Kia's expression as the wind whipped off her disguise was surprise but only for a second before it changed to a maskof annoyance.
"Kia, what are you doing?" Skulduggery asked. Kia just glanced at him before turning to try to leave again. Valkyrie, still a little out of breath whipped her shadows at herand grabbed her ankle again. Kia's glare was dangerous. Valkyrie would never have thought Kia capable of making that face.
"Wait, a second Kia. We thought that you were leaving the magic world."
"I tried, didn't I? But you probably know that it's not that easy to do. No matter what I did, I'd seen too much. Mr. Tiny came to see me and I told him the same thing I told the bow-tie guy but he wouldn't lay off, you know. I guess he was just trying to protect me or whatever but honestly it would have been better if he'd left well enough alone. Also, I saw some vampires. It was day-time so they didn't do anything to me but I wanted to kill them, you know. Anyway, I tried living normally for about a week but I had to give up after the thrid set of Cleavers came by. I told them that I didn't want their help and they left but I think Mr. Tiny kept sending them back. Either way, I finally decided to leave. You know my dad, in his will, left me over half a million dollars? I had no idea he had that kind of money. Anyway, I went to England, lived there for a while and no one bothered me, that is until someone, somehow found out that I had magic. I don't know how they found out but after that the British Sanctuary tried to send me back to Ireland. The only reason I wasn't sent back was 'cause I met this woman there, she did magic and she helped me out. She told me that once you're in the magical world, it's hard to get out again and that the best thing to do in my situation was to learn to control my magic. She's the one who told me where I could get these guards. They're unbreakable, you know. Powerful stuff. Anyway, that was about a month ago. Since then, I've been doing my own thing."
"Does your own thing involve attacking us?" Valkyrie asked, in annoyance. Her stomach still ached from the hit.
"No, you were never my target. You just happened to get in my way. Please be aware that if I had wanted to kill you, I could."
"Your target was the vampires," Skulduggery said.
"Yeah, so what?"
"Why? We had already taken them captive. They wouldn't hurt anyone any more."
Kia shook her head and let out a strong breath. It looked like she was doing her best not to punch Skulduggery again.
"Vampires. Are. Evil," she said.
"Well, thanks for the news flash but we had already subdued them."
"It doesn't matter. All vampires should just die you know? Even if you take them captive, they're not like other criminals where they might, I don't know, see a change in their ways. Since the day they were bitten, they were doomed, easy and simple as that. Putting them in a cell only wastes space. No matter what we do, vampires are evil and they deserve death. So I killed them."
"They weren't going to hurt anyone anymore."
"Yeah, well they weren't going to help anyone either. They would just sit in a cell, cursing your name. That's all there is to it." She turned on heel, after giving them one more harsh glare. Valkyrie was about to stop her but Skulduggery shook his head. Kia walked to the nearest building and jumped up to the top of it, leaving another crater on the ground behind her. A few minutes later, the Cleaver van pulled up and three Cleavers jumped out. They were about to help the vampires into the vans when they realized that they were already dead.
"They got to be too hard to deal with. Sorry for calling you all out here. May as well take them now that you're here," Skulduggery said. One of the Cleavers probably noticed the slightly strained note to Skulduggery's voice.
"Are you injured?" he asked.
"Just a little. Nothing I can't mend on my own. One of the buggers backhanded me and broke a few ribs. Anyway, thank you for your help."
The Cleavers nodded and finished loading the vampires into the van. Valkyrie saw that the knives were missing. Somehow, Kia had managed to pick them up during the fight. As the gray van pulled away from the curb, Valkyrie asked Skulduggery,
"Is she going to be alright?"
"I think so. I mean she was able to deal with us relativly easily and we are probably some of the best. She's gotten strong, though I'm getting curious as to how her magic works."
Valkyrie thought about it.
"It's kind of like a shockwave isn't it? Like she releases a blast of something from her hands."
"And feet. I think that was how she made that hole over there when she jumped. She used that shockwave thingy to slow her fall."
"She beat you up."
"You too."
Valkyrie sighed.
"I feel like she changed a lot from the last time we talked. Or is it just me?"
"No, she defenitely changed a little but if you think about it, her father died and she was randomly thrown into this world of magic. I don't think anyone can stay the same after something like that."
"Still I'm worried about her."
Skulduggery nodded.
"Let's go."
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Shockwave 11
Valkyrie stared at the vampire in front of her and wished that she could punch it through the chest like Kia had and make it go away. Instead she whipped a trail of shadows at it, with the intention of tripping it. The vampire just jumped over it like it was a jump rope and he was hit in mid air by a fireball, courtesy of Skulduggery. It hit the vampire in the left leg and he fell into a heap on the floor. "You're slow," he said to Valkyrie. The other two vampires were already lying in a pile behind him.
"No, you're fast. By common standards I took the perfect amount of time to finish him off."
"Except that you didn't finish him off. I did."
"I was getting there."
"But you were too slow."
"Was not."
"Were too."
"You're acting like a child."
"No, you are."
"Well, you started it."
Valkyrie caught sight of one of the vampires behind Skulduggery standing up. She snapped her wrist, sending a wall of air at it that caused it to slam back down into the ground and slam his head on to the pavement.
"I finished him off," she said, rather childishly and turned on heel to handcuff the vampire nearest to her. This was easier said than done because the vampire had somehow managed to tangle herself up. Her right ankle was impossibly close to the back of her neck and her left arm had somehow ended up wrapped around a nearby streetlight.
"How did you even manage this?" Valkyrie asked Skulduggery and he looked over and laughed.
"I thought it looked artistic."
Valkyrie rolled her eyes and began to untangle the vampire. Finally, Valkyrie was able to get the vampire's wrists together with no legs or heads or streetlamps in the way.
"Did you call the Cleavers?" Skulduggery asked.
"Yeah," Valkyrie said, pulling out her cell phone and dialing the Sanctuary's number.
"No you didn't."
"I am in the act of doing it now. Don't be whiny."
Skulduggery was about to say something else but Valkyrie interrupted him.
"Hello? Yes, this is Valkyrie Cain requesting a Cleaver pick-up for three vampires... Foster Street and Palace Ave."
She turned to Skulduggery.
"Ten minutes."
"Great, now we just have to sit around for ten minutes."
"Now you know what my life feels like every single time you leave me on guard duty."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I think that I'll never do it again."
"You say that now."
"You're right. My mind might change."
"It always --" Valkyrie got cut off as a spurt of blood flew out of the vampire's throat.
