Chapter Ten: Return to Ankh-Morpork
As I took a deep breath and started coughing almost immediately I knew that I had reached Ankh-Morpork. The smog like air entered into my lungs almost like water making me choke and splutter, I could see Alex having a similar reaction beside me.
“It’s…okay…” I managed between gulps “You’ll get…used to it!”
Managing to control my breathing and lessen the violence of the coughing I stood upright and looked around me, we had materialised in a back alley off a main street, the walls close in around us. Suddenly I felt very vulnerable.
“Remember where we were Alex, and let’s get out of here.”
Alex nodded marking the alley wall with a stick of chalk, we went to walk out of the alleyway but three men blocked our path.
“Well, lookee what’s fallen into our web lads.” Said one, drawing a heavy mace. I backed up, I could see Alex doing the same beside me.
“We mean you no harm.” I tried
“That’s as maybe lass, but we’ve got some uses for two pretty young women wandering in the wrong alleys.” Cackled the leader of the gang.
My back hit a brick wall, we were trapped, the walls high with no visible hand holds, my hand slipped to my sword and I got ready to do battle, on somewhat uneven terms.
Suddenly two shadows dropped behind the group of three men, landing without a sound. I dismissed them as shadows of my imagination but when the two men at the back suddenly collapsed to the ground, one of them with a swordpoint through his stomach I took rapid attention.
The leader of the gang turned around just in time to receive a fine knife blade across his neck, the blood spurting out from the wound. One of the shadows placed a jar on the wound, as if collecting the blood.
“It won’t be fresh,” complained the other “But it’ll have to do.”
Then both shadows turned to us and stared, the one on the left stood about 5 foot 7 with gleaming emerald eyes and crimson hair, she was dressed in a figure hugging black leather corset which went down to the start of her thighs, on her feet she wore thigh high leather boots which had sharp heels. I concluded that she looked as every bit as dangerous as she was judging by her swift killing a moment ago.
The one on the right seemed very mysterious, an almost shadowy woman with pale white skin which contrasted with her dark black hair which fell in silken waves past her shoulder, when I looked into her eyes I nearly was lost in the shadowy depths of those black pools.
“You seem familiar…” muttered the one on the right
“My name is Domino, and this is Alex.” I said, indicating Alex standing beside me.
“Domino! Of course, you are with Thunderchild.” Said the other
I breathed out, relieved that they knew of my late husband, now how would I explain his death to them.
“I am Xola, and this is Kitiara.” Said Xola who stood on the left
“Pleased to meet you.” Managed Alex, shaking Xolas hand, Kitiara hung back and said nothing.
“You’ve landed in the wrong part of town Domino, you’re in the middle of the shades…you’re lucky we’re here, things could have gotten quite ugly. I take it you want to go to the Mended Drum?”
I nodded, unsure of what she meant but glad to have someone to follow.
Xola nodded in return and beckoned me to follow her, Kitiara spoke up now as we moved off.
“Where’s Thunderchild?” she asked
“It’s a long story and one I’ve come here to tell.” I began, before telling them the story of the death of the person they had known as Thunderchild, the death of my husband.
Once again, I awoke in my room in the depths of Fury’s stronghold, there was the sound of machinery outside, I walked over to the window after getting up and looked out, outside in the courtyard was a small metal device protruding from the ground, Fury stood next to it while several genomes fiddled with the device.
“Ok, let’s try it again!” He shouted
There was a loud shriek and something inside the device exploded sending everyone but Fury running for cover. Fury swore and kicked at the device before storming off back into the castle.
“I don’t know what they are either, but Fury seems pretty intense about them.” Said Ilvians voice from behind me
“Maybe it’s the defence system he spoke about yesterday.” I said, turning around to face Ilvian.
I still couldn’t get used to seeing that hideous metal across his face, it so disfigured his looks, it seemed not to be an improvement to him.
“It’s fine sister, it doesn’t even hurt.” He assured me, sensing my discomfort at the device.
I sighed and bowed my head
“Ilvian, I’ve been thinking, how long do you think we should stick around these insane people?”
Ilvian sat down on my bed and beckoned me to sit with him so I did.
“What else is there my sister?” he asked, his terming me as his ‘sister’ surprised me a little, but I did feel like his sister so I made no mention of it.
