The Forsaken Art

Garreth recoiled from the punch, and was still shocked when Aldron picked him up. "Grk... shit... I... I apologise.... I did not know... this is why I value information.... it helps me not to say the wrong thing, as I am aware I oft do... You have my word, for what it is worth.... if you have already lost one, I will not attack the one who remains.... I highly doubt Amanda would let me or anyone I sent close enough to do so.... Please let me down now? I'm pretty sure you broke some of my ribs."

Aldron growled out four final words, "I. Will. End. You."

He proceeded to throw Garreth back against the wall, tossing the final bag to Amanda, and sitting back down with Anna to finish his meal.

Jack looked at Aldron.
"I was talking to...nevermind."
He then sat back.
"You too huh..." he whispered under his breath.

"That's it!" Exclaimed the doctor, "Unless you're bleeding, get out!" He said. Jaide looked at the doctor with wide eyes, "I can't concentrate on what I'm doing with you all bickering and arguing!"

"But.." Jaide said.

"I said get out!"

"I still haven't convinced him through nonsexual means," Jaide piped up.

"I don't care!"

Jaide grumbled and rose from her chair. She looked at the Broker and said, "I did save your life," with a shrug she was sure he wouldn't see.

She took a moment to breath and noticed the acrid stench of vomit on her.

"I guess I'll get washed up," Jaide said absentmindedly. The doctor nodded.

"I'll let you know when he's done."

With that, Jaide left the infirmary grumbling something about people not respecting commanders anymore. She walked up the stairs and into her room. She wasted no time stripping down and bounding into her shower.

She turned the water on scalding hot and hugged herself. Poor Emma.

Aldron sat up, glancing at Anna, who was still on his lap, who in turn looked at Amanda. Aldron was the first to say, "I don't leave until she does," motioning to Anna, who said, "and I stay with Amanda."

Garreth was surprised when Jaide apparently left. "What... I wasn't done talking with her!" The doctor didn't reply, which was as much a reiteration of his state of non-caring as any other.

Amanda put her arm around Anna. "Well, I'm not bleeding anymore, so apparently I'm not wanted here. NORMALLY I might stay, but since he was so stupid as to put me under suspicion of being a traitor, I don't quite think I will."

Anna grinned, pulling Amanda away with her, Aldron bringing up the rear, scythe in hand. Anna led Amanda to the dorms, where she opened the door to her room and the adjoining bathroom, flopping down on her bed as Aldron stood outside, pulling a book out of his pocket and beginning to read.

Anna, on the other hand, said to Amanda, "well, what should we do now?"

Amanda sighed. "Well, I WANT to go back down and smack The Broker around some. But that would probably be a bad idea... If I get on his bad side, I know I'll never see Garreth again... except in a coffin."

Garreth sighed, and resigned himself to waiting as the doctor worked. "Don't worry if you're not skilled enough to fix my eyes, doc. I know a few ways of restoring my sight."

Jack nodded slowly, and left the room, returning to his room.
He sat on the side of the bed, held his head in his hands and took a deep breath.

Jaide was in the shower until her body wrinkled. Her mind was racing. She'd have to move her sister today. If the Broker knew of her, he might know where she was. Jaide couldn't risk that.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. She dried her hair a bit before brushing it, pulling it into a long ponytail. She had a place in mind, one she had spotted on her travels. She would go there first and make sure it was truly abandoned before moving her sister and the old man there.

She dressed silently and then stepped into the closet. The shadows wrapped around her and pulled her into the small place she was thinking of. After a thorough examination, she moved to the shack that held her sibling.

"Hey," She greeted, stepping into the one room building. The old man straightened up after tucking in the little girl. He gave a small smile to Jaide, shaking his head no to the silent question.

"I'll have to move you two again," She said bluntly, moving towards the bed.

"I see..." Replied the old man. He decided not to argue with Jaide anymore. He never won and he probably never would.

Jaide gathered what meager possessions they had. She gave the suitcases to the old man and picked up her sister's sleeping body. Jaide looked down with wavering emotions before swallowed them with a shadow. They reappeared in the other shack.

"May I ask why we moved this time?" He said, rearranging the room.

"Security measures," She said. The old man figured that much and grumbled under his breath. She wasn't one for details.

Jaide set her sister against a dresser, gently leaning her and ensuring she wouldn't fall. She went to work on the bed, double checking it for dust and making sure the sheets were clean. After approving of it, Jaide set the girl down on top. She tucked her in and moved some of the black locks out of the way.

"We lost someone today," Jaide said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her free hand grabbed at the sheet by her sister's leg, "One of the twins. Emma. She was the healer of the two. Nice girl, always up to trouble though," Jaide said, her voice breaking, "I asked them to come to a meet with me. It was supposed to be in and out. Someone started to fire and..." Jaide hung her head, her throat tightening and choking on her words, "Her blood was all over the water. Her sister was in hysterics..."

"What about you?" Asked the old man.

Jaide turned to look at him, her held back tears flowing forth. The dam had broken around her heart and now she was pouring her soul, "I'm heartbroken," Was her simple reply before her words were lost under the wave of emotion.

The old man rushed across the room and held Jaide as she sobbed. His shoulder dampened and she grabbed his back, her body shaking with the force of her sadness.