"What happened?" Skulduggery asked. The left side of the vampire's throat had been sliced open by a very accurately thrown knife, which was embedded into the streetlamp that the vampire had been leaning against. Valkyrie looked in the direction the knife had come from but saw nothing there. One of the vampires next to Skulduggery began coughing up blood as a second knife hit him in the chest, most likely puncturing his right lung. It came from the next rooftop over. Skulduggery clicked his fingers, and Valkyrie drew her shadows in beside her. One more knife flew from the roof top, aimed at the last unconscious but alive vampire. Skulduggery managed to deflect it with some of his air. Suddenly, a shadow leaped off the roof and landed on the ground, creating a crater that was at least four meters wide. For a person who only looked to be about 5' 3'', that did not seem right at all, but Valkyrie forgot about that as the person jumped on the wall behind her and launched herself forwards. She blew right by Valkyrie, landing lightly in front of Skulduggery instead but she ignored him and instead slammed her palms into the vampire's chest. Valkyrie's heart leapt as she heard the crack of bones. Skulduggery grabbed the person around the wrist but she sent him flying across the street with a well-placed kick to his stomach. It was only then that Valkyrie realized the person was not wearing shoes. Instead, her small feet were wrapped like a kickboxer's might be; with the heels and toes exposed. Her hands were similarly wrapped. Also, on both her shins and her forearms the girl wore metal guards like the guy from 300, except hers were black as night with an intricate gold design along the edges. Valkyrie did not know what she looked like because of the beanie that covered her hair and the navy scarf that was wrapped around the lower half of her face. It didn't matter who she was though, because she had attacked them. Valkyrie lit flames in her hands and threw them at the girl but even with only a meter and a half between them, the girl dodged with obvious ease, taking the opportuinity between attacks to come in close and punch Valkyrie in the stomach. Only her protective clothing kept her from flying back but for the first time in a long time, Valkyrie felt the sting of a punch through her clothes. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath. The girl turned to leave but Valkyrie grabbed her ankle and tried to hold her in place. Skulduggery was still making his way back across the street but from the way he was limping, Valkyrie suspected some broken ribs. Not surprising since he had been punched in the chest hard enough to get sent flying. The girl raised her other foot to stomp on Valkyrie's hand, something that would have been impossible without her superb balance, and Valkyrie took the opportuinty to try to yank her foot out from under her. It kind of worked. The girl did fall but she landed on her hands and finished in a cartwheel. After a quick glance at Valkyrie, she turned to run and was hit head on by a gust of wind from Skulduggery. He had wanted it to be a solid hit but at last second the girl had put her hands up in front of her and somehow seemed to divert a large amount of the air. Still, it was enough to blow her beanie and scarf off of her head. Skulduggery stopped his follow-up blast mid way as the girl that they had been searcing for for the last two months was revealed in front of them.
"No, you're fast. By common standards I took the perfect amount of time to finish him off."
"Except that you didn't finish him off. I did."
"I was getting there."
"But you were too slow."
"Was not."
"Were too."
"You're acting like a child."
"No, you are."
"Well, you started it."
Valkyrie caught sight of one of the vampires behind Skulduggery standing up. She snapped her wrist, sending a wall of air at it that caused it to slam back down into the ground and slam his head on to the pavement.
"I finished him off," she said, rather childishly and turned on heel to handcuff the vampire nearest to her. This was easier said than done because the vampire had somehow managed to tangle herself up. Her right ankle was impossibly close to the back of her neck and her left arm had somehow ended up wrapped around a nearby streetlight.
"How did you even manage this?" Valkyrie asked Skulduggery and he looked over and laughed.
"I thought it looked artistic."
Valkyrie rolled her eyes and began to untangle the vampire. Finally, Valkyrie was able to get the vampire's wrists together with no legs or heads or streetlamps in the way.
"Did you call the Cleavers?" Skulduggery asked.
"Yeah," Valkyrie said, pulling out her cell phone and dialing the Sanctuary's number.
"No you didn't."
"I am in the act of doing it now. Don't be whiny."
Skulduggery was about to say something else but Valkyrie interrupted him.
"Hello? Yes, this is Valkyrie Cain requesting a Cleaver pick-up for three vampires... Foster Street and Palace Ave."
She turned to Skulduggery.
"Ten minutes."
"Great, now we just have to sit around for ten minutes."
"Now you know what my life feels like every single time you leave me on guard duty."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I think that I'll never do it again."
"You say that now."
"You're right. My mind might change."
"It always --" Valkyrie got cut off as a spurt of blood flew out of the vampire's throat.
"What happened?" Skulduggery asked. The left side of the vampire's throat had been sliced open by a very accurately thrown knife, which was embedded into the streetlamp that the vampire had been leaning against. Valkyrie looked in the direction the knife had come from but saw nothing there. One of the vampires next to Skulduggery began coughing up blood as a second knife hit him in the chest, most likely puncturing his right lung. It came from the next rooftop over. Skulduggery clicked his fingers, and Valkyrie drew her shadows in beside her. One more knife flew from the roof top, aimed at the last unconscious but alive vampire. Skulduggery managed to deflect it with some of his air. Suddenly, a shadow leaped off the roof and landed on the ground, creating a crater that was at least four meters wide. For a person who only looked to be about 5' 3'', that did not seem right at all, but Valkyrie forgot about that as the person jumped on the wall behind her and launched herself forwards. She blew right by Valkyrie, landing lightly in front of Skulduggery instead but she ignored him and instead slammed her palms into the vampire's chest. Valkyrie's heart leapt as she heard the crack of bones. Skulduggery grabbed the person around the wrist but she sent him flying across the street with a well-placed kick to his stomach. It was only then that Valkyrie realized the person was not wearing shoes. Instead, her small feet were wrapped like a kickboxer's might be; with the heels and toes exposed. Her hands were similarly wrapped. Also, on both her shins and her forearms the girl wore metal guards like the guy from 300, except hers were black as night with an intricate gold design along the edges. Valkyrie did not know what she looked like because of the beanie that covered her hair and the navy scarf that was wrapped around the lower half of her face. It didn't matter who she was though, because she had attacked them. Valkyrie lit flames in her hands and threw them at the girl but even with only a meter and a half between them, the girl dodged with obvious ease, taking the opportuinity between attacks to come in close and punch Valkyrie in the stomach. Only her protective clothing kept her from flying back but for the first time in a long time, Valkyrie felt the sting of a punch through her clothes. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath. The girl turned to leave but Valkyrie grabbed her ankle and tried to hold her in place. Skulduggery was still making his way back across the street but from the way he was limping, Valkyrie suspected some broken ribs. Not surprising since he had been punched in the chest hard enough to get sent flying. The girl raised her other foot to stomp on Valkyrie's hand, something that would have been impossible without her superb balance, and Valkyrie took the opportuinty to try to yank her foot out from under her. It kind of worked. The girl did fall but she landed on her hands and finished in a cartwheel. After a quick glance at Valkyrie, she turned to run and was hit head on by a gust of wind from Skulduggery. He had wanted it to be a solid hit but at last second the girl had put her hands up in front of her and somehow seemed to divert a large amount of the air. Still, it was enough to blow her beanie and scarf off of her head. Skulduggery stopped his follow-up blast mid way as the girl that they had been searcing for for the last two months was revealed in front of them.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Shockwave 10
Kia stepped out of the shower and used one of China's towels to dry herself. They were soft and white and Kia was a little worried that she would get blood on them but that paste that Skulduggery had placed on her arm and leg seemed to be doing it's job. Though they weren't toatlly gone, at least they had closed up. Kia realized that both were on her right side and she wondered if she was favoring her left too much. It was a little strange since she was right handed so she just wrote it down as coincidence. China had been kind enough to leave out an extra set of clothes for her.
