Gremlins (WIP)

>everyone knows how the monster lord changed the monsters in her image
>how creatures of legend came out of the dark and into the hearts of men
>but not every monster used to incite terror and prey on the weak humans
>one very peculiar monster always chose to be around humans
>they dawned into human society with hardly a word and grew and prospered along side them
>one of the oldest races next to Demons and Angels, but also one of the most illusive
>this is, of course, the Gremlin

>long forgotten to common memory, there was a province called Hyrcania on the edge of the Caspian Sea
>in that province lived a blacksmith
>he descended from Greek heritage, his forefathers were farriers to Alexander the Great
>but that was now ancient history and now a new empire stood to sweep all before it
>shod in the finest armour and lead by the greatest minds
>the Roman Empire was advancing east once again, and there seemed to be no stopping them this time
>the Roman Emperor had decreed that the Selucid Empire must end

>Philip wasn't the person who would be ever have statues carved for him
>a little shorter then his friends, a little weight that hid his muscle, and a dark shaggy mane
>though his mother always called him handsome, he could never seem to catch the eyes of the girls
>the major trade routes between Gorgan in the east and the Empires of the west always brought some Adonis into town
>in the morning another family would find another daughter swept away and Philip couldn't compete
>he knew this since he reshod and boarded the horses and wagons of those handsome strainers

>as a boy he was always fascinated by devices
>he would play for hours with the contraptions brought through from fantastic places like Alexandria
>much to the delight of the traders of course, an enraptured Philip meant a sure sale in Gorgon
>he even had a trader from the far east show him a powder that burned ferociously
>he never saw that trader again, puzzling since the military advantages of the powder were quite obvious

>as he grew into a young man, Philip began to copy those mechanisms in his spare time
>he would spend hours bathed in the glow of his forge creating tools to craft the intricate movements
>as his skills progressed, he was sometmes able to trade his devices for a certain black rock
>when burnt, this rock would get so hot as to be able to melt the hearth of the forge
>however, this rock would make his horse shoes last longer than anyone else's
>it also made his mechanisms tinier and longer lasting
>his creations become smaller and more complex, taking many months to make
>but he was always flummoxed by how he would find his creations disturbed or put together wrong every morning
>when he pointed this out to his father, the old man would always laugh
>the boy had simply caught the attention of gremlins
>attracted to a clever smithy, they would plague him until he gave up and stopped being clever
>the gremlins would then simply move on in due time to another clever man
>this wasn't news to Philip, the creatures of legend have always lived at the edges of man

>the province has always been known for it's mighty tigers
>the eastern traders called them "Jinko"
>Centaurs sometimes appeared with the Alan of the north, at least according to the stories
>and everyone knows the story of Perseus and the wicked Medusa, even if no one talked of her sisters

>occasionally, late in the evenings, Philip's father would bring wine and sit with him as he created
>as the wineskin would pass back and forth, the old man would regale the younger with stories of a gremlin who appeared to him
>to hear the story, her beauty would shame the gods, the green of her hair would make the leaves themselves envious
>she would poke and prod at him, never leaving him alone at his work, always making him better
>he soon fell in love with her, but when he mustered the courage to take her, she up and vanished
>but as his broken heart started to consume him, another beautiful woman appeared
>she would soothe him, and eventually would make him whole again
>of course, she ended up as the boy's mother
>Philip would always try to head the story off before it entered that part of the story
>Philip's father would laugh and laugh at the boy's embarrassment
>one night, after a particularly full wineskin and another story of the gremlin, Philip went to relieve himself behind the workshop
>as he walked out he could have sworn to see his mother leaned against the wall of the shop
>her eyes closed and her ear pressed close with a smile on her face
>when Philip returned he could find no trace of her

>of course, the next mornings would find his creation disassembled, moved, or assembled wrong
>so he hatched a plan to see this pest for himself
>taking two of his creations, a water pump and a clock drive he worked frantically to meld them together
>of course, such a thing wasn't possible in a day, but that wasn't an issue
>after making a great show of going to the house he snuck back in to keep watch
>after much waiting he couldn't keep his eyes open and quickly fell asleep
>only to awaken in the hay wrapped in a horse blanket
>night after night went this way
>one night he woke just enough to feel tiny slender fingers tucking the blanket around him
>the next night he had the strangest dream as he lay on the shop floor
>a god appeared to him clad in white with the wings of a dove, the horned helmet of divinity upon her head
>she introduced herself as Geshtinanna as she lay her hands on his and kissed him, telling him that someone was here to see him
>suddenly her features darkened
>her blue eyes fell away into black voids, face grew long into the visage of a bear, double rows of teeth as fine as needles dripping with venom
>Philip screamed into the face of chaos, the bear roaring in return "WAKE UP CHILD"
>he snapped awake screaming as his arms thrashed for anything to grab
>as he came to his senses, a green haired girl appeared over him

