. She studied it for a moment before she met his eye contact once again.

 

“The Ham and Swiss sounds good.” Without another word Conan grabbed a baguette, cutting it in half before he lay it down flat. With that he began to place the topping on it. At the same time Hali watched studying what he was doing, preparing herself for when she might work that station. He finished and turned to her.

 

 

“Just go to the kitchen, there’s a small table set up in the back, open the door if you wish,” he said, then moving in closer, and whispered to her. “There is dust lined there too, it’s at every possible entry way.”

 

Hali nodded, getting the message clearly. She said thank you and headed to the back. It was only then that she realized just how hungry she really was. She smiled as she sat down with her sandwich. She eyed it hungrily before she picked it up and drew it up towards her mouth. Just as she was about to take a bite she could hear a soft knocking behind her. Her whole body stiffened as she suddenly had a bad feeling shoot through her. She heard it again, and she had the feeling worsen. Slowly she turned her head to look at where it was coming from. Her eyes widened as she saw both Lyris and the Australian man she was attacking by. They were both outside, both seen clearly out the window build into the door.

 

Lyris waved with a very gentle mile on her face, while the Australian watched her without any expression. Hali became as stiff as death, and her mind wandered to why they were there.

 

“Hey Hali, why don’t you come out and talk,” Lyris said, her voice was sweet, and it came across like it did during any of their art classes together. “We are still friends, right?”

 

“You lied to me the entire time, we were never really friends.”

 

“Oh Hali, that hurts, “Lyris sighed, pretending to look like she was hurt by Hali’s comment.

 

“That’s enough Lyris, take Rick and get out of here.” Hali turned, Conan was a foot away from her. He in turn looked down at Hali, staring at her for a moment. “Just stay here Hali.”

 

Hali nodded as he walked past her and stood in front of the door. His hand grasped the handle and turned it open. His eyes burned as his eye contact was made with Lyris. That’s when he went past the door line, out of the safety of the building. Conan quickly dodged a punch from Rick, he in turn punched him in the gut just as he dodged, followed by a powerful kick to his kneecap. Rick groans as a crack is heard and falls to his knees, unable to stand. Just as quickly Conan turned to attack Lyris throwing a punch to her face, she dodged the attack only at a fraction of a moment.

 

“Whoa…you’re getting really good at blocking me out aren’t you? Your attacking me without even thinking aren’t you?”

 

Conan did not answer her, but instead turned another attack at her, this time successfully taking hold of her. She struggled, but he held her right in place. With all his strength he took her, whirling her around and throwing her into the wall of his own building. There was a loud crunch of brick cracking at the contact. Hali shivered at the thought of Lyris’s back. Hali leaned out slightly as to see, her eyes widening, she couldn’t believe what she was actually seeing.

 

Lyris was smiling wickedly as she made direct eye contact with Conan. Conan’s eyes were wide in disbelief. He just stared, confused and bewildered. Hali’s however stared at Lyris’s features. Her ears were no longer that of a human, but rather that of what appeared to be wolf ears, tall and erect, fuzzy and blonde like her own hair. A thick layer of fur also trailed down the sides of her face, down her jaw line and to beneath her clothing. She was smiling, rather wickedly as she watched his very reaction.

 

“Surprised?” Lyris smiled as she turned back to look at Rick who was still kneeling on his knee’s groaning a little still. He however was concentrating very hard, his contact on Lyris and Conan. “This is Rick’s talent. He can summon out people’s true forms whenever, and whatever forms he wants. He can also find people with talents like us. He’s the one who found Hali, and her wonderful talents.”

 

Hali had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. Something had to be done now, before it was too late. She did not understand what was going on anymore. She did not know enough yet, but she knew something else was happening. A moment later it came clear what was happening next. Lyris took hold of Conan grabbing hold of him.

 

She smiled, “He can also suppress powers, just like he is now with you.”

 

Conan’s eyes widened as Lyris very easily took hold of his arms and lifted them away from her. Then she started to bend them a way that arms simply did not bend. Conan began to moan as he tried to fight against her. It wasn’t going to be that easy.

