The Voyager

Chapter Ten

We walked down the dirt road quickly. As we walk, I see more creatures, some looking at me with sympathy and others with hate. I am seeing more hatred than sympathy. Cole leads us down where there are no other buildings, nothing. Jordan keeps bumping my shoulder as we walk, grins and keeps walking.

Cole turns down a rarely used road. It is more like a trail. "How do you know where everything is around here, Cole?" Jordan asks.

"I'm smart. And when I want something from the high-ups, I know how to get it." Cole says.

"Ahh, you sleep with them." Jordan says like it is so obvious. I laugh.

"My being able to access this information has saved your skin so much, Jordan. I don't think you have any room to-"

Just then, a creature springs out from the trees and pushes Cole to the ground. Jordan pulls a knife out of his back pocket. Where did he get that? He flicks his wrist and the blade slices through the creatures arm. It howls and glares at Jordan, then lays eyes on me. It squints at me, then grins.

Suddenly it launches into the air and is on me. Its claws scratch my skin. I try to pull my arms free, but the creature is too strong. Its legs are trapping mine down. I slowly begin to feel that oh-so familiar tingle. I know what to do, I can feel it. I concentrate on the creature's chest. I lay still, Jordan is still trying to use that little knife against this big beast. Cole is trying to free a large rock from the ground. But I can do this, I don't need them to save me.

Concentrating on the muscles in his chest, I manipulate him. His claws loosen on my arms, he lifts from my body, from the ground. He is floating above me, I jerk my head to the side, concentrating on his neck. I hope these things work the same way humans do. His head flies to the side, causing a loud snap to sound. He falls limp, still floating above me. I sit up on my arms and slowly drag my vision across so that he moves to the side, then drop.

It falls in a crumpled heap next to me. I fall back, exhausted.

"What was that?" Jordan asks, perplexed.

"I don't know, I just felt the normal tingle that comes along with the substance that I have to manipulate and I knew what to do." My voice is soft. I am so tired after that.

"Come on, get up." Jordan says leaning down and helping me up. I feel wetness drip down my arm. I look down and see that there are deep claw marks where the creature dug into my arm.

"That looks bad." Cole says, about to grab my arm.

"Let's get to that Maximus guy. Maybe he can help us determine why the creatures hate me. That one looked fine with just killing you until he saw me." I say. She nods.

We walked a little longer. The trail opened up into a clearing and in the middle of the clearing was a large, beautiful house. Jordan led us to the door. He knocked and a few moments later a woman answered the door. She was wearing white stiletto pumps, black fishnet stockings that came to her thighs, a short white skirt that ended just above the stockings, a black shirt with a white jacket that came to her waist. She had long black hair and pure white eyes. She looked at us with disdain.

"Who are you? What do you want? I'm busy." She sneered.

"Um, we were looking for a man named Maximus." Nicole said looking timid. The woman narrowed her eyes.

"Why do you want Maximus?" She said. She looked untrusting.

"We want to ask him questions about the creatures and the history of the realm." I said, drawing the woman's attention to me. Her eyes widened a fraction.

"Well, come in." She said, turning and walking into the house.

We all followed behind her. "Close the door behind you." She snapped. Jordan quickly shut the door. She brought us through the elegant foyer and into the equally sophisticated living area. There were fine red chairs and couches everywhere. And on these plush furnishings sat creatures like the ones that sold things in the village, but these ones were obviously male. Just then a creature that looked like the ones who ran businesses came down a dignified looking set of spiraling stairs. She was wearing bright blue heels, and a corset that had a skirt attached. These were blue as well. Her skin was a dark magenta color. She walked past the woman who brought us in and into the living area. She walked up to a man and grabbed his hand. She had a seductive smile on her face. His eyes devoured her. They walked up the stairs again, her pulling him into a room and closing the door tightly behind her.

"Why don't I take you into this private room?" She asked, leading us through a door. There was a desk and four chairs facing the desk. She walked around the desk and sat. She motioned for us to sit in the chairs.

Once we were all sitting Jordan asked "Can we speak with Maximus?"

"You are." The woman said, resting her elbows on the desk and her head in her hands. "What is it you need? I have a business to run." I notice her eyes weren't completely white, they did have a pupil, but no iris. The sun made it seem as though she didn't even have a pupil.

"I thought Maximus was a man? That is what I was led to believe." Cole said.

"You thought wrong, miss. I am Maximus." She said. "Now, may we get on with it?"

"Can you tell us why the creatures seem to hate the Voyager so much? They look at her with such hatred." I say. She may not know that I am the Voyager, and if she doesn't, then I don't want her to know.

"Well, that would be the way the Council treats them. They hate anything or anyone who gives the Council more power. And you give the Council more power." She says with a smirk at me. "Are you looking for a job? I am sure I could find a place for you here. You'd fit in nicely." She finished with a growl.

"Um, no, thanks." I reply. "The Council consists of whom?" I ask. I have never heard that term here.

"That would be the magistrate, the Eminence on High, the Imminent Eminence on High, The Voyager and the Advisor on High. There used to be another, but he lost the spot by disagreeing with His Eminence and the Council. He left by choice, though." Maximus said.

"So they don't like me because I will have power?" I ask.

"Basically, yes. But it isn't you that they hate, it's the way the Council is set up. His Eminence has ultimate power. So you may disagree with him, but he may still do as he pleases. His Imminent Eminence is much more agreeable, though has much less power than His Eminence." Maximus said.

"How do they treat the creatures? They seem mean." I ask.

"They are doing what the Council wants. They are supposed to be intimidating, like the police in The Life. They are the muscle of the Council, and will be executed if they don't do as they are told. It is slavery." Maximus said. "They are against the training of the Voyager to do as His Eminence wants."

"That makes sense." I say.

Suddenly there is a large crash and screaming. Maximus's eyes grow wide.

"I have to go. Please show yourself out, and if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. The worst I'll do is say no." She quickly darted away.

We stood and walked out the door. There were lots of scarcely dressed women gathered around one door as we walked past. Once outside we began to walk back into town. We had a long journey ahead.