Summary: The rewrite of my old fic. A LOT has changed. AU loosely based on Beauty and the Beast.
"In a far off land, a large castle looms in the distance...On the outer edges of the kingdom, surrounded by shadow even on the brightest days, the prison sat with its front gates facing the castle...."
Categories: General Characters: None
Genres: Romance, Action
Warnings: None
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 16
Completed: No
Word count: 30861
Read: 20582
Published: 02-09-07
Updated: 01-03-08
1. Intro by TigerStorm
2. Chapter 1 by TigerStorm
3. Chapter 2 by TigerStorm
4. Chapter 3 by TigerStorm
5. Chapter 4 by TigerStorm
6. Chapter 5 by TigerStorm
7. Chapter 6 by TigerStorm
8. Chapter 7 by TigerStorm
9. Chapter 8 by TigerStorm
10. Chapter 9 by TigerStorm
11. Chapter 10 by TigerStorm
12. Chapter 11 by TigerStorm
13. Chapter 12 by TigerStorm
14. Chapter 13 by TigerStorm
15. Chapter 14 by TigerStorm
16. Chapter 15 by TigerStorm
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. Images from The 10th Kingdom. Screencaps by Halffling.
Intro
In a far off land, a large castle looms in the distance, framed by vast forests. The white stone and the crystal window gleamed in the bright afternoon sun, while the light blue flags bearing the winged symbol of the royal family waved in the gentle breeze from the many turrets adorning the massive structure. In the shadow of the castle was an expertly sculpted garden stretching for miles up to the bare edges of a tree line that served as a fence. The main path leading to the arched castle doors split the mile wide tree line in half with a massive archway, complete with an ornate iron gate, perfectly lined up with the beginning of the tree line. Beyond the tree line the thriving towns spread out between the crisscrossing networks of main roads.
On the outer edges of the kingdom, surrounded by shadow even on the brightest days, the prison sat with its front gates facing the castle. It was once as magnificent as building it faced. The towers which once held magicians and damsels now crumbling, housed vultures and crows; the rooms once lavishly decorated and excessively comfortable transformed into cramped, dingy prison cells blocked with rusty iron bars. Ivy and thorn branches grew, wrapping themselves around the grand iron archway while tree roots break through the stone wall, tearing through it inch by inch. Shouts of pain routinely erupted from the depths of the otherwise silent building.
As night descended upon the kingdom, a thief crouching on a roof in the shadow of a chimney, carefully selected his targets for the night as the last few townsfolk made their way back to their homes. Within the prison a lone prisoner, looked out through his barred windows over the forest which used to be his home. His eyes tracing over the outlines of the trees, a deep frown set craving out harsh lines along his face.
Deep within that same forest, a shadow emerged, his eyes glittering in the rising moon light as he made his way silently towards the small village at the edge of the woods.
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 1
“Warren!” a shout echoed through the corridors of the castle at a pitch almost too high for human ears to hear comfortably. The prince frowned and stayed lounging on the overstuffed, deep blue velvet couch in his room. Ignoring the next call, he stretched it out further, un-tucking his wings from beneath his shoulders. He soon heard foot steps heading towards his room. Just as he expected, Jean Grey burst into the room, her green eyes flashing in anger.
Prince Warren glanced over at her, brushing his hair out of his eyes, “Did you want something?”
Jean took a few long strides in his direction, her dark green skirts whispering against the marble floor, “You were meant to be downstairs twenty minutes ago.”
“I decided I am simply not in the mood to deal with the commoners this afternoon,” He straightened the sleeves of his royal blue silk shirt. “Use you magic and make them think they came on the wrong day.”
“It doesn’t work that way, Your Majesty,” Jean replied, barely resisting the urge to set the couch on fire.
“Ah,” Warren started, looking up at her, “So you aren’t as powerful as you would like us all to believe.” A nearby table erupted in flames, but the Prince just looked slightly amused. Jean’s now flaming hair was beginning to rise around her shoulders. Warren stood, twitching his wings a little to straighten the crooked feathers. “Either way, I have complete confidence that you are capable of resolving the matter. Now,” He brushed past her, heading for the door, “I have more important things that require my attention.” The door slammed shut just as Warren reached it.
“Did it sound like I was finished with you?”
“No, but I was finished with you,” Warren glanced back over his shoulder at her.
“Don’t forget who’s keeping your townspeople in check.”
“Don’t forget who pulled you out of prison,” He turned completely, facing her, crossing his arms over his chest. “What was it you were convicted of again? Open the door.”
Jean smirked, putting her hands on her hips, “You really think you have something on me, Your Highness? Who was it that helped you murder your parents? But more importantly, whose idea was it in the first place?” Jean took a step towards him, “You needed me then and you still need me now, so stop pretending like you have complete control. You’re not the king yet, you’re still just a little prince.” She waved her hand, opening the door, calming walking past the frowning prince, “I expect to see you downstairs in five minutes.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Many miles from the castle a young woman lay out on her back in the tall grass on the top of one of the small hills surrounding the small village in which she lived. Her long what hair swayed gently in the breeze as she enjoyed the warmth from the sun on her mocha colored skin. She knew she should have been helping her sisters with the chores, but knowing them she figured they were probably taking a break from the day’s work as well.
Her sky blue eyes watched the clouds pass by overhead as she thought of what chores she had left to finish. Remembering that she had to water the garden, she turned over on her stomach, pausing a half turn to straighten her white dress. Looking down from the hill at her home, she made sure that no one was outside. Then she looked up into the sky, her blue eyes turning white as she called for a small storm cloud to form over her family’s garden. The small storm soon formed, a gentle rain fell over the house and garden. Smiling to herself, she watched her small storm, sending it away a few minutes later.
“Ororo! I just finished cleanin’ the windows an’ you go an’ call in one of your storms!” Rouge, her youngest sister yelled, poking her head out of the second floor windows. Laughing, Ororo sent a breeze to ruffle the younger girl’s auburn hair. “Don’ make me come out there after you!”
Ororo stood, shaking the grass from her skirt and heading back towards the house, “And why would you do that, dear sister?”
“”Cause you ruined my windows!”
“I did no such thing.”
“Ya did so! They’re all wet now!”
“I believe you are mistaken.”
“Of course they are! They have ta be!”
“They look fine to me.”
Muttering to herself, Rogue flew out of the window, the pale green of her work skirts fluttering around her ankles. She quickly checked the windows along the side of the house and then landed next to Ororo who had just reached the bottom of the hill.
“They aren’t ruined,” Rogue said, looking up at Ororo. “How did ya’ do that?”
Smiling down at the younger girl, Ororo shrugged, “I did not do anything, sister. It just happened to work out that way without my assistance.” She reached up, tying her hair back into a low ponytail, “Where is Betsy?”
“Last time I saw her, she was on her way to the market. She should be back any minute now.”
Ororo nodded and headed around to the front door, “We had better finish the day’s chores before it gets too late.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Scott Summers looked up from his desk as two lower guards entered his office. Between them they held a seemingly unconscious young man wearing a long, dusty brown trench coat. Frowning, Scott stood and walked around his desk, adjusting the dark blue jacket of his uniform. As he approached the three, he heard the young man begin to groan.
Ignoring this, Scott focused his attention of the guards, “Where was he caught?”
“Just outside the mining town, sir. He had a bag of stolen goods,” The man on the left answered. Scott noticed he was holding a silver staff.
“What is that?” Scott asked, nodding towards the staff.
“Dunno, sir, but he sure tried to keep hold of it,” The guard on the right replied with a shrug.
“And were you two the ones to apprehend him?”
The man on the left laughed, “’Course not, sir. A group of the higher ups caught him. They asked us to bring him up since they were limping so much. They looked pretty banged up if you ask me, sir.”
Scott rolled his eyes behind his dark red glasses. He knew these men couldn’t have been on his squad. He needed to have a word with the governess about the prison’s hiring policies.
“Right, well I’ll take him from here,” Scott said, grabbing the young thief’s arms. “Put that staff on my desk and you two can be on your way.”
“Yes, sir,” The two men attempted a salute before doing what they were told. Once they were gone, Scott let out a sigh. Raven was really being much too lax with the new recruits. He made a mental note to talk to her about that as soon as possible.
Scott walked through the corridors of the prison, half dragging the newest addition beside him. The inmates were silent as they looked through their barred door windows at him.
“We’ve been looking for you a long time, Mr. LeBeau. It was beginning to look as if you would never be caught, but here you are,” Scott said almost grinning to himself as the young thief groaned again, “in prison where you belong.”
“Look, homme, Remy has a headache, so could ya shut up?”
Scott frowned, glaring at the younger man even though he wouldn’t see it, “You had better learn to watch your mouth in here, Mr. LeBeau, especially around me.”
Remy lifted his head for the first time since entering the prison, looking up at Scott, “Ah’ll be sure ta keep dat in min’. Watch out fo’ da Chief Scott Summers. Check,” Scott’s frown grew deeper as Remy’s red on black eyes lit up in amusement. “Does Remy need ta be salutin’ now or are we continuin’ da grand tour?”
Scott’s grip on Remy’s arm tightened as he glanced around the corridor they were in. Cell 130 will do nicely, Scott thought, pulling Remy towards the heavily reinforced cell. After carefully unlocking the door, he pushed the thief inside the dark cell, securing it behind him. Taking another second to check the locks, Scott marched away.
“Merde,” Remy swore, leaning against the wall of his new cell. Very little light made its way into in the cell even though Remy knew it was only a little after mid-day. Inside the cell it looked as if it could have been approaching midnight instead. Fumbling with the sleeve of his jacket he pulled out a thin lock pick and set to work on the handcuffs secured around his wrists. Soon the pieces of metal clanged against the stone floor of the cell. Rubbing his wrists, Remy looked around the room, barely making out the beds that had been pushed against the opposite wall.
“Nice trick, kid.”
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 2
Remy’s eyes scanned the room, looking for the source of the voice. He managed to spot an outline of a figure crouching in the corner furthest from him right before a match was struck. The small flame gave enough light for Remy to make out steel blue eyes focused intently on the end of a cigar. Soon the end was lit and the match was extinguished. The figure rose taking a long drag on the cigar, the lit end glowing red, but stayed in the shadows.
“Remy ain’t a kid,” He patted his trench coat pockets, searching for his staff, but only found his old set of cards.
The figure snorted, “Look like one ta me.” Pausing a moment to crack his neck, the figure turned his focus on Remy, rolling the cigar between his thumb and index finger, “Must’ve ticked off Summers pretty bad ta land yerself in here.” He saw the young thief’s eyes glance over at the door. The only cell door in the prison reinforced with steel bolts and bars along its entire length.
“Dat don’ seem ta be de reason you in ‘ere, mon ami. Remy startin’ ta t’ink he should’ve kep’ ‘is mouth shut.” Remy heard the other man chuckle. It wasn’t a sound you’d want to hear without being able to see the person it came from. He took out his cards and began shuffling them, the images blurring between his hands. The other man stayed quiet, the light grey smoke forming a small, faint cloud around his head.
The cell stayed silent except for the faint ‘whooshing’ sounds of paper rubbing against paper as Remy continued to shuffle his cards. He glanced around the cell again; his eyes now accustomed to the darkness were able to make out the tall, rusty candelabra full of half melted dark candles near the bunked beds. Along the wall near where the other man was currently standing, Remy spotted the outline of a door.
“Where’s dat door lead ta?”
“Bathroom,” The other man replied. He felt Remy’s eyes watching him so he continued, “This is maximum security, bub. That door,” He pointed with his cigar, “ain’t openin’ again unless Scooter decides ta toss in somebody else. Some inventor made some contraption that pumps in water. Forge or somethin’.”
‘Maximum security?’ Remy thought, taking a quick glance back at the steel covered door. “An’ why did ya get thrown in ‘ere?”
The end of the cigar glowed bright red as the man took another long drag, the silvery wisps of smoke curling around him, “Murder.”
Remy was definitely starting to think he shouldn’t have taunted the Chief Prison Guard.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Darkness began to creep over the kingdom and Ororo and her sisters were sitting around the living room wondering what was keeping their father. She had told her sisters not to worry, but they were getting a little restless. He had been gone all day. This only happened when something was wrong in the village.
Rogue was staring out the front window, her green eyes focused on the center of town. Betsy was sitting calmly in the middle of the floor, the wrinkle of concentration right between her brows slowly getting deeper. Ororo knew she was searching telepathically for him, but also knew if he did not want to be found Betsy’s powers would not help.
Trying to keep herself from worrying, Ororo went to check on dinner. A few minutes later, she heard Rogue scream. Running back into the room, stirring spoon still in hand and ready to call lightning if necessary, she saw her two sisters involved in a pillow fight “ Betsy using her telekinesis to use more than two pillows “ both shrieking with laughter.
Ororo shook her head, “Are you two determined to destroy the house?” Betsy sent yet another pillow in Ororo’s direction. She managed to dodge, chuckling as Betsy frowned. Rogue used the distraction to her advantage and leapt on her older, purple haired sister, hitting her with the pillow she held in her gloved hands. Ororo was considering breaking them up when the door opened and Xavier walked in.
Taking one glance at the girls who were in the midst of what was quickly becoming a pillow war, he quietly shut the door and walked over to Ororo, ducking as a pillow flew in his direction. The amused twinkle in his eyes and the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth were betraying the stern expression he was attempting.
“Hello father,” Ororo greeted, with a smile. The other two girls still hadn’t noticed he had entered the house.
Xavier placed a light kiss on Ororo’s forehead, “Good evening, Ororo.” He nodded towards the other two girls, “It appears as if Elisabeth and Rogue decided to begin their torment of each other early tonight.” Ororo nodded and Xavier carefully entered the living room, taking his seat in the armchair by the fire without them noticing him at all. He sent her a wink once he was seated and she knew he had used his telepathy to block them from seeing him.
Shaking her head again, Ororo returned to the kitchen to finish dinner, ignoring the death threats that were now being shouted. A few minutes later the front door opened again and Ororo peeked out of the kitchen in time to see Henry McCoy walk through the door. He waved at her as she smiled.
“Henry!” Rogue shouted, jumping up from the floor. Betsy waved, sending another pillow flying at her sister.
“Good evening Rogue, good evening Betsy,” The furry blue doctor greeted the two girls. He had become accustomed to their antics long ago. “I brought the information you requested earlier, Charles.”
