Darklight: The New World

Part 6: The Good Wife

“What do you mean? Rammachandra decided to mess with my life even more!?” He was seething again, even after death Rammachandra could hurt him.

“Indeed. The files were encrypted at the highest level so I couldn’t find out much, but Rammachandra did something to her. She wasn’t killed when she fell into the ruins of Arcadia, she survived and fought. Rammachandra watched her all the way and took an interest in her strength”.

“What happened to her!? What did that bitch do to my wife!?” His eyes were growing a more intense shade of red.

“You can tell that beneath that human veneer you are a Leon, Soran. Rage and power suit you” Vittoria was grinning and staring at Soran, although as she stared her grin faltered as she became stuck, trapped within the air around her again and blue flames began to leap from the floor at her feet.

“Tell me now or I’ll rip what I want to know from your head”. Soran was grinning now and his eyes had turned a deep crimson. She didn’t say anything for a while, she just winced and struggled for breath.

“Ok, ok...” The flames began to subside. “I told you I don't know much. But she was experimented on. I don’t know how or why but Rammachandra was trying to... change her. Maybe into a new weapon, I don’t know. Rammachandra was creating an heir to take administrative control of Utopia while she concentrated on her greater plans. When I discovered Natasha her mind had been... compartmentalized”.

“What do you mean by ‘compartmentalized’!?” He spat. The flames were growing again and she cried in pain.

“I mean that her consciousness was put into one section of her mind and the rest was left empty! There was room for another consciousness to take control of her!” Vittoria cried. Suddenly there was a flash of blue-white light and Soran was knocked backwards.

“How dare you attack a High Priestess!” Vittoria cried at him. He looked up to see her outstretched hand floating around which were five spears of ice trained at his head. The red in Soran’s eyes was fading again now as he got to his feet.

“I’ll attack anyone who hurts the people I love. I’m not scared of you”. The two were nose to nose as Vittoria lowered her hand and the ice spears fell and shattered on the floor. She wasn't scared of him.

“You’re controlling her, aren’t you?” He spat.

“Of course. The new High Matriarch Of Utopia? I’d be foolish not to take control of her. I can finally enact my plan”.

Soran walked past Vittoria towards the window.

“You really think you can just waltz back into Utopia and reclaim her?” she laughed.

“That’s the plan”.

“Oh Soran, do you even know what Rammachandra did to your name, your image and your reputation after your exodus from the city?” Soran remained silent. “Well you should see this” Vittoria smirks in response. With a wave of her hand a hologram appeared in the middle of the room, the other members of the Shadow Council remain astutely still in their designated places. Soran turned and walked back to the centre of the room as Vittoria used the CCN interface to search for news entries for ‘Soran Lex, Rin Harris’. Suddenly reams and reams of news articles appeared. Soran picked out some points:

“Terrorist attack on The High Matriarch, Rin Harris - Sleeper Agent To The Skry, Soran Lex: Traitor”. The list went on and on.

“Do you see now, Soran?” Vittoria sneered at him as she turned from the hologram. “A nation such as Utopia can use the CCN to sway a nation’s view without mind control - the media can do the job just as well”.

He fell silent for a few moments. In the time he considered his options: He had answers about Natasha - but even if he killed Vittoria he didn’t know if he would be able to free Natasha from her grip. After all people’s souls can be fragmented - just look at the Darklight Weapons, even after death does the soul remain encased within the metal? She was right, he can’t just waltz into Utopia City again - they would surely have formulated defenses against him now and he couldn’t risk Eresmai and the other Skry. Vittoria seemed to have answers and at the moment without the wisdom of Lord Kisa, answers were what Soran needed.

“What do you want from me?” He finally asked.

“You?” Vittoria laughed hautily. “Oh Soran, there’s nothing I want from you personally. I just need you to get someone for me, someone with intimate information that I need. I want you to bring me Lord Draz”.