CHAPTER 8
STATEROOM
NAUTILUS
LONDON DOCKS
"Where's Vicky?" Allan asked, sitting down at the head of the table. Nemo took a place on the other end.
Skinner looked around. "Good question, that one. Where is she?"
Vicky had
been realized from the Infirmary a few hours before, having healed remarkably
fast. Her wing was still a bit sore, but otherwise she was fine.
The rest of the League were gathered in the stateroom, full of gleaming white
marble. There were twelve comfortable seats, seven of which were occupied by
the League members themselves.
Jekyll looked around. "I last saw her when she left the Infirmary." Mina nodded in agreement.
"Could it be she went outside for some fresh air?" Nemo voiced. Vicky needed to stretch her wings every so often, just as a normal person would need to stretch his legs.
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. The League members looked at each other, and Nemo gave the affirmation to come in. Vicky strode in, with someone in tow who should be dead.
Sloane.
"Whaa...?" Skinner started while Nemo straightened a little higher in his seat. Dorian looked genuinely surprised, and so did Mina. Jekyll nearly dropped his pocket-watch, which he had taken out to check.
Sloane nodded her greetings. "Gentlemen. Mrs. Gray."
"Sorry I'm late," Vicky apologized. "I went back. To get Sloane. And find out what happened after I blacked out."
Skinner had opened his mouth to speak, but Sloane beat him to it. "I was a pile of dust, yes, because they had magic that mimicked sunlight. Vicky is a respectable sorceress in her own right, and she managed to bring me back."
"And the others?" Allan asked. "Lady Heathrow, Crow and Sierra?"
Vicky looked a little crestfallen at that. "I may be good, Mr. Quatermain, but I'm not that good."
"But the good news is that we have at least one of them back," Jekyll interjected. "That isn't too bad."
Vicky looked up and smiled, nodding. Tom moved to sit next to Allan, and Vicky accepted the seat between him and Skinner. Sloane planted herself next to Jekyll, who stared in disbelief.
"The two that attacked us are agents in Syrem employ," Sloane started. "We...went through the whole thing and found that they had this." She placed a ring and chain on the table. The chain was looped through the silver ring. The light reflected off it and they could see a intricate 'S' engraved into it. "The Syrem behind all this probably hired them to finish us off. What they didn't expect was to lose that in the fight."
"And the Finder...?" Tom asked. Vicky and Sloane glanced at each other.
"There was word, yes," Vicky said, adjusting herself. She was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. "But the word is not good."
"How bad is it?" Nemo asked, leaning forward in his seat.
"Very bad," she nodded. "For the past few months, like the civil war that ravaged the magical species' years ago, this man has been gathering forces, making allies, that sort of thing. Even now, some species are still picking up the pieces. We've been keeping an eye on the situation, and sent word to the rest of those who the war will affect most. Namely, those who once belonged to the now-defunct Alliance. Men, elves, affati, vampires, and Aclida. My people are few and far between, because of the war." Vicky's warm amber eyes narrowed. "They know that the evil is rising once more."
"You are something like a group of representatives. Human, vampire, two hybrids that encompass four of the species," Allan observed. Sloane nodded.
"We were the neutral party, representing most of the species, as you have said," she took over the narrative from her winged friend. "This man — he is powerful beyond comparison. It is unlikely that even the most mighty of wizards from either of the species will be able to beat him."
"But why drag us into this?" Jekyll asked. "We had no part in the war."
"Our prowess," Mina whispered, the pieces clicking into place. "He wanted our powers. Through our children."
Sloane and Vicky nodded gravely, but it was Vicky who spoke. "With your abilities, the shattered Alliance will stand nary a chance. The elves, with their bond with nature's magic, could hold them off for a while. Humans, affati and Aclida are fierce warriors, but they aren't immortal, like the vampires. Unfortunately, they're only good for battles at night, which is major drawback."
"The war would be a quick one," Skinner lamented. "These people don't stand a chance!"
Allan shook his head. "Unless we get the children back in time." Sloane finally had a look of faint hope on her face.
"We stand a chance. We know where the children are, and I think we can get there in time."
"Where is it?" asked Nemo, ready to order his men to set off.
"Venice, Italy."
Skinner grinned. The irony of it, he thought. The place where this all began.
NAUTILUS
SOMEWHERE IN THE OCEAN
(A DAY LATER)
Skinner and Vicky leaned against the rail of the deck, taking in the fresh air. She was teaching him elvish, and he picked up so fast he was able to conduct fairly intelligent conversation in the language now. She had explained to him that all five of them knew it well.
"Since my father was a half-elf, we used to spend Christmas with his side of the family," she told him. "So I had to learn it, as a second language of sorts. Useful, really. In school, before I had to drop out because of these" — she gave her wings a flap — "I used to swear using elvish. Teachers and other students thought it was all made-up, so I got away scot-free." She smiled at the memory, and studied the lines of her wonderful face. He found himself dreaming of kissing her full lips and running his hands through her hair (which he had no doubt was silk), among other things.
"Interesting, though. You never spent time with your mother's side?" he asked. She sighed and turned around so that she didn't face the ocean any more. "They consider me a monster, an unwanted hybrid. My mother died shortly after my birth, so I didn't really get to know her well or do the things that children do with their mothers," she said. "So I grew pretty close to my father. His side of the family hated me at first, but then they saw that I wouldn't have any family other than my father if they didn't accept me. So they took pity on me, acknowledged me."
Skinner nodded. "Must've been hard."
"It was alright," she said. "I mean, we had enough money to live on and all...just that I knew I was different. There are so few of my kind that it's close to impossible that I'll ever meet one such as me."
"Vicky..." he reached out for her and took her hand. She didn't argue nor did she fight back. "You're special. We all are, y'know? That's what makes life interesting."
She looked at him and gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."
"Hey, no problem," he grinned. Just as he finished his sentence, Nemo came out from the belly of his beloved ship, telling them, Tom, Allan, Mina and Dorian that it was time to get inside because they were going to submerge once again, on their way to Venice.
A/N: There. Chapter 8, served hot off the platter. Or something like that. I'm already started on chapter 9, so expect it to be up in a few day's time.