“We’re on Gaia now, there’s got to be something for us.” I insisted, believing that something, anything was better than being privy to a psychopath.
“Give Fury a chance, he may seem unhinged now, but he’s on the up Rhiana, I sense big things from him in the future, and I want to be there to reap the rewards of his victories.”
“And if he loses?” I asked, stating the unfavourable outcome
“Well, then, we get the hell out of here.”
I nodded, catching what he meant, I made a note to make plans for us to leave quickly should the time arrive.
I smiled, despite the minor hiccups in the defence network, my plans were coming along nicely.
Walking up the stairs to the observation room I met a female genome coming the other way, I looked at it deep into her soulless eyes and a thought occurred to me, how easy it would be to just push her and...
I waited until she had passed me and then swirled around and smashed her in the back, she gave a brief shriek of alarm and fell head over heels down the long stair case before landing at the bottom with a thump, lying still in a pool of blood slowly building up around her.
I stood there watching her for a moment, this was the first time I had killed someone, or in the genomes case, something…and it gave me a buzz. It felt good!!
With a sly smirk I began to think of other ways to kill people, slow or quick, the question came to me.
“You didn’t die in vain little genome,” I muttered “You’ve opened up the real me.”
Zidanes POV
Once again I walked into the village of Dali, I didn’t know if Alex and Domino were still around so decided it was wise to check the Inn first. Walking past the sleeping Innkeeper I entered our room and saw Kuja standing by the window looking out.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” he asked, without turning around
“Yes.” I agreed with him, unsure about what else to say, what else could be said?
“I find it…disturbing that I tried to destroy it all.” Kuja continued, his silver hair being blown gently in the warm breeze which made the trees outside rustle and move.
“You were confused Kuja, confused and angry.” I told him, walking over to his side.
“It still doesn’t make what I did excusable.” He whispered, a sorrowful look in his purple eyes.
“I never said it did, but now, now you have the chance to put the old wrongs right, to show us all the real you. Kuja, you are my brother, and I care for you because you’re my brother. Whatever you have done, I can forgive you.”
Kuja nodded but said no more, I could see that his guilt over his past was going to be something which would plague him for a long time, with so many deaths on his head, it was understandable.
“Where’s Reiganna?” I asked, changing the subject
“She went out an hour ago, I didn’t see where.” He replied
I nodded and squeezing his shoulder gently I walked back out of the room and left him to his thoughts, in the position he was in now I decided that he needed space to think and to sort himself out.
Standing outside the Inn I looked about, it was amazing how little this sleepy little village had changed since the events three years ago, how the little windmill still stood at the other end of the village, the item shop directly across the little path from the Inn. I thought that if I walked back into the Inn and went the room, I would find Garnet, and hear her beautiful voice.
Then I brought myself back to the here and now, many things had changed since the Alexandrian wars and my battle with Necron, my reuniting with Domino and the coming of Thunderchild, with the whole Jara Gedyen thing last year. Once again my life had gotten complicated just when I thought that things were beginning to settle down again.
I heard a loud cheer come from the Pub at the other end of the village, now that was out of place, normally the locals were a refined lot, keeping themselves to themselves, they never usually got rowdy. My curiosity was roused and I decided to investigate the situation, walking down the pathway past the Mayors house and across into the pub.
I was extremely surprised after walking under the cattle skull on the top of the doorway to find Reiganna standing over by the bar with a glass of ale in her hand, I was even more surprised to see that she appeared to be intoxicated.
“ZIDANE!!” she shrieked when she saw me, she came running over and embraced me “It’s sho good to shee you!!” she announced, slurring her words terribly.
“How many drinks have you had Rei?” I asked
“Hmm? Drinksh? I don’t remmemberr, but they’rre sho won’erful!!” she slurred
Sighing I walked over to the bar and looked at the bartender.
“About 20 ales.” She told me
“20 ales, good god Reiganna, what are you trying to do?”
Reiganna peered at me as if trying to find me in a cloudy room, which in her eyes I imagined was exactly what she was trying to do.
“But they tashte sho nice!” she protested in a whining kind of voice I associated with teenage girls, not mature forest spirits.
She stumbled and fell against the bar, placing some Gil on the counter she shouted
“Another ale, pleash!”
