I woke up early, and began by looking at my phone, relieved and sad at no new messages. I flipped over on the couch, hearing the leather squeak loudly. Okay, you got to understand. I'm a child of the night. Staying up late in my study, and since in the past I used to just sleep in here, I decided for this couch to be my permanent sleeping residence. It's soft and squishy, which makes it better than a bed.

Sniffing my breath and gagging, I coughed violently. Gross, just gross. I reached over and drank some water from a mug. The mornings were always difficult, yet I got up early anyways. I have to use the most of my day. There's always so much to do. So much to study, so many ghosts to slay, people to see. And I never know when it's going to be my last day on Earth.

I sat up. Taking multiple deep breaths, I grabbed my journal on the table. Picking up a pen, my mind concentrated on writing down my dream from last night. Detail is key. Once finished, there came a new wave of fatigue. The dreams were getting worst. I don't know what to do, I don't know who to go to.

Spot came up to me, head moving around like what cats do. I scratched the white spot on her forehead. She licked my hand, tickling it, making me laugh.

My stomach growled, and my bladder was yelling at me.

"Come on cat, let's go start this day." I walked to the bathroom, which was across from Halina's room. It was small, everything simple and that porcelain white found in most bathrooms. I relieved myself, flushed, washed my hands and face, then went to make breakfast.

I proceed about making pancakes and sausage, turning the heat up on the stove, and whisking up the cake mix. This went on for twenty minutes, and once I finished I set two plates down, with a glass of orange juice for both Halina and I.

And after waiting another twenty minutes I ate my food, scrolling through my phone. The internet was another great human invention. There were plenty of websites for things like ghost sightings and supernatural crap. It was hard work though, filtering through what I knew was fake, not worth my time, and those who actually needed help.

Now, there are actually more ghost and demon problems then one would think. But when I read through these sites, I constantly have to look at the heroes who beat me to it. The witch exorcists are the worst, and are my greatest competition. Dear lord or whatever is up there, I'm forced every single day to read about the Witch Exorcist League, a famous group of witches whose only job is to fight the paranormal. I hate those bitches.

Oh, boo hoo, I called them a bad word. Can you blame me though? They take away my business. And, I hate to admit this, but a few of them are my personal rivals.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I've got a lot of rivals. Some whether they know it or not.

I read Ohio news, nothing really exciting, sipping my juice peacefully. Another twenty minutes, and Halina finally showed her groggy face through the door. "Morning sunshine."

"Good gosh, what are you doing up so early?" she whined, sitting down, rubbing her eyes with the end of her long sleeved shirt. Her pajamas were Harry Potter themed. Figures. "It's eight in the morning."

"Yeah, it's late for me already. Your breakfast is cold now." I nodded to the microwave built into the cabinets. "Feel free to reheat it if you want. You do like pancakes and sausage right?"

"This kind of sausage yeah." She went up and put the plate in, setting the timer for a minute. "Sorry about sleeping in. Normally I sleep later, but I thought I heard angry mutterings going on. That's when I smelled food."

"Hmph, I guess I should have figured. Most humans need longer than two hours of sleep."

I think she had a mini heart attack. "Two hours? That's all you slept last night?"

"I mean yeah," I said, staring at my phone by this point. "You asked about necromancers? This is a trait of ours, needing little sleep. We like to lurk in the night."

"That's reassuring." Halina's food was done, and she sat down, pouring a lot of syrup on her pancakes. "What's that?"

She motioned towards that pen and paper I had out. I slid it over. "So, I know it's early, but we need to talk about this now."

"Talk about what?" Her mouth was stuffed with food. Manners, geez, what are we, animals?

"Finances." Her eyes got wide. "Listen, before anything. I'm rather lucky. I get to live in this home rent free. And I know you're down on luck and life, so you won't have to pay rent either."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"But, I do have to pay for food, electricity, internet, phone, and the likes." I wrote a figure down, pushing the paper over. Hey, I'm not going to tell you my financial status. Back off, can't a guy have some privacy. "I can cover us both for now, but I do need you to pitch in eventually. This number represents my assets. And this one represents what I make in a month. Roughly. What I need you to do is write down your current assets. I want to know what I'm dealing with here."

