“Elemental magic users are somewhat unusual due to the large magic capacity requirements of elemental magic. Among them, pyromancers are perhaps the most well known…and the most often behind bars. Those that do not turn to criminal activities often turn to higher risk careers, serving as firefighters, in military service, and in bomb units. The number of pyromancers in the US dwindled after the vampires massacred a large number of pyromancers serving, illegally, as vampire hunters.”

~ Bek Trent, M.A.S.O

It was warmer here, the spring air damp and laden with insects. Moths flashed like stars around humans’ lamps, fluttering delectably from light to shadow to light again. Far below them, a brown bat perched upside down, singing sometimes to the moon and eyeing the fluttering insects hungrily. He had eaten his fill already, but the winter had been long, and so had his journey. This was the nature of being messenger to the tree wolves; evenings spent flying through the night and days spent sleeping in inhospitable cities.

Itoru let go, loosing a string of chirps that lit up the world around him as he darted past the lamps and then hung close to the stone walls beyond, eyeing the fissures and cracks in the solid brick of a human house. He was more used to humanity than the wolves. Strange, hairless beasts though men were, they built comfortable roosts and had a fondness for light that was the envy of every insect in the night.

But tonight, he was not seeking out a human. The alpha of the tree wolves had sent him to find a much more dangerous beast.

Pulling both wings in tight to his body, the bat dropped suddenly, catching himself on the hard, stone ledge of a windowsill. The window itself was open a crack, letting in the cool night air. Chirping a greeting, he edged in clumsily, and remained for a moment, chirping intermittently to get a feel for the space around him. It was large, open, surrounded by the soft things humans enjoyed. Sound was muffled by them, coming back to him hazy and distorted. Heat and light issued from the left side of the room, and the bat knew fireplaces well enough to understand they should be avoided.

There was only one living thing in the room, seated in a chair not far from the window. Itoru could see well enough, and hear well enough, to know that the thing looked at him with a human face and human eyes. It bared its teeth in a smile, eyes flashing in the firelight. The little bat was lucky tonight; finding the vampires could be a tricky thing, and this particular vampire more so than most.

“My, my, a guest. At this hour?” The vampire made no movement towards the bat, but gestured at a tray beside him. “I daresay, if you’d enjoy some honey, I have more than I could finish with my tea tonight. I recall you enjoy such things.”

Itoru leapt up and sailed to the tray, taking a lick of the proffered nectar. The vampire took a sip of his tea, revealed after a moment of fuzziness by the bat’s thoughtful clicks.

“You’re not a moment too early, Itoru. It’s rare that I’ve engagements here. In fact, I’m to return to London shortly. But very likely that’s no news to you.” The vampire set his tea down slowly, watching the bat shift aside to give him space. “The she-beast sent you? Or your rightful srinn?”

“Zien,” the bat whistled, taking another lick of honey. Unlike the humans, vampires hearing extended to a much higher-pitched spectrum of sounds. It was easier by far for him to communicate with them.

“Indeed. Forgive me for saying I expected as much. Things are not right with the world, or so I hear. Humans make a right mess of everything. Politics, all of it, politics and ignorance. But that…that’s what makes it all interesting, isn’t it? And the beasts have a mind to go to war.”

The bat squeaked indignantly.

“Hmmm, yes I know. Not all of them. And that’s why you’re here, am I right?” Itoru spread his wings a bit.

“The srinn of the tree wolves presents a trade,” he chirped.

“Does she? How unexpected.” From the vampire’s inflection, the bat knew this was anything but. “Has she the agreement of the other packs? There are tree wolves in Iceland as well, you know. Norway. Parts of Australia. Surely not all of them are so supportive of mankind as your beloved Zien.”

“We are not alone,” the bat chirped, “Zien has spoken with the others of her kind. In addition, my kin have joined her alliance.”

“And the other mythical beasts?”

“Divided. Many fear that we are no match for mankind. The river spirits are partial to peace—”

“Of course,” the vampire interrupted, “you need not continue. She has turned some to her cause, at least.” He tapped his spidery fingers against the arm of his chair, an action the bat followed with his beady eyes curiously. “She would have the vampires offer to stand with the beasts against mankind and especially, I presume, against Hess and the beasts he has brought over to his side?”

“Yes.”