The two adopted sisters turned, finally seeing Xavier sitting near the fire.
“Father, when did you get here?” Betsy asked, telekinetically gathering all of the pillows and putting them back in their proper places.
“Only a few minutes before Dr. McCoy arrived. You two were much too distracted to notice,” Xavier added with a chuckle.
Rogue opened her mouth to say something, but Ororo called from the kitchen that dinner was ready. Before she could get out what she was going to say, Betsy had grabbed her arm and started dragging her towards the kitchen to help Ororo move dinner into the dinning room and set the table.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Father, what is going on within the village?” Ororo asked after Henry had departed and her sisters had retired to their beds for the night. He was sitting again in his chair by the fire, chin resting on the top of his interlaced fingers. Xavier looked as if he had no intention of telling her and Ororo started to regret asking in the first place, but she knew something was happening. Xavier and Dr. McCoy had been quiet during dinner, both wore a distracted expression. It was obvious to Ororo “ and probably to her sisters as well “ that they were engaged in a telepathic discussion.
Xavier sighed, looking up at the oldest of his adopted daughters. He had adopted her about a month after her birth. Her mother had been a woman that lived in a town a few miles away from the village. Xavier only knew her through Henry.
The two had been working together trying to develop better medicines, combining her knowledge of plants with his knowledge of biological science. Her husband was unknown to Xavier, but she had spoken of him the few times they had met.
Flashback
Xavier was sitting in the living room of his modest home, reading by the fire. A sudden rumble of thunder shook the walls, causing Xavier to look up from his book in time to see dark storm clouds rolling in, blocking out the light from the moon. Another rumble of thunder accompanied by a flash of lightning came from the sky followed by a torrent of rain and a howling wind. Soon he saw his front gate wrenched open, slamming back against the rest of the fence. He didn’t notice the cloaked figure racing through the storm up to his front door until there was frantic banging at the door.
Wondering who could possibly be out braving this weather, Xavier rushed to the door, pulling it open just as another flash of lightning streaked across the sky. In the brief flash of light, Xavier recognized the cloaked figure as N’Dare, Henry’s friend. The last time he had seen her she was a little over 8 months pregnant. That was almost three months ago, but here she was at his front door, cloak flapping around her frame as the fierce wind tugged on it.
“N’Dare, what are you doing out in this weather?” Xavier asked, moving out of the doorway to allow her inside and out of the storm. It was then he caught the waves of panic that were coming off of her. In the next flash of lightning he saw the terror in her bright blue eyes. “N’Dare, come inside. What is wrong?” He reached out to pull her inside the house, but she instead shoved a bundle into his arms. Xavier looked down to see a baby wrapped in a dark cloth, white hair peeking out from underneath it, sky blue eyes lighting up as she giggled at the next boom of thunder, tiny brown fingers reaching out for the bolt of lightning that followed.
“Take care of my Ororo, Charles.”
Xavier tilted his head to return his gaze to N’Dare, but she had gone. “N’Dare?” He called, but there was no answer. Xavier closed the door, reaching out telepathically, trying to find N’Dare as he searched for a suitable place for Ororo to sleep. After fashioning a small bed out of the cushions from his couch and setting Ororo in the center of it, he focused his concentration on tracking down N’Dare. He kept searching for her without much luck.
Suddenly he felt a spike of pain emitting from the woods. He briefly felt the presence of N’Dare before it vanished.
The storm died out as quickly as it came as Xavier glanced over at the now sleeping child that had been placed in his care.
End of Flashback
“Father?” Ororo asked after her father had been sitting in silence for a few minutes. He appeared to be lost in thought. ‘Perhaps I should just leave him to his thoughts.’
Xavier looked up at Ororo as if he had forgotten she had standing there, “I am sorry, Ororo, I was just reminiscing.” He straightened in his chair, “What was it that you asked?”
“Is there a problem in the village?”
Xavier hesitated, unsure if it was a wise idea to tell her. He and Henry were attempting to keep it as quiet as possible. After another moment, he nodded, “Unfortunately there is a very big problem in the village.” Ororo stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. Xavier sighed, closing his eyes.
“There has been another murder.”
Chapter 3
"Is there a reason I have to come along on this little journey?" Prince Warren asked, staring out of the carriage window, watching dawn break over the trees. They had just passed through the tree line separating his grounds from the rest of the kingdom.
"You are the prince," Erik, his advisor replied. "You will be the king in a few months time, so you need to get used to speaking with other rulers."
Warren rolled his eyes, yawning, "Well, why isn't Jean coming with us? Surely she would be of some assistance if something came up."
"Jean is off playing with that toy of hers. Besides, she has to stay here for the spell to stay in effect."
The prince watched as Erik made a couple metal spheres orbit above his hand, "It would have been much faster if we had flown to the next kingdom."
"Yes, but arriving in wind torn clothing is not appropriate for royalty."
"Is there a reason we are going to another kingdom instead of them coming to us?"
Erik sighed, "Yes, you are going to make some appearances in certain towns. The people do need to see their ruler every once and a while, Warren."
"That is what parades are for, Erik." The older man frowned. "The commoners do not need to see me; they merely need to do as I say."
"Unfortunately for you, my dear boy, it does not work that way. Jean's spell can only do so much. She can only make them think all is well. It is up to you to make them believe it." He stopped the spheres' movement with a thought. "A couple lies and a smile is all it takes."
"I suppose."
"You will do fine."
"I know I will." Prince Warren stretched his wings as best he could within the small space inside the carriage. "How far is the first stop?"
"The first village is fifteen miles from here. We will reach the edge of the kingdom by nightfall."
The Prince sighed, returning his gaze to sky.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Kid, ya ain't goin' ta pick that lock," Logan said, watching the young thief. He had been trying to pick the lock since he had woken up that morning.
"Remy ain't a kid," Remy replied, still working at the lock. "Monsieur jus' be old."
"Watch who yer callin' old, kid."
"Remy jus' sayin'," He shrugged, snickering, "not `is fault you could be `is grand-père."
"Not my fault yer just a kid," Logan said turning to look out the window. "An' I ain't that old."
"Not sure I believe you, mon ami."
"Thought you learned yer lesson about talkin' back after Summers, threw you in here."
"Remy ain't gonna be in `ere long."
Logan shook his head, "Like I said before, ya ain't goin' ta pick that lock."
Remy opened his mouth to comment, when a soft voice echoed down the hall, calling for Scott. He stood, peeking through the small barred window on the door in time to catch a glimpse of red hair go by.
"Who was dat?"
"Trouble."
"Wha' you mean by dat, Logan?"
"Means Summers is goin' ta be in a pissy mood when he wakes up tomorrow, after that spell o' hers wears off."
Remy stared out through the window, scratching his chin, "An' where de other guards hidin' while she `ere?"
"No where in this place, that's fer sure," Logan replied, turning his attention back on the thief.
A flirty giggle echoed down the hall and Remy watched as the red head quickly led a dazed looking Scott past the cell. Remy almost felt bad for the guy.
"Dey stay inside de prison?"
"How the hell am I supposed ta know? What's with all the questions?"
"Jus' let Remy know when dey outta range an' stand back." Remy pressed his hands flat against the door and before Logan could ask what he was doing, a bright pink glow surrounded the door. A high, mosquito-like buzzing reached Logan's ears.
Ignoring it, he listened out for Scott and Jean. Soon he couldn't hear or smell them.
"They're gone, now what…" Remy didn't give him a chance to finish his question, launching himself away from the door and pushing Logan out of the way just as the door exploded.
"What the hell was that?!" Logan shouted, staring at what was left of the door.
Remy shrugged, a sly grin forming on his lips as he dusted off his trench coat, "Good time to escape, non?"
A/N: Continue?
Chapter 4
“Kid, where do ya think yer goin’?” Logan asked as Remy turned down the hall leading to Scott’s office instead of continuing down the corridor leading to the back door. They had climbed over the ruins of the door, ignoring the shouts from the other inmates as the left the corridor.
“Remy ‘as to get somethin’ back befo’ ‘e goes anywhere.”
Logan raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest, “Summers stole somethin’ from a thief?”
“Remy t’inks dat could be bad fo’ ‘is reputation, so Remy gonna steal it back.”
Logan chuckled, turning to follow Remy down to Scott’s office. He was a little curious about what could’ve been stolen from the thief and figured it was more than his reputation that had Remy anxious to get the item back.
“Shouldn’t you notice someone stealin’ from you?”
“De guards knocked me unconscious first,” Remy replied, looking a bit sheepish. They continued the rest of the short walk to the end of the hall in silence.
Remy frowned to himself remembering the day before. He felt he should’ve been able to defend himself against the five guards that managed to track him down, but one of them recovered much faster than Remy had expected. He hadn’t been out long, but it was long enough for the guards to restrain and transport him to the prison. He should’ve known better than to make a pit stop that close to the prison, especially with the guards keeping an eye out for him in particular.
Perhaps it had been unwise to break into Kitty’s shop a little over a week ago with her being the Chief Prison Guard’s niece, but he couldn’t resist the challenge. She had created a few innovations to an invention Forge had created months before. Remy didn’t know what they were and didn’t particularly care. However, she had added a new type of lock to the front and back doors that she had invented herself. He watched as other thieves attempted breaking in, drawn by the amount of customers she had been getting over the weeks and failing to beat the locks.
So he waited for her to leave for the night, hiding in the shadow of an alley nearby the shop. He didn’t have wait very long. She locked up a few minutes after sunset, that little dragon pet of hers bouncing around, flapping its wings excitedly by her skirts as she fiddled with the complicated lock. His crimson eyes watched her walk down the narrow street after she finished with the lock and continued to watch until she was out of sight. Remy stood from his crouched position, glancing along both ends of the deserted road. Satisfied that no one was around, he launched himself into the air, catching hold of the awning that had provided most of the shadow he had been hiding in and pulled himself up onto the roof. Quietly, he crept along the roof tiles to the chimney, crouching down in the shadow there and waited for the sky to get darker.
At moonrise, Remy pulled his bo-staff out of his inside trench pocket, extending it as he stood. He twirled it in his hands a few times; making sure the inner hinges had properly locked. Taking another quick glance down the street, he judged the distance between the buildings. Remy took a few steps back before running towards the edge of the roof, using the staff to vault himself over the gap between the buildings at the last minute. He landed softly on the flat roof of Kitty’s building, crouching down just as he heard someone start whistling a tune. Peaking over the side of the roof, Remy saw it was just a shopkeeper who had finished locking up for the night and was heading in the opposite direction of his location.
Moving to the rear of the building, Remy jumped down of the roof, landing near the back door. He straightened his trench coat as he stood, making his way over to the door. Remy took a moment to study the lock before choosing a lock pick. It was more complicated that he was expecting but he had broken through worse. Within a few seconds he heard the soft click of the lock opening only to hear another lock snap into place. Frowning, Remy studied this new lock that was hidden within panel inside the door frame, wondering if there were more after this one. Selecting a new pick, he continued to study the lock. It was more complicated that the first one and took him a few minutes to work through it.
To his delight another lock did not click into place when the second lock was opened. Carefully, Remy pushed open the door expecting some kind of trap but there was none. Slipping into the room he headed over to the money drawer. This lock was much less complex than the ones securing the doors. He only took about a third of the money since he had been more interested in breaking the lock than stealing from Kitty. Pulling out his calling card “ an ace of spades “ he tossed it on top of the drawer before turning to leave.
Back in the present, Remy and Logan had reached the door to Scott’s office. They saw that the door had been left open a crack and Remy was slightly disappointed. This would make getting his staff back much easier but he wouldn’t get the same satisfaction as he would if the door had been locked.
“Looks like the coast is clear, kid,” Logan said pushing open the door. “Grab what’s yers so we can get the hell outta here.”
Remy walked into the room, scanning the meticulously organized office for his staff.
“Remy t’inks Monsieur Logan sounds a little jumpy.” He spotted his staff propped up in a corner and headed over to grab it, “Dere’s nothin’ to worry about, mon ami.”
The two were soon headed down the other corridor that led to the back door.
After being locked away in the maximum security cell for a little over seven years, Logan was looking forward to being back in the woods that he had watched everyday since his imprisonment.
Beside him, Remy had started twirling his staff seemingly at ease now that it was back in his possession. Logan didn’t see what could be so special about a metal stick but to each their own. Once they reached the back door, they saw that it too was left cracked open. ‘The guards must have rushed out of here in a hurry,’ Logan thought, pushing the door open the rest of the way. The bright mid-morning sun that was shining just outside of the prison grounds caused Logan to squint, but he welcomed the change from the dingy prison light.
“So,” Remy said as they stepped out, heading towards the prison borders, “wha’ now?”
Logan stared in the direction of his home, remembering his last day there.
“Now we get some real grub.”
~Continue?
Chapter 5
“Well that was just as exciting as the last town.” Prince Warren said with a roll of his blue eyes.
Erik watched as Warren lifted the crown off his head and began twirling it between his fingers and adjusted the crown resting on top of his head. Erik ignored the rest of the complaints spewing from the Prince’s mouth as they made their way back to the carriage. It was times like these when he truly believed it would be better if he remained the crowned king. With Jean’s help getting rid of Warren and all the subjects’ memories of the spoiled brat would be so simple.
He had mentioned this idea to Jean with some hesitation. She could easily take his idea and get rid of both him and Warren, taking the kingdom for herself. Honestly, Erik couldn’t understand why she hadn’t already done just that. It wasn’t too surprising that she admitted considering the idea, but he couldn’t believe that she suggested that Warren was a necessary part in keeping the kingdom running properly. Erik glanced over at the Prince who was still complaining. ‘What possible use could he have?’ Erik thought with a frown. In his opinion Warren was just a royal pain in the ass. He was sure there had to be a rule somewhere that princes were supposed to be charming.
“Warren,” Erik said, finally sick of the whining. “Shut. Up.” Erik barely caught the chuckle as the prince looked as if he was slapped in the face.
“How dare you speak to me that way!” Warren shouted when he recovered.
“I do believe I currently outrank you, princey.”
“Not for long, old man and just you wait,” Warren said with a grin that didn’t match his otherwise angelic features. “Once I’m King, all those perks and privileges you enjoy so much are gone.”
