A/N: I've finished for the year! and hopefully forever. I'm sick of uni and no money :/
But anywho, I can now focus a bit more on my writing for a bit. I will be on holidays for 2 weeks at the start of december, so I should be putting out updates between then and now. Afterwards, I will be looking at the other works that have been lacking in updates for...over a year...oops.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Twenty-Two: Bolin
The first thing I notice in the distance was the pale blue orb of another Fence after flying along an endless expanse of ocean for the last fifty minutes. This one is massive. It felt like it took up most of the sky, like an impending tsunami wave building in the distance. It looked so alive, as the blue energy pulses and swirls. In the very centre of all the high rise buildings and skyscrapers was a twisted black tower that just screams 'Eye of Sauron' and it almost touched the highest point of the Fence.
"Welcome to Bolin." Oz chuckles when he saw my face. "One of the Five."
"What are the 'Five'?" I look back towards the city that was approaching us and just keeps getting bigger.
"Just the biggest of the cities that became prosperous and breathing down the necks of all the other city-states. There's two in America... two in Asia including this one, and one in Europe. But it's not like we go by those names anymore."
"Why not?"
I see his shoulders shrug, "I ain't the one who made the decision, kid. I just follow like everyone else, like the sheep that I am. There's nothing but grave dust of the Old World. Funny how fast it turns around. I don't think we even use 'continents' or even 'nationality' anymore. Just the city-states...and Outsiders."
I stare back out the window, feeling a little heavy. There's no way we can go back to how it all was, can we? I look back to Lady, who was starting to calm down. There isn't any way back. This is my reality. I lean back and shut my eyes, letting out a breath.
As we came into the airspace above the Fence, Fenir flicked a switch and began talking, "This is Hollow Kite returning from a ground run. Permission to enter?"
There was silence until a strange automated female voice comes over a speaker, "Permission granted. Welcome back."
As soon as the voice finishes, a hole expands in the orb energy directly below us and the ship descends into it, down into the city airspace below. I watch through the ceiling as we clear the orb that it closes back up above us, making me feel slightly claustrophobic.
I look at the skyscrapers all around us like mirrored monoliths. It gave that extra surreality as everything is high-tech and futuristic. Everything was piled on top of one another. Shops, houses....living spaces all cramped into the streets and buildings as a somewhat functioning and organised chaos. Neon lines ran along the buildings' sides, advertisements on projections along the buildings...as well as 3D holograms. Even some airships like they were in traffic like the vehicles clogging up the streets below. This is insane.
But it felt wrong. Like life was being choked from it.
'No forest. Only jungle of stone and smoke. Death and suffocating.' Lady presses onto my thoughts.
She was right. As opposed to Bellasera, there weren't any gardens or parks with trees. There was nothing green and it was suffocating. The air almost felt tragic. I frown at this feeling. I didn't experience this in the other city. Sure it was desolate and destroyed but the air, though stagnate, didn't feel like this.
"Are you ok?"
I look up to see Mist staring at me.
I swallow, pushing the oppressive feeling down, "I'm fine. I've just never thought I'd ever see something like this."
"Being an Outsider, this probably looks really weird." Oz chuckles.
'Weird' doesn't even cover it.
As we come to a building with an almost detached helipad attached to its side, Oz moves the airship so that it smoothly lands onto it. "Ride's over, kiddies."
Hanna stands and comes over to me, "All ready?"
I nod and stand to follow her. I pull the hood over my head, it's becoming an automatic reaction now. As we come down to the platform, the hot air and smells knock me stupid. Fuel, humidity, death, waste, cheap perfume and rot. How could anyone stand this?
"Oh my God, why is it so hot!?" Hanna complains. "Come on, the sooner we're inside, the sooner we get out of this."
I follow her as she heads for the door.
Just as she reaches for the door, it swings open and a group of mismatched people who I could only assume to be some type of soldiers surround us and even had matching black guns pointed directly at me. Wonderful.
"This is the subject in question?" The man closest to Hanna asks, his eyes never leaving my face, he looked barely old enough to even join an army.
"Yes, Mike. Now would you put those away? He came here of his own free will. Why do you think he isn't in restraints? I'm gonna get mad in a minute if you all don't stand down."
"Sorry, ma'am. Orders."
"Orders," she scoffs, "I'll tell you where you can shove-"
"We are to escort him directly to the chief."
