The Innocence of Teacups

A front door wailed as Sophos held it open as far as it would go. He managed to squeeze into the house, glad to be off the streets. He stood in a parlour with a well varnished black and white tiled floor. Instead of saws these walls were lined with plenty of books.

Trying to be careful so he did not knock anything out of place he followed Sophos into a lounge. There was scant room for him but Sophos pushed a table to one side, making space for him to sit down on his haunches, by a simply carved fireplace. Sophos collapsed into a chair with a look of relief, while Lignum danced around on the table.

“Pixies can never keep still,” Sophos informed him.

“And he malts terribly,” Lignum said. “I keep telling him we should open up a pillow stuffing business.”

He tapped his claws against a rug he was sat on, and noticed they were trembling.

“What’s up?” Lignum asked.

“What do you think is up?” interjected Sophos. “He has been kept captive and mutilated. Didn’t you say he was only a young human?”

“Lil said so,” Lignum replied.

“Then obviously he is going to be tense.”

“Not to worry his horns will grow back.”

“I think he’d rather be human again.”

He pricked his head up. Human again was what he wanted most, even more than rescuing Sasha which must be selfish.

“Don’t look at me. I’m afraid I know nothing of transformations. Sounds like dark magic to me. I for one do not dabble in such magic.” Sophos laced his feathered fingers together, staring at them.

“He knows plenty about light magic.”

“Only theoretically.” Sophos kept up staring at his fingers.

“Can light magic help him?” inquired Lignum.

“What’s done cannot be undone I am sorry to say.”

He rested his chin on his front claw-paws. Getting his head round being a demon with a human mind was unbearable. Lignum had been right about one thing: he would have to find a lonely cave to live in. A cave was much better than being strapped to a table. There were those pros creeping in through the cons.

“How about that sketch you were after?” said Lignum.

“How insensitive are you? Eagle doesn’t want me sketching him after what he’s been through.”

“But wasn’t that the only reason you agreed to rescue him, because you wanted to get close up to a demon so you could make an accurate sketch for your portfolio?”

After coming to his rescue the least he could do was let Sophos sketch him. He looked directly at Sophos, tried to make his mouth smile, and nodded.

“See he doesn’t mind you sketching him. Fetch your charcoals.” On that note straining not to look enthusiastic, Sophos went to fetch his drawing implements.

His eyes were getting heavy as he tried to focus on Lignum skittering about the table. Sophos wasn’t going to want a picture of a sleepy demon. When Sophos returned he placed a bowl of water in front of him. He mouthed thank you then took a drink having to practically put his head in the bowl seen as claw-paws weren’t designed to hold bowls. When done drinking he got ready to pose for a portrait but saw Sophos was already busy sketching away.

“He likes natural pictures so you don’t have to do anything except be yourself.”

This was ironic when you thought about it seen as he wasn’t himself at all.

“You ought to tell Eagle where those spirits took his friend,” Sophos said as he sketched away.

“No. Sasha is a spirit slayer.”

“Do you know why Sasha slays spirits?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then you are an impartial bystander who has no right to withhold valuable information. For all you know Sasha could have perfectly good reasoning for killing some spirits. There’s always more than one side to a story.”

Lignum grumbled as he sat down on the table. “I might tell later.”

In fascination he stared as Lignum stretched out his arms to the other end of the room and grabbed hold of a book. Being small was neat if you could extend your arms to great lengths.

How relaxing to be in this lounge as Sophos concentrated on drawing and Lignum delved into a book. He stretched, rested his head against a leg, soaking up warmth from the crackling fire. He was half asleep when Sophos held up a finished drawing for him to look at. The demon on parchment was quite a likeness. Not a handsome sight nevertheless a true observation. He nodded to tell Sophos he was talented at drawing.

“Later has passed Lignum. Time to tell Eagle where he can find his friend.” Sophos put his picture inside a book for safe keeping then prodded his fellow scholar in the stomach.

“I don’t think I ought to.”

“None of that. You’re always whining on about how you don’t get to partake in any adventures. Here’s a perfectly good opportunity for you to participate in one so don’t make excuses.”

“There are different types of adventures. I want to explore distant lands not risk my life confronting the Golden Parade.”

“You’re saying those spirits who live in the human world have gotten mixed up with the Golden Parade?”

“No Queen Kella has.” Lignum swayed from side to side and closed his mouth until his fellow scholar bullied him into talking with another prod of the finger. “She gets irate when her own kind are killed. Sasha and Lanzo are famous for butchering spirits in the human world. She wanted some compensation so got the spirits in the light world to help her out.”

“So she’s handing this Sasha over to those extremists?”

“Sooner rather than later by the looks. We saw them marching about around Long Meadow three days ago, didn’t we Eagle?”

When he’d seen the Golden Parade Sasha hadn’t been with them. Quite a period of time had passed since that sighting. This parade could have sent Sasha to his death whilst he was being kept captive. All he could think to do was seek out the Golden Parade and see if he could find out what had happened or what was happening. Yes he’d set off after some sleep. There was no point in setting off if he was exhausted. Time to be more careful than he had been recently. As cautious as performing an assassination was what this situation called for.

Lignum and Sophos were having a roaring debate on whether nocta creaturas ought to be allowed to live in the human world or not. Sophos declared it un-natural to leave your own world while Lignum argued that leaving your own world was exploration and deemed exploring perfectly natural. Scholars. He longed to put in his point of view which would have been a mixture of both Sophos’s and Lignum’s beliefs. He thought visiting a different world to your own was commendable however living in an unknown dimension away from your own was very much out of place.

“You’re saying you would like to live in the light world?” Sophos said.

“Not me personally.”

“Why ever not? Is it possibly because you know it would be un-natural to do so?”

“No, I happen to be happy with where I live. Spirits like the attraction of the moons so should be free to dwell on light soil in order to be with moonlight. Besides they can’t open portals for nothing.”

“In opening a portal to live in the light world they let in a rabble of demons.” Lignum shrugged. “So what? There are fewer demons in our hemisphere thanks to them.”

“Which illustrates my point: Noctra creaturas don’t belong in the light world. Only a demon can remove a demon from wherever it chooses to settle meaning in a small corner of the light world there will be a horde of demons causing havoc for all time.”

“I don’t care for light world humans.”

Sophos drummed feathered fingers on the table then motioned with his eyes at him. “You’re forgetting our guest is human despite his appearance, meaning what you just said is a lie.”

“He’s not human anymore so I am covered.”

“His mind is Eagle’s meaning he is still human.”

“With that kind of logic you’re saying some phantoms are human.”

“Phantoms’ minds are distorted meaning they no longer are what they used to be.”

“You’re making up nonsense as you go along to cover up gaps as storytellers do,” complained Lignum.

Sophos whispered to him, “he’s getting cranky because he knows my argument is stronger.”

“What are you filling his head with?” asked Lignum.

“Just that I ought to find out Sasha’s whereabouts while he gets some sleep.” Sophos got up from his chair and gave a stretch. “Lignum, I’m trusting you to guard the house while I’m gone. Do not open the door to anyone.”

“Like those Horn Hunters are going to know to come here.”

“They might. Besides what would a caller think if they walked in on a demon sitting in the lounge? Actually Eagle I’m putting you in charge. Don’t allow Lignum to open the door to anyone.”

When Sophos left to find out news on Sasha’s whereabouts, Lignum took his book upstairs to give him some time to himself. Sleep ought to have been his main priority but he couldn’t help play out the past few days in his head. The images he conjured were enough to give a wicked warlock nightmares.