Hornet tried to eat with dignity but she was starving. Watching Scipio shovel down his food made her want to follow his appetizing example. But she had questions to ask. She ate and ate and still Scipio continued his feast. Finally, she put down her spoon, as she had just been eating a type of chicken soup.
Scipio looked up.
"Eat," he managed to say through the food already occupying his mouth and gestured toward her soup.
When Hornet did not move, Scipio looked up again frowning.
"We need to talk," said Hornet.
Scipio nodded and continued eating. Hornet sat patiently and after he showed no signs of slowing down, she got up.
"Um…bye," she waved, halfheartedly. He doesn't get a hint does he? Oh, all he does is keep eating, that pig!
She walked to the door, pulled it open, and crossed the threshold. Once the door was closed did she commence to storming away.
Hornet was an orphan. Her only belongings were a small red satchel, a unique necklace given to her by Mrs. Bumble, the clothes she wore, and about four journals. She was getting to the end of the fourth journal and hoped to buy a new one with the little savings she had left. Her satchel, as of now, held a small wad of money, three books, and a glass orb.
The glass orb was about the size of two large hands cupped together. Hornet had bought it this morning (come to think of it) from a gypsy woman who had told her that it brought the holder good luck.
Mrs. Bumble was a kindly old woman who had taken care of Hornet since birth. She gave Hornet a place to stay and food like any other mother. She was not, however, Hornet's mother. She supposedly knew her mother well and had given Hornet her mother's treasure, a necklace.
The necklace was a thin, silver chain that glittered with a small animal. Hornet didn't know what it was. The figure was slightly rusted from being worn for so long. It had wings for certain and was probably some kind of bird. What confused Hornet was that the bird had four legs. The front two were a normal pair of bird claws but the hind legs were more beastlike. Also the tail of the animal was definitely not a bird's feathered tail.
"Wait!"
Hornet whipped around satchel in her hands and she swung. Not another half-whatever it is.
The satchel collided. The person fell to the ground. It was Scipio.
"Oh my…!"
Hornet dropped to the ground and shook his shoulder. He didn't stir. Whatsoever. Oh, great.
She tried everything. She shook him more. She pinched him. She slapped him gently on the cheek. He might have been dead for all the response he gave her. She stood exasperated.
This was going to be a long journey back to the house.
The doorbell rang. It reverberated inside the house and Hornet sighed when Mrs. Bumble finally opened the door.
"Hornet! Oh my, who is this?"
"Um…A friend…You might say," grunted Hornet as she pulled the limp figure inside.
"How did you ever drag him all the way here? Why is he-? Dead?" finished Mrs. Bumble in a whisper.
"No…out cold. Uh, mind if he stays for the night?"
"I guess I don't have a choice do I?"
"Guess not."
Hornet managed to bring him to her room on the second floor. Now that she thought of it, it must have been a miracle.
She stared at his handsome face, thinking. Where were his parents? His partner who was supposed to be with him?
He moaned slightly and Hornet jumped away, on her guard. He lapsed into silence.
That's weird. Where is his partner?
His partner, as Hornet put it, was now limping along the deserted alleyways, cursing his luck.
The motionless body of the little boy called Conner was draped over his shoulders like a shawl. He had put up a good fight and now Henry was lost and had hurt his leg.
He cursed again and took an abrupt left turn. Where in the world was he?
Like many Phoenixians, he came from a poor family and was brought up very strictly. Phoenixians were a band of people who would take the half-inferiai in an attempt to find an antidote for the terrible elixir that took so many souls from people…So many souls from people who were destined to become inferiai.
Henry sweated profusely and rested his tired body against the wall. His leg hurt like hell. Where was Scipio? Probably eat his face out while Henry spent the night wandering the maze of alleyways.
Scipio, unlike Henry, knew the alleyways like people knew one plus one was two. He was raised by the alleyways and as a child, loved to play in them. Henry was a more quiet type. Not loud and outgoing as Scipio. Scipio loved to startle people with that mask of his.
Henry laughed to himself, hefted the little boy over his shoulders, and continued. It was now about eleven thirty. He sighed and stopped. He just couldn't go on. Then, an alarm in his head sounded.
A small sound repeated to his right. Footsteps. Henry eased himself up warily and pressed himself to the wall in a futile effort to conceal himself in the shadows.
A warning bell sounded in his head and he swerved to the side. An instant later a fist landed hard on the wall where his face had been.
"Too bad," he commented and took his attacker's hand. He flipped him over. The man screamed out.
Only then did Henry realize he was surrounded, by half-inferiai. He counted under his breath. Ten. Ten of them against one of him (not counting the dazed man on the ground and the child on his shoulders).
"Oh, crap" he swore and braced himself.
"Innocent prey walking around in the dark? It seems we have another to add to our ranks," hissed the man in the middle. "Come with us silently and you won't get hurt."
"I accept your challenge," grinned Henry. "Bring it on!"