CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO
*~~~**~~~*
Alana Hurd
*~~~**~~~*
2nd of Janus, 936 PC
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Oliver had made so many alterations to Felix’s wagon that it was more luxurious than even the finest stagecoaches. A large wooden box sat on four wheels made from an alchemical called Rubach, like the stuff her dissolvable arrowtips were made of, and coated in something black. It was a lighter option than any other metal and twice as durable according to Oliver, who had been tremendously proud of his work. A glass box surrounded the driver’s bench, Felix’s idea, but Oliver’s craftsmanship, and the whole thing was pulled by two pitch black horses so muscular they looked like they could run for the rest of their lives. It was hard to believe they could be controlled by simple leather reins threaded through holes in the front glass.
“Some of the richest folk in the empire travel through Pearl City,” Felix said over his shoulder. The wall between the driver’s bench and the wagon bed had been removed to allow for easy conversation. “I’d like to stop there if you gals don’t mind. Try my luck at selling some of Oliver’s inventions.”
Alana had heard of Pearl City but never been there. Lieutenant Pallani had always said the place was off-limits but never explained why. She was like that often now that Alana thought about it. Messages hidden underneath pitiful attempts at riddles. That’s all it really was. Trying to sound more like her brother? She couldn’t help but smile as she remembered the Pallani’s constant bickering.
“There’s also someone he’d like you to meet there,” Oliver said.
“It’s true,” Felix said. “One of those restraints I mentioned. Can feel my raw wrists healing up already.”
When the memories faded, Alana glanced at Velvetine. The decision to take lotus was churning in her mind now whether she admitted it or not. All she did was brush dirt off her pants leg and shrug. “Don’t care where we go. Got what I wanted. Just along for the ride until we reach Locke.” She held out an open palm to Alana who had learned it was best not to deny the woman what she wanted. Velvetine had thrown a fit in their room when Alana had tried to tell her that taking lotus too often could kill her. She had slashed her arms around as if trying to do to the room what she’d done to the forest. Alana handed her a single capsule which brought about the woman’s sinister grin as she chewed on it.
“Pearl City it is then! You ladies will love it. Finest city this side of the Pettermine Mountains. Lot of people say it’s better than White Hall, but can’t imagine that. White Hall’s a merchant’s dream come true.” Felix went back to watching the road after the wagon drifted right while he was looking over his shoulder.
“Pearl City really is a lovely place,” Oliver said. “Delicious food and wonderful people.” She’d never met anyone that put so much honesty into his words. Except maybe Velvetine, but he wasn’t blunt like her. He was genuine and soft spoken. Not an ounce of anything rough to ruin the beauty of his voice.
Velvetine licked the lotus residue off her fingers and said, “Dining with wonderful people. That’ll be a first for me.”
Oliver turned and pulled something from a crate beside him. “This is what I’m working on currently.” He handed Alana a small circular gadget that fit in the palm of her hand, though the leather straps fastened to it hung over the sides. Twelve small numbers were written in a circle on a piece of parchment. A thin piece of brass covered the twelve at the top, another covered the six at the bottom.
“What does it do?” Alana asked.
“Well, nothing right now.” The way he grinned was innocent and refreshing, untainted by the world. It all but forced her to smile too. Like the way beautiful melodies always made her tap her foot. “I’m hoping one day you’ll be able to use it to tell time wherever you are instead of looking at the sun or hoping to hear church bells ring in the distance. It’ll change the world.”
“Fascinating.” It truly was. In the last few months she’d never considered much of anything except where to get extra lotus capsules. And before that she didn’t do much of anything, let alone change the world.
Felix twisted on his bench. “Keep tellin’ him it’ll never catch on. The sun comes up everyday for free.”
“And I keep telling him it goes down every night as well.”
Alana handed the invention back to Oliver. “I think it’s brilliant.”
“Many thanks,” he said and tossed it back into the crate. There were a few dozen similar crates full of Oliver’s inventions all over the wagon; successes and failures. Stacked on top of the crates were the few essentials the two friends apparently lived off of – extra sets of clothes, some food Elroy had provided them for the road, a crossbow that looked broken, not a whole lot else. There were a couple daggers on the floor though that she wished were further out of Velvetine’s reach. Two heavy cloaks that weren’t necessary right now given the whole wagon was heated by the same glowing rocks that heated Cloudcruisers hung from a rod in the back. It was surprising to see the rocks in a commoner’s wagon but she didn’t care enough to ask. It was a cozy little place and she wouldn’t trade it for anything. Except Kit. She looked at Oliver who was already tinkering with a different invention. Yes, this would do her just fine until she found Kit.
“Ollie and I love the road,” Felix said. “Everyday's an adventure. Of course, you’re no stranger to that, are ya Alana? What was it like in the Lotus Army?”
She thought about that. “Pretty boring most of the time.”