“Do you think you will be able to get rid of me that easily?” Erik said crossing his arms over his chest. “And what exactly could you do, boy? Flap your wings at me?”
The prince merely shrugged, placing his crown back on top of his golden head. “It’s nearly sunset and we have one last stop to make,” He said calmly, opening the carriage door before one of the horsemen could. “After you, your majesty,” Prince Warren said with a mocking bow.
“If you think you can outsmart me, Warren,” Erik said stepping into the carriage, “you even more brainless than I thought.”
“Whatever you say, Erik, whatever you say.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“’Ro! Betsy’s doin’ it again!” Ororo heard her younger sister Rogue yell from somewhere inside the house accompanied by a loud thump that shook the walls.
“I’m not doing anything! She started everything!”
“Liar! Ah ain’t start anythang!”
Ororo rolled her eyes and continued washing the dishes, “It would be appreciated if you two tried not to destroy the house today. Please go cause chaos out doors before you break something.”
“Yes, mum!” Ororo heard Betsy yell before hearing them run out the front door.
Ororo shook her head. Sometimes it was hard to believe her younger sisters were only a year or so younger than herself. At times she’d swear they were twelve and not in their twenties. She chuckled as she spotted Rogue “ through the kitchen window “ take to the air to dodge one of Betsy’s attacks.
It had been another day of chores for the girls, mostly to keep themselves occupied. Their father had been away for the entire day once again and the girls had cleaned until the little house till the walls nearly sparkled in the late afternoon sun. Ororo was unsure how her father and Henry would be able to keep things in the little village quiet for much longer. Surely someone would notice the girl’s disappearance.
“Oh mah gawd,” Rogue shouted snapping Ororo from her thoughts.
“What is it, Rogue?” Ororo asked opening the kitchen window.
“Ah think it’s the royal carriage,” Rogue replied flying a little higher to try to get a better look.
“Are you sure you’re not just imagining things, Rogue?” Betsy asked looking up at her sister. With a quick dive, Rogue scooped up her older sister and lifted them both back up to where she had been hovering.
“What else would have that much gold and fancy mess? Don’t it look like somethin’ out of a fairy tale?”
“Ororo, you have to come see this!” Betsy shouted, ignoring Rogue’s questions.
After dropping the dish she had been cleaning back into the soapy water and drying her hands on a towel, Ororo headed out the back door.
“Is it headed this way?” Ororo asked, her eyes glowing white as she called the wind to her. Soon she was hovering next to her sisters.
“It seems like it’s heading towards the forest,” Betsy answered.
“But why would it been headed that way this late? It would make more sense to go to the inn, wouldn’t it?” Rogue asked.
“Perhaps there is a Royal Lodge of some sort in the forest,” Ororo suggested with a frown. She knew the forests around the village almost as well as she knew her own home. She often took walks “ or flights “ through them and the only building that she knew of within the forest was a small deserted cabin miles away from the edge of the woods. Even though the carriage was headed in the direction, Ororo doubted if that was the destination. Had she passed by another building? As she watched the carriage continue into the forest on the narrow path she began to think something was wrong.
“You two go back in the house and wait for father,” Ororo said starting off towards the forest.
“Where are you goin’?” Rogue asked.
“I am just going to let our royal visitors know there is a perfectly suitable inn within the village,” Ororo lied. “I will be back soon.” Not bothering to wait for her sisters to respond, Ororo took off towards the tree line. She pushed herself, calling stronger winds to help her get to the forest faster. She didn’t want to get too behind the carriage and she knew she would have to slow down while flying through the trees.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Remy t’inks dis a long way ta go fo’ supplies,” Remy said as he continued following Logan through the forest. “Wha’ we need supplies fo’ anyway?”
“Kid, Summers ain’t just gonna let us get away that easy. He’s gonna send guards after us as soon as he sees we’re gone.” Logan glanced back at Remy, “And ya ain’t exactly cut out to survive the woods.”
“Remy’ll do jus’ fine,
mon ami,” Remy said barely managing to dodge a branch before it slapped him in the face. “Remy t’inks you did dat on purpose.” He said, brushing his hair out of his eyes and walking right into Logan who had stopped mid-step. “
Merde, a warnin’ would’ve been nice.”
“Shut yer trap, I heard somethin’.” Logan sniffed, catching the faint scent of horses a few miles away as the wind picked up. “What’s a carriage doin’ in these parts this late?”
“Mehbe startin’ dere search already?” Remy suggested.
“Nah, sounds too nice ta be somethin’ from the prison,” Logan said turning in the direction of the horses. “Come on, we’ll get the supplies later.”
Remy sighed, jogging to catch up to Logan who had taken off in a run.
‘What have I gotten myself into now?’A/N: Continue?
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 6
Ororo landed softly in the middle of a large meadow after weaving through the trees hiding this place from view. Here the tree line made almost a perfect circle covered by the dome of the sky. Ororo looked up to see the last traces of fiery sunlight inching its way over the dark green pine needles, shadows following closely behind. Across the meadow, Ororo saw fireflies beginning to rise, dancing among the colorful wildflowers and sighed. She loved this place, especially at night. She wished she could take a few minutes to just lounge in the soft grass and watch the stars appear in the sky, but she couldn’t. She had a carriage to catch.
Taking one last glance around the meadow, Ororo took off in a run in the direction of the dirt road leading through the forest, her long white hair whipping behind her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Logan swore under his breath as the wind died down almost as fast as it had appeared. It had been sending his scent downwind of the horses so he didn’t have to be as careful when approaching them. Now he had to change his approach to avoid spooking the horses. At least he no longer needed the wind to bring him the scent. He was close enough now that he could catch traces of the passengers as well and by the scents he was detecting they were definitely royalty. It reminded him too much of the red head and he didn’t like that one bit. She was trouble and if these guys were connected to her, they must be trouble too.
He crouched down in some bushes, waiting for Remy to catch up. Logan hoped the kid was quicker than this when he was stealing from people. He turned back in the direction that Remy should have been coming from, but heard footsteps headed in the opposite direction. Logan considered going after him for a moment but then decided against it. The kid was headed towards the village and he could track him down later.
Taking a deep breath, Logan looked around at his surroundings, ignoring the scent of the horses and the carriage’s royal passengers for a minute. It felt good to be back in the forests that he considered home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Remy had no idea where he was. He had been following Logan pretty well through the woods until it got dark. Remy could still see enough to make out the foliage but the other man completely disappeared. He stood still, trying to listen out for Logan making his way through the forest but he couldn’t hear a thing. Remy couldn’t understand how Logan was able to move almost silently through the woods especially at the speed they had been tearing through the shrubbery. Although, Remy did recall the other man mentioning that he had lived in these woods before he was arrested.
Swatting at the mosquitoes that flew in his face, Remy took another look around but he wasn’t expecting to see anything that could possibly be a clue
Muttering to himself, Remy heading off in the direction he was facing, hoping that he would eventually cross paths with Logan.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Warren stared out the carriage window, beginning to feel a little unnerved as the sunlight disappeared. The trees pressed in close to the carriage on the narrow dirt road, their branches scrapping along the sides as they passed through. Warren glanced over at Erik, who was calmly watching the trees pass by the opposite window.
He didn’t like the old man. No, he hated the old man. He knew Erik felt the same way about him. Warren had heard him suggesting to Jean that he should continue to rule and Warren should be discarded. Thinking back on it, he knew he shouldn’t have been so surprised. If he was in Erik’s place he probably wouldn’t like himself much either.
“Erik, where are we going?” Warren asked, returning his gaze out of the carriage window. “We were supposed to be spending the night in the village.”
“We need to have a little chat,” Erik replied simply.
“And what is it that we need to talk about that couldn’t be done in the inn?”
“If we could talk about it now, I would have brought it up on the way.”
Warren sighed. He really wished Jean could’ve come along on this little journey. It would’ve made things so much simpler.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jean pressed herself against Scott’s side as he slept. She knew she should be leaving, but she couldn’t resist a few more minutes. With a soft sigh she reached up tracing the line of his jaw, brushed a few locks of his dark hair off of his forehead and placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder. She had her spells and other powers, but she couldn’t make everything to be the way she wanted it to be. If it worked that way, the spell she had used on Scott wouldn’t be temporary.
Jean then felt Scott begin to stir against her. Frowning, she reached out with her mind sending him back into a deep sleep. Sighing again she decided she had had enough fun for the night and climbed over Scott, placing one last kiss on his sleeping lips before leaving the bed. She reached up, shaking her already tousled hair. She had many things to take care of while Erik and Warren were away. Her plans were beginning to be put into place.
Shaking her head, she leaned down to grab her discarded gown, catching her reflection in the nearby full length mirror. Jean dropped the gown as she straightened, running her eyes along every curve of her naked reflection. A wicked grin settled on her lips as she continued to stare.
‘Mirror, mirror…’
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Remy felt like he had been walking for hours and he still hadn’t seen any signs of Logan. He had no idea how big the forest was but he figured he would reach a village soon or wind up back at the prison gates. Remy was hoping for the latter. The forest couldn’t go on forever.
He saw a lighter patch through the darkness of the trees and ran the last few feet, managing to dodge the branches threatening to slap him in the face, hoping it was the outskirts of a nearby village. Instead he skidded to a stop at the edge of a meadow full of fireflies. Walking slowly towards the center, Remy looked around him. It looked as if the trees had been cleared away in preparation for some type of building project that had never begun.
As he reached the center of the meadow he noticed small lights twinkling from between the trees. Not taking another glance around the meadow, he headed towards those lights; sure they were coming from within someone’s home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Logan stood a couple hundred feet away from the dirt road leading through the forest. He had lost track of Remy, but decided the kid would be fine. It seemed as if the occupants of the carriage had decided to take a pit stop, one of the men telling the horsemen to continue on for a at least a mile and to return in half an hour. Once the horses had gone, Logan could’ve easily gotten to closer to the two left standing right in the middle of the road, but he didn’t need to see them. He just wanted to make sure they weren’t up to anything.
“Warren, are you trying to ruin everything?” The older man asked. His scent almost made Logan sneeze. Underneath all the fine cloth and fancy cologne the man had a bitter metallic scent to him.
“I don’t know what you mean, Erik.” The younger man replied, sounding indifferent. His scent was harder to catch. It almost the same as the cloth he was wearing. “And I would prefer if you didn’t speak to me as if I were a child.”
“You were supposed to gain the trust of the people today. You were rude, snotty and didn’t seem to care that those people were there to see you.”
“Like it matters, Erik, it’s not like I need them to gain the throne. All I needed was to get rid of my parents and that has been taken care of.”
“Yes, I’m well aware of how you and Jean took care of your parents, Warren. I never approved of hiring that killer.”
“Please, Erik. That was seven years ago.” Logan’s eyes narrowed. He inched closer, crouching in the bushes.
“The least you two could’ve done was to make sure he didn’t get free after your parents were disposed of.”
“Oh who cares? Wasn’t someone arrested for the little incident?” Logan felt his knuckles itch as he continued making his way through the bushes. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. These bastards were the reason he’d spent all that time in prison. Them and that red head that he had seen flouncing through the prison. Snarling, Logan nearly burst through the bushes, claws ready to attack.
At that moment the wind picked up, causing the two to stop talking. Logan caught the scent of rain, fresh flowers and dish soap coming from across the road. He felt his claws retract as he relaxed, looking up through the bushes for the source of the scent. Logan thought he caught a flash of white near a tree close to the road.
Running a hand over his face, Logan crawled back out from underneath the bush. The wind was dying down again. Thinking over what he had just heard, Logan headed towards the village. It was time to find Remy.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ororo settled quickly on the high tree branch, hiding in the shadows made by the leaves. Below her she could see two men standing in the middle of the road. In the moonlight she could see the older man’s reddish cape fluttering in the dying wind. The other man stretched his wings a bit as if he was getting ready to take to the sky.
“That wasn’t just some incident, Warren. A young girl was murdered because of you and Jean. It’s not like she had anything to do with our plans.” Ororo eyes widened.
“And your point is?”
“My point is he’s still out there, killing people.”
“He was out there before, Erik. How do you think we found him?”
“There are assassins around Warren.”
“Yes, but he does it for fun, not money. Besides, we might need him again, so why not let him continue his play time?”
Ororo couldn’t listen to anymore. Calling her winds to her, her eyes glowing white, she took to the sky. She needed to talk to her father right away.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Remy reached the back out a small house just as a young woman came running out of the back door holding a candle. He watched as her auburn hair settled around her shoulders, the white streak in the front framing her face. Remy could see her green eyes sparkling in the candlelight even with the distance between them.
Rogue stared at the young man that was standing at the edge of the yard. She knew she should’ve called for Betsy or at least asked who he was and why he was there. Instead she stood just outside of the door staring at him as he stared back at her. His dark hair hung over his eyes that almost seemed to glow faintly red.
They both took a step towards each other, still gazing as if in a trance. Before they could take another step forward, Remy turned back towards the woods where he heard someone calling his name. Turning his attention back to the young woman still watching him, he blew her a kiss, sending her a flirty wink before running back towards the woods, his trench coat flapping behind him.
A/N: Continue?
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 7
Deep within the shadows, miles away from where the prince and his advisor spoke, a man leaned against a tree watching a young woman fly through the center the little village. He struck a match, the flame dancing in the wind stirred up by the woman’s flight. Watching the movement for a few moments, he lit the cigarette held between his lips before ending the dance with a flick of his wrist. Plucking the cigarette from his mouth he blew out a cloud of smoke, returning his attention to the white haired woman who had continued on her journey through the town. His dark eyes took in her airborne form, lingering over the glimpses bare skin of her legs exposed by the skirts fluttering about her calves.
Taking another puff from his cigarette, he turned away as she gracefully landed in front of one of the buildings in the village square. He had only remained around the village to watch her as he had done with her mother. She was just as beautiful, catching his attention just as her mother had done before her. After taking one last drag on the cigarette, he crushed the burning paper and tobacco underfoot, checking his belt for his dagger. The next town was only a few miles away and he had plenty of time for a bit of fun before he was to meet with the sorceress.
Pulling his dagger out of its sheath, he examined the blade in the tree flittered moonlight. The once sliver blade now had a reddish tint to it that he couldn’t quite clean off. The blood from his victims had seeped into the very steel, though not enough to tarnish the wicked gleam he enjoyed watching reflected in the eyes of those he kept conscious. Returning the blade to its sheath he continued on towards to the next village, whistling to himself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ororo burst through the door of Henry McCoy’s office, barely noticing her shoes had been ripped off in her haste, sure her father was still there.
