until that moment. Glancing at it now, he almost dropped it when he realized that the gnarled end had somehow turned into the head of a snake. His own shock had him wordless in response.
“Mister?” Benton uttered as his eyes moved toward Hank, “Just what the hell are you?”
Chapter 14
Fighting the urge to drop his Grandfather’s ancient staff, Hank stared at the snake in wonder…and a little fear!
“Hey man, could you put that thing back in its cage?” Benton finally spoke, appearing more relaxed.
Great idea, Hank thought to himself, if I only knew how.
As if hearing his thoughts, the staff suddenly transformed itself back into wood. Drawing it back to himself nervously, he tentatively touched the gnarled end to confirm that it was indeed solid once again.
“Who is this Benton?” one of the men beside him asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“I thought he was just someone from the human world,” Benton replied thoughtfully. “He’s been following me around and even confronted me once on the street. He’s that cop I told you about.”
“And what of the beast beside him?” the third man asked.
“They call them dogs,” Benton enlightened, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at his comrade. “They are pets… domesticated animals that they can train to do various tasks.”
The man that spoke nodded knowingly. “A conquered species then, one that they have enslaved to do their menial tasks.”
Benton laughed at this, “You need to get out more, Nautilus! Dogs are just animals, dude. Pretty smart ones, too, and they can track a scent like nothing else.”
“We could use a dogs here then,” the man named Nautilus spoke up again. “Maybe we should enslave one.”
Benton and the second man were cracking up. “You doof! One of them is a dog… leave off the s. And I told you, they aren’t enslaved…they are…
“ENOUGH!”
The men looked toward the source of the explosive outburst.
It was Hank, who was as surprised as they were at the force of his words in this place. Even Luci seemed surprised.
“What the hell is this place?” Hank finally asked when he got his thoughts back in order.
The three men stared at him quietly for a few moments until Benton stepped forward and pantomimed a formal bow.
“You have entered the land of Faerie. The bigger question is…why are you here?”
Looking over his shoulder at the men behind him, Benton then turned to face Hank once more with a wicked grin.
“And until we can sort out what all of this is about…we will be taking you into custody.”
***
Reacting quickly, Hank slid the staff into his other hand as he pulled out his pistol in one fluid motion.
“I’ll decide who gets arrested; you men are coming with me!”
Anger crossed the faces of the three men before him as Benton created a ball of fire in his hand.
“You don’t know who you are dealing with here, dude,” Benton threatened, “Best if you just put that thing down on the ground and come with us quietly so we can sort this all out.” He held out his free hand in an effort to calm Hank down.
“I’m not going anywhere… dude, ”Hank replied with a bravado he wasn’t feeling. “You’re wanted for murder, and I suspect that your friends are also involved…several counts of murder actually.”
Laying down his staff while keeping the gun and an eye trained on the three men, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
“Keep an eye on them girl,” Hank said to Luci as he punched in a string of numbers. “I’ll call in some backup and we’ll all go downtown to sort this out.”
When he punched the send button, the phone bleeped at him. Looking at the screen, he noticed that he had no service. In fact, the screen was flashing with lines and static at him.
“What the hell?” he mumbled before hearing laughter. Looking up, he saw that the three men were choking down laughs as they watched him fiddle with
“Mister?” Benton uttered as his eyes moved toward Hank, “Just what the hell are you?”
Chapter 14
Fighting the urge to drop his Grandfather’s ancient staff, Hank stared at the snake in wonder…and a little fear!
“Hey man, could you put that thing back in its cage?” Benton finally spoke, appearing more relaxed.
Great idea, Hank thought to himself, if I only knew how.
As if hearing his thoughts, the staff suddenly transformed itself back into wood. Drawing it back to himself nervously, he tentatively touched the gnarled end to confirm that it was indeed solid once again.
“Who is this Benton?” one of the men beside him asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“I thought he was just someone from the human world,” Benton replied thoughtfully. “He’s been following me around and even confronted me once on the street. He’s that cop I told you about.”
“And what of the beast beside him?” the third man asked.
“They call them dogs,” Benton enlightened, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at his comrade. “They are pets… domesticated animals that they can train to do various tasks.”
The man that spoke nodded knowingly. “A conquered species then, one that they have enslaved to do their menial tasks.”
Benton laughed at this, “You need to get out more, Nautilus! Dogs are just animals, dude. Pretty smart ones, too, and they can track a scent like nothing else.”
“We could use a dogs here then,” the man named Nautilus spoke up again. “Maybe we should enslave one.”
Benton and the second man were cracking up. “You doof! One of them is a dog… leave off the s. And I told you, they aren’t enslaved…they are…
“ENOUGH!”
The men looked toward the source of the explosive outburst.
It was Hank, who was as surprised as they were at the force of his words in this place. Even Luci seemed surprised.
“What the hell is this place?” Hank finally asked when he got his thoughts back in order.
The three men stared at him quietly for a few moments until Benton stepped forward and pantomimed a formal bow.
“You have entered the land of Faerie. The bigger question is…why are you here?”
Looking over his shoulder at the men behind him, Benton then turned to face Hank once more with a wicked grin.
“And until we can sort out what all of this is about…we will be taking you into custody.”
***
Reacting quickly, Hank slid the staff into his other hand as he pulled out his pistol in one fluid motion.
“I’ll decide who gets arrested; you men are coming with me!”
Anger crossed the faces of the three men before him as Benton created a ball of fire in his hand.
“You don’t know who you are dealing with here, dude,” Benton threatened, “Best if you just put that thing down on the ground and come with us quietly so we can sort this all out.” He held out his free hand in an effort to calm Hank down.
“I’m not going anywhere… dude, ”Hank replied with a bravado he wasn’t feeling. “You’re wanted for murder, and I suspect that your friends are also involved…several counts of murder actually.”
Laying down his staff while keeping the gun and an eye trained on the three men, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
“Keep an eye on them girl,” Hank said to Luci as he punched in a string of numbers. “I’ll call in some backup and we’ll all go downtown to sort this out.”
When he punched the send button, the phone bleeped at him. Looking at the screen, he noticed that he had no service. In fact, the screen was flashing with lines and static at him.
“What the hell?” he mumbled before hearing laughter. Looking up, he saw that the three men were choking down laughs as they watched him fiddle with
Similar Books