>the girl handed him a cup of water as they sat before the hearth of the cooling forge
>"you saw her too didn't you?" she asked as Philip eagerly downed the cool contents
>her pointed, furry ears swivelled at him as he remained silent
>"I'll take that as a yes. Damned gods, it's not fair that we're toys to them."
>"I don't think I'll ever forget that bear." Philip mumbled in return
>the girl smiled at him "My name is Aziz."
>"Philip" some colour reappearing in his cheeks
>she smiled again "Yes, I know who you are. You're that woman's son."
>Philip looked at her questioningly but no further answer was forthcoming
>she slid off the table and over to the basket of charcoal that supplied the forge
>Philip found his eyes wandering down her back to her round butt that bounced just the right way as she walked
>he always understood that gremlins were pretty, and this girl was no exception
>but his father had neglected to mention that they don't wear much clothing
>she was wrapped in a cloth to make a gesture at concealing herself
>but sheer enough to reveal her nude body in the right light
>and by the gods, her body really would put the them to shame
>Philip's thoughts were interrupted by Aziz throwing a couple lumps of charcoal into the forge
>the soft red glow lapping hungrily at the new fuel
>"There. Nights are getting colder, ya?" she turned to Philip
>"Dressed like that, sure" he replied with a grin
>she blushed slightly as his provocation, "Well I don't always dress like this, actually mostly never."
>"so why...?"
>"Shut up! That damn god told me to that's why! Idiot!" she cried, tossing a hammer in Philip's direction
>Philip raised his hands in surrender "Alright, alright, I'll leave it alone."
>Aziz ended up pacing up and down the length of the shop, her fists clenched at her sides muttering
>Philip busied himself pulling down more blankets from the stables and fetching wine from the house
>wine that he found conveniently in a jar sitting on the table with two small cups
>returning with his haul to the shop, he found Aziz sitting on the table again with one the blankets wrapped around herself
>she seemed to have settled down a bit but when presented with wine her smile soon reappeared
>the two spent some time getting to know each other, even if the gremlin had him at a disadvantage
>the rules of her people left him baffled
>even when the two seemed to need each other, why would they forbid relations with humans?
>why the fasination with smiths?
>why would a gremlin heroine barter with the chief god Ishtar for love?

>the first rays of light were igniting the sky when Philip and Aziz fell asleep leaned against each other
>but when the sun crept around corner of the shop to wake Philip, Aziz was nowhere to be found
>stumbling into the house, Philip found his father and the big trader from Gorgan sitting at the table
>his mother setting a meal before them
>"Oh ho! There's the boy of the hour! Or I should say man!" the big trader exclaimed
>"You look like she wore you out! Ha ha!"
>Philip's mother and father squinted at the man, "What happened?" asked the elder
>"Oh, your boy spent the night with a girl, and not just any girl by the sounds of it!"
>he winked at Philip, "Tell me, did she enjoy the wine?"
>Philip blinked at the man, "That was your doing?"
>"Oh yes, yes! It's a mediocre gift, it sounded like you needed it after that hammer hit the wall!"
>the man issues great peals of laughter through the room
>after the big trader and Philip had eaten their fill, the man sat back and watched Philip's mother working in the kitchen
>the two smiths busied themselves clearing the table for the day
>Philip's mother still had her hands in the dishes when she turned to the trader
>the man had been watching her with interest in his eyes, his hands clasped over his great belly
>"Why are you here Anu? I thought retired gods would have better things to do."
>Philip and his father exchanged a glance before turning to the woman
>the trader's smile never faltered but the rest of his complexion grew serious
>"Dear girl, I have no desire to be the messenger, but Ishtar is a busy woman and I've been asked to collect."
>a silence fell on the house as his words sunk into her
>"It's too early for that" she replied suddenly
>"Oh no dear, I'm not here for you, I'm here for your son."
>"NO! Ishtar will not take MY son!" her eyes flashed at the old god
>"Wrong again dear, I'm simply here to ask him and his girl to look at something." Anu's smile got bigger
>"Even the chief gods wouldn't cross such a dangerous creature as you."
>He leaned forward and took his cup and filled it again from another jar of wine on the table
>nodding at the flustered woman and her husband, "You might want to explain a few things to him you know."
>"Philip and I have to check on a wagon."
>He rose and gestured at the boy to follow and in stunned silence Philip did so