Halina swallowed, and picked up the pen. "You know, you're doing pretty well for yourself."

I watched her write down her own numbers. "That's because I've been living by myself a while now. This is what happens."

The woman finished, and I looked. "Well then. I think I'll eventually teach you a lesson in financial savings."

She blushed, eyes at the ground. "I know it's not much. But I'm completely willing to find a job."

"Yeah yeah that's fine," I said, refilling my cup. "Now I need you to hurry up your daily routine. I got to run into town before Lake City."

"Gosh, I need at least need another hour or so."

I shrugged. "Fine. Take however long you want. I'm going to shower. Finish up this food, will you?"

"Hey, you got any coffee?"

I wheezed. Do I have any coffee? "See the cloth? Underneath it is a coffee machine. Go nuts."

Another two hours went by and we were leaving in Halina's car. I told her to drive, since motorcycles aren't good for two people who want to shop. That, and I'm tired of driving my ass everywhere.

I directed her out of the park, pointing out the important buildings. The lodge, the camp grounds, the tourist beach. Since it was nearing the fall, in September there were a few less campers, most trying to get in their last minute camping before the lake got to cold and winter hit.

"Wow, it sure is nice here," Halina said, turning up the radio volume. "I guess people like to camp. Never fancied it myself, truthfully."

"It's alright. I'm always praying that no stupid kids wander down into my area. I don't really like explaining how I can kill them with a glare."

Halina chuckled, and I directed her out to the nearest Walmart. The ride is about fifteen minutes, so I asked her more questions. "If the Hidden is such an important subject to you, why not find some sort of actual historian on it? Don't humans have specialists?"

"I mean, yeah, but I want indepth answers. A historian can only tell me so much before they don't have any more info to say."

"Turn here," I said. "I've talked to a few human historians. And your right. They have only a limited knowledge, but it's also vise versa, with Hidden having a limited amount of info on humans too."

"So how come you know so much, then? It just seems strange that you have so much knowledge about both races."

    That's a hard answer to give, and one that I am going to only partially tell. "I'm, how you say, on a quest for knowledge. I want to know as much as possible. And believe me, being able to speak to the dead makes life easier."

Halina was rather dressed up, with a bunch of gold jewelry on, for a simple outing. I looked down at myself. Damn, I am ugly. My black pants and white shirt, about as simple as you get. But what can I say? People don't approach me often.

Or at all.

Well, except for Halina. I think though she's a special case. When you're on a search for knowledge and answers, there's not many people who you won't talk to. Maybe in that sense, we're similar. Can't say I'd thought I'd be thinking that ever again in my life.

"Alright, we're here."

We got out, and went into the shopping place. I grabbed a cart. "Feel free to ask questions if you'd like."

Halina nodded, and took out her phone while we went down the snacks aisle. "So what other characteristics do necromancers have that make them unique? You said you don't need that much sleep."

"Yeah, there's that. Another major thing is our senses." I grabbed a big bag of chips. "You like barb-a-que?"

"Yeah."

I tossed them in. "For instance, I have the ability to turn on what I call ghost vision. I can see ghosts, spirits, and demons when this is activated. And my nose is heightened. I can smell those I just mentioned, plus other races and magic. I usually am a little off, but I'm right most of the time."

"Really? Are there any other Hidden in this store then?"

"Yeah. In the next aisle there's a witch." I pointed at some granola bars. "You like these?"

"Not peanut butter. Chocolate chip please."

I grabbed two boxes, and threw them in. "I'm also really cold. Body temperature wise. My hands are frigid most of the time. That's about it." I paused, then snapped. "Oh, and my irises are black. That's a common trait."

"How about traits, say for, a witch?"

We went into the dairy section, and I grabbed some eggs. "Witches and warlocks have two big ones. First, their eyesight is terrible. Most have glasses or contacts. Second, there's some sort of mole, freckle, or birth mark on their face. They have some magic organs too, but that's another conversation." I pointed at a gallon of chocolate milk. "You like this stuff?"

