Ouroboros Ch. 01

"Boros." Gabrielly commented. "That's an unusual name young man."

Nancy laughed, it had a slightly hysterical edge to it though. "He's not as young as he looks, Gabrielle. That was a problem for a couple of different issues with his registration. But his name isn't Boros, it's Ouroboros. He just goes by Boros for short."

"Ouroborus?" she asked looking at him.

He nodded.

In ancient phrasing she requested, "Lift up your garment so that I may know thee."

Boros knew exactly what she was asking to see. He gathered the hem of his shirt in both hands and raised it up to his chin. There on his chest was the birthmark he was born with. It had more detail than a tattooist could hope to achieve. It was a winged serpent eating it's own tail.

Gabriely gasped. Even over the holocall, they could see her face pale. "This creature mayest not enter my domain!" She exclaimed. "He shan't not exist!" Gone were the learned behaviors of the age she lived in, when startled like she was she reverted to the language she had grown up with. If that was the case then she was even older than him, Boros thought.

Both Nancy's and Sam's heads swiveled to look at Boros. They weren't looking at what he had exposed, they were looking at his face. What they saw enraged them both. Tears were starting to leak from his eyes down his cheeks. This person had been exiled from his own kind for almost a century and a half and he had confided to them what his biggest reason for finally ending that exile. To find out who and what he was. He had endured regular attacks against him and had obviously regretted the violence he had been forced to resort to.

Nancy's tone was icy. "You're responsible for taking control of preternatural residents that come to your domain. This is one of them."

Boros had seen and heard enough. With a look he silenced Nancy. "Gentle Gabrielle." He began in her own tongue. "Fearest me not, for I am a pilgrim lost in time. Both mine origin and destination escapeth me. Couldns't thou put thine ire and suspicion aside and take thy word of thine companions to heart? For low, I maest be thy most lowly pupil, wouldst thou abjur thine unkindly and false knowledge and provide succor to mine soul? For worry not, I come to you in peace an deepest humility."

"You are fair spoken sir. From whence time do you come?" Gabrielle asked much more calmly.

"From a paltry eight score years in the past m'lady. If my ears deceive me, not your ladyship hails from a goody distance past where mine own journey began." Both Sam and Susan were looking at Boros and the hologram of Gabrielle with startled expressions. "If m'lady consents, mightn't we converse in a dialect more suitable to the time? I believe we distress our companions overmuch."

Gabrielle laughed musically. "Where did you ever learn to talk like that?" she asked. "You're very good, but you kind of bounce around from one century to the other."

"I have had a lot of spare time on my hands, and books seldom judge me for a mistake of birth. I'll admit though, that was the first time I've said any of those words out loud. I think I almost tied my tongue into a knot." Boros apologised. "I've played things pretty close to the chest so far with our friends here. You obviously know something about who I am which puts you at an advantage over me." He admitted.

"I wasn't being hateful when I said you couldn't come here. If you did, almost every time you turned around, someone would be trying to kill you. But maybe I could come to you?" She offered. "Where are you staying?"

"I've been staying at the Hilton the last few weeks. It was taking so long, I was toying with the idea of getting an apartment." He joked.

"It's a good thing you didn't. I've been hearing of a powerful being in West Palm Beach next to the government complex for a couple of months now. I've urged my subjects to leave him be unless he looked to be setting down roots. I'm assuming the being I've been hearing about is you?"

"That explains it." Boros thought outloud to himself.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"I was wondering why I hadn't been molested in all the time here. I've been here for several weeks. Even up north away from humanity I was forced to contest with preternaturals with greater frequency. Evidently, this fine woman here is responsible for the most peaceful time of my life, well, except for having to deal with your people." He said half jokingly to Nancy.

"Excuse me?" Gabrielle interrupted. "What do you mean, 'away from humanity'?"

"Pardon me, your Grace." Boros excused himself to the Consul. "But this is the reason we called you first before I, to coin a phrase, showed up on your doorstep. May I explain?" He asked.

Gabrielle smiled at Nancy. "Is he really such a good boy?" The Consul asked.

"I don't recommend pissing him off, but he has been nothing but respectful to our security force, Sam and I. Well, except for threatening to 'massacre them', the security force that is, not Sam or myself."

"Did you really threaten them like that?" Gabrielle asked Boros with a questioning lilt to her voice.

"I merely explained to them what would happen if they pointed their weapons at me unprovoked. Fortunately they saw the reason in my request and passed the matter up the ladder to their superiors. That's how I met Nancy and Sam. It all turned out to be a fortuitous series of events, I'm almost inclined to thank Mr. Guffrey for arranging it." Boros chuckled.

