Unmarked

Chapter 55

"Oh, Lavina, leaving already?"

"Huh, yeah- Akxfo wants me to meet him, uh- in, Snhnx (Sin-hix) Tnffkr (Tin-fi-ker)"

Cheshire laughed. "Do you know what you just said? What it's translated to?"

"Uh, no, not particularly."

"It means Macaw Valley." She walked over to the sink. "You, mam' need to brush up on your Catonin." Lavina rolled her eyes.

"I'm still learning it."

"Oh, well, then he can't be much of a teacher, can he?"

"He's alright, I mean, he's different."

"Is he?"

"I- I don;t have time for this. I need to get going."

Cheshire sighed, "Let me take you to him, let me grab my jacket."

"You're cold?"

"Always am." Cheshire came back into the kitchen, putting her jacket on.

"I thought you haven't been down there in years."

"I haven't, but I have been down there before. And I'd rather see to it that you make it safe." Lavina rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. Follow me." They walked for a little while and then came up to a building overtaken in moss and vines.

"What are we doing here?"

"This is our portal." She smirked at Lavina. She pulled something out of her pocket and stuck it into the wall. And with a turn it opened a portal similar to the one in the wall.

"Oh, it's green."

"It is." Cheshire waved her on. Lavina followed her through and stepped onto the scene. It looked almost completely different.

"Woah."

Cheshire laughed. "Yeah, everywhere's different."

"You can sure say that again." This part of the Underground wasn't as rocky, it looked more like dried clay. There were no crystal's to light the way.

"So they decided to use lanterns as lights? They look like gas, is that safe and who lights them?"

"Yes, they are lanterns and it's a special solution that the, uh, mayor as you could say lights and replenishes."

"I see."

"And you said, Snhnx Tnffkr right?"

"Yeah that's right."

"Alright that's this way." She pointed. They walked for a few minutes. "Here we are! Now did he tell you where-"
"Ah, Lavina! Right on time, as usual." They both turned around. "Who is this you have with you?"

"Huh? Oh this is Cheshire."

"And I take it that you are Akxfo?" She extended her hand to him.

"Nice handshake." He complimented her. "So you are the woman who stole Jasvinder away, hm?"

"Hey, for your information I was just being nice. I only thought it was that once, a weird coincidence that I saw him. But we ended up being in the same place on more than one occasion and we just so happened to fall in love and get married. Besides, Amilia was dead at the time, so he wasn't cheating, not that I would have let him if she were alive at the time."

"Mhm. Well, I appreciate you guiding my apprentice, I see you didn't come down here yesterday when I gave you the day to settle in."

"I was tired."

"Oh, excuses. Come now, we must begin before it gets too late. If you'll excuse us- uh, Mrs. Huff." Akxfo laughed. "I haven't used that name in at least fourteen years." He started to walk off. Lavina shrugged at her and then ran to catch up with him.

"So where are we going today?"

"To find Silas of course."

"Oh really?"

"Mhm, we are going to take the train over to the Buried city of Repent. Shouldn't take that long to get there." And he was right too, it took minutes. "Be careful now and stay near me."

"Really why?" As soon as they got out of the train and stepped into the city she no longer wondered. The city was the shadiest place she had even been. It was dark with run down torn up buildings. There were stalactites everywhere, each dripping with water, the ground cracked and wet, puddles at every turn. They walked with their hands in their pockets.

"Tell me again what Annalise told you."

"You'll find Silas where the roads end and where the neon is vibrant. Ah, so she's in the atomic sector, got it." They made their way down there and the fluorescent lights were enough to blind you.

"Oh, it's so bright." Lavina said, holding her hand to her face.

"Put your arm down, people down here don't do that." He slapped her hand down.

"Gee's ok, I'll go blind." They kept walking. "There." Lavina pointed. "That road just ends, don't you see."

"Ok hold onto me and stay close." They walked down the alley, people at every turn like there had been. Then they became surrounded and Akxfo grabbed onto her.

"Oh, hell no. Akxfo what the hell do you want?" Silas stepped out into his line of sight. She waved her hand and the people dispersed.

"I need to find someone."

"And who is this someone?"

"Samantha Anata."

"Samantha Anata?" Silas laughed. "She's quite a shifty one, don't you think? What do you need her for?"

"That's for me to know."

"And who's your pal here?"

"A person who needs Anata's assistance."

"Oh, did you lose something, dearie?" Silas laughed and it seemed like everyone else did too.

"Come on, now, Silas. I'm sure you got a job we can do for some intel on her whereabouts?"

"A job? And risk my safety? You know how she is."

"Come on, do I need to get Yrmnddr?"

Silas laughed. "No, no, no need for his kind around here." She put her hand to her chin. "I suppose there is a job. I've been tracing a shipment of- well, things. I suppose if you can help my people get it, perhaps I could lend you my knowledge. But..." She stammered off.

"What?"

"I need you to bring me Joke."

"Joke?" Akxfo said sternly. "You want me to just give you the twisted mastermind Joke? Joke hasn't been around for years, and it needs to stay that way."

"I understand that, and I agree, but you will need her intelligence to help you with the run, plus her flexibility as well."

"And how exactly do you plan to keep her under control?"

"Controlled venom. Only letting a certain amount into her system and rigging an antidote system on her that will cure her with a push of a button."

"And how is your 'system' not going to break?"

Silas laughed, "Don't you know me any better by now? I will use a mix of elements that won't break."

"What about-"

"It'll shock her if she tries to take it off. I'll sort it all out." Akxfo narrowed his brow at her. "Hey, you came to me." She started to walk away.

"Silas, wait." Silas stopped and turned her head to glare at him. "I'll get her here, but you need to control her." Silas smiled and then continued on.