Four Winds - One Storm: The Bone Brick City by Aaron Hollingsworth

Author:Aaron Hollingsworth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: action, weird fiction, mystery detective, bone brick city, four winds one storm, something original

The Understanding Dog

The Wary Owl

The Speaking Raven

The Acting Monkey

The Working Mule

The Exerting Tortoise

The Thinking Man

The Concentrating Spider

The images were twisted, abstract, and horrific. These were creative interpretations of a malign imagination. Any serious zodiologist would find them to be offensive, grossly obscene, unfitting representations.

“So, what’s your sign, Will?” Röger asked, trying to stifle the suspense.

“If I knew my birthday, I’d let you know.”

The brute shrugged. “I’m the Monkey sign, if anyone cares.”

Hindin’s worried gaze shifted from one window to the next. “I am the Dog of Understanding, Sir Röger. These signs each represent a specific virtue, laws of truth. Such irreverence! These aberrant depictions paint a clear picture of the artist’s lack of morality.”

“NONSENSE!” came a loud voice from all around them. “They represent all that I have sacrificed to fuel my soul, you walking mockery of life!”

“Reveal yourself, recluse!” Hindin demanded. “Test your philocreed against mine!”

“In time, hatchling,” the voice answered. “I have foreseen your deaths on the whispering embers of time. It is almost over.”

“Why are you blinding innocent people?” Polly asked with a challenging grin. “Is it to steal deir souls? Are you Xelor de Mad Reborn, or do you merely seek what was his?”

There was lingering pause as silence claimed the air. Polly looked around wearing taunting pride on her face. The voice spoke again.

“Do not mistake me for some sadistic power hungry lunatic. I am a lover of life. My soul is an inferno of a passion you could never understand. So many of us waste our lives without trying to achieve some purpose, some goal. When all of this is over, I will give ten souls true meaning! They will not shatter. They will not die! They will live on in me forever, as one with the sands of time!”

Polly laughed and bit her bottom lip with a smile. “Immortality? Lifespan elongation? Pathetic! No doubt dat's what you offered de Detectives. Dose two were your narrow-minded rooks. The four ruffians were your pawns. Hindin destroyed your knights at de tavern! How many more pieces must be taken before we take de King?!”

“More than you can handle, child!”

The eight windows became wreathed in angry flames. The twisted images sprung to life and leapt onto the floor and into the air. They looked just as they did when frozen in glass and iron, only closer to being real.

Will leapt onto the center of the grand table. His sword and pistol were dawn, catching light on their polished steel. It was enough to make half of the stained glass entities take notice and try to swarm him. The Thinking Man caught two hot lead nuggets in its chest, making it crumble to jagged bits. The Acting Monkey fell in two shattering halves from the sword’s flashing cleave. The Understanding Dog’s jaw busted off from a kick that seemed to come from nowhere. The onyx wings of the Talking Raven were broken off by the next pair of bullets. The glass bird had just enough time to scream “Oh Shunt!” before splintering on the table top.

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