“FATHER!” She shouted, standing in the foyer. Not hearing a response, she headed towards the back of the building to Henry’s laboratory space. Reaching the large, metal re-enforced doors, Ororo tested the door handle, expecting it to be locked. To her surprised the latch opened with a soft click. She pushed open the door slowly, not sure what to expect within the large space.
The room was filled with open notebooks, test tubes and other strange equipment Ororo had never seen. Candles were lit and scattered around the large room, giving it the cold lab a warm glow. As Ororo walked into the room, she noticed a long table that had been placed on one side of the room, a plain, long cloth hiding what was resting on the table’s surface. She took a step closer to the table, curious as to what could cause the cloth to form the unusual pattern of shadows and bulges. As she continued closer, a chill ran down her spine like the brush of fingertips. Shaking her head, Ororo ignore the feeling, reaching out and pulling back the cloth.
With a gasp of horror at the frightened dead eyes staring up at her, Ororo jumped back, unintentionally dragging the cloth back with her and revealing the rest of the young girl’s body to the light. The candlelight caused shadows to flicker across the pale flesh of the girl’s face and limply hanging limbs. Her equally pale, chapped lips were parted as if in the beginnings of a scream. Dried blood covered the hand visible to Ororo as well as parts of her once light blue dress. Her blond hair spilled across her shoulders and spread around her face in now fuzzy ringlets. Ororo’s hands went to her mouth, causing the cloth to pool at her feet, as her eyes stared at jagged slash marks ripping through the girl’s chest and stomach. These had been cleaned enough for Ororo to see the blackened flesh stand out against the rest of the girl’s skin.
‘He’s still out there. Killing people.’ The words of the elder man in the woods echoed through Ororo’s mind as she continued to stare at the wounds. A rumble of thunder shook the walls.
“Ororo!” She turned to see her father and Henry standing in the doorway of the back door she hadn’t noticed. “What are you doing here?” Xavier asked, heading over to her.
“I know who is responsible for this, father.” Ororo said calmly, turning her attention back to the girl. “I heard them talking about the murders in the woods.”
“Ororo now is not the time to be going out into the woods alone.”
“Did you hear what I just said? They know who did this! They let him stay free!”
“Young lady,” Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose, “this is not the time to discuss rumors you heard in the woods.”
“But father…” Ororo turned back to face her father, frowning.
“Go home, Ororo.”
“Father…”
“And I do not want you going off in the woods alone, especially after dark,” Xavier continued as if Ororo had not spoken.
“You should not disregard this, father. What I found out in the woods can help you stop this from happening again!”
“If you keep going out in the woods alone that,” Xavier pointed to the body lying on the table, “can happen to you! Now, go home.”
Clenching her fists, Ororo stormed out of the laboratory as another rumble of thunder shook the walls.
Her eyes glowed white as she threw open the door, calling the winds to her. She raised her hands to the sky as the hurricane force winds wrapped themselves around her, slamming the door shut as she floated out to the road and whipping her long white hair around her. With a glance back at Henry’s office she flew higher, feeling the streak of lightning that flashed across the sky. Frowning, she turned to her home, flying as fast as her winds could take her.
Seconds later she was touching down at her back door. Ororo, slipped through the backdoor as quietly as she could, leaving the door cracked open. Tip-toeing to the stairs, she heard her sisters chatting in the living room.
“Where did he come from?” Betsy was asking.
“Ah don’t know. I told ya Bets, he was just standin’ in the yard when Ah got out there.”
“Well what did he look like? Was he from around here?” Ororo reached the stairs, managing to step over the squeaky floorboards.
“Ah’ve never seen him before. He had these glowing red eyes,” Ororo heard Rogue pause and crouched down in the shadows. “But they weren’t creepy or anythin’ and...” Ororo sighed softly and ran up the stairs, her bare feet silent against the wood floor. Rogue’s voice fading as Ororo reached the second floor.
Heading down the hall, she ducked into her room. She grabbed the travel bag from out of her wardrobe, tossing in her gardening trousers and a plain blouse and gathered her messy hair, tying it into a low ponytail with a white scarf. Ororo glanced around her room, finding her deep blue cloak tossed across her neatly made bed. She threw it around her shoulders, hooking the silver lightning bolt shaped clasp, smoothing her white skirts after removing the apron she had been wearing while washing the dishes. Ororo dug out her money purse from underneath her mattress, tucking it into her skirt pocket before putting on stockings and boots.
She stood, glancing around the room one last time before grabbing her bag from the floor and leaving the room, heels clicking softly on the wooden floor boards. Turning down the hall, Ororo headed to her father’s study. Once inside, she headed over to his desk, pulling open the bottom drawer. Digging through the files and papers, Ororo found a small box with her name on it. Her father had once told her that something of her mothers was in this box, but she never found out what.
‘Perhaps it will aid me in this,’ Ororo thought putting the box in her bag and throwing the bag over her shoulder.
Leaving the desk without closing the drawer, Ororo went over to the window, opening it wide and calling her winds back to her, floating down to the ground. As soon as she landed, Ororo headed back to the kitchen to grab the leftover bread and a few pieces of fruit before heading back outside, closing the door softly. Calling her winds to her once more, Ororo rose to the skies, her cloak and skirts fluttering and flapping in the swirling wind as she spun herself higher, her eyes glowing brighter as lightning streaked through the clouds.
‘Goodbye, father.’
~Continue?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 8
“Merde, where dis storm come from?” Remy asked looking out one of the small windows in Logan’s cabin, right before another roar of thunder shook the wooden walls and rattled the glass. The flash of lightning was accompanied by waves of rain that threatened to drown anyone daring to step foot outside. The wind howled, ripping through the trees and caused branches to scrape across the roof.
“Dunno,” Logan replied, glancing up at the ceiling as thunder shook the walls once more. The storm had come out of nowhere and he had barely caught the change in the air before it started. He figured it would pass soon enough. Logan shook his head at Remy who was staring off in the direction of the village and went back to his search for supplies. After their short hike after escaping from the prison, Logan knew Remy would need something to help him get through the more difficult journey he knew was ahead of them.
“So, I guess dat wasn’t good news you ‘eard back dere.” Logan grunted, his eyes catching the spots of dried blood on his hands. “Did ya kill dem?”
Logan’s eyes narrowed as he glanced over his shoulder at Remy whose eyes were still gazing out into the storm. “I ain’t a murderer, kid.”
“Thought dat was why you were in dere, mon ami?” Remy asked turning to face Logan as another flash of lightning lit up the dark room. In the brief flash, Logan’s shadowy figure lit up; the unusual tufts of hair sticking up behind his ears created a unique animalistic outline while the lightning was reflected back in his dark eyes in a way that almost made Logan look inhuman. In a blink of an eye the light was gone and Logan’s profile returned to darkness.
“Yeah it was.” Logan felt Remy’s eyes starring into the back of his head as he turned back to his bag. He knew the kid was waiting for an explanation but he really didn’t feel like getting into it right now. He had enough on his mind. “I didn’t do it.” Logan said simply, making it clear in his tone that he wasn’t saying anymore on the matter.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ororo hovered in the midst of the dark storm clouds, letting the lightning tickle her fingertips before streaking across the sky and feeling the thunder rumble through her bones. Her long white hair was pulled free from her scarf, swirling around her in the howling wind as her cloak snapped and fluttered behind her, only partially held down by the strap of her bag.
Ororo’s glowing white eyes flashed as she looked down at what was her home far below her. She wondered if her father would tell her sisters what happened. She doubted it though. If the poor girl had a funeral then perhaps her father would let them know or at least he would tell Betsy.
Should she have told them herself? Would they have wanted to come with her? Or would they have tried to talk her out of this quest to track down those responsible? Ororo knew she had to do something to stop what was happening. She could not sit around while her father and Henry did their tests hoping to stumble across the right lead. Others could be killed.
With a small sigh Ororo turned her gaze toward the castle. She could not see it through her storm but she knew where it was. Something dark was affecting the kingdom. The men in the woods were speaking of plans, plans that involved murder. Ororo knew that couldn’t have been good. She flew through the clouds towards the next town, allowing the storm to work itself out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Come on, kid, we gotta get outta here,” Logan said, slinging the strap of the bag over his shoulder. He had changed out of the horrible clothes the prison had issued him into a loose fitting brown coarse linen shirt and a dark pair of trousers, trading in the uncomfortable prison shoes for his sturdy boots.
Remy simply nodded, checking his trench pocket for his bo-staff and playing cards before following Logan to the door. He wondered if they were headed towards the village where he had stumbled upon that young woman. He wouldn’t mind running into her again and having the chance to at least speak to her, but he doubted that she’d be out in the muddy conditions left behind by the sudden storm if they even headed that way.
He tried not to look too disappointed when Logan didn’t start off towards the village, but Logan caught the change anyway.
“What’s yer problem?”
“Nothin’, mon ami,” Remy replied, straightening the collar of his trench coat.
“Yer lyin’, kid, I can smell it on ya. Did ya want ta stick around and give Scooter a chance to catch up?”
“Non, Remy was jus’ thinkin’ ‘bout dis jolie fille ‘e saw back at de village.” Logan rolled his eyes and kept walking through the trees. “Did ya live out ‘ere alone?”
“Yeah.”
“No femme?”
“No.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
“But it’s not like you’re gettin’ any younger, mon ami.”
“I ain’t gettin’ any older either, kid. Not yet.” Logan glanced back at Remy, “Ain’t you a bit too young ta be thinkin’ about gettin’ married anyway?”
“Ain’t you a bit old to not be?”
Logan paused, “Are ya callin’ me an old maid?”
Remy snickered, “Your words, not mine, mon ami.”
“At least I’ve grown outta diapers, kid.”
“Remy ‘appen to be in ‘is twenties.”
“Good fer you.”
“An’ you ‘appen to be an ‘old maid’.”
“Kid, I ain’t talkin’ about my love life with ya and I ain’t that much older than you.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He spotted a slow moving figure near the edge of the woods. Cutting through the woods allowed him to get to the next village in less than half of the time it would’ve taken going along the path or taking the road.
Slowing down, he headed towards the figure, staying out of the moonlight to avoid being seen. With a small grin he watched the young woman walk past. His eyes ran over the black curls flowing over her shoulders and the dark skin of her bare arms. Her hands were holding up her skirts, keeping them away from the mud kicked up from the dark boots on her feet. From his position he couldn’t see her face, but it didn’t matter, he’d see it soon enough.
Watching her closely, he left the shadows, his thick soled boots almost silent as he walked, straightening the collar of his deep red shirt and running a hand through his naturally disheveled hair. He stood just out of the thin shadow of a tree just at the edge of the woods, placing another cigarette in the corner of his mouth as he leaned against the tree.
“Didn’t anybody ever tell you it’s dangerous in the woods?” He asked, pulling out a match as the young woman turned, dark eyes wide in surprise. With a grin, he struck the match, lighting his cigarette, keeping his eyes on her, tracing her features. She hadn’t responded and was slowly inching away from him. He was glad she seemed suspicious. He could have more fun that way.
“Hey now, a pretty girl like you shouldn’t be walking home alone,” He paused, blowing out a small cloud of smoke. “Like I said, it’s dangerous.” His grin widened into a friendly smile as she hesitated. “I’ll walk with you if you like.” He smirked around his cigarette when she slowly nodded, turning to glance into the woods. He quickly jogged over to her, winking as she smiled shyly up at him.
Taking another puff from his cigarette, he looped his thumb through his belt near his dagger sheath.
“You know,” the young woman started after they had walked a few feet in somewhat comfortable silence her voice quiet but rich in his ears, “those things will kill you.”
He wrapped his hand around the dagger, grinning around the burning paper and tobacco “I’m not worried.” He struck another match, watching her eyes dart to the flickering flame, “But maybe you should be.”
A/N: Continue? Anybody figure out who the killer is yet?
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 9
The golden pink rays of the early morning sun were just beginning to break over the horizon as Ororo touched down right outside of the town much larger than the place she left. She had taken her time flying the relatively short distance, using the time to think of the best ways possible to get to the castle and track down the killer. Ororo believed she had come up with a plan that would allow her to complete her task, but it was also possible that she would see things differently after a well deserved rest.
Ororo walked through the town’s arched entrance way, quickly managing to pull her messy hair into a somewhat neat braid, letting it drape over her shoulder as she pulled the dark hood of her cloak over her head. She tried to ignore the curious looks of the few townspeople who were emerging from their homes to begin the day’s work. Ororo kept her sky colored eyes to the ground, hoping that she wasn’t the subject of the hushed male voices she heard amongst the murmurs. All she wanted to do was find an inn and get some sleep.
Glancing around her, she could only spot plain white stone and wooden buildings which she assumed were homes. Letting out a frustrated sigh she continued in the direction she thought would take her to the center of town.
Just as she was considering taking to the air to get an aerial view a heavy hand gently grasped her shoulder.
“Miss?” A quiet, deep voice asked in a thick accent Ororo didn’t recognize, as she turned, a bit startled, to see a tall young man standing there wearing what seemed to be a miner’s uniform identical to the ones worn by other men she had passed in the town. “Are you alright?” His bright blue eyes stared down at her, reflecting the concern apparent in his voice.
“I seem to be a little lost,” Ororo admitted, feeling only a little foolish for not taking the time to survey the town before landing.
“Ah,” The young man replied, a friendly smile appearing on his lips replacing the concerned frown. “Is this your first visit to the town?” Ororo nodded. “Da, it can be a little confusing at first. Come, I’ll take you to town square. It will be easier for you to find your way around there.”
“That is not necessary, really,” Ororo started. “Directions would suffice.”
“Nhyet,” He replied, gently gripping her upper arm and leading her down the street. “We can’t have you getting lost again, now can we?”
“I’m Ororo.”
“Piotr,” He said, shyly smiling down at her, letting go of her arm, “Pleasure to meet you.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Are we dere yet?” Remy asked for about the fifteenth time in the last hour, adjusting the strap on his shoulder.
“Kid, if ya ask me that one more time I swear I’ll come back there and kick yer ass,” Logan growled, clenching his fists.