"Then do it nicely and without pointing those at him." She pushes his gun up. "I'm sorry about all this, Kae."
What was I gonna expect? A marching band and streamers?
She glares at this 'Mike' until he says, "Weapons disengaged."
The others followed suit in pointing the guns away from me but their eyes still look rather hostile. Great more Fenir's and Rain's. Just what I always wanted.
"What of the Miasmic-Beast?" The man asks at Hanna.
"She's fine. As long as you stop pointing things at his chest, she won't attack."
As if to illustrate the point, Lady puts herself between me and them like a shield, as she encircles her body around me as best she can.
"Now that we have that nasty business out of the way, let's go see the idiot." Hanna walks through the door and expect us to follow suit.
I quickly do exactly that, with everyone glaring holes into the back of my head as I pass them. I held in a sigh. I'm defenceless and I'm the suspicious one?
Walking inside, it was thick grey and white hallways with metal doors that I presume slide open. Why doesn't anyone like handles in this place? There were black touchpads with red lights that I guess would switch to green if you're allowed through...and scream at you if you're not. Escaping is going to be interesting.
As we walk passed any idle bystander, they quickly got out of the way of Hanna and glare/stare at me as I walk passed. What the fuck did I do to them? Did Fenir forward a message to the entire lot of them? 'Please stare angrily at the boy with the tiger. Can't miss them'.
"Not understanding leads to fear. Leads to anger when blame can then be placed," X whispers beside me.
I jump. When the fuck did he get there? I hiss at him, "Would you cut that out?"
He looks down at me, his facial expressions blank as if he didn't understand what I was getting at. Probably didn't.
I sigh, rallying myself for whoever this 'Chief' is.
Hanna comes to a door and presses a hand to it and it slides open with a 'hiss'. "After you," she motions to me.
I go in to see a simple enough office room that I would expect to see in any business space. A green spider orchid sat in a black pot on the polished black desk, contrasting in colour. The wide tinted windows looked out over the city streets below. It was big and open without much else in here.
"Hanna. How many times have I told you 'knock' first?" A thickly accented voice came from a doorway that I don't remember being there, behind a practically empty bookshelf on my left.
"Whatever. You had to be rude first." Hanna glares at the man coming towards us. He looked a lot like her. Same long blonde hair and blue eyes. It would be safe to assume they are related in some way.
"I have to be safe. Especially when you drag things home." This damn Viking was annoying me already as he motions towards me when he said 'things'.
"Oh shut it Siem. You wanted to look at him."
"That I did," he steps closer, his eyes peering right at me. "You were able to get close to and destroy a Queen, weren't you?"
I felt my voice die in my throat as he stands in front of me, his heavy gaze bearing on me like a weight I didn't want to deal with. Two metes of intimidating muscle is hard to stare at.
"Is he mute?" He asks Hanna.
"No. But the way you're glaring at him would make anyone want to jump out a window."
"I'm not glaring. I'm just looking."
She sighs, "Kae, don't worry, my brother is a teddy bear. He just forgets to put the teeth and claws away. His name is Siem. Siem, this is Kae. And yes, he appears to have been able to destroy a Queen and no, he isn't a Hexer, I've run every single test against his DNA and none come back with any indication that he's a Hexer."
"But he is something."
"...Yes."
Siem rubs his chin, while thinking. "You said you had something to show me as well."
"And I think Kae will need to see it as well."
"I'll look at that in a second." He then dismisses the conversation entirely. "Fenir, thank you as always in assisting my sister. You four can hit the showers and get some food and rest. I won't require you guys again until tomorrow."
"As always, sir," Fenir slightly bows his head and turned to leave, his eyes fell on me and the glint in them scream 'try anything funny and I'll kill you'. Rain soon follows in behind him, not even looking at me.
"What is it Mist?" Siem asks as she was still rooted to the spot.
"I want to stay. Kae seems to be a bit unsteady since he entered the city's airspace."
"...As you wish. Everyone else who doesn't need to be here can leave."
"Is that wise?" Mike asks, completely suspicious of me.
Siem chuckles, "You doubt my abilities?"
Mike looks taken aback, "Never sir."
"It's ok. If something happens, I'll let you know. Stay outside the door if you really want to."
I'm getting offended here.
As everyone but Siem, Hanna and Mist left, Siem's eyes fell on me again and it made me squirm. "Now. Let's get down to business."