Pug sat with his head between his knees, fighting back the urge to vomit as he tried to calm his heart which was pounding as though he’d run a mile. He tilted his head to regard his human host, Eleanore, as she returned with a shallow dish full of water. Pug managed to incline his head slightly in a gesture of gratitude before dragging himself to his feet and shambling over to the dish. He didn’t begrudge the humans for not having any crockery suited for his size, though he did find it a little embarrassing to be lapping at the dish like an animal at a watering hole, scooping up handfuls of water greedily. The only positive he found with the situation was he could dunk his head into the saucer when he was done which went a long way to cooling him off. Thirst slaked and dripping wet, Pug sprawled out on his back and let out a deep sigh.
“I know what the wizard said, but what do you think?” Eleanore asked, lips pursed and brow slightly furrowed with concern. “There wasn’t anything wrong with the ritual was there?”
Pug found the quirky little tinkerer adorable, reminding him of an upscaled Tourmaline, the resemblance sending a vicious pang through his heart each time he perceived it. Even though she’d had little to do with his current situation aside from providing the materials she still endeavored to somehow feel guilty. In Pug’s estimation she’d saved his life, a fact the human seemed incapable of understanding
“Your wings are perfect, Lady Eleanore.” Pug reassured. “Besides, if the person who performed the ritual is who I think they are, there’s no way they made a mistake.
“She was under a bit of duress there towards the end.” Eleanore replied, an echo of misplaced guilt still haunting her words. “Though maybe she prepared the ritual beforehand? I mean, she sent you into that situation with little warning.”
Pug conceded to himself she did have a point, though he wasn’t quite ready to admit aloud. Baba used her power of prophecy to direct them. Was it possible she didn’t know what was going to happen to them in Hummingbird’s Hearth? Pug shook off the musings he had no answers for, though he resolved to ask Baba some very hard questions when he got home. Realizing he had Eleanore watching him anxiously, he forced a smile for her.
“I think I just need to build some stamina and learn my limits with these new wings.” Pug gestured vaguely over his own shoulder, an awkward move pulled on his already strained back. Frowning slightly, the fairy continued. “I’m actually a good bit faster now, and far more maneuverable.”
“That makes sense, in an unexplainable, mystical kind of way.” Eleanore said pensively, clarifying her thought process as she saw Pug’s confusion. “Those wings are modeled after a dragonfly. In nature they’re remarkably agile, capable of omni-directional flight.”
“I just wish I could use all the extra agility.” Pug groaned, ineffectually craning his head around to try and look at his own back and wings. Failing to set his eyes upon the source of his woes he settled on glaring down at his feet as he recuperated.
Pug stood when he finally felt strong enough, though not entirely well enough to stop his legs from quivering under his own weight. Pursing his lips he stubbornly beat his wings at a slow, rhythmic pace, increasing the tempo gradually. Stopping himself just before he achieved lift-off, he closed his eyes and focused on his new wings. While he wasn’t sure how, precisely, he could achieve this ‘omni-directional flight’ Eleanore spoke of, he needed every edge he could get so he was determined to figure it out. Perhaps it was fate, or a lucky accident, right as he settled into a nearly meditative trance Eleanore knocked something over on her desk.
The clatter pierced his serene observation of his own body right as it began, his body flinching away instinctively while his conscious mind looked on. In moments he felt a muscle in his back move in a way it shouldn’t have been capable of. Or perhaps it was a muscle he didn’t know he had, or hadn’t had until Baba healed him. This new muscle pulled at his top right wing in a way was disgustingly horizontal, adding sideways momentum sent him cartwheeling across the desk. A burst of stars clouded Pug’s vision as the side of his head struck the top of the table beneath him, his prior upwards force suddenly working with gravity once he was upside down.
Eleanore looked up from her dropped mechanism and stood to assist, but Pug forestalled her with a wave of his hand. She eyed him warily as he closed his eyes and once again turned his focus onto his wings, considering this development. Now he had a bead on this new muscle he was able to work it, finding its parallel above his upper left wing. Following how these new growths interacted with each other and his wings, he was able to sense a dense cluster of muscles. Tentatively investigating with his fingers where he could, he was shocked to find the musculature of his back had radically changed. These additions, placed above and below his wings, were soft to the touch but still distinct. Most disturbing of all, he hadn’t even noticed the changes until he’d gone looking for them, his body feeling deceptively mundane.
