Chapter 1 - The 15th Noah
~ Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~
Jane Howard
~The Ark~
Road Kamelot glanced around lazily at all of the Noah's present. They were all in the dining room having a quiet family dinner.
'Then again, maybe 'quiet' isn't the right word..' she thought as Jasdero tried to hit his twin with a spoonful of mashed potatoes, only to have it miss him by inches and land on Lulu's plate. This, of course, caused Lulu to growl angrily at the two and pick up her wineglass in preparation to hurl it at their heads. Normally, this would be the part where they would dive behind Skin's gigantic frame for protection; however, since he was out on some mission for the Earl, the two tried to hide behind the other. This resulted in both of them falling over.
The two glared at each other and started a mini food fight of their own.
Tryde, Fiddler, Mercym and Mightra ignored them and continued to eat in silence.
Tyki rolled his eyes at the idiotic twins and turned back to glaring at Cyril, who was currently blathering on about some unimportant matter, much to Tyki's utter annoyance.
"Cyril, maybe you should eat your food," Wisely said giving Cyril a pointed look, "You're talking Tyki's ear off."
Tyki thought a quick thank-you to the mind reading Noah as Cyril turned away from him toscowl at Wisely.
"It's called being polite, something few of you seem to know a thing about," Cyril admonished looking specifically at the twins who just shrugged and continued their food fight.
Cyril sighed. "At this rate, you are all going to wind-up corrupting my darling daughter!" he mock-moaned as he pulled Road into a vice-like hug. She muttered something that sounded like, "Need…air!"
"We may corrupt her…" Jasdero said.
"But you're gonna kill her!" Devit finished for his twin.
The two grinned evilly as Cyril let go of Road, glaring at the two. A fight was about to erupt, though this wasn't new, when…
"Ahem," the Earl said from the head of the table.
Everyone immediately froze and looked to the Earl.
"I have a special announcement," the Earl continued, being completely serious, despite the huge grin on his face, "One that will affect this entire family."
'What is he talking about?' Road wondered, feeling confused. The Earl was never serious about anything. It was just so against his nature, it through all of the Noahs off-track.
What could be so important?
The Earl continued:
"A new Noah has awakened."
The room became deathly silent, then…
"WHAT?!?!?!?!"
Everyone looked to their twins outburst.
"How can there be another one?!?!" Devit shouted.
"I'm finding it hard to believe as well, Earl," Tyki said, picking up his wineglass as he spoke.
"Yeah," Wisely agreed, "There should only be twelve of us, but because of the twins and the 14th, there are already fourteen. Now you're telling us there's a 15th?"
"It is a bit difficult to grasp…" Lulu murmured to herself.
"When'd the 15th's Noah wake-up?" Road asked, curious as to who the newcomer would be.
At this, the Earl seemed to lose his serious vibe and become his usual silly self.
"Ah, well, that's the thing…the fifteenth's Noah has been active for awhile now!" the Earl said.
"Then why are we just hearing about it now?" Tyki asked in a clearly annoyed voice.
"It's taken this long to find it!" the Earl exclaimed. "The 15th's Noah side works differently from others!"
"How so Milleni?" Road questioned.
The Earl's eyes seemed to take on a malicious glint in the candlelight, "You'll see! After all, we're all going to bring the 15th home, tonight!"
'All of us?' Road wondered, glancing at the empty seats of Skin and the 14th.
"What about Wrath and the Pianist?" Wisely questioned, not even glancing at Road.
Road glared at him. "Stay out of my head!" she snapped.
Wisely shrugged. "Couldn't help it."
"They won't be coming and we need to go now, before we lose track of the 15th!" the Earl said cheerfully as he pushed back his empty plate, grabbed Lero and stood up.
"Now?" Cyril whined, "But, I haven't finished my dinner yet!"
"Then maybe you should have talked less…" Tyki muttered as he set down his now empty wineglass and stood up.
The others followed the Earl's lead and began to file out of the room.
"Road, if you would?" the Earl asked glancing at the oldest of the Noah's.
"Yay!" Road squealed, much to her adoptive father's delight. She skipped to the front of the group and willed one of her heart-shaped doors into existence.
The door opened into a never ending darkness as Road stepped through it. The others followed after.
The door closed silently behind them and vanished, as if it had never existed at all.
Chapter 1 - End