"Er, I don't really like milk. I'll pass."

Shrugging, I continued on, going on into the produce section. Halina grabbed some apples. "How about these?"

"Sure. Put them in."

As she set them in, she asked, "What about vampires then?"

"Easy. Pale skinned, most are good looking, fangs. And, um, well, a lot have the red dots on their necks. Never trespass onto a vampire's property, 'cause they will kill and turn you."

"And if say a black person is turned, is their skin still pale?"

"Er-paler I guess. You can tell turned vampires ethnic backgrounds, but sometimes you can't. Just depends. Natural born vampires are usually pale, no matter what color you are."

"Interesting." She typed quickly on her phone. "I've never seen that many hero vampires. Why is that?"

"Vampires are like, how you say, emo? Like, they can go into sunlight, but they just refuse." I selected some grapes and a bag of pistachios. Good stuff, these foods. "You know that stereotype of gamers hating sunlight and staying in the dark? Vampires are literally that. They hate the sun, not because it kills them, but because it's a bother to them. Which is like hero work as well. It's a bother. They keep to themselves. And ironically enough, a lot of vampires love video games."

I faced Halina, but she was looking at some old guy. "Is that man a warlock?"

I sniffed, then cocked my head. "Yeah. Never seen him though. Must be new around here."

Halina looked so pleased with herself. "Yay! I'm becoming a master already."

"Hmm, think again. It takes years to master the traditions, sciences, magics, histories, and whatevers of our people." And by that I mean the Hidden. "He might be a warlock, but can you tell what school he went to?"

That threw a wrench in her spokes. "You can tell what magic school he went to?"

"You bet, I'm pretty sure he attended the Warlock university down in Mexico. The Estella de Grande."

"How can you possibly know that?"

I nodded at the old man. "See that scar on his forearm? Right above the elbow? At the Estrella de Grande, they have a major competition of magic, and a big sport is scrying using your blood. That spot on his arm is where they teach you to slice yourself open down there. He was probably a pretty good one too, since the scar seems rather clean."

"And how do I know you're not making all this up?"

I laughed. There's nothing I love more than a challenge. Nothing too difficult however.  "I'll prove it. Come on."

I took the cart and pushed it next to the old man. He was looking at some broccoli. For a warlock, he was average looking, short, bald spot, pot-belly. Guess his days of entertaining were over. I grabbed a tomato, looked at it, and put in in one of those small bags. "Excuse me sir, but I couldn't help but notice your scar."

Startled, the man momentarily went for his pocket. Stopping himself, he glanced at me. "My scar?"

"Yeah, the one on your elbow." I pointed, leaning on my cart. "Say, you wouldn't to have gotten that at the Estrella de Grande would you?"

"Indeed I did. I was scrying champion for two years in a row," he proudly stated. He looked at me more closely this time. "I wouldn't know you, would I?"

"I doubt it. Just curious, is all. I once watched the Festival, enjoying every minute of it."

I feel like he was suspicious of me. I don't know why, I'm normal enough. "You aren't a warlock. Pale skin though....you some kind of vampire?"

"Yeah. Parental born. That's why the lack of the red hickies," I said while tapping my neck. "My human servant here needs her nutrition, so I'm out shopping. It's whatever."

"Huh. Well I was just stopping through these parts. From Mid-Texas City, heading up north to see some family."

"Lovely," I said kindly. "Where at? Can City?"

"Yeah. They love the cold, don't understand why."

I smiled, but not to widely. "It's beautiful this time of year. I unfortunately must get going. But you have a safe trip."

We both nodded, and I went to the check out, Halina right behind. "Human servant?"

"Er, sorry. I like to keep a low profile, at least when I'm out and about being normal. Vampire just came to mind, even as he said it."

"Vampires have human servants? I feel like that should be illegal."

"Probably. But the servants aren't really in any danger of dying. And the most grueling task is probably having to watch all those video games all day."

We patiently waited in line, I paid, then left.

Once we returned and put all of the groceries away, I told Halina to pack a bag with whatever she'd need for a day trip involving her book writing process. Once we were ready, Halina with a backpack on, and me with my leather jacket, sword, and satchel, we left for my backyard.

