Charred: Chapter 3

Alice had never liked the south side of town. The

atmosphere always felt too tame. Something she wasn't used to. The roads were

all paved, the lawns were all manicured. The houses were well-maintained. It was

all very twilight zone to her.

She stared up at the house where Edward's so-called

“Wizard” took up residence. It was as nice as the other houses, with its green

grass, white porch, heavy oak doors and outdoor lights all turned on. The only

difference was that the grass wasn't as well maintained, the white paint on the

porch had faded in some spots, and the house in general looked a little out of

place. It was as if the tenant had declared some kind of rebellion-or it was

just plain laziness, she could never figure out which.

She felt a sudden chill and wrapped her coat around her

tighter before making her way towards the house. 

She knocked three times and waited. Time passing by much

slower than it did in the bustling city.

The door opened slowly, revealing a tall muscular man of

Asian descent.

“Rin.” He said with a frown.

Alice bowed her head slightly a slight grimace on her face, not unhappy to see him, but still irritated by earlier events.

“Shirou.”

He smiled. “You look out of place. It's unsettling to see

you so rattled.”

“I'm out of my comfort zone.” She nearly growled before

remembering who she was in front of. She sighed, trying to calm down.

He laughed. “You going to stand out there all day?”

“You have to invite me in.” She said with a smile. Despite

that, both their eyes hardened.

“I'm pretty sure I don't.” He steps aside, watching

carefully.

She stepped into the house, prompting a relaxing in

Shirou's shoulders. The house smelled strongly of cinnamon and steel. There was

something else, but when she sniffed the air she couldn't place the smell.

“Hawthorne.” Shirou explained, smiling at the confusion on

her face.

“Things have been getting tense in the city. People have

been asking for more exotic protections on their tools.” He lead her to the

backroom, opening a steel door inscribed with various runes. “Some crazy

requests though. Like an Orc fellow asking me to forge snow and lightning into

a warhammer.”

“...Snow and lightning?” Alice asked, shocked. “What kind

of-”

“I suppose he wanted me to break the laws of physics.”

Shirou shrugged, then opened a door near the back of the house.

A blast of heat hit the pair as they entered it, removing

the moisture from the air around them instantly. Alice rubbed her arms

irritably, ignoring the instinct to run at the feel of fire in the air, of ash

filling her nose with it's scent.

Her bad mood lessened at a familiar voice, one with a

French accent.

“Salut Ali. Whats kosher?” A young man, his dark clothes

glowing in the light of the fire before him, wiped sweat from his forehead as

he worked at the forge in front of him. As Alice looked at him, he took a

glowing bar of metal out of the forge with a pair of prongs and began to hammer

away at it, shaping it flat.

“Don't call me that.” She replied, a bit harshly.

He laughs, putting the bar of metal back in the forge. He

turns to her and flips his visor up, his white teeth shining against his dark

skin. “You're tense. Edward again?”

“I have no complaints about the alpha.” Alice's voice was

flat, her face neutral.

Shirou scoffed behind her. “Yeah, and Chicago isn't

underwater.” He grinned at the look of annoyance he got in reply. “What? I

thought we were naming things we wished were true. I miss Chicago-style hot dogs.”

“Funny.” Alice tried to sound sarcastic, but couldn't help the smile on her face. “As

much as I like visiting you, I'm not here to chat. Edward sent me.”

“Oh? And why couldn't our esteemed alpha wolf come visit

us?” Shirou had a fierce grin on his face, as much anger as good cheer.

“Bullying a few more of the fine citizens of our city. Possibly some Orcs, or

mutants?”

“I think its more to do with the time you kicked his ass

when he came over.” The young man said with no small amount of humor.

Alice frowned. “Akinrinade.”

The young man sighed at the disapproval in her voice as she

said his name. “Yes mother?”

“He is the Alpha. Even when he isn't around, no matter how

much we disagree with him, we must show at least the image of respect.” Alice

couldn't help the small note of dissatisfaction in her voice, but she kept her

face stern.

“Well. I'm an Elder.” Shirou walked up to Akinrinade, and lifted

the prongs from his hand, taking the bar of steel out of the forge. A fiery hot

batch of sparks bounced out. Alice shied away from the red hot coals, and even

Akinrinade, in his protective gear, took a step back. Shirou didn't seem to

notice the sparks, letting them land on his skin. As Alice watched, the severe

burns that appeared where they landed healed in seconds.

“So here's what I'll tell you. I was around before Edward

came. I fought alongside every human in this city, scraping out a place in the

world in the most horrifying place in the world. Hell, I was here before demons

started appearing among us, killing off every person like so many knives

through butter.” Shirou picks up his hammer and begins to hit the bar of steel

with easy, precise strokes. “Then, one day, a group came in. This was long

after I retired mind you. And they were lead by a punk kid. He declared himself

Alpha, and killed every human or wolf that said otherwise. He took money,

woman, and drugs for him and his cronies, and used some of the best people I've

ever known as his slaves. This kid, is now the boy we are told we must call

Alpha.”

Shirou raised his finger and flicked it. A long claw popped

out of the digit, about an inch long. He began to run it along the red-hot metal,

sharpening the edges with it.

“Edward. The boy who declared himself Alpha.” Shirou looked

at Akinrinade and Alice, scoffing. “He's a punk with a bit of power. That's

all. Because at the end of the day, the Alpha doesn't need to declare he is

Alpha. He doesn't make speeches, he doesn't make examples. Because if he's a

true Alpha, a real one? His pack will do it for him.”

“...Or her.” Akinrinade said softly. Alice gritted her

teeth when she felt his eyes on her.

“Where's the blade Edward wanted?” She asked. Suddenly the

warm room was unbearable to her.

Shirou frowned, but apparently decided to let it go. “Akin

was going to take it to Edward earlier, but we got caught up. I figure you both

could go.” Shirou smirked. “Maybe I can get some work done without you cubs

underfoot.”

Akinrinade laughed. “Yeah yeah. Just don't break any limbs

before I come back old man.” He took off his helmet and hung it on a rack,

following up with the rest of his protective gear. Alice went to follow him

out.

“Rin.” Shirou called to Alice, who turned at the sound of a

name very few people called her. “Edward's sword... he asked for me to instill

wolfsbane into its construction.”

Alice leaned back, shocked. Wolfsbane. The Werewolf Killer.

Poison. “Why?”

“He didn't say.” Shirou returned to hammering and

sharpening the blade in his hand. “But you don't make a sword that kills

werewolves without planning to use it.” He raised the blade in his hand,

looking down the edge critically, even as his voice stayed calm, yet warning. “If

he decides to kill one of our own... you need to make choices. And you may not

like those choices.”

Alice sighed, turning to leave. “Do I ever?”

Shirou watched her walk out,

before turning to his work. His face unreadable all the while as the fire cast orange

shadows on his skin.