“Aw, mon ami, you like Remy, really,” Remy laughed, ignoring the warning. “But when we goin’ get dere? We been walkin’ all night.”
Logan didn’t reply and kept walking through the trees as if Remy hadn’t said a word. Remy grew quiet, following Logan as he glanced around the forest that looked no different than the other parts of the forest to him. A bunch of tall trees and bushes that tore at his trousers.
To Logan, this section of forest was much different than his home. There were many more evergreen trees here and the air had a completely different scent. The terrain was a little rougher, rockier. He could hear the faint sound of orders being shouted. He knew they were in mining country.
With a sigh, Remy pulled off a leaf from a low hanging tree branch as he passed by it. Turning it over in his fingers, he studied it before charging the thin green leaf and throwing it over his shoulder. After the soft pop of the leaf exploding, Logan looked back at Remy, raising an eyebrow. Remy shrugged, raising his hands as if he had nothing to do with the sound. Shaking his head, Logan turned back to the trees, increasing his pace. Remy then grabbed a handful of leaves, charging them all and quickly throwing the glowing foliage above his head. Logan growled when the leaves exploded this time.
“Somethin’ wrong, Logan?” Remy asked, jogging a little to catch up. When Logan didn’t respond, Remy glanced around his surroundings, humming to himself. Since Logan was facing away from him, Remy was unable to see Logan’s jaw clench.
“Are we dere yet?”
“Kid, I’m warnin’ ya…”
“Do you know where we’re goin’?”
“Will ya just…”
“Is it past dem trees? It can’t be much farther. We been walkin’ fo’ever.”
“Can it.”
Remy grew quiet, twirling a twig between his fingers and watching the sun starting to peek between the tree branches. Logan sighed, enjoying the silence.
“Logan, are we dere yet?”
*snikt*
Remy’s eyes darted to the blood covered sharp bones sticking out of Logan’s left hand.
“Where’d you get dem?”
“Kid…”
“Didn’t dat hurt?”
“I thought thieves were supposed ta be quiet.”
“Dey come out of de other hand too?”
Logan retracted his claws and reached up to rub his temples as Remy continued to ask him questions. Soon, accompanied by the sound of exploding leaves, they reached the edge of town just as a group of men dressed in miner’s uniforms were walking underneath the town archway. With a nod, Logan continued past them, heading directly towards the town square, Remy trailing behind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Glad you finally decided to join me,” Jean said, crossing her arms over her chest as the man she had been waiting a few hours for walked through the doors of the abandoned church.
He shrugged, closing the door and shutting out the mid-afternoon sunlight, “I decided to stop and have a little fun on the way.” He chuckled as she rolled her eyes.
“John, what am I going to do with you?” Jean asked shaking her head.
He smirked, eyeing her corset-like bodice, “I can think of a few things, sweetheart.”
“I wish I could say I’m flattered, Johnny, but unfortunately for you I’m not,” Jean replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “And unlike you…”
“You have to trick men, well one certain man, into sleeping with you.” Jean blinked, caught a little off guard by his comment. “Oh yes, I know all about your boy toy, Summers.” John took a few steps toward her. “Can’t catch a willing man without your tricks, Jeannie?” He taunted.
Jean glared as he chuckled again. “You think I’m afraid of you, Sorceress?” He saw flames beginning to lick her fingers and her eyes glow red. “Whaddya gonna do? Burn me?”
She clenched her flame covered hands and smiled as John rose a few feet off the stone floor as if an invisible hand clutched his throat.
“You be a good boy and listen to me and I won’t kill you.”
John’s eyes flashed as he pulled the flames away from Jean’s hand, forcing them to form a tight circle around the sorceress. Smiling wide, he made them grow, laughing as Jean attempted to control them. She dropped him to the ground, putting her focus on the flames, managing to push them away from her, only to see John had created a small flock of fire birds to attack her.
Pursing her lips, Jean focused a mental blast directly at the manic Pyro. Grunting John grasped his head, falling back onto the floor. Jean smiled as the flames dissipated and slowly walked over to the now writhing man.
“Now, this is what I want you to do…”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Come on, kid, it’s nearly dusk,” Logan said banging on the door to Remy’s room in the average sized inn. He heard some nonsense mumbling coming from beyond the door and he banged again. “Get the hell up! We gotta go!” Logan heard what sounded like a pillow hitting the door and he rolled his eyes. “I’m goin’ downstairs. Ya better be down there in fifteen minutes!”
Logan left the door, heading down to the small pub-like restaurant connected to the inn. It was dark and beginning to fill up with the miners who had finished their days work in the nearby mines. Logan took a seat at the only empty table furthest from the door. He glanced around the room, ordering a beer from the bubbly waitress who stood close and bent low to take his order, giving a clear view of her ample cleavage spilling out of her corset. He chuckled as she sent him a wink over her shoulder as she went to grab his drink.
After she brought him his beer and he paid, he blew the strong scent of her loud perfume out of his nose, taking a long swig of the room temperature drink. Logan sighed, leaning back into his chair, enjoying the humming murmur of the pub patrons. As he took another sip from his beer he caught a very out of place but equally familiar scent.
He tracked the source of the fresh scent almost exactly diagonal of him. She was sitting with one of the miners. He realized the streak of white he had seen was her hair, shocking white waves against the deep mahogany of her skin. Logan heard her laughter over the dull chatter of the crowd. He saw her leave the table a few minutes later and he stood following the scent of rain and flowers through the crowd, pushing his way through to the bar where she was standing.
She turned suddenly, nearly running right into him. Logan stared as her bright blue eyes blinked at him.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” She said, taking a step back. His eyes traced over her full lips as she spoke.
“Don’t worry about it, darlin’,” Logan sent her a grin. “No harm done.”
“Ororo.”
“What?”
She raised an eyebrow, “My name. It’s Ororo, not darlin’.”
“Logan.”
A/N: Continue?
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 10
When Remy sauntered downstairs twenty minutes after Logan left his door, he’d expected to hear Logan’s guff shout yelling for him to get a move on. Instead, he made it all the way down the stairs only hearing the chatter from the pub patrons. A few minutes later, he spotted Logan over the crowd, sitting at a table by himself. Remy managed to slip through the crowds “ snatching a coin purse or two on the way “ and reached Logan, who didn’t even seem to notice him approach. With an ungraceful plop, he settled in the chair to Logan’s left.
When the older man didn’t show any signs that he was aware that Remy had sat down, Remy reached forward to wave a hand in front of Logan’s face. He felt the tight grip around his wrist before his crimson eyes even registered that Logan had moved.
“Remy t’inks dat you’d make a pretty good t’ief wit reflexes like dat, mon ami.” Logan only grunted in response, dropping Remy’s arm. “We still in a mood den? Come on mon ami, cheer up.”
Logan glanced over at his chatty companion, almost wishing he’d go back to moping about the girl he saw in the village. Remy didn’t talk much then, well until he started trying to dig into Logan’s love life. He tuned out Remy’s voice and the voices of the other patrons, focusing on one voice in particular. She had gone back to sitting with the miner he saw her with before.
Ororo. Logan grinned to himself a little remembering their brief conversation.
He wondered what she was doing here and how she had made it here before them. Logan didn’t think she had anything to do with the royalty they both had been spying on. His eyes watched as her hand brushed her long white hair behind her ear, nodding at something the miner whispered to her.
Remy looked back and forth between Logan and the crowd, trying to figure out who had caught the older man’s attention. Finally, he spotted a young woman sitting across the room. Her chin was resting on her hand, while her long brown fingers tangled themselves in her snowy hair. She was sitting with a young miner who was sitting close to her. From Remy’s position, all he could see of him was the side of his face and his black hair. As the two continued to talk, Remy felt slight waves of jealousy coming from Logan as well as some of the other men in the close to them.
“Why not go say somet’in’ to ‘er, mon ami?”
“Already did, kid.”
“De fille turn you down?”
“She didn’t have a reason ta turn me down.”
“So we stayin’ ‘ere another day?”
“No, we’re leaving in a few.”
“But, Remy thought…”
“Ya thought wrong, kid,” Logan stood from his chair, grabbing the travel bag from the floor, forcing himself not to take another glance over at the white haired beauty. He didn’t have the time to waste over a girl he’d never see again. “Let’s go.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Piotr, I really should be leaving,” Ororo said rising from her wooden chair. “I have such a long journey ahead of me.” They had been talking since Piotr returned from the mines with the other miners a little while before sunset. Ororo was already seated in the small restaurant since Piotr mentioned when he left her at the inn that he would be in with the other miners and suggested that they meet for supper.
While she waited, she took in the feel of being in a new place and was surprised that she felt good being on her own. She had never gone further than the woods before, but luckily her father and Henry had taught her the geography of the kingdom. She was confident that she would not get lost getting to the castle. Getting lost within the towns was a different story. She would have to remember to aerially scope out the town before landing the next time.
“Da, ” Piotr replied, gently grasping Ororo’s wrist, “but you shouldn’t be traveling alone, Ororo, especially at night.”
Ororo looked down at Piotr’s concerned face, “Are you this protective with all lost people you come across?”
“Perhaps,” He smiled shyly at her as she returned to her seat. “Or maybe I would like to spend a little more time with you.”
“Are you flirting with me?” Ororo asked, raising an eyebrow, grinning slightly.
It was Piotr’s turn to stand from his seat/ “We should both should be getting some rest,” He said clearing his throat.
Ororo chuckled, also standing. “Alright, you talked me into staying one more night, but I must leave tomorrow morning.” Piotr nodded and walked around to her side of the table. They walked together through the now thinning crowd. Ororo looked back at the young man, she now considered a friend, even with their short time together. “You did not have to walk me to the stairs, Piotr.”
“Da, I know,” He smiled down at her, “but I could not be rude to my new friend.”
Ororo returned the smile. “Goodnight Piotr.”
“Goodnight, Ororo. I will see you tomorrow morning.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Remy t’inks it be time for a break.”
“We’ve only been walkin’ a couple o’ hours.”
“Exactement, perfect time for a break, no?”
Logan grunted and kept walking through the trees. He wanted to reach the next town by morning and they wouldn’t if they took breaks every couple hours as Remy suggested. Logan heard the younger man sigh behind him and rolled his eyes. They’d stop in another hour or so.
They had made it through the hilly mining country and had returned to flat land. The tree cover was gradually changing to include oak and maple within the patches of pine which dominated the hills. Logan’s sensitive ears and nose easily picked up the signs of the nocturnal critters, even before Remy’s loud complaining spooked them.
A few paces ahead a few field mice tore through a dense bush and Logan glanced up into the trees. Perched on a nearby branch an owl stared back, clicking its sharp beak, obviously annoyed that its dinner had run off. With a finally puff of its feathers it flew off to find quieter hunting grounds.
Once the owl flew off, Logan took a quick glance around their surroundings. He took a quick sniff, feeling as if something were out of place in the forest. Frowning, he stopped “ moving to the side so Remy wouldn’t plow into him again “ and peered between the trees, catching the movement of something a few yards off.
“What is it, mon ami?” When Logan didn’t answer, Remy stood still, staring off into the same general direction. Logan sniffed again. This time he caught something familiar. He recognized the scent just as an arrow lodged itself into the tree trunk inches away from his head.
“Funny,” Logan called, yanking the arrow out of the tree. “You won’t be needin’ ta blow anythin’ up, kid.” He said hearing the annoying buzzing he now recognized as Remy’s power.
“You comin’ out here or do I have ta come in there after you?”
Loud laughter came from within the trees, “Like you could find me, runt.”
“Could if I wanted ta, Creed,” Logan called back, crossing his arms over his chest, “but I’m havin’ trouble figurin’ out why anybody would want ta find yer sorry ass.”
“Maybe ‘cause I might be willin’ to be nice,” Creed replied appearing by the tree his arrow had struck. He was dressed in animal skins, mostly deer, with a few well placed leaves and twigs scattered along his cloak. A longbow was draped over his shoulder and the tan strap of quiver was visible over top of his darker toned clothing.
“Ya call shootin’ an arrow at us bein’ nice?”
Creed grinned, baring sharp canines, and leaning against the tree, shrugging. “Got your attention, didn’t it?” He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded in Remy’s direction, “Who’s this? An’ when’d you get out of prison anyway?”
“Couple o’ days ago, not that ya care.”
“Aw, is Logan pouting? I always said you were a sissy.”
“Kid, this is no good excuse for a huntsman is Victor Creed. Creed this is Remy.” Logan said, making the introductions. “An’ who you callin’ a sissy? You look like ya finally stopped runnin’ wild.”
“Marriage’ll do that.”
Logan laughed, “Yer jokin’. Who’d be crazy enough ta marry you?”
“I ain’t that crazy.”
“Well do we have ta stick around here talkin’ ta you all night or are ya goin’ take us ta meet this wife o’ yers?”
With a roll of his eyes, Victor led them through the trees to an average sized cottage only a couple miles from where they had been talking. It was a modest home that blended it well with the surrounding woods. As they approached, they saw that there was a glow from a candle coming from one of the front windows as if someone was waiting up. Once the small group broke the tree line, the glow moved from the window to other parts of the house. Soon brighter light was spilling out onto the ground.
Before they could reach the front door, it opened wide revealing a very pregnant young woman.
“Vic?” She asked one hand holding the candle up in an attempt to see further than the half circle of light spreading out from the doorway, her other hand resting on top of her large stomach. When the man in question raised his hand in a greeting a smile spread across her face and she started towards them.
“Hey, where do you think you’re goin’?” Victor replied, leaving the other two and rushing over to her.
“To meet your friends,” She replied, swatting his hands away when he attempted to steer her back to the house.
He ignored her swatting hands and grabbed her shoulders, turning her back to the house. “Like these pansies are my friends,” Victor replied with a slight laugh.
“See talk like that is why my mother didn’t believe me when I told her you’re really a nice guy.”
Victor rolled his eyes as Logan hid a laugh behind his hand as he and Remy followed the couple back to the house.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me?”
“Yup,” Victor replied, leading her into the house. He took the candle from her and pointed over to a nearby chair. Instead of sitting like he wanted her to, she rolled her eyes at him and turned to the other two, smiling brightly, ignoring the growl that earned her. Victor pointed over her shoulder at Logan, “That’s the runt,” He paused and pointed at Remy, “and the runt’s sidekick.”