"I won't wear them anyway," she'd said with a sniff.
Kia wondered why. It was a perfectly good light blue t-shirt and a pair of white shorts. Both of which only barely fit onto Kia's small form. Maybe it was because they were too small but China wasn't that big herself. Still, Kia was grateful for the thin, leather belt that China had placed next to the shorts because otherwise she would have been too busy trying to keep them from falling to do anything else. The flip-flops by the bed were just her size and Kia wondered if China's shoe size was the same as hers. If it was, she would have to borrow some of her shoes because China had really good taste. Once she was dressed, she wrapped bandages around her arm and leg like Skulduggery had told her. Apparently, the paste was just to close the wound but she could still get an infection, or rip the scab open if she wasn't careful so she carefully wrapped herself in bandages. She checked her appearance in the mirror and noticed a small cut on her cheek.
"Tch," she said. For a girl to get a cut on her face was annoying. When she was sparring, people always wondered why she kept her guard up so high and it was because, while a guy sporting a black eye can seem tough, no girl ever wants to be in that situation. First of all, girls care a lot about their faces and second of all, people often assume things other than fights when that happens like domestic abuse so Kia would always defend her face before anything. Her sparring partners tried to use that against her and go for low jabs but against someone who is a foot shorter than you, it's a bit hard to do. Kia stared at her cut and when she was satisfied with the fact that it wouldn't scar, she left the bathroom to find Skulduggery and Valkyrie. While she had been showering, they had gone back into the library with China. Kia walked in and tried to find her way through the towering bookshelves. She finally saw them sitting around a table a little ways off but when she realized that they were talking about her, she jumped behind a bookcase a stopped moving.
"Skulduggery, are you sure that Kia will be okay?" China asked.
"No, actually. You see when she was fighting those vampires, she did it amazingly well but there was something in her eyes. You know, the same kind of thing that you see in mass murderer."
Kia was startled by those words. Had she really had that look in her eyes?
"It's something harsh, something like anger but even more pure. Afterwards, it disappeared and she was so guilty she threw up. Look, she isn't evil," Kia sighed in relief as she heard that. "But she's on her way." Her heart leapt into her throat. "That side of her is as her kinder side and really it's a battle to see who will win. Right now she's in the worst situation because she can't control either side. She'll go around hurting people when she's angry and then see the aftermath and be wracked with guilt. She's lucky that she probably hasn't been in a situtation like this before," wrong, she had been once, "But, now that she's our world she'll keep getting into situations like these. I think that I'll do my best to keep her from getting out of hand but I think that I can't control her that well."
Kia closed her eyes for a second and the image of the vampire's blood on her arm and the hole in his chest swam in front of her eyes. She opened them again.
"Well you should at least teach her about the names. If she keeps on using Kia as a name, she'll get into trouble."
"Yeah, I'll tell her."
Kia knew that Skulduggery was trying to help her. She knew that but she still wanted to run. She wanted to get away from that crazy world. She hadn't wanted this. The Fates had just decided all of a sudden that she was to be part of this and she didn't want it. Kia quietly made her way out of the library. At the door she saw the man in the bowtie.
"Hey, can you do me a favor?" she asked.
The man leaned towards her. She took that to mean, "I'm listening."
"Please don't tell them I left. I know that you want to go straight to them but I need to get out of here. Please trust me that a know what I'm doing."
The bowtie man raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, so that was an itty bitty lie. I don't completely know what I'm doing but I know what I don't want to do and that is stay here. I think I'm still uninvolved enough to stay out so please, please don't tell them. If they ask, answer, but you don't have to go now."
The bowtie man looked at her for the longest time and Kia wondered if he was just going to stand there till she left but he finally nodded.
"Thank you," Kia said and left the library.
"I won't wear them anyway," she'd said with a sniff.
Kia wondered why. It was a perfectly good light blue t-shirt and a pair of white shorts. Both of which only barely fit onto Kia's small form. Maybe it was because they were too small but China wasn't that big herself. Still, Kia was grateful for the thin, leather belt that China had placed next to the shorts because otherwise she would have been too busy trying to keep them from falling to do anything else. The flip-flops by the bed were just her size and Kia wondered if China's shoe size was the same as hers. If it was, she would have to borrow some of her shoes because China had really good taste. Once she was dressed, she wrapped bandages around her arm and leg like Skulduggery had told her. Apparently, the paste was just to close the wound but she could still get an infection, or rip the scab open if she wasn't careful so she carefully wrapped herself in bandages. She checked her appearance in the mirror and noticed a small cut on her cheek.
"Tch," she said. For a girl to get a cut on her face was annoying. When she was sparring, people always wondered why she kept her guard up so high and it was because, while a guy sporting a black eye can seem tough, no girl ever wants to be in that situation. First of all, girls care a lot about their faces and second of all, people often assume things other than fights when that happens like domestic abuse so Kia would always defend her face before anything. Her sparring partners tried to use that against her and go for low jabs but against someone who is a foot shorter than you, it's a bit hard to do. Kia stared at her cut and when she was satisfied with the fact that it wouldn't scar, she left the bathroom to find Skulduggery and Valkyrie. While she had been showering, they had gone back into the library with China. Kia walked in and tried to find her way through the towering bookshelves. She finally saw them sitting around a table a little ways off but when she realized that they were talking about her, she jumped behind a bookcase a stopped moving.
"Skulduggery, are you sure that Kia will be okay?" China asked.
"No, actually. You see when she was fighting those vampires, she did it amazingly well but there was something in her eyes. You know, the same kind of thing that you see in mass murderer."
Kia was startled by those words. Had she really had that look in her eyes?
"It's something harsh, something like anger but even more pure. Afterwards, it disappeared and she was so guilty she threw up. Look, she isn't evil," Kia sighed in relief as she heard that. "But she's on her way." Her heart leapt into her throat. "That side of her is as her kinder side and really it's a battle to see who will win. Right now she's in the worst situation because she can't control either side. She'll go around hurting people when she's angry and then see the aftermath and be wracked with guilt. She's lucky that she probably hasn't been in a situtation like this before," wrong, she had been once, "But, now that she's our world she'll keep getting into situations like these. I think that I'll do my best to keep her from getting out of hand but I think that I can't control her that well."
Kia closed her eyes for a second and the image of the vampire's blood on her arm and the hole in his chest swam in front of her eyes. She opened them again.
"Well you should at least teach her about the names. If she keeps on using Kia as a name, she'll get into trouble."
"Yeah, I'll tell her."