"Why the sword?"

"Never know what will happen. Remember that. That's a unspoken Hidden law." I gently touched Ever Heart's hilt. "Never know what will happen."

Halina followed me as we went down to my personal beach, and onto the wood dock I had set up. The wooden planks went about twenty feet into the water, ending in a large square platform. Halina frowned. "Um, what are we doing?"

"Going to Lake City of course, capital of this district, the Water district." I smiled at her, then snapped my fingers. The platform did a complete one-eighty. And instead of standing on a creaky wooden dock, we were now standing on a brick road.

Lake City is a city placed at the center of Lake Erie, ergo the name. Which means plenty of sun, fish, and trading ports. The buildings are primarily brick, most not getting much taller than five or six stories, and all containing magic. It's kind of like a Cleveland, minus the pot holes.

Halina's mouth was agape. I began walking, waving at the shocked woman. "Come on. My friends are waiting."

"Wha--how--how in the world?" Halina stuttered, catching up to me, looking at all of the buildings and people. We were in a market section, with large vendors out selling their goods. It was a busy day, with large crowds doing their business in the bright light. "How is this--"

"Possible? Magic. The city is out on the middle of the lake, but my dock uses teleportation magic to send us to here."

"I--I can't believe it," she said, gawking at her surroundings. "This place is incredible."

Witches flew overhead on brooms, soaring on by, going who knows where. Shifters roamed around in their animal states, with things like bears and deer going to vendors, large packs across their backs. Creatures big and small could be seen, making Lake City a big center for those not caring about outward appearances. I normally just ignore everyone and head to my favorite bar in the entire world: the Singing Goose.

"Stay close. It's easy to get lost if you don't know what you're doing."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To a bar I'm a regular at. The Singing Goose. I have friends I think you should meet for this book. They'll tell you more hand on things about their races."

Some Fae went past, their deep blue skin and wings up in prominent display. I felt Halina's excitement from here. So much activity was going on, and I was sure she wanted to participate in it all. I even had to pull her away from a magi's fire breathing demonstration. "Let's go. My friends are waiting."

"So what currency do you use here?"

"American currency is used by all the shops," I said, turning down a much less crowded street. "But many also accept Canadian currency as well, since we live so close to Canada too."

I moved a little faster, forcing Halina to keep up. "Lake City is a major trading port for many Hidden cities, and a few human companies. So it was decided a long time ago to just use the American dollar and Canadian loonie."

I stopped, and spread my arms. "Welcome to the Singing Goose."

The bar was surrounded by other small shops and produce stores. It was a deep red brick building, with a sign up of a goose playing a lute. The windows showed a few men and women drinking.

We walked in. The bar itself was on the right, with the bartender Willy getting people drinks. The lights were bright, showing most of the wooden tables and seats in the room. There was a fire place on the left, but it was unlit at this time. The theme was naval, and had lots of toy boats on display and ship wheel wallpaper. This place is a second home, where the feeling of warmth and safety could always be found.

I lead Halina towards the back, to a large round table with four seats filled. I smiled. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Buddy raised his glass from the far end. "Welcome Ditto, and his new friend."

We sat down, and I began introductions. "Everyone, this is Halina. Halina, the person next to you is Fina."

The half-human, half-fae smiled, her bright green eyes sparkling. Her light blue skin was mostly covered by dark linen, wrapped in belts strapped with knives and other things. "Nice to meet you, human."

"That's Sasha next to her."

The blonde witch gave a glorious smile, one that made even the most scared being feel safe. She was a little bigger than most, curly hair, and bright white robes adorned her figure. She wore contacts, and had a small mole under her nose. Sasha nodded. "Greetings."

"Then there's Buddy."

Buddy, a shifter who took the form of a bear, was definitely the largest one at the table. Broad shoulders, wide chest, he could easily be mistaken for a football player. His skin was lighter than Halina's, but his smile was probably even more brilliant. "Never thought I'd see the day Ditto befriend a human. The tides are turning every morning."

"And finally that's Paul."