“Baba moved my muscles.” He frowned. “Or grew new ones, I guess.”
“I’m sorry, moved your muscles?” She asked incredulously.
“You cued me into it.” Pug explained. “These wings are different from my old ones, all the way down to their function. To make me capable of flight again she had to make me compatible with wings designed for a different style of flight. It makes sense, I technically have two more wings than I used to.”
“So you think she moved other muscles around? Wouldn’t that leave you with deficits elsewhere?” Eleanore asked, leaning forward excitedly in her chair.
“I think she tried to grow as many new ones as she could, but she was in a bit of a rush. I think that’s part of the reason why I’m so exhausted when I try to fly.” Pug lost himself in thought for a moment before continuing, much more somber now. “I’m missing a lot of the strength I need to use them, and I’m subconsciously using up all my magic to make up for it.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you shouldn’t be able to fly without magic anyways.” Eleanore pointed out.
“All I know is, if a fairy damages their wings they have a harder time flying.” Pug shrugged.
“Maybe it’s psychological? Or do your wings act like a force multiplier for your magic? So if the system isn’t in good shape, isn’t efficient, you wind up burning through your magic faster?”
Pug, curiosity piqued by something that Elanore said, began to ask her to expound on what she’d just said when he was cut short by the workshop door opening. Inquirer Reid and Warden Thalia shuffled into the room, smiles breaking out across their faces when they saw him flying, even if he was only hovering an inch or two above the surface of the desk. Pug waved at them delicately, the act engaging his new muscles in an unforeseen way and causing him to wobble dangerously. Reid shuffled over, giving an appreciative grin and slow clap as Pug recovered without falling. He smothered his grin as he gave his report, the contents of which were less than ideal.
“Still no sign of the guys who took your friend. We have all of our Wardens keeping an eye out for them as they make their rounds, and we’ve asked the Skullcaps to do the same.” Reid stated, a hint of frustration coloring his voice. “Unfortunately Thalia is the only Warden who’s gotten a good look at them and she can’t be everywhere.”
“They have me running across the city every time someone so much as sees an Islander or anyone acts even a little suspicious.” Thalia complained as she sat down, bending over to rub at her calves and pull off her shoes.
“I appreciate you doing so much to find my friend.” Pug said to Thalia, inclining his head in thanks.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s our job. Besides, this is twice now those guys have gotten away from me. It’s started to get a little personal.” She half joked, shifting around restlessly as she pushed away her dissatisfaction.
“I think my endurance is only going to improve if I keep using my wings. If you’d like, I can help you search.” Pug advised, allowing himself to fall to the ground as got a drink from the saucer beside him. Thalia and Reid exchanged an uncomfortable glance, which Pug caught. “What? Am I not allowed to help look for my friends?:
“Technically no.” Reid said slowly. “Legally, only officers of the law can work an investigation, unless we bring someone in as a consultant. It prevents any conflicts of interest and inappropriate handling of our cases.”
“Besides, the treaty with your Queen is in enough danger with the two missing gnomes we already have. Putting you in harm’s way might not be the best thing for us politically, right?” Thalia mused, looking to Reid for confirmation.
The Inquirer simply gave a weary nod of his head and wiped his hand over his face. Being reminded of the weight of what was at stake took its toll on him, even if it was only for a moment. Pug slumped a little, his motivation drying up a little at the revelation. Eleanore swatted at the two Wardens, gesturing at Pugs slump-shouldered posture. Reid tutted at the inventor, chuckling as she favored him with a withering glare.
“I’ll tell you what, if you get to the point you won’t pass out while you’re looking, I’ll see about getting you signed on as a consultant. Sound fair?” Reid said with a small smile.
“ sounds fair to me sir. As eager as I am to help, I don’t think my friends would be too happy if I hurt myself looking for them.” He replied, gratitude welling in his chest.
