Dog Fights

Chapter 4; Stomach Pains

No one moves, Ezra holding himself despite the presence of several other supernatural. After a few long moments Amelia finally lowers her hand, unthreatened by seeing no difference in the vampire's stance. She says nothing, staring down the male for a second before turning in the silence and walking away.

The area quiets, the small group watching the witch walk down the hall before turning out of sight. Ezra straightens up slightly.

"Oh my gods, she is ridiculous!" Clover gasps in exasperation, throwing her arms in the air before turning to Ezra, "I am so sorry, she's never done that before. She's just stressed, we got a big call a few minutes ago. I'm so, so, so, sorry."

Ezra glances down the hallway, looking back to Clover before putting his hands back at his sides. "You didn't do anything," Ezra says, trying to calm down his buzzing nerves. "What do you mean, big call?"

Clover hesitates, standing straight before brushing off her gown. "About a fight ring. It's called the Hidden Powers Ring, and is one of the biggest gatherings of conductors and traffickers in the city. We just received a flag on a conductor who is meant to go to the fight."

"Are we goin' to interrogate the guy?" Mahin asks, finally using her voice since Amelia had walked away. "Why do we need him?"

"He may be our only chance in locating the ring this round," Clover says, wiping her nervous hands down her stomach, "if he's going to fight, he needs the location and time. If we can get it out of him, or even intercept messages to him, we'll get a lead."

"The Hidden Powers Ring is really smart," Rin explains, speaking to Ezra, "they know about us and actually take us seriously as a gang. They hide from us really well, and have slipped from our grasp a few times before."

"I've heard the name before," Ezra says lowly, running his tongue over his teeth, "I think that's where my conductor was planning on taking me, all the way up. I was a champion fighter, I don't see why else he would be putting me against harder and harder fighters overtime."

"Ezra, please," Clover begs, taking a step forward towards the vampire. He doesn't back away. "Please do your best to move up the ranks in this building. Some people here will glorify you, some will pity you, and some will look at you in spite. But I know if we want to tear down this outlet for the fighting and trafficking of supernaturals, we need all of the experience we can get. You are one of the people we need."

Ezra grips the sleeves of his sweater, not letting any other body language cues give away his rattling nerves. "I'll do my best," he says, "I want to be put on this mission."

The witch smiles, eyes shining happily behind brown bangs. "Thank you," she whispers, "I know it'll be rough at first, but I can feel already that you will be one of the greatest additions to this team in a long time."

Clover nods respectfully, lifting the front of her gown and quickly stepping away from the trio as she waves goodbye. She disappears the same way Amelia had, silence again filling the area.

"I don't know whether to discuss what just happened," Rin says quietly, wiping her hands on her gown, "or pretend it didn't happen."

"Let's discuss it," Mahin tilts her head, picking up her shopping bag she had rested on the floor, "after we show Ezra where he'll be sleepin'."

"Fine," Rin whines, picking up her and Ezra's bags from the floor. Mahin leads them back down the hallway, away from the direction the witches went and back to the room they had first taken care of Ezra in.

Rin closes the door behind them, making Ezra sit down on top of the center table so she could clean off his knees and wash his hands before they sorted through their new clothes.

"So," Ezra hums quietly, watching Rin walk back to the tub corner and wet a washcloth under the faucet from the corner of his eye. "Does she always want to back hand people when she gets stressed?"

"She's strict," Rin says, crouching down in front of the table to scrub the dry blood from Ezra's healed but permanently scarred knees, "she hates being disrespected."

"But she expects it from new comers," Mahin cuts in, putting away her new items, "she's never acted like that to new people."

"And you hissed at her!" Rin exclaims, "maybe at first when they put a bag over your head and tied you to a chair, but I don't think anyone has ever threatened her like that after they knew who we were."

"She raised her hand at me!" Ezra says defensively, "and her eyes were flared! I watched you do the same thing on the street when that drunk grabbed your bag. After years of being forced on my toes and to always focus on survival, how am I supposed to magically break that down and trust whoever says they're a good guy?"

"Let's just get off this topic," Mahin pushes, staring down Rin as she opens her mouth. It closes without a noise. "Clover said we just got a possible lead on the Hidden Powers Ring, and she wants Ezra on the mission."

"She wants him to move up the ranks," Rin thinks out loud, "probably faster that we normally let them."

"That means we'll have to play his instincts harder than standard," Mahin frowns, facing the two with arms crossed, "which he'll handle, we'll just get the guilt of it."

"We may have to," Rin sighs, glancing to Ezra still sitting on the table, "you'll just have to promise not to hate us... Are you okay?"

Ezra presses his lips together, slowly curling his arms around his torso. "My stomach," the male breathes quietly, "I, I don't feel right."

"The Sanguisberry can cause nausea, don't worry too much," Mahin says, watching the vampire lean forward slightly in his spot.

"I haven't-" Ezra starts, cutting himself off to hop off the table. He disappears a brief moment in a blur until he falls to his knees in front of the small trash can by the door, gagging and throwing up whatever his stomach held the moment before.

"Oh gods," Rin says, immediately turning to one of her shelves before looking across the many small glass bottles.

"That hasn't happened in a while," Mahin winces, glancing away.

Rin pulls one from the shelf, walking up behind the panting vampire before gently putting a hand on his shoulder. "Ezra?" she asks quietly, glancing back at Mahin for a second, "here, take this. It'll ease the nausea for a while."

Ezra takes the small bottle, silently studying it before downing the shimmering liquid. He shudders, almost gagging again at the feeling the washes over his insides.

"I haven't thrown up in ages," Ezra breathes, "I never get sick anymore."

"I'll tell ya now then," Mahin picks up, leaning on the center table. Ezra doesn't turn around to look. "We'll have to push the bloodlust then, just to test your self control and make it stronger. I'll ease ya off blood myself, since right now your body seems to be rejecting the Sanguisberry. That or I'll have to find something diluted with both and slowly lean it towards the fruit. I don't want ya to starve or be driven to lose control."

"...Fine," Ezra sighs, finally pushing to his feet as slowly as he can. The male straightens his back, Rin grabbing his arm as he buckles forward and almost falls.

"Does it hurt?" Mahin asks, receiving a curt nod from the vampire.

"Muscle contractions most likely," Rin explains, leading the vampire back to the center table. She helps him onto the wooden surface, unsuccessfully trying to reason with him and get him to lie down. "Stomach cramps. Could be the fruit, or your body protesting after throwing up and having to use the muscles it hasn't used in forever."

"I'm fine," Ezra pushes off the witch, wincing before tightening his fingers into his sweater, "I'll be fine."

"We know ya will," Mahin states, gently patting the male's back, "we don't doubt ya. We'll just have to find a way around this problem before we put ya through our hardest tests."