Chapter 17 – China Sorrows

Heeeeyyy!

How you guys doooin'?

No, I'm not on drugs- that's very rude. O_o

Writer's Block has struck, once again! Will our heroes be able to save the author this time? Find out next episo-...

Yeah guys I'm sorry :c its certainly been longer than a week since we last updated. And I've certainly got no excuse. I myself -hate- it when people don't upload on time, but that doesn't seem to apply to me in my head, apparently! But its okay, I've went to a psychiatrist and he's given me tablets..!

... :D

Not really, that's ridiculous. But here's the next chapter. We love you guys and-

Thank you for being patient with us!

ooOoo

Valkyrie was drenched to the bone, and freezing half to death as she stood at the pier.

"How long does that skeleton take?" She hissed through clenched teeth.

As if on cue, a black Bentley roared up the hill and parked near her. The passenger door open and Valkyrie jumped in.

"About bloody time." She said.

"Language." the elegant skeleton in the well-tailored suit said.

Valkyrie rolled her eyes and grabbed a chunk of her hair. She squeezed it and watched the water drip from it.

"Hey, watch it- priceless car." Skulduggery said, annoyance clear in his voice as he reached in to the back and pulled out a towel.

Taking the towel from him, Val shrugged and began to dry her hair.

They drove for at least half an hour through town and down streets that were new to Valkyrie- they also didn't look very welcoming in the slightest.

"Uhm.. Skulduggery?"

"Yes, Valkyrie?"

"Where exactly are we going, again?"

Skulduggery turned his head towards her slightly, "We're going to go and meet one China Sorrows."

Valkyrie nodded slowly. "And.. She is?"

"She's a librarian. But not exactly a trustworthy one."

Skulduggery parked the Bentley outside a tall, ugly looking building. Valkyrie got out of the car and sighed, "And why are we going to her if she is not to be trusted?"

"Because we need information that only she has."

Valkyrie stared at him incredulously.

As he locked up the Bentley, he tilted his head to one side, staring back.

"What?" He inquired.

"Sometimes, your logic fails me."

He merely shrugged and made his way to the one door of the building.

The inside of the building was just as ugly as the outside- grey, dreary, and damp. There were stone steps going down another level, and the one they were at opened up in to a large, indoors car-park.

"Isn't this place just a ray of sunshine?" Valkyrie muttered under her breath as they took to the stairs going up.

"There are two things that I must warn you about her- the first impression she has on people is always.. overwhelming. I suggest you remind yourself that whatever you are feeling is false. Also, as I've already mentioned, she is untrustworthy. Do not let her bribe you in to doing anything. And the reason we are going to her the now is because she is neutral- she's neither on the good side nor the bad side."

As he finished, Valkyrie frowned, holding up three fingers. "That was three things."

He tilted his head again. "So it was. My mistake."

"Oh wow," Valkyrie mock-gasped. "It seems you're already making mistakes on this case."

"I never make mistakes, Valkyrie. I am for ever immaculate."

She rolled her eyes and remained silent as they climbed the stairs.

A few minutes passed, and Valkyrie's legs were beginning to tire. She stopped for a moment, bent over slightly. "God, I envy your lack of muscles right now."

"If I didn't understand what you meant, I'd be insulted." Skulduggery replied, looking over his shoulder at her.

"How many more steps to go?" She asked, a pained expression on her face.

Skul looked at the steps and paused, as if calculating in some odd way. "Not long. Would you like a hand?" He held out a bony hand to her and gestured for her to take it.

Letting out a sigh, Valkyrie grabbed his hand and let him haul her up a few steps. "Alright then- but don't tell Fletcher I can't climb these stairs without collapsing."

If he had lips, Skulduggery would have smirked. "I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing- he would tease you about being weak for.. Weeks on end." That velvety voice, added with a hint of mockery was enough to make her scowl.

"You'd just love tha- hey! Watch it." She said as he almost made her trip up a few stairs.

He sighed audibly, and wrapped a thin arm around her wait, and placed her arm over his shoulders. Seeing as he was considerably taller than her, when he stood up straight, he lifted her off her feet slightly. Valkyrie blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to protest, when he scooped her legs up with his other arm and sighed again.

"Its quicker this way." Was all he said.

And to be honest, it was. Before she knew it, he was putting her down again and brushing off his new suit outside a blue mahogany door.

She kept her expression blank as he shrugged at her, before knocking on the door.

They were greeted by a tall, pale man in a black suit. He nodded once to Skulduggery and stood aside to let him in.

Valkyrie followed close behind him, staring at the high book shelves that they passed. They eventually came to a small sitting area, where a make-shift office with no windows sat.

The door to that office opened smoothly and Valkyrie's jaw almost dropped as she saw the most elegant woman walk out.

She had golden, long locks of hair that sat over her shoulders perfectly. She was dressed in a knee-length, dark purple skirt accompanied by a light blue blouse. Her heels were impossibly high and a matching colour to the blouse.