"But could you have done it?" Gabrielle persevered. "I know how well trained those men are. Could you have done what you said and survived?"

In that moment, Boros felt a familiar tingle in the back of his mind. He knew without explanation that this was one of those moments his future rested on. It honestly didn't matter, he would do the same thing he would have done otherwise. Be true to himself and tell the truth. He really didn't have the stomach for deception nor the proclivity to lie.

"There were only nine of them." He answered. "I could have killed them all in the span of the most nervous of their numbers heartbeat."

"And you want to be allowed admittance into my territory after admitting that? Wouldn't it be more wise to seem less powerful than its ruler?" Gabrielle asked archley.

"I thought you would respect honesty more than empty words Lady Gabriel. I am not in the habit of deceiving people, nor do I want to become so comfortable. In truth, admittance into your territory and acceptance by it's inhabitants would be a lovely thing, something that my heart yearns for and also, something entirely new to me. But that is only secondary to my beseechment of you. Your's isn't the closest territory to where I lived, removed from everything but the animals, trees, and those who sought me out. I chose to come here because you have the most years of experience behind you. Your experience and knowledge are why I have come to the eastern territory and sought registration. What I am has gnawed at my being cancerously. I suspect, but I do not know, what that might be. Even the things that I suspect need to be for your ears alone, and then only after your guarantee of secrecy. Like I stated earlier, I am well read. I have never divulged my suspicions to another. After your reaction to me I suspect you already know."

"I know." Gabrielle confirmed in a whisper. "But you haven't yet told me what you meant when you said you went away from humanity. I would have that question answered before This conversation goes any further." She demanded.

With a heavy heart, Boros dredged up those past memories. "I left the cities when I was in my youth. Then the towns in me early teens. By the time I was nineteen, not even the smallest of villages were safe for me without fending off challengers. When I was twenty I left all pretence of civilization and sought refuge deep in the woods. Since then I've lived alone, the only contact I had with people or preternaturals was the odd traveler or hiker, or those that sought me out. For some, my aura blazes brightly and draws them. For others it was hapstance. I've avoided killing when I could, but I learned a long time ago not to leave an enemy behind me. So, when reason didn't prevail, I killed those who wouldn't be reasoned with." Boros drew a deep shuddering breath.

"Would you, as you offered before, come visit me and enlighten me as to your knowledge? I do not ask this lightly, but you have already all but forbidden me coming to your place of power?"

"I will." She stated. "I will come to the office you now occupy before the morrows sun has finished its journey half way. Be there and we will meet and share." The image of her half turned and then looked back at him. "You tricked me! You were framing your speech in the cadence of my dialect without using the words. Setting me at ease while manipulating me!" She exclaimed but not unkindly.

"Did it work?" Boros asked unashamedly?

Gabrielly laughed unabashedly. "I look forward to meeting you in person." then archaically she said, "Thy deception hath shown kindly on my perception. We will meet anon. Good day Sir." Her hologram winked out.

Sam and Nancy both looked at eachother before sam said, "I thought I'd have to at least convince her you were worth seeing. You're full of surprises, Boros. I've never seen her change her mind so fast."

"He did charm her pretty fast, didn't he Sam?" Nancy commented. "So, Boros. What are your plans until tomorrow?"

"I'm going to go back to my hotel and relax until tomorrow. Since she said she'd be here before noon I figured I'd come back at nine o'clock. That should be early enough." Boros replied. Then, as an afterthought he asked. "How about I bring coffee and bagels? We can have breakfast and get to know each other a little better?" He was sincere in his offer, he really would like to get to know them better.

It was decided unanimously that they would do as Boros suggested. After getting their orders and preparing to leave he asked. "So, can I just walk out of here? Or do you think there might be a misunderstanding?"

"You should be fine, but why don't I walk you out? We'll stop by the security desk and I'll make sure that tomorrow you can come right up to Nancy's office. I'f nothing else, that should stem off any rumors that may be starting to spread." Sam offered.

"Thank you, Sam. Nancy? I'll see you tomorrow at nine. It was a pleasure to meet both of you. Thank you for your help." Boros nodded his head to the director and her security chief.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Boros. Oh, and if you value your life at all, you have to do one very important thing." Nancy left the comment hanging.

Boros waited for her to finish her statement for several moments before he enquired. "What?

"Don't forget the cream cheese." she said menacingly, barely concealing a smile.

He laughed. "Don't worry. I would consider that an unforgivable oversight as well. Don't worry. I won't."