She shook her head, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes again, still smiling. “Hi, I’m Stephanie “ or Steph if you prefer.” Logan and Remy introduced themselves “ Remy daring to kiss her hand getting a blush from Stephanie and a snarl from Victor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Scott was pacing within his office.
He couldn’t believe what was waiting for him when he returned to the prison after… well he couldn’t really remember anything between leaving mid afternoon and waking up in his bed with no recollection of how he got there. During that time two of his prisoners had escaped. From maximum security no less. The cell door looked like it had been blown up, but Scott had people working to repair the door.
Scott continued to pace. He knew he had to send his top guards after the two inmates. He was sure they would be able to at least recapture Mr. LeBeau and possibly Logan, if they were separate. But what if they decided to travel together? And Scott had no idea where they could be headed, but he had a stack of notices ready to be delivered to every town and village within a thirty mile radius of the prison.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Scott paused, glancing over at the door wondering who it was. Before he could ask or shout for the person to enter, a young man opened the door, scroll in hand. Ignoring the surprised and slightly offended look on Scott’s face, the young man walked in, closing the door behind him before heading over to Scott’s desk, not bothering to salute.
“Can I help you with something?” Scott asked, raising his eyebrow and crossing his arms as the young man unrolled the scroll and spread it out over Scott’s desk.
The young man looked up from the scroll at Scott and shrugged. “I doubt it, but I’m sure I can help you.”
Scott frowned, “And what do you think you can help me with? Who are you anyway?”
“I believe I have figured out a way to catch those inmates that escaped a couple days ago.”
“Sure you have,” Scott replied, rolling his eyes behind his glasses and walking over to the young man who had invaded his office. “And who are you?”
“Lance,” He replied. “Or Prince Laurence if you prefer,” he added running a hand through his already messy blonde hair, shrugging again. “But honestly, the prince thing is a bit overrated. It got dull after a few years.” Lance returned his attention back to the map he had unrolled and ignoring the surprised expression on Scott’s face, “So I came here, not that much better really, but it’s something I guess. Anyway, here’s what you need to do..”
~A/N: Continue? And yes I did write Steph and my bf into the story in the same chapter lol
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 11
“It can’t be that simple,” Scott said, starring down at the map with a frown. The plans that had been laid out with a series of pins and notes scribbled across the map didn’t seem to be enough to capture two convicts.
“Oh, but it is,” Lance replied, leaning back in Scott’s chair and lifting his feet to rest on Scott’s desk, a lazy grin forming on his lips.
“And if they’re traveling separately?” Scott questioned, eyes darting to the young man’s feet, frown deepening.
“They wouldn’t take that chance.”
“How do I know you are who you say you are?”
“Do I have a reason to lie?” Lance stood, straightening his un-tucked, olive toned shirt. “Just do as I suggested and you’ll have your prisoners back,” He added, heading out of the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The sun broke over the horizon, covering the land in warm golden light. It spilled through the thin curtains covering Ororo’s room in the inn, gently caressing her face as she slept. She stirred, eyelids fluttering open as she stretched underneath the warm blanket. Reluctantly, she left the bed and headed over to the window, spreading the thin curtains and looking out of her window, eyes gazing over the white stone of the buildings. She felt she could easily stand at the window for hours watching the mining town come alive. Instead she forced herself away from the window and the warm sunlight streaming through the glass.
Ororo quickly changed out of her blouse-turned nightshirt, changing back into her white dress and boots. Once she was dressed, she tugged her hair back into a ponytail and glanced around the room to make sure she had all of her things packed away. Satisfied, she grabbed her cloak off of the bed post and adjusted the strap of her bag to fit more comfortably across her shoulders, heading out the door.
Once downstairs, she spotted Piotr speaking with an older woman behind the bar with graying hair piled on top of her head in a mess of shiny curls. Ororo recognized her as the owner of the small inn, Melinda. Ororo smiled as she looked away from Piotr, waving cheerfully. Piotr, alerted by Melinda’s waving, turned from the bar to face Ororo who had started towards the bar.
“Good morning, Ororo,” He greeted, smiling down at her.
“Good morning, Piotr,” Ororo replied, smiling and turning to the other woman. “Good morning, Miss Melinda.”
“G’mornin’, Miss ‘Ro,” The older woman returned the smile, eyeing Ororo’s bag. “So you’re really leaving us today? Piotr here says you’ve got a journey ahead of ya, but I’ll sure be sorry to see ya go.”
“Yes, Miss Melinda, I should have really been on my way last night, but someone,” She sent a glance in Piotr’s direction, “convinced me to stay one more night.”
“Your traveling party knows to meet you today then?”
Ororo shook her head, “I am traveling alone.”
“Alone? A young thing like you?” It was Melinda’s turn to shake her head, tsking softly. “I have half a mind to send you right back upstairs or send Piotr here along with ya.”
“Really, Miss Melinda, that is not necessary. I am quite capable of taking care of myself.”
“Uh huh, I still think you’d be better off stickin’ ‘round here until we can find someone to look after ya.”
Ororo shook her head and dug into her skirt pocket to retrieve her coin purse. “Now, how much do I owe you?”
Melinda waved Ororo hands away as she attempted to hand her a few silver pieces to pay for her stay, “You don’t owe me a thing. I managed to grow quite fond of you girl, even though you were only here for a short time. You be sure to send word back to me when you get a chance, so I know you’re safe and sound.” Melinda glanced over at Piotr, “And I’m sure Piotr will want to make sure you’re okay.” She grinned at the slight blush that rose on his cheeks.
He cleared his throat, reaching for Ororo’s arm. “Come, Ororo, I’ll see you to the town gates.”
Melinda shook her head after them, still grinning. She saw the glitter of something out of the corner of her eye as the door closed. Sitting on the counter where Ororo had been leaning was one gold coin. Melinda laughed, “That little imp!”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Are you sure you want to go on your own, Ororo?” Piotr asked once they reached the gates.
She tightened her grip on her bag, “Yes.” Ororo looked up into his concerned face and smiled, “I will be fine. Do not worry. I promise to send word of where I am if that will help.”
He smiled and nodded, “Da, but it is a long trip. Perhaps Melinda was right; we should find you some way so you won’t be traveling on foot.”
Ororo grinned up at him, reaching up and placing her free hand on his cheek, “Who said anything about walking?” Before he could ask what she meant, her eyes swirled white and she called the winds to her. Piotr stared down at her in awe as the winds wrapped themselves around her once she moved a few steps away from him. Ororo waved, smiling down at him as the winds lifted her, her eyes beginning to glow.
“Thank you for everything, Piotr,” She shouted over her winds. “You will hear from me soon, I promise.” He raised a hand in a gesture of farewell, watching as she rose higher before flying off towards the forest.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jean stood in the center of one of the many abandoned towers littered across the kingdom. This one was a particular favorite of hers as it was hidden deep within what was once a forest. Some time ago the forest had flooded, turning the area into a large swamp overrun with vines, moss and many variations of highly poisonous but unmistakably gorgeous flowers. She thought the flowers suited her: beautiful but deadly.
Another aspect of the tower Jean loved was its extremely limited access. No one could reach it unless they were able to fly and managed to see the tower hidden beneath its shield of vines. She also thought the vivid green glow that surrounded the area complimented her well.
Looking away from the shattered stained glass window, Jean turned her attention to the circle of broken and irregularly shaped crystals she had arranged on a small, round blood wood table. As she stared at them, the crystals began to glow a dull and rusty pink.
‘Good, they’re ready,’ She thought, heading towards the small, barred room that had been added to the rear of the tower, her heavy black skirts dragging along the stone floor. Peering between the rusty bars she smiled as the young girl huddled as far away from the bars as she could get. Her grey eyes were bloodshot as she stared up at Jean, eyes filling with tears. She tugged at the chains, attached to her wrists and ankles as if willing them to break and set her free. Jean chuckled as the girl whimpered through the dingy white rag that gagged her.
“Would you like me to take you out of there?” Jean asked, leaning down to be eye level with the bound girl. She smiled as the girl nodded, frantically, and tugging harder at the chains causing a dull rattle to echo through the small prison cell. “Okay, I think that would be alright.”
Jean stood up straight, brushing her fiery waves behind her shoulders and waved her hand towards the bars. The bars rose, ancient metal groaning in protest. She then clenched her fist, causing the chains to break from their bindings and wrap tightly around the girl, pinning her arms to her side.
She laughed as the girl began to struggle against them, waving her hand towards her, using her powers to drag the girl from the cell. Jean walked back to the table, enjoying the sound of the girl’s bare legs scraping against the rough stone floor. She ignored the girl’s sobs, peering down at her crystals, looking for one in particular.
Her green eyes found the jagged rock and she carefully pulled it away from the others. Smiling back at the girl, she pulled her closer, forcing her upright, feet hovering inches from the ground. Jean watched as the girl’s grey eyes pleaded with her and shook her head, forcing her to bend over the table. She moved to stand next to the girl, her delicate fingers gripping the girl’s dark hair and yanking her head back.
“Be proud that your life will bring me closer to what is rightfully mine,” Jean whispered against the girl’s ear, pressing the sharp points of the crystal up against the girl’s throat. With a sharp flick of her wrist, Jean dug the point deep within the girl’s pale flesh, grinning as the girl’s muffled scream echoed in her ears.
Dragging the crystal across the girl’s neck, she smiled wider as the scream was cut short and the thick, warm blood oozed down her fingers and dripped onto the table. Jean watched as the small circle of table created by the crystals soon covered with the dark liquid, licking her lips as it flowed between the crystals and dripped slowly to the floor, staining the stones.
She dropped the girl to the floor as she went limp, smiling as the crystals glowed brighter and the blood began to swirl between them.
‘You won’t be safe for long…’
A/N: Continue?
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 12
“Well that was a complete waste of time,” Warren said stretching out his wings as they left the main hall of the castle they were staying in. Erik rolled his eyes at the prince and chose not to respond to his complaints. “Really Erik, why are we still here?”
Erik turned down the hall that led to their separate suites. “We are still here because our meeting is not over, so it would be for the best if you stop complaining about every little detail.” They had reached Erik’s room and he moved away from the younger man, grateful that his room was first. “Now, go get some rest.” Before Warren could say anything more, Erik disappeared behind the door.
With a roll of his blue eyes, Warren continued down the hall on his own, grumbling to himself. He went inside his own room. Ruffling his feathers, he glanced around his room in disgust. He really couldn’t stand this place. Everything from the kingdom’s horrid national colors to the set up of his quarters annoyed him.
Today he had suffered through another boring discussion concerning inter-kingdom relations. The previous days had been slightly more interesting, especially with the introduction of the kingdom’s princess, Helena. But still, he could honestly say many of the common women from his kingdom were much prettier than the princess and the courtiers.
That wasn’t to say the princess was ugly, she just wasn’t as beautiful as everyone proclaimed. She also seemed to giggle every time she glanced in his direction. Warren couldn’t understand what she found so amusing.
With a frustrated sigh he stretched his wings to their fullest, crossing his arms over his chest. All this politeness was getting old.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ororo touched down just outside of the next town’s gate a little after noon. She had remembered to take a quick survey of the layout this time, so she knew right where to go to reach town square. As she walked underneath the large archway, she pulled her cloak hood over her bright white hair and adjusted the strap of her bag.
While she walked toward the square, she looked at the buildings. They were all made of a deep red stone, much different than from the white buildings she had been surrounded by in the last town. The buildings were also spaced further apart. The bricks lining the road were a much lighter shade of red. With the sun shining down, the town seemed to give off a rusty glow.
There seemed to be more businesses in this town, ranging from the normal bakeries and grocers to various art shops and street vendors. Many called out to her as she passed by, but Ororo merely gave them a small smile as she continued on.
She would check in to the inn and then afterwards she would explore.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Kid, would you hurry up?” Logan said, looking back at Remy. He couldn’t see why Remy felt the need to stop at every female vendor they passed by. Every young female vendor anyway.
Remy rolled his unique colored eyes and turned back to the brunette he had been talking to. He took her hand and kissed it, grinning up at her, “Remy is glad to meet you, chère, but ‘e needs to be getin’ on ‘is way now. Mebe ‘e’ll see you around.” He sent her a wink as giggled.
“KID!”
“Remy t’inks you should be mo’ patient, mon ami.” Remy said, easily catching up to Logan. “We ‘ave plenty of time.”
“Before Summers’ guards track us down?”
“Are you always dis negative?”
“Yes,” Logan said turning into the red brick inn. Remy just shook his hand and followed the older man inside.
“We could at least take a look around dis town,” Remy suggested, looking around the lobby of the small inn. It was much larger than the last place, but the staff seemed a bit more distant. Various shades of red decorated the area. Even the staff’s uniforms were a deep rusty red.
Logan sighed, “Will that shut you up?”
“Oui, fo’ now.”
“Fine, go,” Logan said, raising a hand in dismissal as he walked over to the desk. “We’re still leavin’ tonight, so be ready ta go.” He heard the bag that Remy had been carrying drop to the floor before the sound of his almost skipping footsteps went back out the door. Logan shook his head and went back to grab the bag Remy had left on the floor. As he stood up, he caught the scent of someone he thought he’d never see again. Turning towards the staircase he saw the white haired beauty, slowly ease down the stairs, one slim hand holding up her white skirts so they wouldn’t get in the way.
‘What is she doin’ here?’ Logan thought, walking back toward the desk before Ororo reached the bottom of the stairs. He didn’t think she was involved in this but maybe he was wrong. He’d have to keep an eye on her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ororo could not believe how different things in this town were compared to her home and even the mining town she had just left. People crowded the streets in the early afternoon sun, bartering with craftsmen and merchants over the price of goods while carriages and carts pulled by horses and mules nosily made their way.
As she made her way through the town she tried to ignore the nagging feeling that someone was watching her. She had felt that way since she had left the inn. Ororo had begun to get used to the stares after spending the day in mining town. These places were not like her hometown and they were not used to her looks. Although she had seen some unique people wandering around through the crowd, she figured the townspeople were used to their people but not outsiders.
A few minutes later, she spotted a mail service and decided she had better send word back to Piotr and Melinda and perhaps she should let her family know she was alright.
