Chapter two- The Bad Part of Town
Nicole and Roberto strode side-by-side, walking quickly. Both of their outfits consisted of no color other than black. Roberto had on a long flowing cape, trailing behind him in the dull wind. Nicole's jacket hung heavily, as she had it filled with weapons. The contrast between her pale complexion with dark hair and black out-fit was frightening. The inhabitants of the city shied away from the two darkly clad figures.
Their respective expressions didn't help either, Nicole had a look of utter disgust, self-disgust and disgust for what she was seeing. It was her country, and she had neglected it, due to that fact, it had been left to the reign of corrupt Lord Kain. "He is killing my people Roberto." Her anger was beginning to slowly surface.
Roberto's frown was replaced with a small smile, "I think that you could be correct." His voice was carefully neutral. He looked at her, gauging her reaction, "You didn't care only hours ago." They had to skirt a large pile of trash; Nicole could smell decaying flesh in the pile.
Her nostrils flared in disgust, "How did I let it get this far?" She was leaving the stage of disgust and plowing head on into anger. Nicole's jaw muscle began to twitch, her breathing becoming labored; she was trying to control her anger...and failing. "You very well know that hours ago I thought a lot of things incorrectly." She glared at him. "The support of the people is more important than the support of almost anything else. How does he manage to hold onto this land? Kain surely hasn't the support of the people." She looked at the homeless undecided on whether or not to beg at Roberto and her.
It was Nicole's fault, she hadn't taken her responsibility, the one that said she was queen, she had shirked that duty, and her people had paid in blood. She had locked herself away, pining away for revenge, letting those that were depending on her live in utter deprivation. She hadn't wanted the responsibility that being queen entailed, it would have meant ruling, paying attention to affairs of state. The need for revenge had been to deeply ingrained in her for her to care about her country.
Roberto looked saddened, "Angry?" He hadn't taken this route accidentally. He knew that it would anger her to see her people living in squalor.
"A tad. At myself, I didn't know that-" She cut off sadly. Nicole's voice was laden with self-loathing countered with sadness. As they were walking it had begun to lightly rain. It didn't help the conditions. She ran a hand through her hair, and shook her head, her dark hair falling into her eyes. She looked up at Roberto "You brought me here." Her dark eyes were accusing. She looked at the filth she was walking through, "It was no coincidence."
Roberto didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed, "Yes, I did." He was deadly serious now. The small teenager that had been following them finally spoke up.
"Aren't you the Princess miss?" She was staring with wide, blue eyes at Roberto, yet addressing Nicole. Nicole flinched at the title. Nicole had to look down, as she was much taller than their short tagalong.
The cryptic answer came, "I was, I am not anymore." The teenager frowned, not able to understand. The girl flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder, in an attempt to understand, she looked toward Nicole for more information. Nicole looked distastefully down at her. Roberto hid a smile; Nicole hated people younger than herself.
He got down on a knee, presumably, in Nicole's view, to ruin his black pants and his silver lined cape, which was now settled firmly in the mud. "She isn't the princess anymore, she is the Queen." Roberto looked up toward Nicole for confirmation. Nicole distastefully nodded.
"Come off it Roberto, if I want to find Christopher we have to leave before the newest apocalypse." She was being sarcastic again, "Now. You know that your pants are dirty right?"
He looked up humorously, "Who put you in charge?" He ignored the comment on the state of his pants.
"Desrami." She said with a smirk, "She told me I was to beat you if you talked back."
"You can try." His voice wasn't playful anymore. He stood, attempting to intimidate her with his greater height.
"Like a male dog, did I threaten your territory?" She rolled her eyes and began to walk away. Roberto smiled one last time at the child, her blues eyes stared back hauntingly. All he could see of her face was her beautiful baby blues eyes as the rest of her face was covered with a ragged cloth. Roberto's gaze was captured; he found that he couldn't look away. Then the blonde headed teenager seemingly disappeared. He quickly looked around but couldn't spot her. He shook his head attempting to clear the fog that had descended on his mind. He was now on guard, not many people could cause that reaction in his mind.
He stood still momentarily, realizing for the first time that his pants were now a lost cause. He shook his head ruefully; Desrami was going to kill him. He spotted Nicole striding purposely toward the edge of the town. He began to push through the crowd to catch up. He kept getting sidetracked attempting to find a blonde head in the sea of brown and black. People of Xanaduan blood tended to have dark hair, as well as dark eyes. This should have set the girl miles from the people in the crowd but, try as he might, Roberto couldn't find her.
