Chapter Nine: Never Nothing

Nalia -

How I love the bath. It's possibly cause of my half-elf blood but being clean was just nice. Not smelling like half the oozing freaks of the underworld - that was a added bonus that couldn't be ignored. I eyed the small selection of soaps but at least I wouldn't have to use my own.

It's just nice to be able to let myself relax and enjoy a few minutes of quiet. Not to mention my muscles are still killing me after all the travel lately. Maybe I should grow out my hair whenever I finally retire...

Well, that will be a while.

I ducked my head under the water to soak my hair so I could shampoo it. Though a strange noise had me pushing myself back up and listening....

Nothing. Must be some pump or something nearby.

Naula had turned off the television to sleep after I went in for my bath and I was cool with that. I liked quiet when I was bathing, it was nice. Lathering in piece is always a plus in my book, I figure once people start to catch on that the royal heirs are alive shit will hit the fan.

Enjoy it while I can...

Whoa!

I blinked in surprise as I surfaced from rincing and Nuada was just standing shirt less next to the sink like he was going to be sick. Not that I hadn't watched him with a naked shirt when he practiced but uh...I never told him to return the favor. Pervert.

"What the hell do you think you are doing!?" I knew I said I'd try to be nicer...but seriously...who just walks in when someone else is taking a bath! "Get out!"
He turned around so fast he probably hadn't known I was there, I had been under the water when he came in...but I was naked...

"DON'T LOOK! GET OUT!" Yeah, I couldn't help the loudness. I tossed the bar of soap at his face as I tugged the shower curtain back with my free hand.

He just stared at me...which wasn't helping my mood at all. So much for an enjoyable bath...what the fuck had he been thinking. Then he turned and closed the door, I heard his mattress bounce a moment later.

My eye was twitching, I could feel it. I wanted to ring his neck...but I was blushing and trembling a little. That perverted murderous wretch was a peeping tom! He wasn't even shy about it...how the hell could he say he was shy about people touching him.

My mental tirade continued as I hurried to get dressed...this shit...there wasn't going to be a repeat performance of gandering Nalia's body in the middle of the night...Hell no. No. This wasn't gonna happen again. I needed to get dressed and then find some boards and nails.

Nuada -

That dream again.

I'd woken covered in sweat. Not an experience I'm unfamiliar with but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. I tossed the sheets aside and moved into the shared bathroom to wash my face, leaning over the sink and still confused as to the path I should take.

"If I stop now does father's death mean nothing? Will the humans just be allowed to control our fates? It's not as if they would ever agree to the terms of the treaty..." I always feel sick after that dream...when I relive mother's death.

"What the hell do you think you are doing!?" The half-elf's voice surprised me, I turned quickly out of habit. "Get out!"

She was settled in a bath like any normal person, soap suds around her and still a bit in her hair, it looked better when it was freshly wet like that instead of all around her face. Her body was more elf-like than he originally accredited.

"DON'T LOOK! GET OUT!" She tossed something at me that bounced next to my foot then slid to the wall and drug the curtain to cover her body.

As if I'd ever be interested in such a worthless half-breed...if it wasn't for my foul mood cause of the dream I probably would have taken a moment to act more insulted. Her behavior wasn't worth dealing with so I turned and closed the door. Laying back on my bed.

"Mother...would you consider me a traitor like all the rest? Hate me so deeply as my sister does? You and she are so alike...you probably couldn't understand what I needed to do either..." I wasn't sure what to consider. That was the most graffic the dream had been in ages...it was depressing. Perhaps it was a sign.

I was about to rest again and the pounding started. I headed to the door to open it and found myself tugging against a jammed frame. The commoner was starting to be more trouble than she was worth...

"Ha, serves you right you pervert! You want to use the bath you can come through are room so there's no more peeping for you."

Nuala should have let me stab her from the start.

"Miss Nalia." My sister was the only reason I wasn't busting the door down. "You shouldn't do this."

"Of course I should!" her protests weren't helping her standing. What worth she'd managed to show was quickly plummeting. "Your brother is a dirty man. He walked in and stared at me while I was taking a bath. Go ahead and stab yourself if you want...I won't stop you. Egotistical jerk..."

She went back to muttering and as the pounding had stopped I just returned to my bed. I'd let Nuala deal with the whelp.

"Miss Nalia...Nuada wouldn't do that. He is an honorable man. Come. Perhaps you are tired...you should get some rest."

I couldn't hear the reply and it was just as well, I didn't want to have to kill the girl before she'd outlived her usefulness. I didn't want to have to kill her at all, but she was quickly leaving me very few other options in the matter.

The following day and Nalia -

As if things hadn't been awkward enough before with the retardo twins...now one of them was really a dark pervert. How dare he stare at me like that...and then just walk away like I wasn't even basically interesting! That's so damn insulting!