>the insects had started their songs in the heat as Philip and Anu propped the doors of the stable open
>Anu's wagon was filled with large earthen jars, sealed with cork and clay
>these amphora would take four men to lift but Anu simply grabbed it's ears and set it gently on the ground
>"Two seasons ago a great rift crack in the ground formed in a land beyond the Nile and this water came out."
>"Any who drank it died in a fashion even I wouldn't inflict on anyone." He laughed again
>"Didn't stop a whole tribe of the black men from drinking it though!"
>"At her insistence, the priests of Ishtar obtained these jars at great expense."
>"So why are they here?" Philip replied, pointing at the stable
>"This water melts metal and men. I don't think I need to tell you what would happen if this was used in war" Anu turned to the boy, the smile gone
>"Since you're the most clever smith outside of the capital, Ishtar has asked for you by name."
>"By heaven boy, you are on speaking terms with a gremlin, never mind your lineage!"
>"I want to know all about this water, Philip. What it can and can't do, and how to stop it."
>Philip nodded dumbly at Anu, he had no idea what to say or do as the god hoisted the amphora back up
>though he didn't go back to the house, the god waddled past as if listening
>nodding in satisfaction he ambled across the road and into the neighbouring grove of fig trees
>leaving Philip to contemplate this turn of events

>as Anu walked through the lush grass and trees he came upon a woman leaned against a tree
>although motherly in form, her eyes betrayed the glint of calculated intelligence
>"Will she do it, Anu?" she asked
>"Her son will, and I have hopes for his girlfriend, a young gremlin as well."
>Your deal should be satisfied well enough" Anu grunted in return
>"...she has a son?" asked the very surprised Ishtar

>that night Philip retreated back to the shop
>his parents were acting very clingy and they climbed to their room right after the meal
>opening the stable, Philip broke open one of Anu's amphora
>the stench of rotten wine assaulted his nose
>he carefully dipped a small earthen bowl into the water and scooped a small amount out
>as he entered the shop, he noted that Aziz had preceded him and was again sitting on the table
>at least this time she was more modestly dressed in a functional robe and headscarf to cover her ears
>after explaining the situation as best he could to the disgust of Aziz, they set to work on their task
>various metals were tested against the water, and many failed, rotting away to nothing
>toward the darkest of the night, Aziz had gotten efficient in her testing
>picking up the ends of two remaining chunks, she let out a surprised yelp
>dropping the pieces on the table she jumped back, pawing furiously at her arms
>Philip bolted up to her with a bucket of water but she waved him off as she stared at the bowl
>grabbing two more chunks of copper and iron from the pile she wrapped her robe around her hands
>the two pieces of metal went into the bowl but she slowly brought the two top ends together
>just as the pieces were about to touch, a spark of the bluest fire leaped between them
>Philip couldn't believe his eyes, after blowing out the lamp, Aziz did the experiment again
>and again a small blue spark crackled between the metals
>all night this went on, with bigger bowls of the water
>Philip hammering out the pieces of metal into different shapes, resulting in larger or smaller sparks
>until Aziz' robe couldn't prevent her from getting shocked, the blue spark racing through her
>in one hand and out the other as she collapsed on the floor
>she was alive, Philip could hear her heart, but it was a long while before she woke up
>with sleep creeping into their minds and the shock of discovery wearing off, the two collapsed into the hay
>the creak of doors woke Philip to find Aziz wrapped around him snoring peacefully
>light streamed into the stable, silhouetting Anu against it
>a grin formed as he closed the door and turned back to the house
>"Both of you come to the house for breakfast when you get up."