Kia knew that Skulduggery was trying to help her. She knew that but she still wanted to run. She wanted to get away from that crazy world. She hadn't wanted this. The Fates had just decided all of a sudden that she was to be part of this and she didn't want it. Kia quietly made her way out of the library. At the door she saw the man in the bowtie.
"Hey, can you do me a favor?" she asked.
The man leaned towards her. She took that to mean, "I'm listening."
"Please don't tell them I left. I know that you want to go straight to them but I need to get out of here. Please trust me that a know what I'm doing."
The bowtie man raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, so that was an itty bitty lie. I don't completely know what I'm doing but I know what I don't want to do and that is stay here. I think I'm still uninvolved enough to stay out so please, please don't tell them. If they ask, answer, but you don't have to go now."
The bowtie man looked at her for the longest time and Kia wondered if he was just going to stand there till she left but he finally nodded.
"Thank you," Kia said and left the library.
Shockwave 9
Skulduggery and Valkyrie took a few seconds to react as the vampires turned on Kia. It didn't matter. Kia was ready. She dodged under the swipe of the first vampire and as she ran past him, she slammed her palm into his chest. He flew back and hit the vampire behind him. They both went down. Kia was sure that the one she hit would not get up again, after all she had felt that familiar feeling of breaking bones under her palm. His ribcage was most likely shattered. The other two ran at her, Kia stepped to the left so that the one of the left was in between her and the other one. She had about two seconds before the other one would get around so she used those two seconds to her advantage. She used her small size to duck down and kick at the vampire's legs. her plan worked batter than she thought it would because he fell down on top of the other who was still fumbling behind him. Kia raised her hand and was about to slam it down in to the vampire's chest, hopefully hard enough to have the shockwave travel through the one on top but the vampire on top seemed to have realized that and slashed and her. Again, only Kia's quick reflexes saved her arm from being chopped off. As it was, she recieved two long gashes across her forearm but she didn't hesitate and took the opening that the vampire created to slam her other hand into his chest with as much power as she could. It turned out that that amount of power was capable of blasting a hole in the middle of the vampire's chest so that her hand actually travelled through and hit the vampire underneath. Kia jumped back in disgust and promptly threw up on the ground. Skulduggery and Valkyrie looked at her.
"Well, now that was surprising," Skulduggery said. The remaining vampire lay at his feet bleeding from the various bullet holes that covered his body. His leg had been severly burned and his arm was wrist twisted at an impossible angle. Kia wiped her mouth and stood up. She staggered, unsteady from her fight.
"Urgh," she said and looked around her. It was just like last time. She'd gotten mad and lost control but this time, the guilt was mixed with a strange pleasure. Revenge was sweet as far as Kia could tell.
"You okay?" Valkyrie asked.
"Yeah, I just need to shower."
"Skulduggery doesn't have a shower in his house. After all, he's a skeleton and he doesn't need a shower."
"Is there anywhere else we can go?"
"We can go to China's."
"Yeah, I'm beginning to regret not having gone there in the first place," Skulduggery said. Kia stepped towards the car.
"Hold up a second," Skulduggery said and he pulled a hankerchief out of his pocket. "You are not getting in my car all bloody like that. At least clean off the vampire blood."
Kia blushed and took the handkerchief. The blood on her left arm had gotten soaked all the way up to her elbow. She used the handkerchief as well as she could to get it off but wasn't able to get the small traces off. While she worked on her arm, Valkrie pulled some bandages out of the trunk of the car and carelessly wrapped them around her leg and, when Kia was done cleaning around her right arm.
"I'm still not very good at medical stuff but it'll last till we get to China's. Skulduggery can do some real work then."
When they got to China's Kia found that she had gotten really stiff. The more shallow slashes on her leg had begun to heal over but when she stood up to get out of the car, she had to stop a gasp of pain as the scabs ripped apart. Her right arm was still bleeding freely and Kia was starting to get a little lightheaded. On her way up the steps, she almost fell and only Skulduggery's quick arm was able to stop her from stumbling down the stairs. They were met at the top of the stairs by a man in a bowtie. He gestured for them to go straight into the center of the library which spread out in front of them. Skulduggery and Valkyrie deftly mad ethier way thorugh the maze of books till they stood in front of the mots beautiful woman in the world. China looked up and smiled at them and Kia's already weak knees almost gave way.
"Skulduggery could I please ask you not to parade blood-soaked teenagers through my library. It is not good for my business or my carpets."
"Sorry, sorry. Is it okay if she borrows your shower? I don't have one at my house."
"Really? You're leading another person astray? Yes, she can use my shower as long as she doesn't make too much of a mess. What is your name child?"
Kia didn't answer for a full second.
"Kia, m'am."
"Oh, that's a cute name. How did you choose it?"
Kia was confused but whether from bloodloss or the haze that seemed to have settled over her mind when she saw China she wasn't sure. Probably a little bit of both.
"I didn't choose it. My parents did."
"Oh, so that's your given name. Skulduggery you should really teach her about these thing."
"Teach me what?"
"I just picked her up this morning and we went straight to the Sanctuary and then we came back and when we got back we were attacked by vampires. Do you think I had time to tell her about this stuff?"
"What were you doing when you were driving? It takes time to get to Roarhaven."
Skulduggery fell silent.
"Teach me what?" Kia asked.
"The rules of this world," Skulduggery replied.
"Oh, okay. Am I allowed to shower first?"
"Yeah sure. China could you plesae show her where to go?"
"With pleasure," China said.
Kia couldn't help miss the sarcasm.
"Well, now that was surprising," Skulduggery said. The remaining vampire lay at his feet bleeding from the various bullet holes that covered his body. His leg had been severly burned and his arm was wrist twisted at an impossible angle. Kia wiped her mouth and stood up. She staggered, unsteady from her fight.
"Urgh," she said and looked around her. It was just like last time. She'd gotten mad and lost control but this time, the guilt was mixed with a strange pleasure. Revenge was sweet as far as Kia could tell.
"You okay?" Valkyrie asked.
"Yeah, I just need to shower."
"Skulduggery doesn't have a shower in his house. After all, he's a skeleton and he doesn't need a shower."
"Is there anywhere else we can go?"
"We can go to China's."
"Yeah, I'm beginning to regret not having gone there in the first place," Skulduggery said. Kia stepped towards the car.
"Hold up a second," Skulduggery said and he pulled a hankerchief out of his pocket. "You are not getting in my car all bloody like that. At least clean off the vampire blood."
Kia blushed and took the handkerchief. The blood on her left arm had gotten soaked all the way up to her elbow. She used the handkerchief as well as she could to get it off but wasn't able to get the small traces off. While she worked on her arm, Valkrie pulled some bandages out of the trunk of the car and carelessly wrapped them around her leg and, when Kia was done cleaning around her right arm.
"I'm still not very good at medical stuff but it'll last till we get to China's. Skulduggery can do some real work then."