“Boring!” Felix said. “Flying around in the sky on those big ol’ ships. How could that be boring?”
“It ain’t at all what people might think. The wings are so loud you practically live with a headache. And if you think it's cold down here, try being up there when it’s snowing. Miserable. Most of the people are shit too.”
“You’ll find that everywhere,” Velvetine said.
They hit a particularly bumpy patch in the road. Alana toppled over, right into Oliver’s shoulder. He laughed as he helped her sit back up. “It can’t be all bad.”
“You’d be surprised,” she said. “Constant training, tons of restrictions, little privacy and fewer manners. It’s not ideal. But that’s in the past. I’m here with all of you now and I’m excited about that.”
Oliver smiled. “We are too.”
“Why don’t you two fuck and get it over with,” Velvetine said. “So we don’t have to watch this skinny dunce try to court you for weeks.” She stood up and walked toward Felix’s bench. “I’ll give you two some space. Just holler when you’re done.” She laughed at her own joke and threw an arm around Felix as she sat down on the bench beside him. “Guess we’ll have to wait our turn.”
*~~~**~~~*
Alana awoke suddenly when someone pressed on her shoulder. She pulled her blanket closer to her chin and tried to escape the touch until she saw Oliver holding his finger to his lips. He pointed through the glass window at the front of the wagon. Two men sat on horses directly in front of the wagon.
“Bandits,” Oliver said. “Just let Felix handle it. He’s good at avoiding tussles.”
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“Fuck that,” Velvetine said. “Come on, sis, we’ll take care of these cunts. No sense in having this shit in our blood if we ain’t gonna use it.” She plowed past Alana and Oliver toward the door on the side of the wagon. She undid the latch and looked at Alana. “You heard me.” She kicked the door open with a bang and dropped to the dirt. She disappeared from sight but could still be heard. “How are ya gents?!”
Alana stood.
“You’re not going out there are you?” Oliver asked.
“They’re just common bandits, Oliver, they’ll be fine.” Felix waved her on. “Besides, I’d love to see this.”
“I’ll be careful,” Alana said to Oliver and made her way to the door, reminding herself that she knew how to aim much better now. Small amounts. Keep it simple.
One of the men had climbed off his horse and met Velvetine at the front of the wagon. He looked past Velvetine and eyed Alana. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? Looks like we don’t gotta share, Willy.”
The man named Willy started to climb off his horse too. “Good. Sharin’s gettin’ old.” He spoke from his throat as if he had something stuck down there and was trying to force it out with words. He walked toward them, examining Oliver’s masterpiece of a wagon. “Stumbled upon a gold mind, didn’t we Tuck?” He looked at Felix through the glass. “Knight in shining armor, ay. Let the ladies fend off the bad, bad men.” He slapped the glass, making Felix and Alana jump. “Get out here, boy! Let me show ya what a real man looks like.” Felix didn’t move.
Willy laid an ugly grin on Velvetine and took a closer look at her. Alana’s hands curled into fists as he straightened the sides of Velvetine’s unbuttoned jacket and then used them to pull her closer to himself. “Someone’s rode you harder than a horse.”
“Sounds like you boys are looking for someone to suck your cocks? That can be arranged.” Velvetine put her hand on Willy’s chest so seductively Alana thought she might actually drop to her knees right there. They held each other’s gaze for a moment then Velvetine’s head gestured toward the man’s chest. It wasn’t until he glanced down that he noticed her glowing fingernails. Velvetine grinned. “I already put too many things in my mouth.” Willy grunted and grabbed his chest as he stumbled backward. He hit the dirt like a falling tree.
Tuck snatched Velvetine by the throat but all she did was smile. “I like it r-” His fist smashed into the side of her head, sending her reeling toward Alana who caught her for a moment but only long enough to soften her fall.
“You fuckin’ bitch!” Tuck ran toward his friend.
Alana stuck an arm straight out and closed one eye so she could line the man up between her fingers quicker. The blast hit him in the shoulder and knocked him flat on his ass. She stalked over to him without a thought in her head yet something was telling her what to do.
Tuck rolled over, staring up at her like a scared little boy. “Pl-” The second blast hit him in the face. Next thing she knew he looked like he’d been in a fire. Flakes of black skin peeled off his cheeks and nose as the wind blew.
She crouched beside Velvetine. “You alright?”
“Couldn’t have done that before he hit me?” She rubbed her temple.
“Didn’t know you were going to get to the killing so quick.” Alana helped her sit up.
“In the future, plan on me getting straight to the killing.”
Felix dropped out of the wagon. “You two were incredible!”
Alana started to speak but was overwhelmed by the claws in her stomach. She bent over and let black bile spew all over Velvetine’s boots.
Velvetine said, “Ah, fuck me with a stick!”
