Behemoth

Your enemies will get to know your character before you realize it — and sometimes they're not really your enemies from then on.

Behemoth

By the way, Lordling has proved to be quite patient and a really good host. Sometimes we'd sit down for tea — I'd drink cocoa — and he'd talk or tell me stories. Sometimes he tried to teach me.

I'm typically the kind of person who learns easily, yet I can't stand being taught. Lordling, of course, was not impressed, because he believed that fools should not talk back, but should welcome the opportunity to improve.

"Why do we have to be here?", I grumbled.

I was frustrated by the glass room, I preferred to keep my thoughts deep in my head.

"Only fools would attempt to destroy your body," he answered, 'Those who have any wits would occupy it instead."

I was just wondering what Lordling meant when he decided to continue.

"You're lucky you haven't come across a mage yet, we have the very rude habit of wandering in the minds of others" he explained "Being mixed-blood has many advantages, most of which you don't even notice, so this body is a real treasure that only a well-honed mind can protect."

"And how am I supposed to do that?", I asked.

After a while, everyone realizes that there is no point in arguing with a determined Lordling. For the time being he did not answer. Most of the time, Pindur only revealed the solution after it had become obvious. He wanted to give me a chance to figure it out for myself.

"Any idea why we're in this room?" he asked and I shook my head.

"Probably, even after a hundred years of trying, you wouldn't be able to enter my mind," he explained smugly, "In any case, I see an urgent need to show you a good example."

"What do I have to do?"

The little lord tried to suppress a small smile. He liked things to happen as he had planned.

"Just let me pull your consciousness with me," he said, stepping up to me and touching our foreheads, "Since you're conscious, it's harder for me to do so."

"Close your eyes," he asked, "and concentrate on my voice. Proper breathing is important. Take a deep breath and hold it in until you are comfortable, then exhale slowly. Don't think about anything, empty your mind. Your thoughts are unnecessary weight, get rid of..."

His voice sounded duller and duller, and I couldn't hear the end of what he said. For a few moments nothing happened, only silence and darkness surrounded me. Then I heard Lordling's voice again.

"You may open your eyes," he said, and as if waiting for this, my eyes almost popped open.

I was sitting in a grassy meadow cross-legged. I could still smell the fresh scent of rain in the air, the grass was damp, and some of the water pooled in puddles — only the liquid in this world was red, like freshly spilled blood.

Not far away stood barren, black-rooted trees, with prickly-eyed ravens perched on their gnarled branches. I could almost feel the sun on my skin. Everything seemed so real, so right, except that there was something that made Lordling's mind completely different from reality: everything was upside down.

I hung from the grass towards the sky, as if something greater than gravity was holding me there. Lordling was in front of me, not even bothered by the world turned upside down.

There was another oddity: I wanted to turn towards him, yet I turned away from him.

"It's my natural defense," he declared, "It confuses your senses."

He thought for a moment, and the world suddenly fell into place around me. The change was so sudden, it made me dizzy.

"Sorry," he said, but his words were completely contradicted by the momentary smile of satisfaction that tugged at his lips.

"That there," he poked his head behind my back so I turned, "is the manifestation of my memory."

The tree was huge, I had to tilt my head all the way back to admire it in all its glory. Like all the others, it was black, but it was the only one that was really alive: its branches were adorned with a multitude of blood-red leaves that vibrated in the wind with a sharp sound.

"Each leaf symbolizes a memory," he continued, "I want you to have one of them!"

I gave Lordling an odd look, but after a moment's hesitation, I moved towards the tree. I stopped just an arm's length away: its trunk was thicker than a bus! Its bark was cracked, almost suspiciously fit to climb.

I finally got up and after a few minutes of climbing, I reached the first branch. Clinging to it, I reached for one of the leaves, but before I could reach it, the rough bark disappeared from under my fingers and I began to fall unstoppably.

I landed with a loud thud on the grass, and I was sure that if I had landed with my physical body, everything would be hurting like hell.

Lordling was sitting not far away, sipping tea.

"Giving up?" he grinned.

"Hell no!" I jumped up and started in a new direction.

I heard Lordling chuckle cheerfully.

Needless to say, I didn't manage to get a single leaf. I didn't even manage to hold on to the branches — as if the handhold always disappeared from under my hand at the last minute.

I didn't ask Lordling how I could reach the leaves. Maybe he would have answered, maybe not. I was simply stubborn and decided that I would find out his secret for myself. Of course, Lordling was having the time of his life, which is why I woke up grumpier than usual.

I looked around and realized I was in the garden. Lazy August days always make me sleepy. I rolled onto my belly, bent over, and opened my bag of sunflower seeds.

