The Road to the Crossroads.

I walked out of the guards station and just started walking down a street whistling to myself. My boot heels sounded loudly on the cobbled streets. A horse and buggy past me with couple in it who were dressed up. They were pale face with dark chestnut ruby eyes. The woman was in a white dress and the man in dark brown suit. They both glared down at me in superiority.

I just grinned at them and stared at the man in the eyes until he looked away and then he sped up the horse and they hurried away. I shrugged and kept walking feeling good and then I heard music. The music reminded me some classic jazz music. I was getting close.

My new nose caught the scent of a woman in the air. The woman had a nice scent to it. She wasn't attractive to me. She was interesting. No perfume. She was clean and adventurous with a spice of wild magic and man. She was mated a strong male a big power house of a male. 

I heard a whistle and knew it was her calling to me. I smiled and saw her back flee down alley way up ahead and I was moving fast across the street in chase after her. I didn't know why. It was all my body running on it's own will pulling into something. I wondered about it but decided to put the reason behind for now and find out.

I was quick. Damn I hadn't done this in decades. I felt like a young man again. I ran down the alley as I saw the back of her jacket turn the corner and race away to my right out the other end. I kept going. I was racing for my mark. 

I ran down the alley way and came out the other end only to run right into a tall draconian as we ran into each other. I landed hard on the street grimancing and looked up at the man who was still standing. I smiled. "Sorry about that Sir. My fault. I was chasing a girl." I said.

The man stared at me and the grinned and offered his hand to me helping me. The first thing I noticed now was the scent of the draconian now. They smelled like wood, dusk, leaves and something burning. Chestnuts. Yeah they smelled like roasted chestnuts. Interesting. I took in the man offering my hand to him. "Sorry about that again. I'm Danny Sage. I'm heading to the-" I said and then was pushed a head by some young Draconian boys as they started beating up on the man while he covered his body and as they beat their fist at his large beefy body.

"Hey knock that stuff kids." Interjected.

One of them turned toward me and blasted my ass with fire from his eyes. "Mind your business were-wolf." The boy said.

I sprang to my feet with my elemental revolver in my hand. I started to take aim at him but the man quickly gathered boys in his arms and turned his back toward me. I tried to lower my hands but my body started fighting me trying to shoot the man.

"Knock me out!" I called out to the man.

"What?!" The man said.

"Knock me out damn it. I can't get control of this body." I ordered. "Do it now!" I ordered him.

The man moved fast and the next second I was woken up when cold water was dumped on my face. I was laying on the hard wood floor of the Crossroads. I can't tell you how I knew I was in the Crossroads I just did. The man from the street looked down at me now.

"How you feel?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I almost tried to kill a kid on damn street for nothing. I'm not alright at all. What's your name?" I asked him.

"I'm Drake. I'm manager and owner of Crossroads bar and grill. Your a new arrival out worlder then?"

I nodded. "Maybe not for long if I can't get a hold on this body I'm in." I said.

Drake blinked and stared at me. "Did you come to work here?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm a ranger. I'm here to help people that need it." I said.

Drakes face seemed to relax. "Oh. I can help you with finding some control then." He said and offered his hand.

I took his hand and I felt shift immediately as I came into contact with his hand. He helped me up and I hard a scream somewhere in my head as something died and I felt a serenity over take me. I nodded to him. "Thanks. I think that did it." I said in confusion. I took in the bar and was surprised to find it like a bar from the old but from a wild west setting. There was a staircase to left wall that led up to a second floor that looked like four lodging rooms. The smell of wood and beer and sound of Jazz music from jukebox to the right side of the bar had an effect on me. The atmosphere reminded me of the days I was on the force and would come to Charlies' place the local pub for beer and to hear the buzz of conversations from my brothers in blue.

"Great place isn't it?" Drake said taking note of the smile on my face.

I nodded my head. "Yeah. It is. I think I'm going to like working in the Crossroads." I said with a nod of my head.

