Chronos, Chapter 23 (Patreon)

Chapter 23 – Old Friends

The day went by relatively easily. I was not planning any major moves for the next couple days, after all. Oh, I had plans for dealing with Skye’s husband, but that would wait for the weekend. My Priestess was arranging a suitable cover, that would also serve as a recruiting ground for my church.

I’d sent a message to my old friend, asking if I could stop by after classes let out, and he was more than happy to have me. In times past, I would have accompanied this visit with a bottle freshly bought from a distributor that closed fifty years ago, but was a favorite of his unit during the war. Horrid stuff, but it was a little something to rehash old times for two long-lived sorts. Unfortunately, the Pulse made that impossible.

Since it wouldn’t do to not bring a gift, I instead brought two bottles that were from a brand we both actually liked. It wasn’t the same as the cheap swill that brought back memories like they were yesterday, but that didn’t matter. Sometimes, just being able to talk with another immortal, or near-immortal, was good enough.

Max Wolfson was a broad-shouldered man, and muscular. If you asked people what they thought a werewolf, especially an alpha werewolf, would look like in their human form, then the composite description you got would fit Max to a tee. Thankfully, people just figured that he was really fit, and he made jokes about making sure to hit the gym as well as the books, which put most people off his track.

He was wearing a suit and tie that, while specially tailored to fit him, nonetheless looked completely out of place on his body. Just looking at him made you think that he’d be more at home in jeans and a flannel shirt, rather than this getup. The overall look was like that of a lumberjack dressed up for Sunday service, and wishing he was back in the woods. Which, given Max’s nature, was not too far from the truth.

“Ah, Remy!” Max grinned as I stepped into his office. “Been a while since I seen ya, boy. Or has it been just yesterday to you?”

“Oh, no, I haven’t been bouncing around, lately,” I said as I pulled the bottles of whiskey from my bag. “Bouncing off the barrier to before the Pulse once was enough to convince me not to try again. Unfortunately, that also left a lot of things caught up in the past.”

“Well, sorry you have to trudge along with the rest of us mere mortals for now,” he grinned, pulling a couple glasses from his desk drawer, and cleared away a couple papers to make space for them so I could pour. “So, what brings you by? I know you didn’t come down just to catch up, or we’d have met at a club.”

“Ah, you know, a bit of business. Not the magic kind, directly, but more personal. And it might involve the university, so I was wanting to get your advice, before I started. You know how I do those ‘scholarships’ for foreign students, so long as they work for me for a while?”

“You mean the ones where you take the girls, and turn them into your submissive pets, before releasing them on the world, with references to companies where ‘old friends’ will certainly enjoy their changed nature?” He laughed. “Yes, I’m aware. And I respect that you always make sure to avoid involving my pack in that. So, what’s new?”

“Well, one of my pets is coming to the end of her time with me. I’m thinking of keeping her, though, as a business manager. Still, this means I need another maid, perhaps two. And, with my being stuck in the present and future, instead of being able to just go back to the past, I am being forced to pay more attention to the current world, so a secretary would be useful. On top of all that, I would not mind having an apprentice to guide.”

Max nodded slowly. “So, you finally broke out of that funk you’ve been in for the past two years, hmm? And Chronos went and revealed that sword, too. What caused it, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Honestly? It was Lady Liberty, Quartermaster, and Skytalon walked into the library to have a meeting with me. Apparently, since the death of the Black Hat, I’m recognized as being the premier mind on the arcane in the region. They needed my expertise, to help catch Chronos.”

“HAH!” He exclaimed, and went to take a drink, only to notice that his glass was empty. I saw mine was in a similar state, and topped them both off. Max nodded, and said, “Thanks, Remy. So, they wanted to see you about finding a way to stop Chronos. That must have been a fun conversation.”

“Oh, yes, especially since I have that little compulsion on me that prevents me from telling outright lies. It took some mental gymnastics for me to figure out a way to get through that conversation without revealing anything too big.”

“But why wait so long? Black Hat had his ‘accident’ two years ago, just after the Pulse.”

“Believe it or not, they spent that time investigating me, and vetting me for clearance. Apparently, the life of Remington Livingston was so dull and boring that they assumed it had to be a cover, and kept digging for more. Only, they never found anything, so they eventually called off the hunt, and decided I was what I appeared to be.”

“It was the fact that you were working at the Public Library, rather than anywhere more prestigious, that threw them off, wasn’t it?”

“For starters. I could have gotten more than a few high-paying positions, with my knowledge base. Possibly even worked with some of the super teams directly. That I chose to remain a ‘humble librarian’ confused them. At least until Skytalon came to visit again, and brought Miss Mysterious with her.”

“And she saw all the wards and books down there, and understood,” Max nodded. “Makes sense. So, them coming to you to ask for help in trapping you woke you up. Then I’m glad for it. I missed these chats we had.”