The female bartender sighed and shook her head
“I think you’ve had enough.” She said
Reiganna seemed annoyed at this and was about to open her mouth to argue with the bartender when I intervened.
“I think she’s right Reiganna, come on, lets get back to Kuja.”
I heard a slight murmur of concern from around me and mentally cursed at letting slip the secret that we were nursing one of Garlands chief Angels of Death. With his reputation on Gaia, it might not go down too well at all.
I took Reigannas arm but she pulled away from me and sat down at the bar
“But I can’t leave all my new frien’sh!” she protested
I looked around the bar, there were empty seats both sides of Reiganna, I shrugged, after 20 ales Reiganna could probably believe that she was queen of Alexandria.
The door opened behind me and someone else walked in.
“My god Reiganna, what state have you got yourself in!?” said the voice of Mikoto behind me.
“Leave me alone, I’m fine.” Muttered the drunken genome
I turned to Mikoto and shrugged
“I think Reigannas turned into a alcoholic, we’ve got to get her out of here and back to the Inn.” I explained
Mikoto nodded and smiled
“I think I’ve got just the thing.” She said with a sly smirk on her face.
Sneaking up behind Reiganna she tapped a point on Reigannas neck which made the genome instantly stiff up and then collapse in an unconscious heap.
“That was clever, you must show me how to do that, it might come in useful for some of our more difficult customers.” Said the bartender.
“Maybe I’ll show you later.” Said Mikoto as I slung Reiganna over my shoulder and set off out the door.
“Where have you been Mikoto?” I asked as we walked back to the Inn.
“I had this strange urge to return to Black Mage Village, so I set off as soon as I could, I had to borrow an airship but I got there.”
I stopped and turned to Mikoto, from the tone in her voice I could gather that she was upset about something.
“What is it Mikoto? What’s the matter?” I asked
“It’s the genomes Zidane,” she said with a tone of extreme concern in her voice
“They’re gone…all of them.”
“Fury, where the hell have some of my genomes gone?!” demanded Lawrence as he stormed into the observation room. He seemed truly angry with Fury which was unusual to see from Lawrence, a man who I had never seen lose his cool.
“I don’t know what you mean Lawrence, don’t tell me you’ve managed to lose them.”
“No, they were stolen from me!” he insisted, marching around Fury
Fury shrugged
“Why would I want some soulless drones anyway?” he asked
I could see from the smug smirk on Fury’s face that he knew more of the genomes fate than he was letting on, but there was no evidence for Lawrence to accuse Fury of anything, Fury wasn’t that stupid.
“If I find out you had something to do with it Fury.”
“You’d have to prove it first Lawrence, now if you would excuse me, I’m rather busy.”
Lawrence just stood, staring at Fury in disbelief, I could see that Lawrence wasn’t prepared for Fury being in charge, I silently chuckled as I realised that Lawrence’s master plan was getting out of control. I never liked Lawrence anyway, I had no need for a father figure, I had managed all right throughout these troubled years and while Rhiana seemed overjoyed at the prospect, I wasn’t bothered.
“That means ‘go away’ Lawrence, I’m sure someone with your intelligence can figure even that out.” Said Fury as he continued to work on the holographic planet, zooming into some areas, and monitoring others.
Lawrence stared for another couple of seconds and then with a disgruntled ‘humph’ he turned about and stormed out of the room.
“I think you made him angry Fury.” I said after Lawrence had left
“Good,” said Fury, not even looking at me “And when the time is right, I can dispose of that old fool and his meddling once and for all. I just have to rely on him slightly until I can get that damn genome out of the way for good.”
I was puzzled, he had mentioned this genome before but had never elaborated.
“What genome is this?” I asked
He sighed and stopped working to turn and look at me
“Her name is Yugami, or Domino as she prefers to call herself. She is too powerful and is therefore a threat to our plans. She must be killed before we can fully continue, or at least captured.”
“And that’s what Lawrence is helping you with?”
Fury shook his head, a cruel smile playing across his lips
“No, no, no that’s what he thinks he’s trying to do in secret. Publicly he’s helping me repair the systems around here, but he’s doing his own private genome research and part of that revolves around the capture or destruction of Yugami. Since I want the same thing I tolerate it, but as soon as Yugami is out of the way, that old man is going to know fear, I can tell you that!” he snarled before turning back to his work
Lies and double crossings I thought How long can
all this continue before someone tells someone the wrong lie?