I’ll try not to make any of you worry, either. He promised silently.
Reid quickly said his goodbyes, burdened with far too much work to linger for long, and Thalia shuffled off to her room to sleep, allowing Pug to return to his own devices. With Eleanore’s help he came up with an exercise routine that would hopefully help him build a little stamina. By the end of day Pug was able to fly around the room for a quarter of an hour without passing out and falling out of the air.
The following day saw Pug’s energy levels soar even higher, starting the day off with a flight that lasted for a whole twenty minutes, though he took it at a leisurely pace. Doing laps around the workshop rapidly got boring, however, and Pug was soon working in loops and dives, dodging obstacles and sharp turns. In the evening he was able to maintain his highest speed for ten minutes straight, and he could resume flying after taking only a short rest. Eleanore spent the day tinkering with a little construct in the shape of the man, smiling devilishly whenever Pug asked her what it was for.
It turned out the automaton was a training instrument designed to run around the workshop and throw bits and bobs of debris at the fairy as he flew. The threat of being knocked from the sky by a tightly wadded ball of paper added urgency to the simple maneuvers he had been practicing. The first few throws he failed to dodge, stunned out of the air as his focus was wrenched from the delicate control of his new wings to the impact of the projectile. In a scant few hours he was able to dodge the majority of the projectiles and the ones that hit him were no longer guaranteed to down him.
Thalia and Eleanore took dinner with him each evening rather than leave him alone, something Pug was incredibly grateful for. The three of them discussed how rapidly he was recovering, almost having fully regained his full flight capabilities in a matter of days. Pug confirmed for them the growth was unusual even for fairies. Children among his people were only able to flutter around just above the ground for a minute or two before they had to rest. Flight was something you had to work to learn and practice to get good at, like walking or swimming.
“Baba must have accounted for more than we thought.” Pug stated with a shrug.
“Is Baba really talented? To do so much in so little time?” Eleanore asked, more curious than doubtful. The tinkerer was keen to obtain any further information she could about the foreign magics she’d seen that day.
“Baba’s lived in the forest as long as I can remember, and just about everyone nearby visits her for one reason or another. Whether they’re looking for advice or herbs and potions.” Pug said.
“She’d have to be pretty powerful to live in the Wylde all by herself.” Thalia said past a mouthful of beef. Eleanore gave her a withering glare and Thalia hastily swallowed her food, taking a drink to wash it down before she continued. “You thought she was human?”
“That’s what it seemed like.” Pug mused. “But based on what Eleanore said, might that not be the case?”
“The magic she did that day wasn’t human, that’s for sure. And she turned to smoke right after, which isn’t something humans are known for.” Eleanore said wryly.
She made it a point to swallow her food and dab the grease from her lips with a napkin before speaking. An act she made sure Thalia saw by staring at her pointedly as she did so. The warden simply gave her friend a sweet, incorrigible smile. Thalia very purposefully and loudly swallowed her own morsel before replying.
“I have some good news.” Thalia said brightly. “After giving Reid a progress report, he’s tentatively cleared you to help with the search. He still wants you to take it easy, he seems a little worried your sudden improvement was somehow too good to be true.”
“That’s great!” Pug said excitedly, unconsciously fluttering his wings at the news. “I just wish he wasn’t so busy, I’m sure he’d feel better if he saw me in action. The little throwing machine Eleanore created hardly hits me anymore!”
Pug puffed his chest out proudly, hands on his hips in what he considered a triumphant and heroic pose. The two humans covered their mouths and snickered at what they considered to be a tremendously cute, and not at all impressive, display. Luckily Pug paid them no mind, returning to eat his food with great gusto. All the humans who had seen him eat were compelled to ask him where it all went, an inquiry he could only answer with a shrug as he wolfed down his own body weight in food. He greatly enjoyed human cuisine and found himself preemptively mourning the fact he would have to say goodbye to it when he returned home.
“Yes well, incidents with Faerie Dust users have been increasing lately and he’s at the point he needs whatever results he can get coming out of his jurisdiction.” Thalia explained somberly, mirth leaving her tone.