The sun's languid light glinted off the raven's feathers as it crept ever closer to my seeds. It was the same one that had tried to devour my sunflower seeds the same way yesterday. This time it seemed to have brought one of its buddies with it. I don't know why these critters have been all over me for a few days, but they could really piss off.

I was wondering as I ran my eyes over the tree I was resting under. I was wondering how I could get a leaf. I watched the tree for a long time, motionless. (Meanwhile, I sometimes scared the ravens away when they got too close to my seeds.)

I sighed deeply. Suddenly the wind blew dancing with the crown of the tree: leaves flew everywhere, one of them landing with a slow dance on my forehead.

I reached out and began to twirl the leaf between my fingers. I jumped up and grabbed the seeds, just in the nick of time before the birds could get it.

The wolf was hustling in the kitchen.

"Hey, Alex," I said as I sat down on the chair, "Tell me, how would you get a leaf from a tree you can't climb?"

My best friend looked up at me rather confused. He was frowning so much that I suddenly started to believe that he was capable of thinking.

"I would wait until one fell on its own?" he answered but it sounded more like a confused question.

"And what if it never falls?" I asked him.

"Leaves will definitely fall in autumn," he said, stirring the contents of the pot, and only then glanced at me, "But why is it important? Is it a riddle?"

"Sort of," I shrugged.

He hummed something as he continued to cook.

"I got a call," he announced.

"And?"

"It was Zénó from the Goblin," he announced, "He called me because he couldn't reach you or Hajnal."

"There's the trouble," I announced exhausted.

"I can't really decide yet," he mused. "All he said was that there had been a change of bosses at Behemoth."

"What?" I was surprised.

"I don't know the exact details," he said. "Neither does Zénó.

"Great", I said.

"Be on your guard tonight, though," the wolf added, "The new boss may try to take over this territory first."

"You don't have to tell me."

He nodded.

I was disturbed by that extra plate. Even though Encsi is on strict rest in Alex's bed, so I won't see her, just knowing she was in my house disturbed me. I have no idea what force made me say she could stay, but she hasn't disappeared ever since, making me regret ever letting her stay.

Alex put the things for the meal on the tray and marched up to his room. His small, placating smile let me know that I looked as frustrated as I felt from her presence.

I wanted to bang my head against the table, but for now, I just grabbed the fucking spoon and started eating.

(...)

Hajnal was not too happy about the news. I wasn't thrilled either, but her already volatile mood suddenly went down in the dumps.

My charming boss had been at war with the local pub mafia for decades, and the feud between them had become almost legendary. The feud stemmed purely from the fact that Hajnal was a typical woman who simply fought to the end and never gave in. The Behemoth, of course, didn't like the fact that she didn't accept the "protection" they offered, so they decided to destroy the pub.

I met Hajnal just as things were getting really bad, and I did her a small favour. The boss, reluctantly, accepted that he had no chance of getting the pub. (That is, of course, after I threw him through the closed window of the pub.) He did, however, try again to bring my charming boss to her senses, but when his men failed to return to him, he conceded defeat. (I didn't kill them, of course, just sent them to the hospital.)

In any case, with a new gang leader, unless he's one of the ones whose ribs I broke, we can start all over again.

Well, trouble was right around the corner, the gang turned up at about eight o'clock.

Hajnal stood in the doorway, staring the thugs in the face. Most people would have been scared shitless, but my dear boss was always dangerously brave. The guy took a few steps forward, seeming to get bolder with every move he made.

"One more step," I said and he stopped.

Every single eye flashed on me, only Hajnal continued to scrutinize the bandits. The surprised and confused looks of the Behemoth boys convinced me that they hadn't even heard of me — or if they had, they didn't believe the rumours spreading.

At this point, Hajnal gave the idiots a withering look, then stepped past me and walked back behind the bar.

"I'll leave it up to you," that's all she said.

The guy raised his foot as I spoke again.

"That's the doorstep that separates me from tearing you to shreds," I said with cold calmness. "Do you really wanna cross it?"

He stepped over the doorstep — only to fly meters backward the next moment.

A fight broke out — or rather an execution. I left two of the five of them somewhat unharmed, so that they could drag the rest of the trashy things to the hospital. I broke a couple of ribs of one and a hand of the other. They got off pretty easy compared to the other three.

"What are you waiting for?" I raised an eyebrow. "Scram."

With simple grace, I waved instead of beating up at the remaining scum. When at last they started limping and marching like a wailing pile of stinking men, I, as one who had done his job well — for well I had — returned inside.

"I'm leaving early today, you're closing," announced Hajnal.

"Great," I grimaced, "Why? Are you going on a date again?"

Although I meant it as a joke, I seemed to have hit the nail on the head since she was silent. Yeah, I hit it right on the head. And I didn't really like that.