 

“Sorry Conan, Seath’s orders.” With that she began to put all her strength to push his arms away from her, bending his arms in the opposite direction. Conan moaned, his eyes beginning to water as he tried to fight against the weight of her strength. He wasn’t able to, and soon Lyris bent his arms to the point that his bones began to crack and make terrible noises. His face turned red as he cried out, still fighting against her, failing as she completely bent them back, snapping his bones completely. Conan cried out, the pain was beyond clear.

 

‘I have to do something!’

 

Without another thought she took hold of a frying pan that was lying in the sink just to her left. ‘Take this!’

 

Lyris’s eyes widened as she turned to look at Rick who was completely unprotected. “Rick watch out!” she yelled to her companion.

 

Hali wasn’t even around the corner when she heard Lyris, but she didn’t stop, running at full pace, taking her time, swinging at full power, forcing the pan to the side of Rick’s face. The force of the pan forced him back into the brick wall beside him. Rick fell on his side, blood escaping from his head. Hali turned to look up at Lyris, whose canine ears and all her changed features returned to her human form. Lyris dropped Conan, jumping around to look at Hali, who was panting hard, her eyes roared with anger. She watched Lyris as she backed away from Conan.

 

“Take your partner, and get the hell out of here. And tell your master to back the hell off. I don’t want to be part of your club or whatever the hell it is, and either does Conan. Leave him alone.”

 

Lyris watched her, unsure what to do. Hali continued to pant harder. She held the frying pan up, ready to strike once again. “Now.”

 

Lyris broke her gaze to look at Rick, unconscious between them both. With a quick motion she ran to his side, taking him by the arm she flipped him up onto her back. She looked at Hali once before she bent down, then jumping with all her strength, jumping right up onto the roof of the neighboring business. Hali watched until she couldn’t see her anymore.

 

With that Hali dropped the frying pan, running to Conan’s side. “Conan? Conan?! Are you alright?”

 

He was lying on his side, just looking at the ground; his breathing was harsh and heavy, moans escaping from his lips. He was in a lot of pain. “Conan, we need to get you to a hospital, I think your arms are broken.”

 

He moved his legs, rolling them to pull his weight to his knees, swinging his weight to his side, pulling himself up straight. “They are broken.” He leaned forward for a moment, pulling one leg forward, and then pushing himself up so he was standing. Both his arms hung limp. Hali took hold of him, carefully holding him trying to not touch his arms. “I’m not going to the hospital though.”

 

Her eyes widened. “Are you insane? You need to have them put in a cast.”

 

“I’m not going. I’ll be fine.”

 

“You’re so stubborn! They won’t heal on their own.”

 

He turned to look at her, “Want to bet on that?”

 

“Excuse me? That isn’t funny.”

 

He ignored her and returned inside. Hali’s mouth dropped open; she was shocked at his behavior. He needed medical attention at that very moment and he was being stubborn enough to just walk away. She followed him inside. By the time she was in the kitchen he had already exited into the café, and was heading up the stairs. She watched, and then followed him up the stairs, watching him as he passed everyone. No one seemed to notice that his arms were limp by his side, and that they weren’t swinging even in the slightest natural way. To her, they clearly looked broken, and yet no one seemed to notice. She froze and turned to Adonis.

 

“Conan’s not feeling too well, I’m going to settle him in his room, and I’ll be right back.”

 

Adonis nodded. “Is everything all right?”

 

“Yes, I just think it is a cold is all. I’ll be right back,” she smiled, trying to not look as flushed and panicked as she actually felt. She turned and hurried up the stairs to follow the injured man. She could see him enter the room at the very end of the hallway, his room. She sprinted down the hall into his room, staring at him when she reached his doorway.

 

“Conan, come on, this isn’t a joke. You’re seriously injured.”

 

It was his room. It was simple; a large bay style window beside his bed, but the rest was rather plain, much like the guest room. He quietly sat on the bed, facing the window. He turned to look at her, making eye contact, he just stared at her.

 

“Trust me, by morning I’ll be better.” He then looked away, turning his attention back to the window. “Just tell Adonis I am not feeling well. Tell him to start training you on espressos. We close by 5PM today, so just help close up, make yourself anything in the kitchen, and just hang out here.”

 

Hali was beginning to understand that there would be no arguing and nodded. “All right, do you need anything?”

 

“No, I’ll be fine, just carry on.”

 

Hali nodded, turning away, leaving his bedroom. She sighed, not knowing if leaving him was the right thing to do.