"Sissy?" Squeaked a little voice, "Why are you crying?"

Jaide sucked in a breath and wiped her tears before turning around and facing the child, "I just had a bad day, baby girl," Jaide said, moving to her side. She gently played with the girl's hair and did her best to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Why don't you visit me anymore?" Pouted the small one.

"Oh, I do," Jaide reassured her, "Just sometimes you're sleeping and I don't want to wake you up."

"Why not?"

"Because you need to sleep and save your strength to get better."

The little girl let out an unladylike snort, "I've been sleeping for almost two years, sissy. I'm not getting better."

Jaide leaned back, appalled, "Of course you are! We're going to fix you and then you'll be able to do everything you want to."

The girl seemed to ignore Jaide's words and looked around, "Next time we move, can I get a window?" Asked the child.

"Of course you can," Jaide said, unable to deny her sibling anything.

"Sissy?"

"Yes?"

"Will you hug me?"

Jaide's chest clogged with tears again. She leaned over the bed and embraced the child tenderly.

"How long will it take to finalize." Cress said rather solemnly.
"Technically you're already the Czar, but officially you'll still have to wait three days to actually take the throne." Ezekiel leaned back in his chair. "Hopefully things don't get to stuck up in the process."
"Can I make a request?" Cress asked and sat up in his chair a bit.
"Of course."
"There is a woman in Venice I have been seeing named Jaide. She has black hair and, pardon my french, an enormous ass. I want some men to bring her to the palace and have a room prepared there."
"Anything else?" Ezekiel said while jotting down the request on a piece of paper.
"No." He stood and shook Ezekiel's hand. "It was nice to meet you."
"Same to you Mr. Raven." He then remembered Zelcys. "Oh yes!" He pulled a large envelope from your hand. "In accordance with New Republic government policy, here is your severance package of $50,000. You can rethink your decision to work for Cress or take the money."

Retasouhdal shook her head, "Actually all I need is a Map of the vicinity... hopefully of more than this country." She said, "I should be able to triangulate it from there."

"Jaide won't come." She said as she took the envelope, "And I won't be coming back... not to work for you... if you see me again..." She paused and walked to the door, manaflayer in hand, "Then the Czar's will will have been ignored for the sake of the people's future." She then flicked her tail, "Farewell, Cress... You better hope you never see my whiskers again." She then left the office., meowing to the skies to call one of her own underlings, "Contact Carl Axelrod. I want to talk to him ASAP. Tell him to see me at the usual spot." She stated before heading there herself.

The usual spot, was right outside her house and the message would have reached it's target by the time Zelcys arrived.

"Father..." Sylas started a while after the meal when he approached Azirak, "The rumours I heard on my travels about this new Republic trouble me. If they catch word about you and mother living out here, especially if little Lethin and Suli get the same powers I got from you, Then things aren't going to end well for any of us..."

Marneila moved closer and sighed, "If you're that worried why don't both of you go and sort it out?" She asked, "Don't worry about me and the little ones. If any try to break in I'll fill 'em full of arrows."

Azirak thought for a moment.
"...ive been thinking about that for a while..."
He thought some more.
"...alright. I know perfectly well you can take care of yourself." he said, and kissed marnelia on the cheek.
"And its been ages since i got out and stretched my legs."

__________

Jack got up, after some deep thinking. He briefly wondered if there was a training room round here.

The hungover Carl was sitting with his face on his desk when a familler face entred the office, it was one of Zelcys underlings. As it turned out she wished to meet with him at the usal spot. Carl, made his way out of the office bulding avoiding most contact and made his way to the ferry, where he threw up over the railing. He quickly made his way to Rome, and sooned learned of the Czars death, it was all people were talking about. Was that why Zelcy had called for him? She had worked rather, closely with the Czar. Really close, from what Carl could tell. He swung by his aparment to change into some better cloths and grabbed his bag before heading, to Zelcys house.

marneila kissed Azirak on the lips, giving him a hug before hugging sylas as well, "You both come back alive, ya hear? I don't wanna explain death to Suli and Lethin," She said.

Sylas nodded, "Wouldn't miss helping my sisters growing up for the world," He said with a smile befopre turnign to his father, "Shall we go then, old man?"

Azirak kissed his wife back, and turned to Sylas.
"I wont. And you can call me old man, but i can still kick your butt with my eyes shut. Lets move."

Sylas laughed, "Well... you are old! You're over double my age!" he said as he headed out of the house.

Marneila returned to the children's bedroom to watch over the twin babies.

Anna leaned into Amanda, saying, "if you have to go through that, then we'll make it a double funeral, the Broker right along side him, right?"

Amanda snorted. "I was thinking more along the lines of an unmarked grave somewhere in the middle of nowhere."

She grinned, saying, "who needs a grave? I can just tear him apart, then you can set him on fire or something. Just ashes in the wind, right?"

Amanda blinked. "Uh.... Not an Ice queen for nothing, Anna, I only know water and ice-based magics."

Anna pursed her lips, before shrugging and saying, "then we could tie a rock to his foot or something and throw him in a lake. OR something......oh fuck, I don't know."

Amanda shrugged. "Well, I'd much rather see my brother alive and well in the first place, so I don't think I shall go assault him. So.... What did you and Emma usually do for fun, Anna?"