Ashra (Editing)

Chapter Fifteen: Strange Things on a Strange World

Chapter Fifteen: Strange Things on a Strange World.

They continued in silence, and after a length of time. Ashra didn't know whether to be angered, annoyed, or worried about Dis' revelation.

And so, she opted for the fourth option. She would pretend he said nothing and ignore him.

After six hours of dead silence and making him quite nauseous to his stomach, she finally turned to look at him and speak once more.

Eyes shut, head on shoulder,  arms crossed. Eyelashes twitched as his brow furrowed.

He's sleeping... She giggled to herself. Yet he looks as though he's going to bark an order at any moment. He really must be having a hard time sleeping.

Smiling, she turned back to face my the screen in front of her. A map sprawled across. Reaching out, she put her finger on a dot.

There.

Ashra sat still as could be, her mind wandering all over the place. Waiting patiently for Dis to wake up, she had tried to contact the Suzeren but the distance has become too far to get a return answer.

And so she just sat there, humming to herself.

Two hours passed before she sensed him moving. At first it was just a twitch, and after a moment he coughed.

"How long was I asleep?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

She shrugged. "I'd say about eight hours. Maybe more. I really wasn't keeping track."

He nodded absentmindedly. She glanced at him and then to her fingernails.

"Was it a good nap?"

Again he nodded.

"Good, we'll be landing on planet Nysa in less than ten minutes."

                              *

Nysa was not a beautiful planet nor was a it considered a very safe place to find yourself on. Most people avoided it like it was the plague. It was simply a world full of societies rejects.

The air was always stagnant, the cities dark and full of grim. There was no sense of joy or happiness. The only thing the people of Nysa knew was despair and survival.

Not much grew there, and what did was far less than could sustain such a large population. Food was always in short supply, and more often than not, the people starved. Thankfully the planet had an abundant supply of water. Still, after many years of neglecting the water pipes, the water was near undrinkable unless distilled.

But while food and water were in short supply, booze was not. The people were often referred to as eternal drunkards for that very reason. Fights and murders occurred at a frequency that was unrivaled by any other place in the universe.

Simply put, Nysa was not the place any normal person wanted to be.

Ashra was not normal.

She strolled down the street of the city Aita languidly, sniffing quietly. Had she any pockets she was sure someone would have tried to steal from her.

It was a beautiful night for pickpocketing.

"Jeez, this place hasn't changed since the last time I was here. Still the same nasty air, still the same gloomy atmosphere."

She felt Dis stiffen behind her. Since they had arrived, he'd yet to let himself get any farther away from her than a hands width. She supposed he was trying to protect her by being her guard, but all he'd done was agitate her.

"How much farther is it to the place you said you wanted to go?"

She turned her head and smiled brightly at him.

"Not very far, I think. You scared?"

His left eye twitched. "I would be less worried if you didn't act so rashly. Why is it that you chose this of all places? Seriously, you will be the death of me."

Ashra giggled.

"You're a great guard dog you know, I'm so lucky you're here to protect me." She faced forward once again, her eyes scanning the buildings around her.

Behind her, she heard him muttering.

"It's not you I'm protecting."

Stopping instantly, she felt him brush close to her. He almost starting yelling at her, but she pointed to a small two story building crammed between two larger, though more decrepit buildings.

"I think that's it... Probably."

His gaze followed hers to the Neon sign that blinked pink words lazily in the darkness.

"The...Poetic Penguin...bar?" Dis' incredulous voice was but a whisper, but she herself couldn't help but laugh.

Strolling to the door, she thrust it open and entered the dim room.

A woman with blonde hair the color of wheat sat on one of the bar stools, in her hand was a cup that clinked as she sipped it passionately. She wore a dark dress that had perhaps once been green, her cleavage nearly spilling out as she swallowed her drink.

After draining her glass, she looked up and spoke.

"Close the door. I've been expecting you."

Dis obliged and shut the door but Ashra was the first to respond to the woman.

"Is this Minth's store?" She asked as she made her way to the counter.

The woman shook her head, but then thought better of it. She grabbed a bottle off the counter and poured it into her cup.

"Minth is dead, died a year ago."

That shocked Ashra. She had not heard about it.

Minth had been what she liked to refer to as a liaison. On occasion whenever the Suzeren was nearby they would sell their loot at a discounted price and he his information on various things that often bordered on the dangerous side.

It was a mutual relationship that had been in effect for the last thirty or so years, he was by far one of her favorite liaisons.

"How?" One small word escaped her.

The woman just stared blankly and took another sip of her drink.

"Dad died of old age."

Ashra frowned. "He was your father? I had never heard of him having a daughter."

The girl took another drink.

"Long story." she put her drink down and got up. Swaying she made her way behind the bar. "Sit and have a cup, I'll tell you it. It's not like I have anything better to do."

Absolute boredom seeped out of her voice.

Looking up to Dis, he nodded and followed her. Sitting next to her, he did not speak. Surely he felt the same feeling Ashra did.

Something was off.

The woman ignored their secretive glances and put two glasses full of ice on the table.

"Whiskey, vodka, or rum?" She asked.

Ashra thought for a moment. "Rum."

"Whiskey." Dis' answer was quiet, but he seemed to be fine with drinking.

The girl poured their drinks and then her own.

Leaning on the counter, she raised an eyebrow and smiled for the first time since they'd walked in.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Io Fortuna and I am a clone."