The woman smiled angelically at Skulduggery as she saw them enter, and when her gaze shifted to Valkyrie, her smile widened.

A sudden flow of love for the woman entered Valkyrie and her knees went weak- threatening to give way at any point.

Skulduggery glanced at Valkyrie, and then sent a stone cold stare towards the woman.

"China. Stop it."

The woman tilted her head to a side, almost mimicking Skulduggery. "Stop what, my dear?"

"Stop it."

At the second time, China's smile faltered and tore her gaze away from Valkyrie.

Val felt a slight release from the flow, but not completely.

"Remember, Valkyrie. What you are feeling is false." Skulduggery told her, a hand on her arm to keep her from falling.

All she could do was not, and stare at China as she went to sit down.

"Care for a cup of tea?" She asked. Skulduggery pulled Valkyrie gently over to a seat and sat down next to her.

"Now.." China said, sipping from her cup. "What is it you came to visit me for?"

"I have a feeling you already know." He said, leaning back in his chair, glancing at Valkyrie from time to time.

"You want to know about the mysterious man named Batu."

How on earth did she know that? Valkyrie thought. She glanced at Skulduggery, but he merely shrugged.

"There is no story or piece of information that does not reach my ears, my dear girl." China smiled at her again, and Valkyrie shuddered ever so slightly.

"China, this is the last time I'm going to tell you: stop it." Skulduggery said, his tone a little defensive. His hold on Valkyrie's arm remained, and tightened a little.

China raised her elegant shoulders, a smirk playing at her perfect lips. "I do nothing, Skulduggery."

"Valkyrie," he said, ignoring China. "The feeling will soon go away."

"Ah," China smiled. "But it never really does go away, does it, Skulduggery?"

Skulduggery was silent for a moment, before he shrugged.

"So, do you have the information we need?" He asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." China's expression went serious as she placed her cup on a saucer. "Batu is the notorious leader of the group named the Diablerie."

Skulduggery nodded slightly. "I suspected as much."

"As to why he would be killing all of these teleporters, I only have one suggestion- the ones that have evidently been killed did not co-operate with whatever they're planning."

"What they're planning doesn't happen to have anything to do with the Faceless Ones, does it?" Valkyrie managed to say. She still felt tingly but at least she could talk.

"It could, or it couldn't. But it most likely is." China said with a gentle shrug. "The Diablerie are worshippers of the Faceless Ones, so it wouldn't come to me as a shock if they were after a way of bringing them back."

"And I assume they already know -how- to, thanks to Batu." Valkyrie said, leaning forwards in her seat. She turned her head to Skulduggery and sighed, "I suppose the only way we would have been able to find out how to bring them back is if we asked the dead man, right?"

"Right." Skulduggery said slowly.

"But he's dead."

"Yes I know."

"And I mean dead-dead. He isn't coming back."

"Valkyrie, I'm pretty clear on that."

China laughed mirthfully. "Oh dear. You two are fun to watch. But I happen to have what you're looking for."

She stood up and motioned for them to follow her as she placed a hand on the office door. A circle of sigils began to glow and the door swung open for them. Valkyrie and Skulduggery got to their feet and followed her in, "Skulduggery? What is she? An Elemental?"

He shook his head slightly as China gestured to the seats before disappearing through another door. "She, as you can quite clearly see, works with sigils. Its a difficult type of magic."

"Oh," Val said, leaning back in to a plush, periwinkle chair. China entered the office room moments later and sat across from them, holding a large, wooden-like book.

She set it on the glass table in front of her chair and began to flick through the pages. The letters on the pages were of a different language, but that didn't seem to phase China as her eyes scanned over each page.

"Ah," she said, stopping half way through the book. "Here we are-" she began to recite the theory of opening the gates between their world and the Faceless Ones'. It consisted of acquiring an Isthmus Anchor and a teleporter.

Valkyrie listened intently, unable to keep her eyes from China's perfect face. Skulduggery straightened his shoulders as he watched her stare at China, a non-existent eyebrow raised. He wondered how long it would be before the effect she had made would ware off on Valkyrie. It was hard for anyone under the influence of China's fake love to notice anyone in the room. But, he was a patient skeleton.

"So, all we have to do is get the anchor before they do?" Valkyrie said, glancing at him slightly.

"Yes, but it won't be that easy. For starters, we don't know what the anchor is. But on the up-side, we already have the last teleporter handy. We just need to keep him out of their reach."

An evil glint appeared in Valkyrie's eye as many ways of restraining Fletcher flew across her mind.

"Oh I know just how we can do that."

Skulduggery truly felt sorry for the poor kid.

ooOoo

:3!

Hope you guys enjoyed that, and because you've been so patient with us lately, Shan might - and big emphasise on MIGHT there - be able to put her chapter up the same day, or tomorrow. So that's two chapters for you in one week :D

Seriously though, I'll get my back in to gear and I'll work harder to get these chapters up.

Love ya'll!

Ciaoo!