"I thought you got bored with that vampire," I remarked, perhaps sounding a little more sour than I'd intended.

"Where did you get that from?" she frowned.

"You didn't tell me about it," I shrugged, "I didn't think it was anything serious.

She shrugged. We remained silent for a while and served the few patrons who were bustling around the counter.

"What was his name again?" I asked in a disinterested tone.

She slammed the towel down on the bar. "Quit snooping!"

"Who said I wanted to snoop?" I inquired with innocent eyes that even my brother would have envied.

She growled something under her nose as she began to wipe the counter with rough motions. We didn't talk much after that. I had nothing to say, and Hajnal refused to speak.

Then, at about eleven o'clock, she locked herself in her office and came out in full battle gear. She was wearing dark, form-fitting clothes and her usual red coat. Her hair was simply pinned up, and her usual make-up was accompanied by red lipstick. She slung her bag over her shoulder and then fixed her ever-piercing eyes on mine.

All right, no, I won't follow you. No, I'm not going to ask anyone else to. No, I'm not gonna try to make life a living hell for this guy. Not yet, I added quickly in thought.

She raised one of her beautifully arched eyebrows, and I sighed. I stepped out from behind the counter and gave her a very brief, fleeting kiss on the cheek. She was surprised, but I just smiled.

"You look stunning," I remarked, and the always-piercing look softened a little.

I took her hand and squeezed it. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I'm always careful," she said and started for the door, but stopped before she could step out.

"Ervin Mándy," that was all she said and left the pub behind her.

I made a few phone calls before closing time. Ervin Mándy was clean — although I wasn't entirely convinced, it did reassure me a little. I decided to have a chat with our dear friend Ervin in the near future about his exact intentions.

Around two o'clock I locked up, tidied the place up, and decided to go home after a well-deserved last cigarette. I stepped out into the freezing night and leaned against the door. I took out my cigarettes.

"You're closing alone," he announced, "How unusual."

I was not surprised by his presence, I knew from the first moment he was lurking in one of the nearby shadows. I searched my pockets for a lighter but found none.

"Got a lighter?" I asked taking care not to let the cigarette fall from my lips.

He pulled a black lighter from his pocket, on which a naked woman was posing.

I raised one eyebrow and he grinned. Finally, I took the lighter and lit the cigarette. By the time I lit it, there was a cig hanging from his mouth as well. We took a few drags.

Rada was a member of the Behemoth — when we first met, he was a newbie, so he got a good beating from me. Then I took pity on him and asked some poor bastards to take him to the hospital.

The next day he came to me covered in gauze. He introduced himself and said he would be the head of the Behemoth one day. I laughed, said something like I was looking forward to it, and left. As I slowly built up my information network, I heard more and more about Rada, so I wasn't surprised about a new emerging boss — I had a feeling it had something to do with him.

"Congratulations," I said.

He shrugged. I ran my gaze over the cut that bisected one brown eyebrow, then slowly over the other, which ran from his cheekbone to his chin. The last time I saw him, they weren't there. Neither were the few piercings in his ears.

"You were too lenient on them," he stated.

"I won't kill if I don't have to," I replied.

He gave me a look of disbelief. "Seriously, you think they'll be afraid of you like that?"

"Why did you send them here in the first place?" I blew out the smoke, "You knew how it would end."

He shrugged. "I was curious."

"About what?"

"Saci told me so much," Oh, the wretched Weasel! "I was wondering if you were still so loyal to that witch."

"Did you get your answer?"

"Not quite," he said and looked at me thoughtfully, "I don't understand why you're even with her. You tolerate being mocked as her watchdog, you put up with her insufferable personality... If she would pay you well, I'd understand, but I know she doesn't."

"You can get used to it," I shrugged.

"Why don't you join me?" he asked, looking at me meaningfully.

"I'm not going to be anybody's subordinate," I shook my head, "I don't take well to being ordered about."

"Isn't that what you're doing now?"

"Hajnal is an exception, I owe her," I replied. "Besides, I like this job."

"Well, your choice," he let me know the obvious as he threw the cigarette butt to the ground and stomped on it.

"That," I pointed to the remains of his cigarette almost threateningly "you're not going to leave it there, are you?"

He gave me a mocking look, then picked it up and flicked it into the bin. To calm myself down, I took a deep drag.

"Just as you owe the woman, I owe you," said Rada, "You are one of the few who have earned my respect. As a token of that, as long as I'm in charge, the Behemoth will ignore your pub."

"How generous of you," I said with a wry grin, to which he replied in kind.

"By the way, you should do something about that name," I remarked with a grimace, "It's quite ridiculous."

"What? I think its genius," he pretended to be offended, and we both grinned.

He then offered me his hand. And I accepted.