“I wish we weren’t associated with this menace.” Pug grumbled. “Fairies aren’t particularly dusty or anything.”
Thalia snorted, shaking her head at Pug’s complaints before turning the conversation to lighter topics. She slyly suggested that Eleanore manufacture a second throwing machine, leaving Pug sputtering for excuses about how such a thing wasn’t necessary and he was recovering just fine as it was. The three of them continued to laugh and joke, the conversation turning from the myriad of stressors and crises looming over them. They split apart relatively early, Thalia and Pug exhausted by long hours of work. Thalia departed for her room while Pug climbed into a wooden box, the bottom covered in layers and layers of padding. Thalia had teased it looked like the type of contraption one brought a stray kitten home in, but Pug found it astoundingly comfortable regardless of her teasing. He fell asleep face down in the bundled up cloth, his silver wings sticking straight up in the air.
***
Pug often wondered if, perhaps, he was a little unlucky. Not so much as to be a walking disaster, but he’d found that, in general, if he were to let fate take its course he would generally wind up on the bad end of any given deal. His father often told him ‘failing to prepare was preparing to fail,’ and advice had gone a long way to ameliorate his natural tendency towards ill fortune. It was particularly unfortunate he had no way to prepare for the task of searching for his missing friends.
It was surprising, then, he’d found his targets only on the second day of looking. So incredibly implausible was this stroke of good fortune the fairy spent a half hour sitting back on his haunches regarding the pair. First he thought he might have made a mistake, then he thought perhaps this was all part of an elaborate trap. It took a focused effort to persuade his paranoid side that the two kidnappers had no reason to suspect he was even still alive, much less hunting them through their home turf.
Perhaps being able to search from the air was the advantage that had allowed him to find his quarry. He was able to cover much more ground, far quicker than the earthbound humans. Additionally, the Wardens were unfamiliar with and unwelcome in the slums. He’d followed the ragged and worn looking duo from shady looking drug den to the bar, from the bar to a soup kitchen ran by a kindly old priest, and from the kitchen to the streets of the city proper, where they promptly knelt and began to beg from anyone who passed even remotely close to them, booze still on their breath and eyes dilated madly.
Pug decided these two, drunk and high on the street in the middle of the afternoon, probably weren’t setting a trap. It was the question of how to process that had him stumped. He couldn’t exactly apprehend the two of them himself. He could go get Thalia or Reid, but these two had been moving from place to place constantly and he worried he wouldn’t be able to locate them again if he left. Now would be just his luck.
A rumbling purr grew into a yowl right behind him, and Pug turned his head to see a large black tomcat stalking up to him. His nerves thrummed as he regarded the feline, who was worn and scarred from a tough existence on the streets. Instincts creamed at him to flee, however Pug suspected it would do little good for him to try it. The beast outweighed him, all sinewy muscle and lean danger from years living on the street. It hadn’t needed to make its presence known to him either, so perhaps some sort of deal could be had.
“Hello friend, do you think you could help a fella out?” Pug asked cheerily, stilling his thrumming heart as the tom hissed back at him. The beast only had one eye, the other a mass of scars only partly hidden by the stripes of its gray and black fur.
“Listen here, I don’t need any of your sass alright? I have a job for you, if you’ll take it, would have a hearty reward. Elsewise you can shove off, or I can fly off if you’re going to try and make a meal of me.” Pug chided the cat. In response it scoffed at him before sitting down.
“And what could a creature like you hope to offer me that would be more appetizing to me in this moment than you yourself?” The cat replied before leaning forward on his front paws and pushing his rear end back and up, stretching while he yawned widely. Pug didn’t miss the fact the cat’s lips pulled back to reveal its viciously sharp fangs.
“How about an introduction? My name is Pug, a fairy. And you are?” Pug inquired.
“Ah, yes. I suppose you wouldn’t know of me, being new here and whatnot. My name is Bartleby, King of the Cats.” Bartleby mewed back, mischievous glint alight in his eye.
“You’re the king of the cats?” Pug asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
“Sure, why not?” The cat smiled, a grim and dangerous thing.
“Alright your Majesty, would you be willing to help a poor commoner like me?” Pug asked drolly.