When they got to China's Kia found that she had gotten really stiff. The more shallow slashes on her leg had begun to heal over but when she stood up to get out of the car, she had to stop a gasp of pain as the scabs ripped apart. Her right arm was still bleeding freely and Kia was starting to get a little lightheaded. On her way up the steps, she almost fell and only Skulduggery's quick arm was able to stop her from stumbling down the stairs. They were met at the top of the stairs by a man in a bowtie. He gestured for them to go straight into the center of the library which spread out in front of them. Skulduggery and Valkyrie deftly mad ethier way thorugh the maze of books till they stood in front of the mots beautiful woman in the world. China looked up and smiled at them and Kia's already weak knees almost gave way.
"Skulduggery could I please ask you not to parade blood-soaked teenagers through my library. It is not good for my business or my carpets."
"Sorry, sorry. Is it okay if she borrows your shower? I don't have one at my house."
"Really? You're leading another person astray? Yes, she can use my shower as long as she doesn't make too much of a mess. What is your name child?"
Kia didn't answer for a full second.
"Kia, m'am."
"Oh, that's a cute name. How did you choose it?"
Kia was confused but whether from bloodloss or the haze that seemed to have settled over her mind when she saw China she wasn't sure. Probably a little bit of both.
"I didn't choose it. My parents did."
"Oh, so that's your given name. Skulduggery you should really teach her about these thing."
"Teach me what?"
"I just picked her up this morning and we went straight to the Sanctuary and then we came back and when we got back we were attacked by vampires. Do you think I had time to tell her about this stuff?"
"What were you doing when you were driving? It takes time to get to Roarhaven."
Skulduggery fell silent.
"Teach me what?" Kia asked.
"The rules of this world," Skulduggery replied.
"Oh, okay. Am I allowed to shower first?"
"Yeah sure. China could you plesae show her where to go?"
"With pleasure," China said.
Kia couldn't help miss the sarcasm.
Shockwave 8
So I'm starting to notice that my story isn't really going anywhere at all. I'll try to pick the pace up again so please don't hit me.
After another long car ride, they arrived at Skulduggery's house. Somehow Kia was not surprised at its location at all. It was a small little house, not very intersting, but somehow it seemed to suit the Skeleton Detective well. The sun was already falling as they pulled up into his driveway.
"Well, it seems a bit late. Maybe we'll sleep and then start training," SKulduggery said cheerfully.
"Wait what? You used to always train me no matter how late it was. Why does she get it easy?"
"Because she's cuter than you." Valkyrie looked back at Kia and Kia blushed instantly. They were not the first people to tell her she was cute. Kia supposed it might be true but she didn't really see it. Yes, she was small, which often seemed to be the first criteria for cute. She also had bright green eyes and a button nose. Her light brown hair was stick straight and stopped growing just past her shoulders but none of this made her look cute. Or that was her opinion anyway. The rest of the world seemed to disagree.
"Even if she is cuter than me." She didn't deny it. "That is no reason for special treatment."
Just as these words left Valkyrie's mouth, Skulduggery jumped out of the car and pulled a gun from his coat. Kia watched Valkyrie do the same out of what looked like pure instinct. Kia was about to follow suit but Skulduggery yelled,
"Kia stay in the car," so she didn't move. From around the house, five men appeared but they had the same aura around them as the people in the cells had. They were dangerous.
"You killed our bretheren two nights ago, Mr. Pleasant. Now we will kill you," one of them said. Suddenly, all of them gripped at their stomachs as if they were in extreme pain.
"Valkyrie, now," Skulduggery said and Kia watched in amazement as he shot bullet after bullet in their direction but even as they grimaced in pain, the men were able to dodge. Then, just as the sun sank below the horizon and the last light disappeared, they grabbed their skin and ripped it off their bodies. Kia gagged. Underneath were the most terrifying creatures in the world. Thier skin was pale and sickly, their eyes were all black and fangs protruded from their teeth. Not small little incisors like the guys in her dream had but long, sharp fangs that could probably tear through metal. For the first time in her entire life, Kia was truly frightened. She was no longer angry at Skulduggery and Valkyrie. They had tried to protect her father hadn't they but against these monsters, just that the two of them survived was a miracle. No, now she was angry at the vampires. They were the ones who had killed her father. Her rage quickly over ran her danger sensors and she slipped out of the car.
"Kia, I told you to stay in the car," Skulduggery shouted as he threw fire ball after fire ball at the vampires. Valkyrie stood next to him shooting shadows with that ring of hers.
"I heard you," Kia said, so quietly that she wasn't sure that he heard her. She took a deep breath and jumped at the nearest vampire.
"Kia!" Valkyrie shouted but Kia ignored her. Instead she watched the vampire's movements. An important part of martial arts is being able to understand how your opponent moves. If you don't understand this, it becomes harder to defend and attack. So she faced off against that vampire. She would trust Skulduggery and Valkyrie to keep the other four away from her so that she could kill this one. She needed to get revenge after all.
"The vampires a couple nights ago, one of them killed my father," Kia only realized later how deadly her voice had sounded as she said that. The vampire in front of her stirred restlessly as Kia stared it straight in the eyes. They were fast and strong but they weren't professional fighters in any way. There was too much exsessive movement and they didn't plan ahead. Really, they were just animals. Kia shifted her weight slowly and carefully so that she was in a better position to dodge. Attacking right then would not have been the best idea. The vampire sensed the shift and dove at her. Kia simply sidestepped and turned to face the vampire again. This time, instead of jumping the vampire ran at her and swung his claws at her chest. Kia stepped back and brought her knee up to block the kick that he sent at her. She forgot that he had claws though and only noticed soon enough so that her only escape was to throw herself to the ground and roll. The vampire still managed to give her three symetical cuts along her calf. Kia tested her leg to see if she could put pressure on it and found that the cuts were still shallow. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if she had done it a second later. This vampire wasn't one of the guys at the gym. He was a real monster and Kia felt stupid for having to remind herself. She stood up again and then ducked under the swipe that he sent her way and slipped under his arm to that she stood an inch from his chest. Concentrating with all her might, Kia punched the vampire in the chest. Kia felt the energy flow through her hand and as her fist connected with the vampire's chest, a shockwave flew out and blasted it. The vampire flew backwards through the air, past Skulduggery and Valkyrie and hit the house with a sickening crunch. Kia swollowed at the guilt of having hurt yet another person but another part of her rejoiced. She would kill the demons that killed her father. She would kill all of them.
After another long car ride, they arrived at Skulduggery's house. Somehow Kia was not surprised at its location at all. It was a small little house, not very intersting, but somehow it seemed to suit the Skeleton Detective well. The sun was already falling as they pulled up into his driveway.
"Well, it seems a bit late. Maybe we'll sleep and then start training," SKulduggery said cheerfully.
"Wait what? You used to always train me no matter how late it was. Why does she get it easy?"
