Thicker Than Blood

Chapter 13

Truth & Consequences


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"Oh the truth? What is the truth? A lie, wrapped in a riddle and dipped in a dream?"
- Nina, Just Shoot Me


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12,002 BC

Tap, tap, thunk. Tap, tap, thunk. Twice on the table with one end of the chalk he used for writing -- he'd been banned from feather pens -- once on the open book in front of him with the other.

Tap, tap, thunk.

As Gaspar droned on and on, Janus did his best to stay awake. He'd been forced to take the long way 'round to get to his rooms the night before, and then had kept himself up until nearly dawn worrying and trying to puzzle out the insane ramblings from Dalton's diary -- submitting to sleep only when he came to the conclusion that he simply didn't have enough information for what he'd read to make any kind of sense.

Tap, tap, thunk.

He just would have to sneak in again. Not just yet, because Dalton would be on guard, but soon.

Tap, tap, thunk. Tap, tap, thunk. Tap, tap...ping. Ping? Janus opened his eyes.

Gaspar, unsurprisingly, stood beside him and had removed the book to replace it with a magnifying glass. Which explained the ping, but not the reason Gaspar had put it there. Or the reason the rest of the children in the class were grouped behind the door, each of them also clutching a magnifying glass. Janus frowned, thinking back while Gaspar stood with his arms crossed, tapping his foot.

Oh. Right. Field trip. Swiping the glass, Janus sighed and hauled himself to his feet, trailing vaguely after the other children when Gaspar led them down the hall.

He was trying. It was good that he was trying -- he had to keep reminding himself of this. Even though it was only to make things easier for Schala, even though no one seemed to care, he was trying. Janus especially made a point of going out of his way to be nice to Gaspar -- which only meant, essentially, he'd stopped disrupting class with spitballs and mudpies and the like, but it seemed to make Gaspar happy.

They were supposed to be studying bugs, which seemed even more pointlessly stupid than usual. At least Earthbound History'd had a point. There was no way you needed to know about insect anatomy for anything in Zeal.

When they got outside, Janus hung at the back of the class until they -- and Gaspar -- were a safe distance away, then spent a very entertaining hour burning ants with the magnifying glass in a bare patch of dirt hidden behind a large gray boulder. He ran out of ants after a while, and dug up a worm. It was just beginning to sizzle nicely when Gaspar caught him at it, confiscated the glass, then chased him off.

Well, at least now he'd have an excuse for wandering off. When he was sure no one was watching him, Janus disappeared into the fringe of trees, quickly -- willingly -- loosing himself as the forest thickened. A little stream gurgled through the tall grass, and he followed it, though rather aimlessly. The forest was one of the larger ones in Zeal Kingdom, and he was soon deep enough within it to escape the children's laughing and Gaspar's shouted instructions.

The whole place had a strange, darkly peaceful feeling about it. Dim light filtered through the green branches, making strange, dancing patterns of shadow and light on the forest floor. The stream Janus was following widened to a river, gradually growing deeper until the bottom was lost from view. Eventually, after what he guessed was about a half hour's slow walk, it led him to a small clearing. Perfect place to rest until he was ready to go back. Janus knelt down in the soft grass beside the river, cupping his hands and dipping them below the surface, then raising the cool liquid to his lips.

"Hello, Janus. We need to talk."

Janus choked on the water, nearly fell in the river, then whirled around. He knew that voice -- didn't he? -- but he was alone in the clearing -- Janus lifted his gaze to the trees. Black hair, blue eyes, looking somehow out of place in her loose Zealian robes she sat perched on a thick branch, half-hidden in the dark green shadows of what had to be the biggest tree Janus had ever seen. He couldn't think how he knew her -- paler, thinner than most children, the shadows shifting in eerie patterns over her skin -- then her features settled in a comfortable glare and Janus remembered.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

She returned his gaze steadily, a dangerous glitter flickering briefly in the depths of her eyes. "That's what we need to talk about."

He couldn't remember her name -- something about a plant... Janus narrowed his eyes, felt anger shiver through him. How dare she! The Earthbound had no right to be in Zeal. Was this some sort of joke? Sneak into the Kingdom whenever the whim struck them? If they thought they could get away with it -- especially this brat --

"Mother is going to kill you," Janus calmly informed her, meeting her heated glare with his own. He took note of the shudder that ran through her, the way she tried to hide it.

She continued to stare at him for a moment, then said slowly, watching closely for his reaction, "Only if you tell her." He could only just hear the words over the rush of the wind through the leaves.

Janus let a bit of his temper surface as it occurred to him this might be part of Dalton's plot -- whatever that was -- and she may have some part to play in it. He took a step toward her tree, looking for a way up. "Is there a reason I shouldn't?" Ivy, he remembered. Her name was Ivy...and she was telepathic...

Ivy sighed in frustration, clenching her teeth. "It depends."

"On...?" Janus prompted, when it became apparent she didn't intend to continue.