“Not one to tread lightly, is she? I am fond of you, little Itoru, so I will ask you this: are you aware that the Zara are destroying the colonies of the nightwings one by one? At Hess’s behest, I’ve no doubt. The East have fallen, and there are precious few survivors. The North has fallen, fled to all corners of the globe. I have received word that the Zara are headed this way. Even if the vampires were to accept this trade, it will very likely come too late for your colony. Zien has waited overlong to seek us out. I do not know, of course, what the aim of these Zara is,” the vampire spread his hands wide, seeming to consider, “It seems pointless to crush the nightwings alone. Strange that they have become so…fixated. At any rate, it comes to this: as you take your leave this evening, will you fly to relay my message to her, or to save your colony?”

Itoru remained silent for a moment, eyeing the vampire with a soft song of chirps and whistles.

“Speak, Itoru. As messenger of the beasts, you might believe yourself little more than a carrier of words, but you are more than that. How often in the histories of men and beasts have the outcomes of war and peace rested on the shoulders of a single creature like yourself. Your answer decides whether I will hear more of the tree wolves’ trade.”

“I will carry your message to Zien,” Itoru whistled.

The vampire chuckled softly. “So-so. Interesting. Very, very interesting. For the beasts to rise to a cause greater than themselves, the world must surely be devolving into chaos. Then, what is her trade?”

“Join us, and we will give you the Dawn.”

This brought the vampire pause. Itoru could see his surprise in his expression, and in the slow, measured exhalation of his breath. It was a rare moment.

“One of the Stones? Rubbish. She would never break the agreements. They’ve been hidden for seven hundred years,” the vampire admonished him.

“While the Zara slept and Hess was silent. The time for secrecy is past,” Itoru suggested.

“Is it? I’m afraid that in this matter, I must refuse. One of the four stones is indeed a tempting treasure, but the stakes are too high. Making an enemy of the MASO is not something to be done lightly.”

“We do not plan to make enemies of the MASO,” Itoru squeaked. The vampire turned to him with an impassive expression, daring him to go on. The bat did. “We want peace with mankind. This is Zien’s goal. We ask you to stand beside us as allies to win that peace.”

“Rare is the peace won without steel, Itoru.”

“Our voices will be heard.”

The vampire did not laugh now, though he bared his teeth again. There was a charm in his smile, a sense that he meant no harm, but knew the world too well to agree. “In what way? Men think less of vampires than of their own dogs. No words from our kind will save you. How will you explain to humans, who war amongst themselves over more trivial matters, that the beasts stand divided, split by some darker evil between those who would annihilate mankind altogether and those who would debate every encroachment of humanity on the wild lands of this world? Even in peace, your kind are an obstacle. Humans are cruel and merciless creatures.”

“Not all of them,” Itoru chirped decisively, “and Zien does not ask that you speak for us, only that you stand with us.”

“Hah, but you are won over. Here you stand, defending humans against vampires. If not the vampires, who will tell the humans your wishes?” the vampire demanded.

“The beastspeaker.”

The vampire fixed him with a frightening stare.

“The what, dear little beast?”

“Nerske,” the beast knew that speaking the word for beastspeaker in a tongue the vampire would know made it nearly incomprehensible. That was, after all, how he had gotten his own name; a simple mispronunciation of the word “little” that stuck with him ever after. But there was a light of recognition in the vampire’s eyes regardless. He stood, striding towards the fire and staring for a moment at it. Then he turned sharply, coming to peer at the little bat with a vicious hunger. If Itoru had not been accustomed already to such expressions, he might have been frightened.

“Spectacular. My dear Itoru, why did you not say from the beginning that Zien had found a beastspeaker? Bring the Stone and this speaker of yours. We’ll have a fine chat, and I’m sure we can come to an agreement. Hmm, yes, I must return to my home overseas tonight, but I can nip over here any time. Surely you understand. Business and all that. Politics, as I said. Dodgy, really, the whole bit, but things tend to divagate while I’m away. Tell Zien I await her call.”

Itoru dipped his furry head slightly, and turned towards the window. In a silvery song, he dove up and through the window, out into the chill night. The darkness closed over him, and he shot through it with all the speed his wings could muster. On towards Zien. On to deliver the vampires’ acceptance, and then to the colony, to warn them of the Zaras’ approach.