Drake grinned nodding his head. "I love this place. When I took over a hundred plus years ago. It's been a wild ride. It's part of the perks of running a sanctuary bar and grill. As long as your joined up with me and the cause then you'll be free to do what you do best." He said and let go of my hand.

A hundred years ago!? Damn. He barely looks forty years old.

I smiled. "That sounds wonderful. What was that with the kids beating up on you. They your sons?" I asked.

Drakes smile turned sad. "No. Their my former mistress' children. I love them as much as I love their mother but I had to say goodbye to them today."

I frowned at that. "Why? Are you dying or leaving town?" I asked him.

Drake blushed. "The former. I received some news from a troublesome lady that can see the future. She told me when I would expecting to die soon enough." He said and then turned and started walking away to the back of the bar. He waved hand toward me. "Come on. I got to give you something." He said.

I was even more confused now but I followed him in silence. We went through short hallway to open door of office. He went inside and I followed. There was one desk and safe behind the desk on the floor that was open. 

Drake paused sighing at the sight and then went around the office and reached inside to take a piece of paper that was deed. He handed it to me. I could see my name Drake's name on the deed but it was slowly disappearing.

I looked at him. "What the hell is this? I didn't come here to buy your place. I came here to work as a ranger." I said. 

Drake fell into his seat looking defeated. "I'm going to die soon. Somebody has to run this place or the whole city will go to hell."

I stared at him. "Okay. When are you going to die according to this Oracle?" I asked.

"I don't know. I just know I'm going to die in this bar working." He said.

I stared at him. "How are you going to die?" I asked.

"I don't know she was drunk at the time and passed out. Don't look at me like that. She's never been wrong. I have to set my house in order." He said.

I stared at him. "You left your old lady because some drunk in a bar told you were going to die in the bar. She didn't tell you when. She just told you it and then passed out on the floor in a drunk stumper. Is that what your telling me?" I asked him.

Drake glared at me. "It's the truth. She's never wrong."

I stared at him. "Are you drunk or did you just lose your shit over what some dumbass drunk said to you in the heat of angry rant." I said.

"She wasn't angry. She was happy actually. She had been waiting to get a vision about my death to tell me ever sense I declined her request to be my mistress twenty-two years ago." He said in innocent voice. I stared at him to see if he was joking he stared back at me with a stupid nod of his head.

"Holy shit." I said and put the deed down on the desk. "You know screwed up right." I said calmly.

Drake stared at him.

"You lost your shit because some drunk in a bar pissed off you wouldn't sleep with her told you when you were supposed to die? Of course she doesn't know when or how you'll die but she said it just to let you know to make you lose your shit and brake up with your girl. Is that what your trying to tell me?! Is this normal behavior for you? Tell me I'm wrong. This can not be the story. You know she was full of shit you right?!" I said calmly.

Drake could only stared at me. I shook my head at him. "You dumb poor bastard. I should have helped those little angels on the street kick your ass even harder. You just told me the most dumpster fire idiotic thing I've have ever heard. EVER! I can't with you bro. You are a dumb dumb. Everyone is going to die. What the hell led you to believe that you were Mr. Special. I don't care how long you people live. Everybody dies dumb dumb. You didn't think it was going to happen to you?! Holy shit! bro. Holy shit!" I said staring at him in awe.

"Have you ever died, Mr. smartass." Drake asked finally.

I nodded. "Yes. It's not bad really. It's a kind ah boring. So are you going to spend your time waiting around to die or get back your girl while your alive. Living is better then worrying about dying. and having sex is way better then worrying about when your going to die the next day." I said.

Drake calmly got to his feet. He stared at me. "Watch the bar for me. I have to correct this immediately." He said and ran from the room.

I shook my head as it started to hurt from what I just heard. Holy shit. I looked down at the deed. Drakes name was back on it and then it flew back into the safe and closed with quick slam. Hmm. That was scary.