Nicole and Roberto strode side-by-side, walking quickly. Both of their outfits consisted of no color other than black. Roberto had on a long flowing cape, trailing behind him in the dull wind. Nicole's jacket hung heavily, as she had it filled with weapons. The contrast between her pale complexion with dark hair and black out-fit was frightening. The inhabitants of the city shied away from the two darkly clad figures.
Their respective expressions didn't help either, Nicole had a look of utter disgust, self-disgust and disgust for what she was seeing. It was her country, and she had neglected it, due to that fact, it had been left to the reign of corrupt Lord Kain. "He is killing my people Roberto." Her anger was beginning to slowly surface.
Roberto's frown was replaced with a small smile, "I think that you could be correct." His voice was carefully neutral. He looked at her, gauging her reaction, "You didn't care only hours ago." They had to skirt a large pile of trash; Nicole could smell decaying flesh in the pile.
Her nostrils flared in disgust, "How did I let it get this far?" She was leaving the stage of disgust and plowing head on into anger. Nicole's jaw muscle began to twitch, her breathing becoming labored; she was trying to control her anger...and failing. "You very well know that hours ago I thought a lot of things incorrectly." She glared at him. "The support of the people is more important than the support of almost anything else. How does he manage to hold onto this land? Kain surely hasn't the support of the people." She looked at the homeless undecided on whether or not to beg at Roberto and her.
It was Nicole's fault, she hadn't taken her responsibility, the one that said she was queen, she had shirked that duty, and her people had paid in blood. She had locked herself away, pining away for revenge, letting those that were depending on her live in utter deprivation. She hadn't wanted the responsibility that being queen entailed, it would have meant ruling, paying attention to affairs of state. The need for revenge had been to deeply ingrained in her for her to care about her country.
Roberto looked saddened, "Angry?" He hadn't taken this route accidentally. He knew that it would anger her to see her people living in squalor.
"A tad. At myself, I didn't know that-" She cut off sadly. Nicole's voice was laden with self-loathing countered with sadness. As they were walking it had begun to lightly rain. It didn't help the conditions. She ran a hand through her hair, and shook her head, her dark hair falling into her eyes. She looked up at Roberto "You brought me here." Her dark eyes were accusing. She looked at the filth she was walking through, "It was no coincidence."
Roberto didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed, "Yes, I did." He was deadly serious now. The small teenager that had been following them finally spoke up.
"Aren't you the Princess miss?" She was staring with wide, blue eyes at Roberto, yet addressing Nicole. Nicole flinched at the title. Nicole had to look down, as she was much taller than their short tagalong.
The cryptic answer came, "I was, I am not anymore." The teenager frowned, not able to understand. The girl flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder, in an attempt to understand, she looked toward Nicole for more information. Nicole looked distastefully down at her. Roberto hid a smile; Nicole hated people younger than herself.
He got down on a knee, presumably, in Nicole's view, to ruin his black pants and his silver lined cape, which was now settled firmly in the mud. "She isn't the princess anymore, she is the Queen." Roberto looked up toward Nicole for confirmation. Nicole distastefully nodded.
"Come off it Roberto, if I want to find Christopher we have to leave before the newest apocalypse." She was being sarcastic again, "Now. You know that your pants are dirty right?"
He looked up humorously, "Who put you in charge?" He ignored the comment on the state of his pants.
"Desrami." She said with a smirk, "She told me I was to beat you if you talked back."
"You can try." His voice wasn't playful anymore. He stood, attempting to intimidate her with his greater height.
"Like a male dog, did I threaten your territory?" She rolled her eyes and began to walk away. Roberto smiled one last time at the child, her blues eyes stared back hauntingly. All he could see of her face was her beautiful baby blues eyes as the rest of her face was covered with a ragged cloth. Roberto's gaze was captured; he found that he couldn't look away. Then the blonde headed teenager seemingly disappeared. He quickly looked around but couldn't spot her. He shook his head attempting to clear the fog that had descended on his mind. He was now on guard, not many people could cause that reaction in his mind.
He stood still momentarily, realizing for the first time that his pants were now a lost cause. He shook his head ruefully; Desrami was going to kill him. He spotted Nicole striding purposely toward the edge of the town. He began to push through the crowd to catch up. He kept getting sidetracked attempting to find a blonde head in the sea of brown and black. People of Xanaduan blood tended to have dark hair, as well as dark eyes. This should have set the girl miles from the people in the crowd but, try as he might, Roberto couldn't find her.