*~~~**~~~*
Alana sat on the bottom step of the wagon, watching Felix and Oliver haggle with a merchant selling fabric he had called exotic. Felix spoke with his hands to make his words seem bigger. Oliver spoke with his shoulders to do away with the necessity of words. It had been a long time since she’d been around such a bashful man. Life in the army had a way of stomping your inhibitions out of you and replacing them with crude familiarity with people you wouldn’t normally give a second glance.
Velvetine crawled out from beneath the blanket Oliver had draped over her before heading out to speak with the merchant. She wore nothing but her undergarments. If you tried hard enough and you could count each of the woman’s ribs. She was still on her hands and knees when she stuck her hand out. Alana handed her the entire pouch.
“No, no, no. That’s not how this works, sis.” She tossed the pouch onto Alana’s lap. “You put that pouch in my hand and I’m as good as dead.”
“Fair enough.” She scooped two capsules out, giving one to Velvetine and keeping one for herself.
Velvetine pushed her back against the inside of the wagon. “It was the same with Belvedere.”
“Belvedere?” Something told her Belvedere was the white-haired woman from Dover’s Pocket.
“My real sister. Used to manage my pills for me until I got pissed off at her and left her to die in the woods.” She’d already become so accustomed to Velvetine’s lack of tact that to hear her sound anyway other than angry was uncomfortable. “I know you were there that day.”
Alana instantly considered taking off into the trees but Velvetine didn’t move. In fact, she didn’t look like much of a threat at all. “I was there. White hair like yours?”
“But cleaner.”
“I saw her get hit with the arrow. In her thigh. My friend, Darrius, shot her.” She paused for a few moments. “I’m sorry that happened.”
Felix was waving his hands around in the air. Oliver was trying to settle him down. Might be worth a laugh if she wasn’t scared for her life.
“Were you the one running?”
The images of the exploding trees were so vivid she could almost feel the pieces of the trees pricking her face again. “I was.”
“You weren’t running from us were you? You were running from them.”
“I was.”
“I could tell.”
“How?”
Velvetine pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, easing some of the tension hanging over the wagon. “We followed the trail you and that asshole that shot Belvedere were hiding on. Thought we might find more of ya. Figured out pretty quick all you were doing was trying to cut off our only way of escaping besides jumping right into the river. But then we found a woman with black marks all over her chest and face. I’ve spent my whole life around people who would do anything to anyone to survive. That boy who was fightin’ the good fight wasn’t a man to kill his own… but a soldier running in the opposite direction while her friend was being killed. That’s a woman that doesn’t want to be where she is. That’s a woman who sends purple lightning down a comrade’s throat. Then I come stumbling up on a Lotus at an inn not five miles down the road from the fight. I ain’t brilliant, but I do like a riddle from time to time and that was anything but the hardest one I’ve solved.”
“I’d understand if you want me dead.”
“Did you have anything to do with it?”
“Not at all.” Besides telling Darrius exactly what to do and when to do it. “Too busy looking for a way out.” Lying to a woman like Velvetine was not something she wanted to make a habit out of, but this time was necessary.
Velvetine pulled a smoke stick out of her pocket and put it in her mouth with no interest in lighting it. “Then I don’t care.” Alana wasn’t sure what to say. Luckily, Velvetine continued before she tried to break the silence with something accidentally damning. “Were you aiming for his face?”
“What? Oh, the bandit?”
“Aye. Were you aiming for his face?”
“I was.”
“I wanna aim like that.” It wasn’t up for discussion.
“I can do that.”
“Good. Cause you and me got a few things to do as soon as we get rid of these two.” She flicked her head toward Felix and Oliver who were walking back toward the wagon, each carrying a loadful of fabric. When she saw Alana didn’t like the idea, she said, “Don’t worry. I ain’t gonna hurt ‘em. Ain’t into kicking puppies. Besides, I know you’re wet between the legs for the softer one. Wouldn’t want to travel in anything other than this beauty anyway. But then”– she grinned – “then it’s us against the world, sis.” She was still grinning when she greeted the others. “My two favorite fellas! Get anything good? Maybe a softer blanket? The one ya gave me has me scratching like an addict.”
“No blankets, just some fabric for one of my projects,” Oliver said. “But I did get you both some lovely new gloves.”
“We figure it might be best if you hide your magic,” Felix said.
Alana took two beautiful pairs of black leather gloves from Oliver, handing one to Velvetine. “That was very thoughtful.”
“Least we could do. We might not have our wagon if it weren’t for you.” Oliver said. “Don’t get too attached just yet though. I plan on making some adjustments to them.”
“And when we get to Pearl City we’re buying you some new clothes.” Felix looked at Velvetine’s disgusting green jacket lying on the floor then at Alana who was still wearing the clothes Matilda had lent her. “The lords know you both could use them.”
The duo headed toward the front of the wagon, leaving the women to close up and get comfortable. Velvetine leaned in close as she tried her gloves on. “Us against the world, sis.”