Her eyes narrowed. "On whether you've heard of Lavos or not." Janus' eyes snapped up to meet hers. "On his level of control over you. On how willing you are to help me destroy him."

As the silence stretched between them, Janus felt something building in the air. It wasn't pleasant. Ivy leaned back against the huge tree trunk, her expression slightly smug, and he glared at her again. "How did you get up in that tree?" Janus asked.

This was definitely not the response she expected. "There's, um," she blinked, put off. "There's another one you climb up and...the branches cross..." He glanced around. Oh. It was obvious, once you knew what to look for. Janus walked to the smaller tree and started the climb up. It was only a few short minutes before he reached the branch Ivy was perched on, and she scooted over a bit to make room for him.

"How do you know about Lavos?"

"How do you?" Ivy countered. She'd thought she'd be safe in the tree, and hadn't expected him to climb it. Janus merely stared at her with lifted eyebrows until she looked away, shifting uncomfortably. "I, um..." Ivy took a deep breath to regain her composure. "I have these dreams, sometimes...and visions." She was supposed to tell him everything, no matter how wrong it felt to expose the secrets. Her stomach twisted in knots, and she took another deep breath. Ivy began to speak again, but stopped herself. Janus wasn't listening, instead staring intently at something on the ground. Ivy swung her gaze around.

A man stood beside the river, where Janus had been only moments before. He paced around impatiently, though he'd only just gotten there. He had brown hair, down to his shoulders, and was wearing some kind of uniform that appeared to made of velvet, complete with a cape and a long, thin sword -- for ceremony, Ivy judged. It looked too flimsy to use for real.

"Who is he?" she whispered.

"Shh!" Janus hissed at her.

"Why? Who is he?"

'Shut up!' He turned a heated glare on her. 'He's the captain of Zeal's guard, Dalton.' That silenced her instantly, and Janus watched the emotions flicker quickly through her eyes -- shock, interest, then a strange mix of fear and anger. Was she involved with him after all?

'...Really...' Ivy leaned forward, narrowing her eyes.

'...Does that mean something to you?'

'In a way.' She was watching Dalton closely, as if he might disappear or explode at any second. 'He's my father.'

"Wh-" Janus stopped himself, and they both froze until they were sure Dalton hadn't heard. 'What?!'

'Damn it, be careful!' Ivy thought, her expression fierce. 'He'll kill me if he finds out I exist.'

'How the hell can he be your father?!'

Ivy leveled her gaze on him. 'He had sex with my mother.'

Janus felt a blush rising in his cheeks, and scowled at her. 'You know what I meant. Dalton is Enlightened, you can not possibly -'

'Wait,' Ivy thought, her eyes focused intently at something on the ground. 'What's that?'



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"You're late," Dalton snapped at the Nu as it stepped out of the trees. Dalton had always hated this forest, but the feeling was more pronounced today. It felt like he was being watched, and it made him more nervous than usual. "I can't keep doing this if you aren't even going to be here on time."

The Nu merely blinked its single eye at him, waiting. There was something wrong with the man today. He was sweating, chewing his fingernails, pacing around in a circle. His fear was a thick, salty smell in the air, clogging the fresh scent of the forest, of water, of magic, and...what was that? Something different. The Nu inhaled deeply. Wind and shadow. Snow and darkness. Two children, perched high in the leafy branches overhead.

"Someone was in my room last night, did -- " Dalton broke off, glaring at the purple creature in front of him. It was swaying slightly on its feet, its single eye half closed, its expression distant. "Are you listening to me?"

It blinked, squinted, then said distinctly, "Yes."

Dalton glared at it. He detested the Nus. A lot of Zealians detested Nus, but because they were such slow creatures. Stupid. Forever falling asleep on the job or causing accidents. Dalton hated them for a different reason. He had a strong suspicion that the Nus were planning something, wrapped up in some intricate scheme. And whatever they were doing, it involved Lavos. Dalton knew it in his blood.

"Someone got into my room last night," he repeated. "Someone read my Book."

That got its attention. Dalton watched as the Nu brought itself into focus. "The Book we gave you?"

"Yes," Dalton snapped. "That one. Someone locked themselves in there with it."

The Nu's eye narrowed. "How long were they in there?"

"Ten minutes. But look, it has that spell on it -- the one you put there -- no one should even seen the box, let alone been able to touch the thing, or the Book..." Dalton paused as strange expression had come over the Nu's...face. Suspicion filled him. "That's right, isn't? You told me no one could -- "

"Hush," the Nu said crossly, grumbled quietly to itself, and closed its eye. After a moment, its breathing slowed, and to all appearances, it was asleep.

Dalton knew better. He waited, tapping his foot impatiently, then began pacing again. The forest was deadly silent, and completely still. Watching. Damn you, Dalton thought fiercely. In the back of his mind, he felt the darkness laugh.

"This is what you will do," the Nu said abruptly, and Dalton jumped, scared.