"Because she's cuter than you." Valkyrie looked back at Kia and Kia blushed instantly. They were not the first people to tell her she was cute. Kia supposed it might be true but she didn't really see it. Yes, she was small, which often seemed to be the first criteria for cute. She also had bright green eyes and a button nose. Her light brown hair was stick straight and stopped growing just past her shoulders but none of this made her look cute. Or that was her opinion anyway. The rest of the world seemed to disagree.
"Even if she is cuter than me." She didn't deny it. "That is no reason for special treatment."
Just as these words left Valkyrie's mouth, Skulduggery jumped out of the car and pulled a gun from his coat. Kia watched Valkyrie do the same out of what looked like pure instinct. Kia was about to follow suit but Skulduggery yelled,
"Kia stay in the car," so she didn't move. From around the house, five men appeared but they had the same aura around them as the people in the cells had. They were dangerous.
"You killed our bretheren two nights ago, Mr. Pleasant. Now we will kill you," one of them said. Suddenly, all of them gripped at their stomachs as if they were in extreme pain.
"Valkyrie, now," Skulduggery said and Kia watched in amazement as he shot bullet after bullet in their direction but even as they grimaced in pain, the men were able to dodge. Then, just as the sun sank below the horizon and the last light disappeared, they grabbed their skin and ripped it off their bodies. Kia gagged. Underneath were the most terrifying creatures in the world. Thier skin was pale and sickly, their eyes were all black and fangs protruded from their teeth. Not small little incisors like the guys in her dream had but long, sharp fangs that could probably tear through metal. For the first time in her entire life, Kia was truly frightened. She was no longer angry at Skulduggery and Valkyrie. They had tried to protect her father hadn't they but against these monsters, just that the two of them survived was a miracle. No, now she was angry at the vampires. They were the ones who had killed her father. Her rage quickly over ran her danger sensors and she slipped out of the car.
"Kia, I told you to stay in the car," Skulduggery shouted as he threw fire ball after fire ball at the vampires. Valkyrie stood next to him shooting shadows with that ring of hers.
"I heard you," Kia said, so quietly that she wasn't sure that he heard her. She took a deep breath and jumped at the nearest vampire.
"Kia!" Valkyrie shouted but Kia ignored her. Instead she watched the vampire's movements. An important part of martial arts is being able to understand how your opponent moves. If you don't understand this, it becomes harder to defend and attack. So she faced off against that vampire. She would trust Skulduggery and Valkyrie to keep the other four away from her so that she could kill this one. She needed to get revenge after all.
"The vampires a couple nights ago, one of them killed my father," Kia only realized later how deadly her voice had sounded as she said that. The vampire in front of her stirred restlessly as Kia stared it straight in the eyes. They were fast and strong but they weren't professional fighters in any way. There was too much exsessive movement and they didn't plan ahead. Really, they were just animals. Kia shifted her weight slowly and carefully so that she was in a better position to dodge. Attacking right then would not have been the best idea. The vampire sensed the shift and dove at her. Kia simply sidestepped and turned to face the vampire again. This time, instead of jumping the vampire ran at her and swung his claws at her chest. Kia stepped back and brought her knee up to block the kick that he sent at her. She forgot that he had claws though and only noticed soon enough so that her only escape was to throw herself to the ground and roll. The vampire still managed to give her three symetical cuts along her calf. Kia tested her leg to see if she could put pressure on it and found that the cuts were still shallow. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if she had done it a second later. This vampire wasn't one of the guys at the gym. He was a real monster and Kia felt stupid for having to remind herself. She stood up again and then ducked under the swipe that he sent her way and slipped under his arm to that she stood an inch from his chest. Concentrating with all her might, Kia punched the vampire in the chest. Kia felt the energy flow through her hand and as her fist connected with the vampire's chest, a shockwave flew out and blasted it. The vampire flew backwards through the air, past Skulduggery and Valkyrie and hit the house with a sickening crunch. Kia swollowed at the guilt of having hurt yet another person but another part of her rejoiced. She would kill the demons that killed her father. She would kill all of them.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Shockwave 7
Kia followed after Skulduggery and Valkyrie as they made their way to the basement of the Sanctuary.
"Here there are lots of gyms where you can practice magic and stuff. It's really fun," Skulduggery said. Valkyrie rolled her eyes and Kia wondered if they were as fun as Skulduggery tried to make them sound.
"Anyway, we won't be training there at all," he continued. "We're just down here to visit the holding cells."
Skulduggery pulled up in front of a large metal door that was glowing with a soft blue light. He placed his hand on it and it swung open. Inside Kia could see many cells each of them with a person in it. None of them looked happy.
"Why are we here?" Kia asked, nervously. The feel that was emananting from inside that dungeon was terrifying.
"I want to visit an old friend of mine," Skulduggery said and as he said it, he tilted his head to the side misceviously. Valkyrie shook her head. She was very critical of Skulduggery but not in a degrading way. It was more in an I'm-embarrassed-for-you way. It was obvious to Kia that Valkyrie really cared about him to an alomst disturbing degree. She moved like him, talked like him, and even her sense of humor was very similar and as far as Kia could tell, she was rarely not at his side. Kia wondered if Skulduggery realized the power of his hold over her. If he asked her to kill her own parents, Kia believed that she might do it.
"Come on, Kia. Come meet Tension."
Kia walked into the holding cell area even though every part of her body told her not to. Maybe it was because she grew up mostly on the streets or maybe it was because of the crazy guys at the dojo but Kia had developed a 6th sense that alerted her to dangerous people and the people in these cells were not exactly girl scouts. Skulduggery was standing in front of the third cell down. Valkyrie stood next to him with a smile on her face. Kia looked into the cell and saw the face of a small boy. She felt her stomach lurch. He couldn't have been older than five and yet he was sitting there, with manacles on his wrists and a sickening grin across his features.
"So, Tension. Are you ready to talk yet?"
Kia shuddered at the cackle that fell from his lips. His body and lips moved but Kia couldn't believe such a sound would come from such a small body.
"I thought I already told you, Detective. I have no intention of speaking at all. No matter how much you torture me."
"I haven't tortured you yet, though I guess sitting in this cell all day can be a form of torture."
"Go away Mr. Detective. I was happy till I saw you."
Skulduggery shrugged and turned to leave.
"Hey, girl," the boy said. Kia felt her heart sink as she realized he was talking to her. She didn't turn to face him.
"Has he poisoned you too? I know you can see it, the way that he poisoned the other girl. If you stick with him, he'll do the same to you. Be careful or you'll end up like her."
Kia closed her eyes for a second and then continued to walk after Skulduggery and Valkyrie. She noticed how neither of them said a word against the boy's accusations and Kia couldn't shake the unsetteling feeling that Tension was telling the truth. Still she had suddenly been plunged into a world she didn't understand and her father was dead. Kia wondered if she should have a funeral but then realized that it wouldn't make sense. There was no body, as far as she knew, and explaining that her father had been killed by vampires didn't seem to make sense either. Also, she wouldn't know who to invite. After all, she didn't know any of her father's friends or even if he had any and her mother wouldn't come.
