Devil's Advocate

Sibling Rivalry

"I am not..." I told the duo warily, narrowing my eyes at the unexpected second guest. "Which is why I want to give my clients the time they deserve. So I am telling you that you can return to my office tomorrow, if you have an appointment."

No voice answered me this time. Only a muffled noise beyond my door, accompanied by a rhythmic clacking. What entered was more a chimeric contraption than a person. It carried itself on four equine legs, attached to a slender humanoid torso. Its hindlegs were put on backwards, granting it an altogether spiderlike gait. And I do say 'put on' purposefully; the entire body looked like a perverse taxidermist's passion project, with parts of different creatures haphazardly sewn together. Her face alone was knitted together out of three distinct pieces. The muzzle of some sharp-toothed predator was framed on one side by what may have been half the face of a boar, and on the other a deer- judging from the single antler that sprouted from it. As I looked at her, I tried to decide whether to make eye contact with the rectangular pupil of her single goat-eye, or its more serpentine slitted twin, for I could not manage both. It took me a few seconds to realise that the muttered noise I'd heard was this third sister's response to my statement. When I asked her to repeat herself, a voice came from deep within her body. "You said we can return tomorrow. I asked how sure you were of that. Do you know what the future holds, young Cornelissen? Because we can. And we would like to see you –now–."

The trio before me had not been the first of their kind I'd met. 'Hags', they are called. Wielders of magic so strange and ancient that none of the grand Mage-Clans of our modern world can parse it with their current understanding of the arcane. I do not know whether they are the will of the land itself, fashioning itself into the shapes of people- Or people that have turned themselves into something different. What I did know was that nothing within my capabilities could force them to do anything they did not want to. And what they did not want to do, was leave before I helped them. They promised me as much when I once more insisted on seeing them tomorrow. "Oh, you absolutely will." The tall one assured. "Because we will be here." The hunched creature continued. "Throughout the night and into morning." The winds finished as the third one growled.

"Look, I am sorry. Truly. But that is not how this works. I already have a tight schedule, with other appointments and obligations. Tomorrow morning, I'll be seeing other clients." "Oh, we know..." "And we'll be there for that." "Or we'll be satisfied." "I understand that you would like your troubles to be resolved swiftly." I sighed out, hoping to de-escalate. "But if you start to harass my other clients over that, I will be losing business and will end up unable to help anyone. Yourselves very much included." The wind hummed a simple but clear "So?" while the hunched creature propped herself up by planting her thick arm on my desk, leaving a wet smear. "Then we'll just go ask someone else." "You need us to leave more than we need your help, specifically. So be a dear and make. It. Happen." "You would sabotage my business for the chance that I would help you sooner?" I asked, more in disbelief than for confirmation. "Ooh, love, don't be silly." The creature in the middle responded, her one bulging eye settled on me. "We would sabotage your business for the thrill of it." Her stretched companion said in an almost kindly tone. "If you end up helping, that would be a bonus." Came a muffled voice from deep within the chimera's body.

I knew the three of them meant every word. At this point, my agency was being kept hostage. I sat back to think over my options, but as I did so I saw their faces contort into three sets of malicious grins. Not because they knew what conclusion I'd come to. But because it wouldn't matter to them. Anything I might choose to do would end up equally entertaining to them. Demand they leave? They simply wouldn't. So then I'd, what, get the guards involved? The look in their eyes told me I'd regret that almost as much as the guards would regret answering my call. So then I'd just, what? Agree to help them? That was what they'd come for in the first place. But at least it'd minimise the cost to myself. Begrudgingly, I groaned out my acquiescence.