The story so far: Duke Fleed and Hikaru married and they live on Fleed as king and queen. They have had a son, Rex, of two months old. A mysterious being, the Dark One, has sent Jezabel, a powerful woman, who enters into the Royal Palace, killing several men and kidnapping Rex in front of Hikaru, who disappeared mysteriously…
I'm back, thinks Jezabel anxiously, as she looks around: she is back in Darkhold. Teleportation has worked well.
At times, the mission was to become a failure. She managed to take the child before everything blew up.
What happened? Jezabel tries to understand. She was wounded on the cheek, then she went against Hikaru to make her in pieces. But she was still holding that object which wounded her, and she used it to defend herself: Jezebel had to avoid it, and then stop her momentum. But soon after, she grabbed her clothes and threw her against the wall.
And, from there, all hell broke loose. Something, just where she had thrown her, has exploded.
Hikaru should be burned to death, Jezabel thinks,
but the explosion was so strong that I was slammed against an invisible force field, installed before I came. Protection. I understood that the target was there. I had to act quickly before the flames flare up everywhere: I went through the force field and snatched the brat from the screaming housewives who were there. Then I teleported and I came back here. What was that explosion?While Jezebel reflects, she observes the baby: he is sleeping peacefully. The cataleptic effect - a little magic - worked immediately. Better so. She hates the screams of babies. Then, Jezabel touches the right cheek: it is still bleeding.
Damn.Suddenly, she feels the presence of someone and whirls, covering the wound with one hand.
"Who is there?" screams with fury.
A female figure, partly covered by a shell and with his face half-covered by a helmet with visor, comes from the dark, hesitating, his blond hair slightly moved.
"I…I’m Jocasta of the Amazons, commander. Are you all right?"
What a pain, that girl!"Stop with the stupid questions. I’m not in the mood" answers Jezabel, taking care to not show that part of her face disfigured. "What are you doing here?"
"It’s for the control of the army, commander. The Amazons are already deployed. We are awaiting only you"
It is not possible. It was today? I had forgotten."It’s undone."
"What?"
"Are you deaf? I said it's canceled. We'll do it again. Go away. Ah, no, wait: take this kid and bring him in the sacrifices area. At once, clear?"
"Yes, Captain" replies the other, taking the baby and leaving in a hurry: knowing the character of her master, she understands that, at the moment, it is very wise to stay away from her. But she cannot help but wonder what happened to her face.
Striding and continuing to keep the wound covered, Jezabel comes to her apartments. She gets rid of the maids with sharp orders and closes the door inside. Only then she relaxes, leaning her back against the door and sighs. She takes off the armor with a nervous calm and she dips in the warm water of the swimming pool, washing herself carefully. Then, she realizes that cannot postpone. She must look in the mirror.
She does not have the courage, but she must do this. Slowly, she puts in front of the mirror. The light illuminates merciless the scar: the whole right cheek was scratched with a vertical cut.
Jezabel looks stunned that horror for long moments. Then, she feels shaken and puts a hand on the mirror. She was injured. Jezabel, the right arm of the Dark One, the one who controls the Six Generals, was injured by a stupid, weak, ordinary woman. What nonsense. Gradually, the cut heals and the cheek will return as before, at least she hopes: her ability to heal quickly has always been effective. But that's not the point.
Who cares if I’m able to heal the wounds? For many days the scar will remain. Many will see it. Even that damn Garuda. She had to hit me in the face, that dirty woman... But what was made that damned object in her hands? Not even a blade of steel is capable of so much!The hand resting on the mirror bends like claws, with sharp fingers starting to penetrate the glass, forming large cracks. She looks down and gritting her teeth, cursing again Hikaru, regretting the fact of not having been able to kill her with her hands. Hands that have killed for all the life. She comes to mind when she used it to survive.
She does not know on what planet she was born, or on what city. She never knew her real name, nor whether she really had one. She does not even know if she ever had parents or if she was the result of an artificial chromosomic union. She only knows that, when she was a child, she had to be a beast to survive. She stealed wherever possible. She fought dogs or other wild animals to get a piece of meat on a bone. Rather than live, she existed. A continuous run, a constant struggle. She killed, if possible, to have a minimum of survival for the future. But in such a hell is not possible to live long. She remembers well, about that moment: she was reduced to a pile of rags in the street, dying and crying, which no longer had the strength to continue. And then she would have died, if he had not passed.
He was not yet called Dark One, he was not a living shadow: he had a human face, even though his eyes had something cold that the little girl, also in that state, could notice. He could pass away, as did everyone before him. But he stopped and looked at her. He had brought her to his house. Since then, she was taken: she was bathing, dressing, eating like never before. He also gave her a name, which now she carries with pride. Her gratitude to the stranger had no limits. One day, when he told her that he wanted a good bodyguard, she took the assignment very seriously. Shortly, she had climbed all the steps of the arts of battle: her fury in combat impressed even the most experienced warriors. Through bionics and mysticism, the Dark One used her it to test new ways and new openings of power ever reached by mankind. Even if she had not become invulnerable, she was very close. Even if she did not become immortal, she was very close. But not only this: she was able to establish her personal army of Amazons, becoming a source of terror for its extermination ability. The power struggle also was fierce: at the end, she managed to become the commander in chief of the Six General of Darkness. Everything for him.
Jezabel still is looking her face. Her eyes moisten. For a moment - but only for a moment - she understands that, despite all her power, everything she has, everything she has done, she, in her soul, is still like that child full of rags crying in the street. The hand holds stronger the glass and it breaks into a thousand pieces.
Jocasta exits quickly from the area of the sacrifices. She hates that place, and she would have gladly preferred not to go there, but she has to obey to the orders. Now, the baby is there, and she feels a little pity for him. At least, no one will hurt him and he will be in suspended animation until the day of sacrifice. The offer, in fact, must be pure, says the Black Priests, with their absurd white clothes. Definitely not very coherent. Jocasta despises them all, especially Sukeli, their leader.
I'm really glad I did not see him. Less I see him and better I will be.The gods they worship are abominations, real devils. Jocasta does not wants anything to do with that world: she is a warrior, and prefers fight looking the enemy in face. These things disgust her.
She goes to the great hall and calls her attendant:
"Caledonia!"
"Yes, captain?"
"The control of the troops has been postponed. Melt the ranks"
"How? But the commander Jezabel told..."
"I know. Now she has changed her mind. In fact, I think it's better that we leave this planet for a while: I think that the commander wants to be alone. Call with us ten trusted amazons: we will look at training centers and combat zones. In short, we will make a tour"
Caledonia is not surprised. The mood swings are typical of Jezabel, and it's always good not to contradict her.
"All right, Captain: I'm going."
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Next (21 July): Funerals: the pain of Duke Fleed. And also something mysterious…You can comment here:
https://gonagai.forumfree.it/?t=38631928&st=1140You can read this in word format clicking on the allegate.
Edited by joe 7 - 20/7/2011, 14:11