“Of course, as King I suppose I must help you, no? Noblesse Oblige, and all .”
“You’re so gracious, Majesty.” Pug replied dryly. “Do you know Warden Thalia?”
“Of course I know her. I know everyone in my kingdom.”
“Uh huh. Well, would you be so kind as to bring her over here for me? I’ll make sure she gets you a tasty fish for your trouble.”
“And how am I supposed to bring a human over here? I’ll certainly not talk to the beast.” The cat said, disdain dripping from his words.
“Well I dunno your Majesty, I’m just a commoner. I wouldn’t dare direct you as though I knew better than your esteemed highness.” Pug couldn’t help but snipe at the feline.
“Quite.” The cat narrowed his eyes at him. “Very well, I will endeavor to bring this Thalia here immediately. Be prepared for her when I do.”
Bartleby stalked away without another word, dismissively ignoring Pug’s waved goodbye. The fairy gave an exasperated sigh, deciding it was worth the annoyance if the cat managed to bring the Wardens. He kept an eye on the criminals, but Thom and Gregor seemed quite content to remain begging in the gutter. Pug couldn’t help but overhear them from his perch and he found himself forced to pay attention to their conversation with little else to distract him.
“Damn misers, they’re not sparing us so much as a glance!” Gregor scowled at a passing woman who, in response, picked up her skirt and all but ran away from the grimy addict.
“We need another job Gregor. I can’t live like this.” Thom was all but sobbing at this point. The look Gregor gave him actually took Pug aback, causing the fairy to reel back from the unbridled malice and disgust in Gregor’s eyes.
“I know . You don’t need to keep telling me, do you?” Gregor leaned into Thom, teeth bared. Thom shrunk away from him, shielding his face against his shoulder.
“N-no, I’m sorry. Of course you know.”
“In any case, the merchant hasn’t called for us yet.” Gregor scowled. “And you know we can’t come to him.
Pug’s heart leapt as he realized they were probably talking about the same individual they’d mentioned on the night they took Tourmaline. He almost fell off his perch as he leaned in to listen further, however the two grew sullen and silent at the mention of their patron. Or so he thought. Instead, the two of them were focused on something on the ground before them. At some point, without them or Pug seeing exactly when it happened, a pouch had been dropped on the ground in front of them. A pouch drooped open slightly and released a small trickle of shimmering powder.
“G-gregor, is -” Thom began but was cut off as Gregor pushed him back in an effort to propel himself forward.
Just before the portly man was able to snatch up the pouch a gray-black blur leapt in front of him and scooped it in its mouth. Turning to look at Gregor and Thom with disdain, the cat held in its mouth the pouch and what looked to be a piece of paper. It’s one golden eye flicked up to Pug before it took off down the street in a flash.
“Bartleby?” Pug cried in confusion, though thankfully his voice was drowned out by Thom’s screech of anguish.
“Catch it Gregor! That filthy stray stole the Dust!” Thom cried as he scrambled past Gregor, who was popping up onto his feet after falling face-first into the street when Bartleby snatched the pouch.
The two shot after the cat, surprisingly fast given their poor health and weakened state. Pug, likewise, took to the air after them, wondering what Bartleby was doing. This certainly wasn’t what Pug had planned. Thankfully the cat made no attempt to truly outpace them, nor did it try to lose Gregor and Thom by going into some small nook or cranny the humans couldn’t fit into. Instead it led them down streets by just barely outpacing the criminals, the pair of them shoving people aside in their desperation to catch the cat, and Bartleby seeming to have a grand time sowing so much mischief.
It was only due to his position in the air Pug was able to see the cat’s grand design. Block by block he was leading them into the more populated and well policed areas of the city. In fact, it looked like if Bartleby got his way he would lead them right to the Warden’s headquarters. Indeed, the two addled men followed the clever creature right to the last place they wanted to be, taking a hard turn that sent Gregor stumbling, knocking several people over in front of the station.