I didn't care if Nuala thought I should be nicer. I was getting to Atlantis, getting a few things to sell and going off to my island. The sooner I was rid of these psychos the better my life would be. New Dehli was next on the list and when I called Fred shit was suppose to be ready to go.

The airport transfers were always out of the way and a general pain in the ass. If you think human transport is a bitch, try being a nonhuman...I had it fairly okay most of the time...but they always seemed to discriminate against people with tentacles. Not that I had an issue, usually they were some creepy bastards.

They'd been mostly quiet at least, to include the peeping tom pervy prince jerk. I'm not sure I'd of made it through the cab ride if he'd of said a word about it.

It was bad enough he broke in on me in the tub like that...but it was worse that he was so nonchalant about it...made my blood boil.

Getting distracted though...that's why I usually don't like to work with a partner or group...it's fuck dangerous. The distracted one always gets killed first.

When I felt a gun at my back upon entering the warehouse where the plane was suppose to be...I knew that I should have been paying attention. "Dammit Fred..."

"Heh...if he wasn't telling the truth." It was a group of half-Leshtrun demons...I hated the fuckers. Green and oozy...I always hate the oozy ones - you can't clean up the shit they drip on the carpeting and believe me there is no way of explaining your way around it to the landlord or getting your safety deposit back.

I didn't see a full one, but where they had lackeys usually one of the lardo's was hanging around eating everything. They weren't really humanoid...more like circular with a few limbs that came out of the blubber here and there.

Four of them pointing guns at us by the door. Two holding a tied up and frightened looking fred. I wasn't sure if the sent of urine was him or the half-demons.

"Greetings your highnesses." One of them grunted with a half laugh, shoving his gun deeper in Nuala's back when Nuada pulled up his spear. "None of that Princy...she dies you die right?"

"Fools if you think you'll escape me." Nuada returned.

Yeah, bad time to talk back.

"Fred, what did I tell you about getting drunk." I sighed, I already knew that he'd been gambling, drinking and talking to much...all three were things his kind were masters of. "You guys don't have anything better to do than pick on Fred and drip on shit?"

He hit me in the nose with the butt of his weapon!

FUCK!

It stung enough I fell to my knees holding it and trying to stop the blood and stinging in my eyes...I was going to stab him repeatedly whenever I was done fixing it.

"What do you want from us?" Nuala was the reasonable one.

"The boss wants you alive if possible...but dead still would get us a good take." The one that was apparently the leader continued to talk. I was slowly healing my nose...it stung. "You two were suppose to be dead."

"Shows you how stupid Leshtrun trash is." I muttered, I knew it was going to hurt...it always hurt. The kick didn't make it all the way through. Nuada had stopped him. I blinked up at a black clad form with long white hair...smart ass comments forgotten for a moment.

Nuala had taken out hers when I wasn't paying attention...apparently she was better than I gave her credit for. Another one was dead already and Nuada was likely going to make short work of the guy that punched me. I wanted to be the one to stab him too.

There was still the fourth one...he was getting ready to shoot Nuada in the back. Throwing was one of my better points - when it wasn't soap - I guess I could have been nicer and aimed higher than the area between his legs...but I was still on the floor. It was the most convenient thing.

Nuala had backed up after her small victory, staying between her brother and the other two still aiming guns from the other side of the room. Gunshots sucked, I really didn't want them to shoot me. My nose was better but this wasn't on our side yet.

"Stop there." The two that were left didn't sound confident. "We'll shoot him. Then you won't have anyone to fly your plane."

Nuada hesitated but didn't put the spear away, he wasn't going to be the most diplomatic sort...not that I qualified for that position at all. Nuala was still hiding behind him.

"Stupid. He dies you die remember!" I hate it when women just hide behind guys.

"Kill him." I bluffed, I was good at bluffing. "I can fly the plane."

They exchanged scared looks and ran off like the coward's they really were. That was good enough for me...though I was still eyeing around for the boss lardo. "We need to get him loose so we can get going."

"We should kill the loose lipped traitor." Nuada commented un forgivingly.

"Nah." I answered with a wink. "Who would fly the plane? You fell for that? I guess I'm a better liar than I even thought."

I ignored anything else they had to say, freeing Fred and pushing him at the plane. "Don't even start with me...you so aren't getting paid for this part of the trip."

Fred's shoulders slumped and I grinned at the strange look Nuala was giving me as we buckled in. "It would have been more fun if they hadn't broken my nose."

End Chapter

This was a while coming and I'm not sure I really know if I'll finish this but the lovely feedback I've gotten back on it made me want to continue it.

-Nera

To reviewers:

femalewraith - Yes and while I do have some backstory on Nalia's father, I just haven't inputed it yet. She doesn't talk much about anything 'real' unless really pushed into it.

M.S. - So confused by you.

hanya - I like her as a o.c. Different for me.

whatisdone - Yes, just not yet.

Kmyong - me too! It's what gave me the idea!