Dear Miss Melinda and Piotr,
I am writing this at one of the tables in the mail service building to let you both know that I reached the next town safely. Do not worry, I will spend the night here and leave first thing tomorrow morning. Once there I will be sure to send word. I hope things are well with both of you.
Ororo signed the note before addressing it and moving it to the side. She wished she had more to tell, but she had no exciting news to share. Perhaps in the next town something more interesting would happen. She pulled out another piece of parchment and twirled the quill between her fingers.
Dear Father and beloved sisters,
Ororo stared down at the rest of the blank parchment, unsure of what she could say. Should she apologize for leaving? She shook her head at that thought. Ororo knew she had done nothing wrong. She didn’t feel she should explain what she was doing, or why she felt she had to leave. What could she say?
Do not worry. I am fine.
With that, she folded the paper without signing it. ‘That was enough,’ She thought, picking up her letters and walking over to the service counter. He took down the information he needed for the letters to be mailed and Ororo paid the small fee. Once he assured her that the letters would reach their destination within a day or two, she walked out the door only to bump into someone right outside.
“Oh, excuse me.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Logan grinned, turning to face her. “We gotta stop bumpin’ into each other like this, darlin’.”
Ororo raised a snowy eyebrow, “I believe I told you my name is not ‘darlin’’.”
“Yeah, ya did, Ororo, but I didn’t think I’d be seein’ ya again so soon.”
“If I were the type to feel paranoid then I would believe you were following me, Logan.”
“An’ if I didn’t know better I’d think yer the one followin’ me, ‘Ro.” He chuckled at the surprised look on her face at the shortened version of her name.
“Perhaps,” She started, walking down the street forcing Logan to follow her, “we merely have the same destination.”
“How ‘bout we talk about that over a late lunch?”
“I was only joking.”
Logan shrugged, “If we are headed ta the same place we might as well head there together. It’d sure save us fro havin’ ta bump into each other.”
Ororo seemed to think this over, “You know, Logan, I may have to take you up on that offer.”
A/N: Continue?
Chapter 13
“I hafta say, I wasn’t expectin’ ta run into you again, Ororo,” Logan said reaching forward and grabbing his mug from the table. Ororo didn’t respond right away, but instead took another look around the small pub Logan had found.
The dark wood that made up the walls made the place seem much darker even with the bright sunlight streaming in from the large front window. Or perhaps it was just Logan’s table choice against the back wall, furthest from the door and window. Dusty alcohol bottles lined the shelves behind the bar counter which was lined with equally dusty mugs. As drink orders were placed, the barmaid grabbed one of the mugs, quickly wiping it down before filling the order. There were only a few other people filling the scattered tables and mismatched chairs, most sitting close to the window and one seated at the counter.
Ororo turned back to Logan, pushing her hair back behind her ear, “I cannot say that I was planning on meeting you again. Although,” She rested her chin on her hand, “I cannot pretend that I am disappointed that our paths have crossed once more.”
Logan looked across the table, eyes tracing her face before meeting her bright blue eyes. “Never said anythin’ about bein’ disappointed, darlin’.” Ororo smiled a littler to herself, before turning her attention back to the front window. “Yer travelin’ party must be pretty quick.”
She glanced back at Logan, raising one snowy eyebrow, “Why is that?”
“Well I left last night,” Logan started, putting his mug back on the table. “You had to have left sometime this mornin’ but ya got here before noon. Unless you left right at the crack o’ dawn, those horses must be pretty quick to get you here before me.”
“Who said I got here by horses?” Ororo asked with a chuckle.
“Never heard of a walkin’ travelin’ party an’ that would’ve taken ya longer ta get here.”
Ororo laughed, “Logan, I am traveling alone.”
“Yer what? I couldn’t ’ve heard that right.”
“You did.”
“A pretty girl like you walkin’ from town to town doesn’t seem smart.” Logan said crossing his arms over his chest. “There’s all sorts o’ characters out there just waitin’ fer someone like you ta come along.”
“I am perfectly capable of protecting myself.”
“Uh huh.”
“I arrived here just fine didn’t I?”
“Bein’ lucky ain’t the same thing as bein’ safe, ‘Ro.” He grinned as she rolled her eyes. “So where ya headed?”
“I am on my way to the Royal City, and you?”
“I’m headed that way myself.” Logan watched as she took a hesitant sip from her mug. “How ‘bout we go together?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Warren, are you ready yet?” Erik asked, impatiently knocking on the door to Warren’s suite. The door opened and Warren was standing there with a smirk.
“Of course I am, Erik. I have been ready to leave this place since we arrived.”
Erik rolled his eyes and headed toward the main staircase to leave the castle. Warren followed quickly. They passed by their hosts, politely saying farewell as they passed through the main foyer. Erik would miss this place. Here he had other people to talk to than the spoiled prince and the vain sorceress. Perhaps he would return here after the prince’s coronation. He had no reason to stay to advise the prince. Warren would not listen to anyone but himself.
Warren nearly ran out of the castle. He couldn’t wait to get back to his castle and his kingdom. He never had to return to this place. If there had to be another royal conference, they would be meeting in his kingdom. Dealing with this would be bearable if he could be comfortable. Not that he wanted to ever deal with this again.
Once outside, Warren spread his wings, glad for the opportunity to stretch a bit before the long journey home. He was tempted to fly home, but he was sure that Erik would disapprove. Of course that only made the temptation that much greater, but instead he stepped into his carriage, taking one final glance around the grounds. Erik followed suit, stepping instead, and waving goodbye as the carriage door closed.
He turned to see Warren staring out the opposite window, ignoring the shouts wishing them a safe journey and invitations to visit again.
“Warren you could at least wave goodbye and pretend you enjoyed the time here,” Erik said with a sigh.
“Why bother? You did enough sucking up for the entire kingdom. There is no point in me taking a second of that task away from you.”
Erik rubbed his temples slowly as the carriage started to move. This was going to be a long trip.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Night had fallen in the kingdom, closing the shops and filing all of the pubs. A young miner sat at his desk and by the light of one flickering candle, began to sketch the figure of a young woman dancing in the sky, wondering if she was safe. As his charcoal glided over the smooth paper, details appeared.
Her skirts twirling in the wind, her hair whipping around her face framing the curve of her jaw as she smiled.
He hoped he would hear from her soon.
Miles away from the young miner, a father and his two adopted daughters sat down for their evening meal. The youngest pushed her food around her plate with her fork, picking up the occasional morsel to her mouth, chewing slowly while the oldest glanced at the chair across from her every few minutes as if expecting someone to appear in the empty space. The father hadn’t touched his plate, but instead sat with fingers interlaced staring out the nearby window into the forest as though looking for answers within the tall trees.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Erik, did you hear something?” Warren asked staring out the window at the dark trees speeding past in a blur.
“No,” Erik replied shortly.
“Are you sure you didn’t hear a thump?”
“Yes, Warren, I’m sure I did not hear a thump.” Erik raised an eyebrow as the prince pressed his ear against the glass.
“There! There it goes again!”
“Warren, I’m sure it’s just the carriage driving over some rocks. There’s nothing to…” Erik trailed off as something hit against the front carriage wall behind his head followed by a loud thump from the ground. As the two royals looked at each other in confusion, the carriage sped up.
“Erik, I think something is wrong.” Warren said quietly, moving away from the window.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Warren. They’ve probably just spotted a storm headed towards us.”
Just as Erik finished the carriage jerked violently, knocking the crowns off both of their heads and began to slow down.
“Do you smell something… burning?” Warren asked, looking around the carriage.
Erik saw thick black smoke rising up around his window and felt the bottom of his feet getting hot. “Warren, get out of the carriage.”
“What? Are you insane old man? We’re moving!”
“Now, Warren!” Erik shouted, pushing the prince against the door. Warren and Erik both tumbled out of the burning carriage onto the hard ground below in a heap, getting the wind knocked out of them. The stood up, shaking the dirt and leaves from their clothes while watching their flaming carriage slow to a stop leaving bits of fiery wood in its wake.
“Well, hello,” An amused voice said from behind them. Erik and Warren both turned to see a tall figure standing a few feet in front of them, grinning around the cigarette in his mouth.
Warren squinted at the figure, recognizing something about the man’s stance. “You!” He shouted realizing who the man was. “What is the meaning of this? I told you I would contact you if we needed your services again.”
John chuckled, pulling out his dagger, “Who said I was workin’ for you?”
Erik’s eyes narrowed, “Jean!”
“Aren’t you a smart one?” John smirked, twirling his dagger in his hand. “Guess I’d better get rid of you first then, huh?”
“Warren let’s get out of here,” Erik said as John took a step closer. Warren spread his wings, quickly taking to the sky as Erik pulled as much magnetic field to him to force himself up. Or at least he tried to. When nothing happened, he stared down at his hands in shock.
John laughed, tossing his blade into the air as the old man tried again. “A little going away gift from Jeannie,’ He waited until Erik looked up at him. “She did a little voodoo and snatched those amazing powers of yours. Nice of her wasn’t it?”
Erik frowned, looking up to the sky. Warren wouldn’t notice he wasn’t with him until it was too late. “Yes. She really shouldn’t have.”
John shrugged, flicking the butt of his cigarette away and throwing the dagger right into Erik’s chest, cleaning his front teeth with his pinky nail as the old man dropped to his knees. Taking a few long strides, he reached the fallen man, yanking out the blade with a flick of his wrist.
“Nothing personal,” John muttered as Erik fell back, clutching the fatal wound. Whistling, John cleaned off his blade before putting it away; ignoring the older man’s dying gasps.
“Here birdie,” John called, walking in the direction Warren flew off in. As he passed by the still burning carriage, he saw a large shadow pass over the ground. Smiling wickedly to himself, John pulled a small fireball from the flames around him. Forcing it to triple in size, he threw it up through the trees, sending another flying through the leaves right after. Moments later he heard a male voice screaming and loud crashing through the tree branches in the distance.
Still smiling, John lit another cigarette, disappearing back into the forest.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“What we waitin’ fo’ Logan?” Remy asked as Logan stopped by the main gates, looking back into the town. “Thought you said we were leavin’ tonight?”
“We are kid.”
“Then what we waitin’ fo?” Instead of replying, Logan pointed back into town at the cloaked figure heading towards them. “Who’s dat?” Logan rolled his eyes and headed towards the figure, with Remy following behind. As they got close, she pulled off her hood, revealing her face and cloud colored hair.
“Almost thought ya weren’t gonna show, darlin’.”
She smiled, “I considered it, but then decided that would be very rude of me.” She glanced back at Remy who was looking back and forth between herself and Logan. “Logan did not tell me he was traveling with a friend.” She extended her hand. “I’m Ororo, and you are?”
“Dat makes two of us, chère.” He took her hand and kissed it, grinning up at her as she chuckled, “Remy LeBeau.”
A/N: Continue?
Chapter 14
“SUMMERS!” A loud shout echoed down the hall causing Scott to look up from the map spread out on his desk. As the call was repeated, he put down his parchment and quill before standing. He had been finishing up a list, separating his top guards into teams to go after the escaped convicts.
One of his guards burst through the door, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. “King… Forest… Dead,” the man managed to get out. Scott raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent waiting for the man to explain. Moments later, the man stood up straight, saluting quickly. “Sir, I was patrolling the forest just beyond the prison grounds after civilians reported that they heard loud screams and other unusual sounds coming from within the woods.” The guard paused as Scott nodded. “I was expecting to find something between the trees, but the incident occurred on the carriage path. The King Erik’s body was there a few feet away from the burned remains of the Royal Carriage. There was no sign of the prince. I ran here to report in.”
Frowning, Scott turned to the window behind his desk looking over the surrounding forest. The guard stayed in the doorway, waiting for orders. Scott knew he would have to examine the scene for himself before sending word to Raven and the castle.
‘Go get the other senior guards,’ Scott ordered not bothering to face the other man. “Tell them to meet me at the front gate in ten minutes with the cart.”
“Yes sir,” The other man said before turning to carry out his orders.
Sighing, Scott gathered the things he would need down at the scene. He would have to talk to the closest scientist once the body or bodies were recovered. Scott had heard that bad things come in threes. He sincerely hoped that this was the final misfortune and the good things were around the corner.
A few minutes later, Scott was walking down the corridor and heading towards the front doors. As he walked through the front doors he saw that his top guards were already outside waiting for him. They were lined up perfectly and stood at attention. Scott nearly smiled as his eyes raked over them from behind his ruby glasses.
“Well men, we have a big task ahead of us. In the forest surrounding the prison, there may have been a double murder. We need to find as many clues as possible in order to find out what happened and why. Now, let’s move out people.” The men saluted and turned on a dime, marching toward the forest path. The last man lead one large black horse harnessed to large wooden cart. Scott walked up to the front, marching beside the led man.
Soon the team was walking through the trees, their heavy boots snapping fallen twigs causing the birds to scatter. The tree cover was still quite thin so Scott was not worried about the cart becoming stuck. He also knew the path would be coming up soon, so he would not need to worry about the denser areas of forest nearby. As they walked, Scott thought about everything the guard had told him and tried to imagine what the area would look like when they arrived. From what he knew, the place should be relatively neat for a murder scene. Confident that his team would be able to find enough clues to lead them to the killer, he led them through the break in the trees to the path.
He stood at the tree line and watched as his team continued on; making sure that the cart wheels did not get tangled in the bush. Scott then moved back to the front of the team. As the rounded the curve in the path, Scott paused. In front of him was a scene much different than the one he imagined.
Four bodies lay twisted and broken leading up to a blackened heap at least half a mile from where Scott stood. He led his team to the first body. The man was in the official uniform of the carriage Royal Carriage drivers. The usually crisp white “ although it appeared to be pink to Scott “ shirt was rumbled and stained with dirt and blood and the light blue “ light purple to Scott “ roped trim had been ripped off, only hanging onto the shirt by threads. The man’s body lay twisted as if he had been pushed from a height. Carefully, Scott flipped the man over and saw the jagged slash across the man’s throat.
Standing he stood, nodding to his team. Three guards moved to the man, kneeling down to begin examining the body. Scott watched them work for a moment, and then continued passing another body which was in the same position as the first. He reached the next body with the rest of the team “ excluding the one controlling the horse and cart “ following behind. This man was almost in the same condition as the first, only it seemed as if he had been run over by the carriage. Scott crouched down, closing the man’s open eyes. Again, Scott nodding and three guards began examining the body, careful not to break anything else.