At the same moment, Pug saw Thalia come around the corner in front of them. For a moment he was astonished by the sheer peculiarity of this coincidence, though he realized Bartleby must have arranged for her to be here. Indeed, Thalia completely ignored the two criminals she’d been spending days hunting and instead honed in on the cat. Seeing the paper in the feline’s mouth, Thalia went beet red, a snarl twisting her face as she charged right towards Bartleby. The clever tomcat leapt to the side at precisely the right moment, however, and she went crashing into Thom and Gregor right as Thom stopped to pick his friend up off the cobblestones. All three went down in a tangle of limbs and muttered curses.
The wardens in their headquarters were drawn outside by the cries of outrage and swearing as Thalia and the pedestrians knocked over by Gregor made their displeasure known. As they rushed outside to see what caused all the commotion, Bartleby simply leapt up a series of ledges and overhangs until he was atop the roof of the building adjacent to Pug, overlooking the debacle. The wardens were pulling the tangled bodies apart and Thalia,looking upon the people she’d tripped over in her efforts to secure her prize, gave a surprised cry and promptly arrested the two miscreants.
“What was that?” Pug asked, panting with exhaustion as he set down beside the cat. Bartleby responded by placing the pouch and piece of paper at his feet before speaking.
“I brought her to them, didn’t I?” Bartleby purred, smugly licking his front paw.
“Sure, but why did you bother bringing them here too? Seems like a lot of moving parts to a plan like .”
“So it would seem, however, I actually had them meet in the middle. Warden Thalia was across town when you sent me to find her.
“You went from the slums, across the city, got her attention, simultaneously attracting Thom and Gregor’s attention? Somehow knowing precisely what they wanted and where to get it?”
“Yes.” Bartleby licked his paw demurely. “I led them precisely where I needed them to be, right when I needed them to be there.”
“That would imply you were in two places simultaneously.” Pug pointed out.
“So it would seem.” Bartleby cooed smugly. The cat turned away from Pug then, flicking his tail at the fairy dismissively as he did so.
“Hey wait, don’t you want to stick around for the fish I promised?”
“I’d prefer not to. The Warden was quite angry that I stole paper from her. If I were you I’d give it back as soon as you can.”
“So angry you’d skip out on a tasty fish?” Pug grinned
“I suppose so…” Bartleby said, turning back to regard Pug over his shoulder with his one good eye. In moments he was fading into smoky transparency before Pug’s very eyes, leaving only one glowing golden eye hovering midair before it closed, literally winking out of existence.
“King of the cats.” Pug muttered. “Just like dad warned, cats are weird.”
Deciding the mysterious cat wasn’t worth the trouble, Pug shrugged. Grabbing the pouch and the paper Bartleby had left behind, Pug stepped off of the roof and glided down to Thalia. The pouch was a little heavy, dragging him down with enough force he had to beat his wings ferociously to stay aloft. He landed on Thalia’s shoulder with a gasp, breath shaken from his body by the intensity of the impact. Thalia turned to look at him, eyes fixated on the slip of paper he held.
“You! How did you get that? Was damn cat your idea?”
“That cat? Never seen him before in my life. Lucky he brought you here though.” Pug said, hardly trying to make himself sound believable. Thalia grimaced and snatched the paper from his hands, nearly pulling the fairy off his feet. Pug had to wonder what was so important about the paper she took it over the pouch full of drugs in his possession, but felt it wise not to ask.
“Did you read it?” Thalia said sullenly.
“No, I didn’t have the chance.” Pug answered honestly. She believed him this time, crumpling the paper up and stuffing it into her pocket. “Good.”
“So we caught them. What now?” Pug asked, attempting to direct the conversation away from what appeared to be a sensitive topic. .
“Now we have to interrogate them until they tell us where your friend is.” Thalia said, sighing as she sized the two criminals up. She was likely wondering just how hard they’d be to break.
“Excellent.” Pug said with a sinister grin, clearly expecting a dank, dismal gaol and hooded torturers plying their craft. It seemed the fairy had come from a world where interrogations were far removed from what the Wardens of Midburg believed an interrogation to be. It was only a matter of time before he would find himself severely disappointed, his imagined torments crumbling before the relentless, glacial advance was the Warden’s interrogation technique as they seemingly attempted to bore the criminals into spilling their secrets.