“So did I, my friend, but losing the past for me would be like losing half your pack for you. It was like someone had physically cut away part of my being. I admit I did not take things as well as I might have.”

“Considering the city is still standing,” Max half-growled, as he considered what I said, “I’d say you’re doing better than I’d have done, in that case.” He slammed back the rest of his drink. “So, some maids, a secretary, and an apprentice? And you want to find them local, this time?”

I emptied the first bottle into our two glasses, and nodded. “I have one potential maid coming over for testing, but I’d like another, in case things don’t work out. I mainly came to you to ask about the secretary and apprentice. Obviously, I’d like someone who is pleasing to the eye, but I also need people who know their stuff. And, given the nature of the position, I wanted to ensure I did not cause any problems with the Pack.”

“Hmm,” Max said, leaning back in his chair. “Well, there are a few girls in the business school that are aiming to be office managers or secretaries. Any particular type you’re looking for?”

“Attractive, obviously. Attitude is more variable. The enchantment works best on those who already have some submissive tendencies, but it can bring around even the strongest-willed individuals, in time, so long as they don’t notice the enchantment’s working. As for local or not? I’m up in the air on that one, as a local would have connections, but their change in behavior might be noticed.”

“Super, or Sup-Nat?”

I raised an eyebrow, as I cracked open the second bottle, and refilled the glasses. “Sure, I don’t mind a Super, or a Supernatural. But they’re likely to be missed, and changes would be marked, no?”

“Yes, but that depends on who is doing the marking. Actually, depending on what you’re looking for in an apprentice, I might know a pair of girls that would be perfect for you.”

“Really? Color me interested, then. Who are they?”

“Zara Burns is actually part of the Pack, though resentfully so. Some of the younger generation, they get too excited by those old stories, you know? Think that because they are strong, that they shouldn’t have to hide what they are from the humans.”

“Youth plus power breeds stupidity and a feeling of invincibility, yes.” I rubbed my bad leg. “I’m all too aware of that.”

Max grunted. “We all are. But Zara, she’s a troublemaker. She wishes to be a superheroine. To go out there, and make a name for herself. Fool girl even has a costume she designed herself. And every time people tell her no, she gets more insistent.”

“So, you’re asking me to take her in hand?”

“Yes, exactly. Tame her, breed her if you wish. But, as she is now, she is a danger to the Pack. It is only because she’s been working on her business degree that she hasn’t gone out and done something stupid, yet. Her parents and I have been hoping that she would settle down, and grow out of this phase before graduation, otherwise, I would have to… well, I would have to do what was necessary for the good of the Pack.”

“And, this way, even if she isn’t truly her, any more, she will still be alive, and you would not have to suffer the pain of chewing off your own limb to save the whole, yes?

“Yes,” Max nodded, gravely.

“Very well,” I said. “I had not intended to take anyone from the Pack, because of our friendship, but if you ask this of me, I will take your errant wolf in hand. I’ll try and make it so that she can drive out for a run under the full moon, but she might miss the first couple, until I’m sure that the enchantment has set, in both her forms.”

“Thank you, my friend. You have taken a great burden off my shoulders, I promise you. And, as thanks, I can tell you of another student who might make for a fine apprentice to you.”

“Oh, really? Who might she be?”

“Jade Walker, a lovely little thing. She is an elemental sorceress, not a time mage, like yourself, but she already knows ritual magic. She would be an apt pupil for you teaching the ways to modify magics and use them through rituals and artifices.”

“Walker? I’m not familiar with that name. Is she part of one of the old families?”

“No. There may be some connection generations back, but no one thought to check before the Pulse, and now, there’s no way of confirming, one way or the other. At any rate, she is regarded as a wild talent, and most of her skills, before she came to the Thaumaturgy program, were self-taught. She’s still rough around the edges, but she would cover for some of your weaknesses, no?”

“Hmm. An elemental sorceress would definitely be useful in a scrap. Any connections she does have, then?”

“Only one, of any importance. Her best friend at the University is Zara.”

“Ah, I see. Get both of them under the spell, and the likelihood that they notice the changes goes down, since they’re both experiencing them, and they have no real connections, except for you and the Pack. And you would be able to say they’re just imagining things.”

“Something like that, yeah. I’ll admit, it feels like I’m taking advantage of you, here, solving my problems like this.”

“No, my friend. This is just one of those happy coincidences, where one friend needs something, and the other friend just happens to have the perfect thing for the job. The fact that the thing is currently in the way and causing trouble is merely a bonus.”

“Good. Then, I’ll handle getting them the information. You want them to go to your home?”

“Yes, that would be better than the library, I think.”

“Fine, I’ll have them come see you this weekend. Oh, and you’re going to have to establish dominance with them early on, especially if you’re going to make them wear the collar. Forcing each of them, one after the other, or even together, would be the quickest way to do that. And if Zara gets pups, maybe she’ll settle down faster.”

“Haha! My friend, you come up with the most excellent ideas. I’ll definitely have to do that.”