"Shit," he mumbled, shivering.

The Nu waited until he had calmed himself before continuing. "You will not burn the Book -- " Dalton's eyes snapped to the creature, then he thought, Of course. They can read human thoughts as easy as breathing. I should have remembered that.

Yes, hissed the darkness. You should have.

"Leave me alone," he hissed back at it through clenched teeth. The Nu was waiting patiently for him, and Dalton glared at it. Nus were patience incarnate. Yet another reason they annoyed him.

"You will not burn the Book," it repeated calmly. "You will not destroy it. You will not renew the guardian spell, or cast another. You will not carry it with you, you will not -- "

"What the hell am I supposed to do then? Leave it there?" Dalton paused as realization struck. "You want them to find it, don't you?! It's, it's part of your damned plot, isn't it? Your -- "

"If you remember the purpose of the Book," it told him quietly, "you will also remember it is part of yours."

Dalton felt a stillness come over him, creeping through his blood to seize his heart in its cold talons. "Damn you," he hissed again, his eyes turned inward. "Damn you all..." He shivered. "Fine. You win." A white flash filled the clearing, and he was gone. The Nu lingered for a while longer, until the birds and the bugs and the other sounds of the forest returned, then he vanished as well.



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After few more minutes, Janus climbed out of the tree to stand in the grass beside the river, followed closely by Ivy.

"He's insane," she managed, shaken. "Completely fucking crazy."

Janus watched her closely. "Why are you even here?" he asked at last. Her reaction to Dalton had left no doubt in his mind she'd never had anything to do with him before, but then, why would she be in Zeal?

Ivy stared down into the river. "I told you he's my father. But my mother was Earthbound. Because my blood is mixed fifty-fifty between that, I have a fifty-fifty chance of getting the...gifts of either one."

"Magic or nothing."

She frowned. "I wouldn't say the Earthbound have nothing. You go down there and try to kill the cannibal deer, using only stone and wooden weapons. Or fight off an attack from those monsters that live on Mount Woe." Ivy looked up at him. "Even surviving down there takes more than your people have. All you can -- "

"All right," Janus snapped. "I get it."

Ivy glared at him, that dangerous glitter returning to her eyes. "No. You don't. But I think you did get my point, at least." A tension filled silence stretched between them before she continued. "I killed Bloodreaver yesterday."

Janus couldn't think of what she meant for a moment, then he lifted stunned, incredulous eyes to meet hers. "That demon thing?! The one that attacked us?" From what Janus could remember, Ivy had been even more terrified of it than he had.

Ivy nodded slowly, her eyes distant. "You know, he ate my mother. A long time ago. I saw him do it. I watched. And...I didn't swear an oath or anything like that, but I knew one day I would kill him for it. Or die trying. So yesterday I fought him, just to get it over with. And I won." She paused. "I wasn't expecting that."

"...I, uh, I don't see the point of this..."

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm getting there, you just keep interrupting. I was going to say that while I was fighting him... Hells, you saw him, you know there should be no chance of me winning against something like that. But... He stood there, and his mouth was dripping blood, and he looked exactly the way he did when he ate her, I... I just lost it. And then there was this explosion in my blood, and... I knew what it was," Ivy added after a moment. "You can't have it and not know."

"Magic," he said, failing to keep the bitterness out of his tone. "You have magic." Damn. She was even half-Earthbound and she got it, but he was the Prince of Zeal, and nothing. "So, you want to live here now, is that it?"

Ivy took a step back, watching him carefully. "Melchior says if I don't get training for it, it's dangerous."

"Fine," he snapped. "Absolutely perfect." Janus started for the path -- then stopped at the edge of the clearing, turned around. Ivy was still watching him. "I was the one in Dalton's room," he said. Slight surprise there, but she nodded. "I'm going to go back. I think he's planning something -- I know he is -- and that book they were talking about is the key."

Ivy nodded again, slowly. "...That purple thing knew we were up there," she offered quietly. "You saw the way it was sniffing? It smelled us up there."

For a long time, Janus just stared at her, weighing possibilities in his mind. "You can stay," he said at last. The relief in her eyes was visible. "For now," he added, then frowned at her. "But don't expect me to be nice to you."


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Rast: My computer crashed. I'm sorry, that's why I've been out so long. I had expected it, but not this badly. Anyway, its better now, so things should get back to normal.

Mox Jet has asked me to include a link to his site, so I guess that means it didn't show up when I put one in last chapter. I'm not sure if hyperlinking is something FanFiction.Net has blocked, but I have had trouble with this before. At the beginning of this paragraph the words 'Mox Jet' should link you there, but in case it isn't showing up there should be a link after this sentence as well.

And in case that didn't work either, here's the link you'll have to copy/paste into the thingie: ;

And if even that didn't work, here it is with a space between the words 'fantasy' and 'finale' and between 'http:' and '//www.' so delete the spaces and it should work: http: //www.fantasy finale.com/planeswalkeruniverse

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