Satyr Play 02 Pt. 02

-=-

The Pixie Observer, hiding in the tree above the bench, leapt into the sky in her pigeon disguise and flew towards Manhattan as fast as her wings could carry her. From what she'd overheard from her vantage point, she had significant news to bring to Minister Hoek!

When the injured Fae dragged himself to the bench under her, she knew she was in a prime spot for observing the Satyr. She recognized the Fae from the team briefing and knew he would likely attempt to contact the Satyr as he returned from work.

The Pixie Observer team positioned themselves in key locations in the city along Henry's daily path. They also used maximum stealth spells to hide from Fae observation, though this wasn't as critical lately. It was tiring and, worse, boring, but it had finally paid off! The Satyr no longer wore the ring bound to the Fae's healing spell. That sure sounded like significant news!

She'd witnessed the Satyr was still able to draw the healing magic to himself, and she'd almost been blown from the tree when the Fae used it to heal himself. A brute force use of magic but undoubtedly effective.

It would be up to her boss to determine what to do with this news, but she desired only one outcome.

She wanted to stop hiding in that damn tree disguised as a stupid pigeon.

-=-

Maintaining a smooth, confident stride, Roger walked away from Henry's condo, heading back towards the Path system. He'd witnessed Henry interacting with the injured man and just saw that man leave under his own power, completely healed. Henry was the focal point in Roger's current investigation.

He'd smelled blood on the man. A lot of it. It set off some impulses he'd had difficulty restraining.

Roger was hungry. All the time now. He hadn't been able to appease that need. Not since that night in the hospital when everything changed.

No. When Henry changed everything.

As he walked, he maintained cautious surveillance of the area around him, tracking the movements of everyone within his observation zone. Tonight, that was only two punks spraying tags on the wall of an alley off the waterfront path. The hiss of the spray paint cans was unmistakable and familiar.

Then he smelled it. Beneath the bite of spray propellant was something sweet and savory. His mouth began to water. He turned his head, following the scent. It was the punks. He adjusted his step, moving silently as he got closer. The smell was coming off only one of them. The other stank of cigarettes, sweat, and grease.

"Creating art?"

"FUCKSHIT!" the unpleasant-smelling one screamed in surprise at Roger's sudden appearance in the alley's mouth.

"I used to do some fairly righteous tags before I moved on to more aggressively subversive acts," Roger said with a grin. He struggled to remain calm as the scent was pulling him closer. The other one's nervousness was beginning to bother him.

"You some kind of badass rebel?" the calm one asked condescendingly. "Is that why you're wearing your hat's brim pulled down to hide your face? You here to show us how it's done?"

Roger grinned so they could see his bright, white teeth. "No, not at all."

He swung his left arm out, and his claws ripped the throat out of the smelly one. Gurgling, the youth dropped to his knees and fell forward onto his face.

Whistling quietly, Roger tilted his head up until he looked into the terrified eyes of the deliciously scented one.

The young male stared back into the blood-red orbs and noticed those white teeth were significantly longer and sharper than normal teeth. The youth struggled to keep from wetting himself. "What the fuck are you?" he whimpered.

Roger's whistling reflected off the inhuman features of the being before him. He'd come to realize in the days since his change that no one else knew these inhuman creatures were living amongst the population. He'd been gifted with a way to see the truth finally.

Coming back to the present, he realized his dinner just asked him a question. How rude he was to make him wait.

"I don't know. What are you? You're certainly not human!"

The youth lost control of his bladder, and Roger wrinkled his nose.

"You... you can see me?"

"Yes... I can see everything now."

-=-

A young couple excitedly walked along the riverside walkway toward a condo building overlooking Manhattan, mere steps away from the alley where Roger feasted on inhuman flesh for the first time.

A unit on the fourth floor had recently become available, and they had a viewing tonight. Seeing it up ahead, they hurried their eager steps.

They were very excited to get a chance to move into such a lovely building in one of their favorite neighborhoods. It was so much more peaceful here and far less dangerous than the nightmare of where they lived now.

It was a virtual dream come true.