World of Io

8. Traveling to Bankor

"I don't trust you," Annie stated.

Vigilante turned towards the girl and arched one thin eyebrow at the obvious mistrust she saw written across the girl's face, a mistrust that the girl hadn't shown before. She thought it quite funny. The girl had been traveling with an assassin, who had followed them only to be able to kill his target. She hadn't given him this look, nor had she looked particularly angry when his true intentions became public. Vigilante was about to rid the world of the ruthless assassin. They should rejoice!

The detail that this Nyx'gaian might be the savior of the world could perhaps turn things against her, but whatever. She had done nothing to upset Annie specifically. However, if the girl chose to mistrust her, well then she wasn't going to prove her wrong -- sucking up wasn't really her thing.

"Well, then don't!" she answered, which shut the other girl up.

They were walking along a dirt road, scouting for a place to buy horses. They had left the forest yesterday, and had been on the look-out since. If they would reach Bankor before the Nyx, they would have to use all means possible. However, the result so far was poor to say the least. There hadn't been a single horse for sale in the villages they had passed, not even for ridiculous sums of money.

The traveling was altogether extremely dull. Qumo had tried to interrogate her, which provoked her excessively. Being provoked was her least favorite thing, even worse than eating monusas, the vile pate had made her throw up that time when she was ten, but yes, provocation was worse!

He had stopped trying when she threatened to slice Vito's throat. The knife had barely touched the boy's skin, but the others became very upset. Perhaps that was the reason for Annie's misplaced distrust...

"Annie, don't rile her."

Vito's voice had become fainter and fainter over the last two days. He was in a really bad shape, his white eyes tired and hollow. The spirit she had seen in them on and off during their short time together hadn't returned after his last vision but he always refused to talk about it when she asked. So, she saw no point in bugging him. 

"Why not? She's behaving like a cow!"

Vigilante smiled a little at Annie's words, but not visibly of course. She was definitely pushing their limits, and her luck, but this was what she did, how she learned about their reactions to stress, and to threats.

As the traveling was a bit dull, despite the fun she had while taunting the others, she had a lot of time to think. She wondered over her own part in this and what The Spider had planned. Milo had one target, while she had him as a target. The only question that mattered was if their boss wanted her or Milo dead. Well, no use exerting herself: she would know soon enough. They were traveling to see her boss after all.

"So, why did you become an assassin?"

Annie's impressively brave question took her by surprise. No one had ever asked her that particular one. She looked at the girl and realized that the redhead had a lot more spunk than she gave her credit for.

"You really want to know?" she said, shooting the girl a doubtful look.

"Yes"

She considered what had started it all. The feeling she remembered was anger, nothing else, not loss, not grief, not desolation nor apathy.

"I was angry" she replied.

"Angry, you must have been very angry?" Annie pressed, looking doubtful, as if anger shouldn't be enough reason.

"Yes I was"

"Are you angry now?"

She had to think. No, she wasn't so angry anymore. She guessed that other feelings would have taken over once that initial anger was gone, but they never had. She never grieved the loss, or perhaps she did. Her little sister, they had slain her too. She remembered Luna's innocent smile. The darling girl with long blonde braids had been one of the youngest children in the town, five at the time...

"Yes, I'm extremely angry!"

The memories flared her in a way that she hadn't really allowed herself to feel in a very long time. "I'm going to kill them!" she spat, surprised to hear the words spoken out loud. 

"Them?" Annie asked, lookig inquisitively at her, more curious than distrusting.

Vigilante didn't answer that.

-----

Milo ran, and had been since he left the others. The fatigue and his burning lungs was enough to keep his mind from wandering. He had no direction, he had no aim. He was just running away.

He avoided people, avoided villages and avoided the roads, and now he was left with a weak sense of where he was. It gave him an illusion of freedom, something that he knew deep down he would never have again.

After another hour he realized that he knew exactly where he was, and he cursed under his breath. The tall red wall of Bankor seemed to be painted in blood in the twilight. He wondered why he found himself here. He would be killed. Perhaps that was why...seeking a way out, seeking relief.

-----

Vito let out a relieved breath when the flickers of city lights glowed against the dark sky. They had found their horses, and after another two days of traveling, they were closing in on Bankor. They wouldn't be able to come inside through the gates at this hour, but for some reason he didn't think that would stop Vigilante. However, he was not going to let her do this alone, he didn't trust her any more than Annie did. Her threat on his life hadn't exactly helped either.

"We will have to enter through the hole," Qumo told them. Vito turned around and looked at his old tutor, surprised that he had knowledge of how to enter after hours. Then he realized that he shouldn't have, Qumo had lived a very long life. He tended to forget that from time to time.  

"Follow me," Qumo continued and rode ahead.

They rode along the wall for another quarter of an hour before Qumo stopped in front of a block of massive, smooth rock.

"Where is the entrance, or the so called hole?" Vito asked, as he couldn't see a thing.

"Hidden of course," Qumo answered with laughter playing in his eyes.

Vito knew that he wouldn't get a straighter answer, not when Qumo was in this particular mood.  He eyed the others and grinned at their expressions. Even Vigilante showed something other than mirth and scowling. Qumo tapped lightly on the rock surface, and Vito felt a surge of anticipation trail up his spine. The places where Qumo tapped glimmered faintly before vanishing again. The lights produced a collective gasp, and he could see Qumo smile much broader than usual, clearly enjoying himself.

"What is that?" Annie asked, her voice spiked with true enthusiasm, like that of a child.

"Old remnants of magic woven by the forces. They are still out there if you know where to look for them. This portal was created to allow unseen movements in and out of the city almost 700 years ago. Io did this particular one, owed a favor to the king if I remember correctly," Qumo said merrily, as if the memory was a good one.

The stone disintegrated before them, showing a large portal in the wall, big enough for horses to pass.

"We're going to be seen!" Vigilante snapped. Her pessimism was understandable, the portal wasn't exactly inconspicuous. If they rode through, they would most probably be seen from the wall, or from the inside.

"Ah, don't worry about that, the illusion is left intact on the other side. We'll be fine, I've done this a thousand times," Qumo replied, and Vito had never seen him like this, excited like a little boy...

Qumo steered his horse through the portal, and just assumed that the others would follow, as he always did...

Vigilante was the next one to ride through. Safe on the other side she turned her head around, "Well kids, I've got some killing to do. Have a nice stay in Bankor!" she yelled, while riding off at a full gallop, leaving the others to their anger and disappointment.