Dominos POV
Kitiara and Xola led us through narrow lanes and back alleys, stopping only once or twice to defeat a band of roaming muggers and to collect their blood. On the second time, I just had to ask.
“Why are you collecting their blood?”
Xola smiled at me, showing to very pointed front teeth, something within me seemed to think that these teeth might have something to do with it.
“We’re Vampyres Domino, we need to drink blood to survive, normally we drink from a living person but in this case, freshly dead does just as well.”
“You drink blood? Eugh.” Said Alex from my side
Kitiara shrugged
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it yourself,” she then added with a dark smile “You might just like it.”
Alex just shuddered, she seemed to be still slightly shaken up by her journey into Ankh-Morpork, and even I never remembered the city being this dangerous.
“At least Thunderchild died a heroes death,” said Xola, it was the first thing she’d said on my husbands departure “It would have been the way he wanted it.”
Kitiara nodded in agreement
“There would have been no greater honour for him, than to die while saving the lives of others, he was that type of person. I shall miss him.” She said
I nodded
“Not as much as I will Kitiara, not as much as I will.” I said sadly
We emerged out of the darker alleyways onto a street that was named ‘Cockbill Street’, I felt so much better for being out of the shadows of the shades, I could see this time why Thunderchild was so concerned about being in the shades when we were last in Ankh-Morpork.
Passing the stables on the bend of Cockbill Street I glimpsed some more of the unicorn like horses in the stable with a couple of stable hands looking after them, seeing the horses reminded me of Reigannas unipegs in the Twilight Forest and of Reiganna herself.
It’s been nearly two days I thought I wonder how they all are?
Moving across the cobbled square of ‘Sticken Place’ or at least, that was what it said on the murky and filthy street name boards we then walked onto Elm street, passing many people of all sizes and races while we walked.
“So, how are things on…what is it you call that planet again?” asked Kitiara
“Gaia.” Said Alex
“Things are fine, although I suspect trouble ahead.” I said, some uncertainty about the cloaked figure returning to me.
“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” asked Xola
“The unknown kind,” I replied “I’ve seen my creator and another mysterious man and I could tell they were up to no good.”
“Evil takes many different forms, even ones we do not suspect.” Muttered Kitiara, and I could see in her dark and mysterious eyes that she knew from first hand what she was talking about.
I nodded, she was very right, who would have thought that Jara Gedyen, my original self would have had so much hatred?
“Well, you should be alright around here now Domino,” said Xola “You’re quite famous since the whole Jara occupation.”
I nodded glumly, the time she mentioned had been when I had been taken against my will by Jara and forced to fight against Thunderchild in a battle which had almost killed us both but which had ended the occupation of the city.
We walked down another street leading from Elm street to Filligree street, passing many low slung and old houses, Thunderchild had been right, Ankh-Morpork was a lot like Lindblum but more run down.
“So what became of Thunderchild before his untimely end?” Xola asked, her hand reaching quickly up to her face to brush away a strand of crimson hair.
“He became the captain of one of the flagships of the Lindblum airship fleet, we had a house together in Lindblum, next week…He was due to become the captain of Alexandrias newest airship…we were planning on moving over to Alexandria…” my voice faltered slightly, Alex put her arm around my shoulder and Xola patted me on the other shoulder saying:
“Don’t worry Domino, I understand, lets focus on the future now, right?”
I nodded as we approached a rowdy looking tavern with smashed windows and a broken door, as we walked closer a man was thrown through the remnants of the door and he collapsed in a pile on the street.
“Great, another bar brawl.” Muttered Kitiara with a sly smile on her face
She darted ahead and through the doorway drawing her fine sword as she did, the sounds of fighting inside the tavern quickly increased in volume and then abruptly ended.
“Welcome to the Mended Drum.” Said Xola with a knowing smile as another body was thrown out of the doorway.
“You know, maybe I don’t want to go there.” Said Alex, walking slowly backwards
Xola waved her hand dismissively
“Aw, don’t worry about them, as long as you know how to deal with them, they’re easy. Just don’t show any weaknesses and they can’t exploit them can they?”
I nodded and followed her through the doorway into the smoky interior, Alex walking close behind me.