"Okay, so now we're off to train. I think we should go to my house," Skulduggery said. "Or to China's."
"Ha, remember what happened last time we went to train at China's?" Valkyrie asked.
"Of course, I was almost sure that she would never talk to us again after we destroyed that one book."
"Yeah, well, she's probably getting used to us destroying her books. Remember when I destroyed that bookcase with the scepter? I thought she would kill me right then and there."
"Yes, it would have been awesome if she had."
Valkyrie tried to hit Skulduggery but he was already going faster.
"So, off to your house?"
"To my house," Skulduggery said.
"Here there are lots of gyms where you can practice magic and stuff. It's really fun," Skulduggery said. Valkyrie rolled her eyes and Kia wondered if they were as fun as Skulduggery tried to make them sound.
"Anyway, we won't be training there at all," he continued. "We're just down here to visit the holding cells."
Skulduggery pulled up in front of a large metal door that was glowing with a soft blue light. He placed his hand on it and it swung open. Inside Kia could see many cells each of them with a person in it. None of them looked happy.
"Why are we here?" Kia asked, nervously. The feel that was emananting from inside that dungeon was terrifying.
"I want to visit an old friend of mine," Skulduggery said and as he said it, he tilted his head to the side misceviously. Valkyrie shook her head. She was very critical of Skulduggery but not in a degrading way. It was more in an I'm-embarrassed-for-you way. It was obvious to Kia that Valkyrie really cared about him to an alomst disturbing degree. She moved like him, talked like him, and even her sense of humor was very similar and as far as Kia could tell, she was rarely not at his side. Kia wondered if Skulduggery realized the power of his hold over her. If he asked her to kill her own parents, Kia believed that she might do it.
"Come on, Kia. Come meet Tension."
Kia walked into the holding cell area even though every part of her body told her not to. Maybe it was because she grew up mostly on the streets or maybe it was because of the crazy guys at the dojo but Kia had developed a 6th sense that alerted her to dangerous people and the people in these cells were not exactly girl scouts. Skulduggery was standing in front of the third cell down. Valkyrie stood next to him with a smile on her face. Kia looked into the cell and saw the face of a small boy. She felt her stomach lurch. He couldn't have been older than five and yet he was sitting there, with manacles on his wrists and a sickening grin across his features.
"So, Tension. Are you ready to talk yet?"
Kia shuddered at the cackle that fell from his lips. His body and lips moved but Kia couldn't believe such a sound would come from such a small body.
"I thought I already told you, Detective. I have no intention of speaking at all. No matter how much you torture me."
"I haven't tortured you yet, though I guess sitting in this cell all day can be a form of torture."
"Go away Mr. Detective. I was happy till I saw you."
Skulduggery shrugged and turned to leave.
"Hey, girl," the boy said. Kia felt her heart sink as she realized he was talking to her. She didn't turn to face him.
"Has he poisoned you too? I know you can see it, the way that he poisoned the other girl. If you stick with him, he'll do the same to you. Be careful or you'll end up like her."
Kia closed her eyes for a second and then continued to walk after Skulduggery and Valkyrie. She noticed how neither of them said a word against the boy's accusations and Kia couldn't shake the unsetteling feeling that Tension was telling the truth. Still she had suddenly been plunged into a world she didn't understand and her father was dead. Kia wondered if she should have a funeral but then realized that it wouldn't make sense. There was no body, as far as she knew, and explaining that her father had been killed by vampires didn't seem to make sense either. Also, she wouldn't know who to invite. After all, she didn't know any of her father's friends or even if he had any and her mother wouldn't come.
"Okay, so now we're off to train. I think we should go to my house," Skulduggery said. "Or to China's."
"Ha, remember what happened last time we went to train at China's?" Valkyrie asked.
"Of course, I was almost sure that she would never talk to us again after we destroyed that one book."
"Yeah, well, she's probably getting used to us destroying her books. Remember when I destroyed that bookcase with the scepter? I thought she would kill me right then and there."
"Yes, it would have been awesome if she had."
Valkyrie tried to hit Skulduggery but he was already going faster.
"So, off to your house?"
"To my house," Skulduggery said.
Shockwave 6
"Owwww!" he said through his fingers.
"Sorry!" Kia said.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Valkyrie asked and Kia noticed that she was shaking. The terror of the dream had not yet passed and the guilt that she had managed to forget little by little in the past few months came back to torture her in full swing. For a second, all her emotions came crashing in on her and she fell to her knees. Waves of nausea, dizziness, and pain wracked through her body. Kia slammed her head into her fists and forced herself to breathe again. As she calmed down, she became vaguely aware of Skulduggery standing behind her and Valkyrie's hand on her head. Their voices sounded like they were on the other side of a wall.
"Is she going to be okay?" Valkyrie asked.
"Probably. She's been holding all these emotions back since the house. Now I think they're hitting her full force. Just give her some time."
Kia didn't know how long she spent on the the floor with her head between her knees, gasping for breath. Finally she was able to slowly stand, though the ground felt a bit like it was shaking.
"Are you okay?" Skulduggery asked.
Kia closed her eyes and tried, for the first time in her life, to answer that question honestly.
"I don't know what's going to happen next," she said carefully, "but I know that I have to go through with it. Right?"
Skulduggery nodded.
"I think I'm ready but I don't think I'm okay."
Skulduggery sighed and then smiled.
"To me, it sounds like you're going to be fine."
Kia tried for a smile but from Valkyrie's amused expression was sure that it came out more as a grimace.
"Off to the Sanctuary then," Skulduggery said.
They walked into a creepy-looking building. Inside there were men wearing gray suits with large scythes strapped to their backs. Kia felt an overwhelming weight pressing down on her from the direction of these men. Unconsciously, she shifted her body to a more defensive position and prepared to run.
"Don't bother," Skulduggery said. "These guys are incredible fighters. You wouldn't stand a chance."
Kia shivered but didn't change her position. Skulduggery and Valkyrie seemed pretty calm around the gray suited men and Kia wondered whether it was because they were used to them or because they felt that they were no challenge.
"I'm going to have to keep an eye out for those guys," she thought wondering what she had gotten herself into. The three of them walked through the whole building with no problem. It seemed that they were pretty well known in the Sanctuary and Kia found herself wondering again and again just how much power they had. After about ten minutes of weaving in and out of the maze of hallways that the building was made of, they found themselves in front of an office. Skulduggery and Valkyrie just walked in without even knocking as if they owned the place but the office belong to someone else. He was a small man, not much taller than Kia's 5'2'' and thin but Kia could see from his build and from the way he moved that he was a man to be reckoned with. He was confident in his moves and as a martial artist, Kia could see that in every step he took, every time he reached to grab another paper on his desk it was deliberate and with no extra motion.
"Is everyone here incredibly powerful?" she asked herself.
