Short Stories

Armory

~3,050 words

The shock of cold water has me bolting upright in bed gasping as it splashes all over my face and torso. Doubly startled because I could swear I had locked both the deadlock and the wards before going to bed but perhaps I'd been too drunk last night. I spin, hands flying out widely as if to cast an incantation only to stop when I focused on who stands in my doorway with a large vase, still dripping water onto my carpet.

"What the hell are you doing in my house!" I snarl, hopping out of bed and wobbling as the alcohol from, I squint at my digital clock, three hours ago clearly still has its hold.

"I need your help." The man shrugs. "We're out in the living room." He dips out of my doorway before calling back over his shoulder. "You might want to put more clothes on."

I look down and find myself in just an oversized sweater that's soaking wet and stuck against my body. Whatever. If they needed something from me so bad they could deal with it. I turn and grab my ever present water bottle and stomp out the door and down the stairs and take in the four men perched uncomfortably on my couch with Janis standing to the side.

The room has been lit by the candles I have strewn about in case of a power outage but it does lend a certain atmosphere I'm fond of.

I tilt and prop my shoulder against the door frame that leads out of the stairway. Taking a large sip of water, I just take in the men.

Finally, Janis gets annoyed. "Nael, we need your help. We're going on a quest."

"Oh thank the gods!" I start guzzling water. "You know very well that I don't do quests so you're all hallucinations induced by drinking too much wine. That makes me feel much better and I shall simply practice restraint next time. You may go now." I turn and begin walking up the stairs, still drinking water.

Janis jogs across the small room and drags me back to where I had been standing. "Is this what you've come to? If I search your fridge am I going to find only beer?" He asks disgusted, walking into my small kitchen and beginning to search.

"You know I don't drink beer." I turn up my lip, lounging against the door frame again. It's partly to keep myself upright and partly because I want to give an impression of nonchalance.

Janis sighs and reappears.

"Now wine and hard liquor, that's where it's at." I smile like a Cheshire cat as he growls.

"Now, if you aren't hallucinations I don't think drinking water to sober me up will do any good. The only solution is just to get more drunk and hope you go away. So, my dear Janis, be a good lad and go over to that cabinet. The top door has all my wine. Pull a good vintage if you please." I lazily take a sip of water as I wait, pointing out the built in cabinets on the far wall. No one moves.

"Who's Janis?" The man on the end of the couch farthest from Janis asks.

Janis shifts uncomfortably and I raise my eyebrow at him. "Janis? Care to explain?"

"My name is James." He grits out.

"So Janis is your middle name?" The same couch man asks.

I laugh so hard I have to set my water bottle on the oak TV stand that's just outside the stairwell. "If you mean middle name as in close to middle of the alphabet. That child would stand no other name and trust me his mother tried."

"I go by James." He says again.

I chuckle again. "Your mother tried that name and you just cried harder. She tried every name she could think of to calm you down as a babe but the only one you'd respond to was Janis. It's your true name and you won't be able to access your full powers as a sorcerer without using it. Why lie, Janis?" I needle, placing more emphasis on his real name than necessary.