"We have a proposition to make to all the tribes of the Four Corners. We are emissaries, if you will," replied Ansuya calmly, "from a place of great importance to the tribes of this region."

Clifford looked at them blankly, "You come from Washington?" he asked a bit harshly, "because that's about the only place that anyone around would care about, and even then, not much." He leaned forward across his desk, "Why don't you start making sense before I have you politely removed from my office and this building."

Ansuya glanced over at William who nodded and moved behind her to close the door.

Ansuya gazed evenly at the councilman, "We come from the Mountain, we are descendants of those that honor Spider Grandmother. We have protected this world from the evil that was buried in Crater Lake and from others evils as well."

Clifford looked over at his friend, "Jesus, Celestino what the hell have you brought me?! Either these people are lunatics or on drugs. I'm calling security." He reached for his phone, but before he could reach the receiver, Ansuya had her hand placed heavily on it, keeping it in its cradle.

He looked up shocked and surprised at the audacity of the woman standing in front of him. But then his vision shifted to the left of her. The white young man was no longer there. Standing in his place was a tall creature, covered in tan fur with black stripes throughout. The monster stood still and tall in the office, even his great height couldn't touch the vaulted ceiling of the office.

Clifford threw himself back into his chair, as his eyes grew wide as saucers, throwing his arms in front of him warding off the monster as he cried, "Celestino! Help! call it off!!! Go away!! I didn't do anything!! Stop!"

Suddenly the startled statesman had his arm gripped by the medicine man, "Clifford, look at me. Cliff, look at me." The medicine man said calmly and quietly. Clifford stared at the monster that now stood in his office, completely frozen by fear.

"LOOK AT ME!" Celestino yelled at his friend. The petrified councilman jerked his head to the side. "I know this is a bit of a shock to you, God knows, I was a little shocked the first time I saw it too. But these people need help to take back their home, or to find justice for a home that was destroyed. They believe, and I agree with them, that once, not so long ago, the people of the Four Corners had a very close relationship with the Mountain that they come from."

"This isn't possible, it's not possible," Clifford muttered to himself, over and over.

"Trust me, it's possible. Trust your own eyes, for once in your life. There are things out there that we don't understand, and things that we natives have forgotten that we never should have forgot. That's why they need as many tribes of the Four Corners at our tribal council. They are seeking more of us that share their blood in their veins."

"What? Our blood?" Clifford shook his head in disbelief. "Why now? Why have you come?" he asked, his body and mind calming down, returning to his senses.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

William in his werewolf form nodded his head to the west, "We can't defeat our enemies on our own. We need your help."

"What could possibly be your enemy?"

"Vampires," William stated.

"Oh, vampires? Is that all? Oh, well, that's all well and good," Clifford started laughing, "I mean I thought you were going to say Minotaurs or Hydras, maybe some rabid Cerberuses." He pulled his arm free and pressed both of his palms to his eyes. "I'm asleep right now, I'm dreaming and any minute now I'm going to wake up, that's right. Just wake up… any time now."

"This is no dream," Ansuya stated coldly.

Clifford uncovered his eyes slowly, the smile sliding from his face, "What could a bunch of Native American's do against vampires? I don't know if you've noticed, but we aren't exactly the warrior braves that the Americans tell stories about." The man's voice stayed controlled but rage and frustration crept in more and more with every word, "I have run away alcoholism, illiterate kids, drug use, and teenage pregnancy numbers to worry about, and trust me, the amount of money we really need to fix all these problems? Let's just say, we don't have that kind of money." He sighed and leaned heavily back in his chair staring at the monstrous form of the werewolf that was still in his office. "What good could we possibly do against a clan of vampires, a clan so strong that they were able to defeat werewolves?"

Ansuya gazed evenly at the statesman, "We're not asking for just any of your people. But there are those here that still honor Spider Grandmother. And those that have fought and hunt even now, the evil that your people still fear to name. The ones who dance in other's skins."

Clifford's eyes grew wide with astonishment, shock, or fear. Maybe all three. "You can't really be serious that you are actually using old legends and wives' tales to justify coming here and speaking to me, are you?"

William jammed one of his claws deep into the man's desk, silencing the room with a deafening thud as his claw splintered wood and sent shavings flying all around him. He raked his claw through the wood, ripping out a sizeable chunk of wood from the corner of the desk. The councilman's jaw dropped open as the wood was reduced to splinters in William's claw.

"I'm also one of those legends and wives' tales, aren't I?" William asked. Clifford could only silently nod his head.

"Those that dance in skin not their own, vampires, and we Shape shifters are all a part of the cycles of this planet." Ansuya said, "We all exist, some for the side of light and joy, others for corruption and darkness. Your people's ties to the land and your heritage are still strong. That is what we seek here. There are other Shape shifters here, it is they who we would enlist to help us in our fight. And to reopen communication and relations with this region. The Mountain has been too long separated from the peoples here. And in doing so we have forgotten much of our history as well. We are asking for your help to find those here that share our destiny."

Clifford remained silent for long moments. The office was silent as a grave and no one made a move. Only William could hear the calm breathing of those around him.

"I will try," Clifford said suddenly, breaking the silence like ice shattering as it hit the floor. "I can't guarantee anything, God knows there's enough bad blood between some of us to stop up a sewer, but I will try."

William shifted back to his human form. As he did so Ansuya leaned over the councilman's desk and looked him calmly in his eye, "Do better than try. This needs to happen and we need to speak to all the tribes. If you have any trouble, call Celestino then I will go and have a word with them. Can you produce a letter of office that will let me speak to other tribes on your behalf?"

"That won't be necessary," Clifford said nervously, "I... I can handle it. If something comes up then we'll talk about it. For now, I'll see what I can do."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.