The vampire barely moved, his pale white skin gleaming, long black hair covering his eyes and sunken cheeks. Paul tipped his head. "She smells nice."

Halina gave a shy wave. "Hi there. It's marvelous to meet other Hidden."

Sasha sipped her wine, probably more perfectly and carefully than anyone I've ever seen. "Yes, unfortunately we don't get out much into the human world. I'm much too busy here."

"Sasha is on the city council," I said. "And to this day she refuses to give me my own mansion."

Her scowl matched her glare. Don't ever get on the wrong side of Sasha, you will regret it. "Why would the council let you have your own mansion Ditto? What do you need that much space for?"

"For his projects of course," Buddy replied, lifting his glass mug of beer up. "Ditto has some of the finest research in all the land."

"You know Ditto, this could all be arranged for just a small sum of money," Fina said, winking at Halina. The writer blinked.

"Fina is an assassin," I explained, pointing to all the weapons. "And last time you offered me that, it was way more than I could afford."

"Oh, I see." Halina scooted her chair over. "I wasn't aware assassins drank in plain daylight."

"I don't got any enemies," Fina said. Then she pulled out a knife. "Don't have any left."

"Ah Fina, as delightful as a ray of moonlight," Buddy sarcastically stated. "A wild flower cannot match your grace or humble tones."

"Buddy is a philosophy professor at the city's general college." I smacked Paul on the arm. "Never seen a more enlightened shifter, but boy is he annoying at times."

"Hahah, Ditto." Buddy grinned. "Philosopher I might be, but warrior I could turn into. And like the mighty food cheese, turn you to shreds."

Paul seemed unamused. "Whatever."

"Ugh, you boys are are so immature." Sasha swirled her cup around, the red liquid sloshing about. "This is why none of you are on the council. It takes patience and maturity to do what I do."

"Didn't you once cry at the end of Toy Story?"

Sasha glared at me. I recoiled only an inch. "Don't ever mention that again. Especially not in front of the human."

It appeared that Halina thought this was a good time to speak up. Clearing her throat, she pulled out her laptop. I quickly told her the wifi password. "I was wondering if I could talk about your culture. You see, I'm writing this book, and need specifics on the Hidden."

"Ah, that's easy love," Fina said, her chair on two legs. "The Witches are mean, the Warlocks annoying, Shifters dumb, and Fae kick ass."

"That's, uh, helpful. But not quite what I'm looking for." Halina scrolled down on her notes. "Like, what about interactions between races? Can I get something about that?"

Sasha sighed. "A big one is that vampires and shifters have rocky relationships. For some reason they dislike each other. But not enough to actually do something about it."

Paul grumbled monotonically. "They are unnatural."

Buddy growled in response. It would be entertaining if they got into a fight. Maybe spilling a little blood. "We are all unnatural compared to the humans. Paul, you just sit around all day doing nothing. Talk about unnatural."

"Oh, and Sasha, you're one to talk," Fina said, staring at the witch. "The witches have to argue with everyone. No one is right in your eyes, now are they."

"Well, if everyone would stop being wrong, that'd be great." That didn't make any sense, but there's no point in fighting with Sasha. Not only is she a powerful witch, she is also a great orator. Which made for some rowdy times here at the bar.

Halina looked at me. "Can you get us some drinks?"

I nodded. "I was getting parched myself. Beer okay?"

The woman nodded.

Getting up, I walked across the room to the bar counter, and got Willy's attention. While I ordered, I picked up on some low talk from the table. It was Halina.

"So, can I ask something?" Her voice was low. What was she snooping into?

Sasha spoke. "Sure darling. What is on your mind?"

"How do necromancers interact with other races? I've never even heard of them before." There was brief pause. "Ditto hasn't told me much. I'm curious as to their relations to other Hidden."

This time Buddy spoke up. In another quiet voice. "Necromancers? Oh--oh lord. He hasn't told you yet?"

"Told me what?"

Buddy continued. "Well you see Halina, Ditto, he's--he's, the last...."

"The last? The last what?"

I slammed the drinks down, scaring everyone. "The last Necromancer."