>waking a gremlin is a challenge as Philip found out
>her grasp got tighter and tighter as he tried to pry himself up
>her face buried harder into his chest "why do you hurt me?" she would plead
>finally she relented and both stumbled into the house, but took some pleading and dragging from Philip
>they both entered the house to find his parents and Anu sitting at the table
>both were completely unprepared for his mother, who was most decidedly not human anymore
>gone was the elderly woman who raised him, in her place was a seemingly ageless gremlin
>her hair turning slightly white at the tips was the only sign she was older than Aziz
>turning to Anu, Philip demanded to know what he had done to his mother
>this earned another laugh from the god, "This is your mother Philip!"
>"She has simply decided not to be human anymore."
>"To give your father what he wanted, I would have to leave my kind behind" began the older woman
>"I would have been run out, so why not become a human? I made a deal with Ishtar to be made again as a human."
>"I thought that would make my husband happy to not have to hide his wife" she paused
>"But I was wrong to do that, so Anu kindly broke the will holding to human form"
>Anu waved her words away with a hand, "A childish mistake, hardly one worth mentioning."
>"And Ishtar is still calling in her side of the deal?" Philip interjected
>"Yes, a deal is a deal after all." replied the god turning to the boy "I cannot void her arrangements."
>"Tell me, have you had any interesting discoveries last night?"
>Aziz hissed slightly under breath, "We're being used as toys again"
>Anu's eyes drifted to the girl, "My child..." he began before being cut off by Aziz
>"We are not your children!" she huffed
>"You're right, dear Aziz, your origins are blocked to even us gods. But you still inhabit this world."
>"As such, the gods are still responsible."
>"Being that, I was told that I'd find love here! Instead I'm being used for payment!" Aziz defiantly rebuked
>Anu started rubbing his eyes, as if tired "Can you honestly tell me that you haven't found love here?"
>Aziz' mouth dropped open, her ears flattening to the side "N... No. I can't say that."
>two stood in silence, Aziz cowed and Philip still lost in the news
>Anu cleared this throat and kicked the bench toward the two "Sit, let's share a meal."
>as the five emptied their bowls, Philip gave a condensed version of the events of the night
>including the blue sparks effects on Aziz
>Aziz' theory was that the sparks were, in fact, lightning
>Anu listened with rapt attention until the two were done and thanked them for their work
>while the four cleaned the kitchen, Anu seemed lost in thought staring into the remains of the fire
>Philip's mother grilled Aziz endlessly for news of their homes
>after a while Anu turned to Philip "I have a quest for both of you, if you desire" he nodded at Aziz
>Philip gestured at the man to continue
>"You know of the roman empire, yes? Then you know that they have declared war on this kingdom."
>"If they win they will not hesitate to put this kingdom to the torch and enslave anyone who poses a threat to them."
>"The gods are torn, we don't get involved with what humans do to each other, but the eastern kingdoms have always worshipped us well."
>"I'm retired and can do what I want, so I'm going to get involved."
>"I want you to build a weapon with what you have learned. I need to stretch my legs again. Discuss it, let me know when I get back."

>when Anu walked back in, he found Philip sitting by himself at the table
>"She wanted no part of it." Philip muttered "she was very upset at being used."
>Anu stooped over the table, "What do you plan to do then Philip?"
>the boy shrugged, "To be honest, I'd need her to do what you've asked."
>"Even if you don't build a weapon, I can always find another to do it. But it's a shame to let a girl like her go."
>Philip smiled, Anu was right. She was worth chasing. "I don't know where she went, I've never even seen a gremlin before her."
>"She's got a camp right over the hill behind the stable" Anu gestured casually as he reached for the wine again.

>Philip found Anu's directions to be extremely accurate as he stumbled, out of breath, into a very small camp set in the trees
>Aziz sat hunched over a small, smouldering fire, her ears pinned flat against her head at the sight of Philip
>"Anu sent you didn't he?" she snarled
>"In all honesty, no he didn't, but he did tell me where to find you." Philip gasped in between breaths
>Aziz groaned as she continued to poke at the fire, "Then why are you here, Philip? To convince me to go on some grand adventure?"
>"No. I was wondering if you would still be willing to come visit me after this is over." he countered, leaning over to blow on the embers
>her ear twitched slightly "Why?"
>"You're far better company than a certain god I know."
>that got a smile out of her before her sour demeaner reasserted itself
>"...and besides, you're kinda pretty." Philip gulped.
>her ears stood right up, "oh, did you finally notice?"
>"Well, your outfit the first night made it pretty obvious."
>Philip's face turned a light shade of pink
>"They got us good didn't they?" she sighed
>"Yeah. But it wasn't all bad."

>"You should know something Philip, we've had dealings with gods before and I'm worried that that we might not have a choice but to go along."
>Philip nodded in response, "If it happens, it happens. You know my feelings on it already, but it won't be me who forces you to go."
>The fire flared slightly catching Philip's attention
>"Why do you have a fire anyway?"
>"Keeps the monsters away, but I was hoping that it'd keep the gods away too."

>The next day Philip's mother went to see Aziz at her camp and returned with the girl and her handcart in tow.
>It was explained to Philip that while his father was invalid with a broken hip, the girl would be be staying to help.
>Philip was momentary excited to have help in the shop, but his hopes were promptly dashed.
>Aziz was going to learn to run a home instead.