"Hello, Tiny," Skulduggery said. Kia thought Skulduggery was being very rude but Tiny just nodded a greeting to him. It was hard for her to tell whether it was just because he was a frighteningly calm man or that was actually his name. In the end she decided that even if he was very calm, he would have still said something to Skulduggery albiet calmly. Plus, there were people with names like Skulduggery and Valkyrie so why was Tiny a weird name?
"We have another one," Valkyrie said and she stepped aside so that Tiny could get a better look at her. He walked around the desk and offered his hand to her.
"Hello, my name is Viselius Tiny. I'm the officer here in charge of taking care of the people who are randomly developing new magics. You, of course, fit under my jurisdiction. What is going to happen now is that I'm going to place you into the custody of one of our volunteers who will proceed to take care of you. This person will train you to use your magic more proficiently and will also teach you about the magical world so that you can fit in. Did you get all of that?"
Kia nodded. Even though Mr. Tiny had said a lot, he had said it slowly and clearly. Kia wished her teachers at school talked this way because then she might actually learn something.
"Actually, Tiny, I wanted to talk to you about that. You see, I am offering myself up as her mentor, if that's okay."
Mr. Tiny looked at Skulduggery critically.
"What are your intentions for her?" he asked in such a suspicious manner that Kia began to wonder if these people would be the best people to take care of her.
"Nothing special. I'll hone her skills and teach her stuff and send her out into the world. Simple."
"You don't plan on getting her involved in any of your crazy schemes like you do with Valkyrie right?"
"I'll try my best not to, after all my intention is to protect her not to get her killed."
The look of suspicion still had not left Mr. Tiny's face.
"You must have an interesting power miss..."
"Kia Alexander," she replied automatically.
"Yes, she must," Skulduggery said.
"Wait, you mean that you haven't seen it yet?" Mr. Tiny asked.
"Nope," Skulduggery said. "Well, if all this is okay with you, I'll be taking my leave. Let's go Val, Kia."
Mr. Tiny looked like it wasn't quite okay with him but Skulduggery was out the door before he could say anything. Still, Kia was able to glimpse the expression of satisfaction that flitted across Mr. Tiny's features.
"Sorry!" Kia said.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Valkyrie asked and Kia noticed that she was shaking. The terror of the dream had not yet passed and the guilt that she had managed to forget little by little in the past few months came back to torture her in full swing. For a second, all her emotions came crashing in on her and she fell to her knees. Waves of nausea, dizziness, and pain wracked through her body. Kia slammed her head into her fists and forced herself to breathe again. As she calmed down, she became vaguely aware of Skulduggery standing behind her and Valkyrie's hand on her head. Their voices sounded like they were on the other side of a wall.
"Is she going to be okay?" Valkyrie asked.
"Probably. She's been holding all these emotions back since the house. Now I think they're hitting her full force. Just give her some time."
Kia didn't know how long she spent on the the floor with her head between her knees, gasping for breath. Finally she was able to slowly stand, though the ground felt a bit like it was shaking.
"Are you okay?" Skulduggery asked.
Kia closed her eyes and tried, for the first time in her life, to answer that question honestly.
"I don't know what's going to happen next," she said carefully, "but I know that I have to go through with it. Right?"
Skulduggery nodded.
"I think I'm ready but I don't think I'm okay."
Skulduggery sighed and then smiled.
"To me, it sounds like you're going to be fine."
Kia tried for a smile but from Valkyrie's amused expression was sure that it came out more as a grimace.
"Off to the Sanctuary then," Skulduggery said.
They walked into a creepy-looking building. Inside there were men wearing gray suits with large scythes strapped to their backs. Kia felt an overwhelming weight pressing down on her from the direction of these men. Unconsciously, she shifted her body to a more defensive position and prepared to run.
"Don't bother," Skulduggery said. "These guys are incredible fighters. You wouldn't stand a chance."
Kia shivered but didn't change her position. Skulduggery and Valkyrie seemed pretty calm around the gray suited men and Kia wondered whether it was because they were used to them or because they felt that they were no challenge.
"I'm going to have to keep an eye out for those guys," she thought wondering what she had gotten herself into. The three of them walked through the whole building with no problem. It seemed that they were pretty well known in the Sanctuary and Kia found herself wondering again and again just how much power they had. After about ten minutes of weaving in and out of the maze of hallways that the building was made of, they found themselves in front of an office. Skulduggery and Valkyrie just walked in without even knocking as if they owned the place but the office belong to someone else. He was a small man, not much taller than Kia's 5'2'' and thin but Kia could see from his build and from the way he moved that he was a man to be reckoned with. He was confident in his moves and as a martial artist, Kia could see that in every step he took, every time he reached to grab another paper on his desk it was deliberate and with no extra motion.
"Is everyone here incredibly powerful?" she asked herself.
"Hello, Tiny," Skulduggery said. Kia thought Skulduggery was being very rude but Tiny just nodded a greeting to him. It was hard for her to tell whether it was just because he was a frighteningly calm man or that was actually his name. In the end she decided that even if he was very calm, he would have still said something to Skulduggery albiet calmly. Plus, there were people with names like Skulduggery and Valkyrie so why was Tiny a weird name?
"We have another one," Valkyrie said and she stepped aside so that Tiny could get a better look at her. He walked around the desk and offered his hand to her.
"Hello, my name is Viselius Tiny. I'm the officer here in charge of taking care of the people who are randomly developing new magics. You, of course, fit under my jurisdiction. What is going to happen now is that I'm going to place you into the custody of one of our volunteers who will proceed to take care of you. This person will train you to use your magic more proficiently and will also teach you about the magical world so that you can fit in. Did you get all of that?"
Kia nodded. Even though Mr. Tiny had said a lot, he had said it slowly and clearly. Kia wished her teachers at school talked this way because then she might actually learn something.
"Actually, Tiny, I wanted to talk to you about that. You see, I am offering myself up as her mentor, if that's okay."
Mr. Tiny looked at Skulduggery critically.
"What are your intentions for her?" he asked in such a suspicious manner that Kia began to wonder if these people would be the best people to take care of her.
"Nothing special. I'll hone her skills and teach her stuff and send her out into the world. Simple."
"You don't plan on getting her involved in any of your crazy schemes like you do with Valkyrie right?"
"I'll try my best not to, after all my intention is to protect her not to get her killed."
The look of suspicion still had not left Mr. Tiny's face.
"You must have an interesting power miss..."
"Kia Alexander," she replied automatically.
"Yes, she must," Skulduggery said.
"Wait, you mean that you haven't seen it yet?" Mr. Tiny asked.
"Nope," Skulduggery said. "Well, if all this is okay with you, I'll be taking my leave. Let's go Val, Kia."
Mr. Tiny looked like it wasn't quite okay with him but Skulduggery was out the door before he could say anything. Still, Kia was able to glimpse the expression of satisfaction that flitted across Mr. Tiny's features.
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