With the last three guards, Scott made his way to the last body. He knew this was not a member of the Royal Carriage drivers. He could see the richness of the man’s clothing even from a distance. He stopped a few feet from the body and looked around. In front of him a man laid face down, the ground around him dark. His eyes were wide open, staring off to left, into the trees. His arms were pinned underneath him and his clothing and hair were rumbled as if he had struggled before his death.
Frowning, Scott knelt down and turned the king’s body over. His arms fell limply and Scott saw that his hands were covered in blood. Pulling a thick scrap of cloth from his pocket, Scott pressed it into the dark spot on the king’s chest, cleaning some of the blood away so he could see the wound. This wound was much different that the others. Instead of the jagged lines, this was a neat stab wound to the heart.
As he stood, he noticed the footprints leading to the wreckage. Scott followed them, careful not to stand to close and soon stood at the carriage remains. The footprints then lead off to the left, disappearing into the trees. Swearing to himself, he stared into what was left of the carriage. As he started to head back to his guard, he spotted something a few feet away. Stepping over the footprints, he walked over. Frowning, Scott picked up the handful of badly singed feathers, staring off in the distance.
“Thomas!” Scott shouted. A guard was soon by his side.
“Sir?”
“Send word to the Governess and the Castle,” Scott said, closing his fist around the feathers. “Tell them King Erik and Prince Warren are dead.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jean smiled as she re-read the letter from the prison. Her plans seemed to be going well. She didn’t even mind that John hadn’t reported back to her right after completing his task. Jean traced Scott’s signature with her fingertips, almost giggling. Her eyes darted up to the door as the handle turned. Grabbing her handkerchief from the nearby table she held it to her face, sniffling and hunching her shoulders. One of her maids peeked around the door.
“Milady?”
“Yes?” Jean answered quietly, keeping her eyes on the parchment, forcing her eyes to tear up.
“The people have been told to gather underneath the balcony in thirty minutes, milady. Would you like me to send for someone to make the announcement now?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I can do it myself. The people need to see that we will be strong during this tragedy.”
“Yes, milady,” the maid said and with a bow she left. Jean laughed behind her hand, standing from the couch. With a grin she nearly skipped to her closet, throwing open the doors. She ran her hands over her new gowns, trying to decide which she would wear for her announcement. She stopped on the one made of black silk. She fingered the long lace sleeves.
‘Christina, bring my ladies’ maids.’
Minutes later, three maids walked through the door, keeping their eyes to the ground.
“I am wearing this,” Jean said, pulling out the black gown. “Get my things.” She watched as they fussed about. One gathered all her undergarments and shoes, while other two set out brushes, hair clips, makeup and perfumes. After pulling off her dressing gown, Jean stepped into her underclothes. With some help, she got into her gown, pulling her hair over her shoulder as one of her maids began tightening the lacings of her corseted bodice. Once she finished, Jean sat at her vanity, straightening the long skirts around her legs. She watched as her maids busied themselves by fixing her hair into a thick braided bun, held with sparkling clips and carefully applying her makeup.
Once they were finished, Jean stood, stepping into her black heels before heading towards the doors. Workers were changing the drapery along the halls from Warren’s choice of sky blue silks to beautiful, deep emerald shades. Vases and floral arrangements were also being changed to match the new color scheme. The servants stopped working as she passed, bowing their heads briefly, not that Jean paid them any mind.
As she neared the doorway to the main balcony, she looked up at the larger than life size portraits of Warren and Erik. She saw that black cloth had been draped around each painting. Frowning, Jean made a mental note to have those paintings removed and a larger one of herself put in their place.
She cleared her throat, and two servants rushed over, opening both doors for her. Jean straightened her lace sleeves and folded her hands in front of her as she walked to the railing. Most of the city had come out to hear the announcement. Dull murmurs from the crowd reached Jean’s ears. She watched as more and more faces turned up towards her, silence falling over them.
“Almost one week ago, His Majesty King Erik and His Royal Highness Prince Warren set off for a visit to our neighboring kingdom. Their journey allowed them a chance for a few special visits to towns along the way. They were due to arrive back to the castle this very afternoon.” Jean paused and sighed. “Unfortunately, on their journey home, they were murdered by an unknown person or persons in the woods between the kingdoms.” She paused once more as the crowd broke out in panicked murmurs.
Wincing slightly, Jean closed her mind against the outburst of worried thoughts. “The Elite Prison Guards are currently searching the woods and surrounding towns. Soon prison guards will be stationed in every town to protect the citizens. However, since the true heir to the throne has no other living relatives, the royal line has died out. In the midst of this tragedy I am prepared to take the throne.” As she spoke, the Royal Council joined her on the balcony, the oldest member carrying a gleaming crown on a pillow. Jean took the crown from him and placed it on top of her head. “Any news will be posted around the city.”
Jean turned away from the crowd, walking back into the castle. Lifting her skirts, she went down a nearby stairway, heading towards her private rooms. She reached out to the heavy wooden door with her telekinesis, unlocking it and pushing it open. Locking it behind her, Jean walked over to the bubbling caldron. Next to it was another table covered in jagged crystals. As she got near, the crystals began to glow a light pink. Smiling, Jean ladled some of the thick, blood red liquid, pouring it on the table, breathing in the rush of steam. The crystals grew brighter as the liquid spread across the wooden surface and dripped to the floor.
“It’s almost time.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Logan, Remy t’inks we should stop befo’ we get to da next town,” Remy said, leaning against a nearby tree. Logan rolled his eyes and continued on, Ororo following behind at a slower pace as she looked around the forest. The sun was minutes from breaking the horizon. Remy sighed, moving away from the tree and catching up to Ororo. “But what about the mademoiselle? ‘Roro must be a tired from walking all night.”
Logan paused, looking over his shoulder at her.
“I am fine. We can rest once we reach the town. It should not be much further,” Ororo looked through the trees. “I believe it is just beyond the tree line.” Logan nodded, grinning to himself as he started walking again.
“You heard the lady, kid.”
The sun was just beginning to break through the trees as they reached the edge of the forest. About a mile ahead of them sat the town they were staying in for the day. Brightly colored balloons floated above the buildings, and chimes could be heard ringing from the clock tower on the edge of town.
“I will go look ahead to find where the inns are,” Ororo volunteered, stepping forward.
“I don’t think so, darlin’. I’ll scout ahead. You an’ the kid can stay here.” Logan said, grabbing her arm, pulling her back.
“It would be much faster if I were the one to go ahead, Logan.” Ororo said, her eyes swirled white as she called the winds to her. Logan took a quick glance around, sniffing as the wind picked up quickly. He looked back at Ororo, raising an eyebrow. “You might want to let go.” She said, with a soft rubble of thunder echoing in her voice, as she began to rise from the ground. Logan released her arm, staring as she flew off.
“Well, dat explains how de fille, always beat us,” Remy said, taking Ororo’s abandoned space.
Logan grunted. That certainly explained why she had such a pleasant scent around her as well. His eyes followed her every move as she flew higher, twisting and diving a bit as if she were stretching or testing the winds. They watched her slowly circle the town, stopping every so often and hovering. She flew back towards them minutes later, her winds disturbing the branches above Logan and Remy’s head. Ororo landed gracefully, blue and the winds died down, color returning to her eyes.
“There are four main roads going through the town and lots of smaller walkways. The town square is spreads out from the clock tower. There are not that many people out quite yet so we should be able to get decent rooms in one of the inns.” Ororo reported, braiding her hair and pulling her hood over her head once she was finished. “However, I did see a few carts heading in this direction so we should hurry.”
“You shouldn’t cover yer face like that, ‘Ro,” Logan said as they began walking down the slight hill to reach the town.
“I have found I hear less whispers and attract less attention when I wear my hood.”
“Let ‘em look an’ whisper. Just means they’re too chicken ta walk up ta ya. No reason you should be the one hidin’.”
“Remy agrees wit’ Logan, ‘Roro.” Logan shot Remy a look, behind Ororo’s back. Remy ignored it, but noticed the slight grin on Logan’s face as she pulled the cloth from over her hair. “Ya never told us where you were from.”
“I am from the little village of Coventry, right outside of the forest between the borders separating the kingdoms.”
“Dat’s interesting. Logan is from dat forest. We went through dere a couple days ago,” Remy said, grinning as Logan sent him another glare. He then remembered the girl he saw in that town. “Remy wonders if you know a jolie fille, he saw dere. She ‘ad long auburn ‘air wit’ white streaks in da front and big green eyes…” He stopped as Ororo began to chuckle. “What’s so funny?”
“Yes, Remy. I do know her. I know her very well in fact,” Ororo said with a smile. “And I should. She is my sister.” Remy’s eyes lit up and Ororo remembered her sister’s words. 'Ah’ve never seen him before. He had these glowing red eyes.’ “I am pretty sure she remembers you as well.” She looked over at Logan who was staring ahead at the town. Ororo followed his gaze and was surprised to see that the town walls were only a few feet in front of them.
The low white stone wall surrounded the town and was surrounded by neatly pruned red and pink rose bushes. In front of them the wall ended and was replaced with a golden metal archway, shaped into curling vines and dotted with hearts. Climbing flowers, entwined themselves through the metal bars, dangling from the top. A large silver heart marked the center of the archway.
Beyond the wall the rose colored buildings spread out in neat rows, the deep red roof tiles sparkled in the early morning sun. They stepped through the town gates, onto the glittering, gold tinted brick street. Logan blew through his nose as the intense scent of roses and other flowers floated around them, coming from the town square.
“It is rather strong isn’t it?” Ororo asked. She loved flowers, but the smell was almost too strong for her to handle.
“Smells like they packed every flower they could get their hands on inside the gates,” Logan replied. He wondered why he couldn’t smell this before they reached the gates.
“They must have trapped the scent within the city with magic,” Ororo said. “Perhaps I can bring a little fresh air around us.” Soon a small breeze swirled around the three of them, weakening the smell of the flowers to a more pleasant level.
As they walked further into the town, more and more townspeople slowly filled the streets, opening shops and setting up carts. They smiled and waved at Logan, Remy and Ororo, wishing them good morning. They continued on with Remy flirting with the young female vendors. Soon they reached the town square which was filled with just opened shops. Here the scent of flowers was accompanied by freshly baked breads and pastries. A few inns were scattered around the square, one connected to a large casino that had just opened its doors.
Ororo and Logan turned towards the inn, leaving Remy behind with a young woman carrying a basket of roses. They had almost reached the doorway, when ringing bells echoed through the square.
“Kid, get over here,” Logan called as more people filed into the square. Young men ringing bells appeared near the clock tower. They watched as the men put up large posters. People crowded around trying to read the news.
Logan looked over at Ororo, “Think ya could make us a path?” She smiled, looking up to the sky, her eyes clouding over. Dark clouds rolled in, drawing everyone’s attention away from the posters as the sun was hidden. Thunder rumbled and the wind picked up, warning that a big storm threatened to burst from the sky. Lightning flashed causing the townspeople to scatter, running for shelter.
“I believe we have plenty of space now, don’t you?” Ororo said, walking to the signs and letting the storm dissipate. Logan and Remy quickly followed.
“Way ta go, Stormy!” Remy shouted, getting a laugh from Ororo and Logan.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ororo, Logan and Remy all sat at the counter in the bar inside of the casino. Logan and Remy each had a beer “ or three in Logan’s case “ in front of them, while Ororo had a tall glass of iced tea. The sound of gambling was their background music.
“I suppose I should be on my way home,” Ororo said stirring her tea.
“You were hopin’ ta have a word with the king?” Logan asked, grabbing his beer.
“Yes, I had a few concerns.”
“Same here, darlin’.”
They sat there in silence, taking the occasional sip of their drinks. Remy was ignoring them both, watching the gamblers closely.
“Why don’t you go on over to a table and play a few hands, hun? You look like you’d be great at poker.” Remy looked up to see a woman standing to his left. She had a friendly smile on her face. “Go on, shoo. Table ten has a few spots open.” Remy smiled and nodded, heading off in the direction he suggested. Logan and Ororo watched as she took Remy’s vacated spot.
“I’m gonna hafta ask how you got him ta stay quiet.”
“I’ve had plenty of practice at home,” She looked over at Logan and Ororo, grinning. “While he’s distracted why don’t you two head on over to a real restaurant instead of sitting at this bar? A cute couple like you two shouldn’t be cooped up in a place like this during a visit to the romance capital of the kingdoms.”
“But we are not…” Ororo started.
“You two should relax while you can. Things are going to get real bad real quick now that the Sorceress has taken over. You three are the only ones that can stop her.”
“You gotta be shittin’ me lady.”
She chuckled, “I wish I was.”
“Cecelia!” A loud shout came from the lobby. The lady glanced over her shoulder at the blonde woman dressed in clingy, low cut white cloth who was headed towards her. “Your table has been empty for nearly thirty minutes. The costumers are looking to get their fortunes told and if you’re sitting at the bar, how can that happen?”
“Emma, if you’re so concerned that the costumers will leave without getting their fortunes, why don’t you take over my table while I’m on my break instead of draping yourself all over the high rollers in the casino?” Cecelia asked. Emma glared, crossing her arms over her barely covered chest. “Now, if you excuse me, I have to go get rooms for this lovely couple. Follow me, you two.” Cecelia stood, walking past a fuming Emma with Logan and Ororo following behind, drinks in hand.
Once at the main desk in the inn, Cecelia pulled out a huge notebook from underneath it.
“Excuse me, ma’am, but are you sure that you have the right people?” Ororo asked as Cecelia opened the book.
“Of course I am, Ororo. Now here are your room keys,” Cecelia said handing them three sets of keys. “You and Logan should head over to the restaurant across the square. Tell them I sent you over and you’ll get a good table. Don’t worry about Remy. I’ll keep an eye on him. Stop gaping at me and go on now. Oh and Ororo, you will need to be strong to defeat the darkness coming over the kingdom. Keep that trinket of yours close.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Logan and Ororo sat at one of the many candlelit tables set up around the large rectangular room. The drapes were pulled closed, with only the glow from the candles providing the light. The walls were covered in murals resembling starlit meadows and a peaceful lake reflecting a full moon. Soft harp and violin music played, while waiters and waitresses wandered through the tables taking orders and bringing out plates.
“I suppose I won’t be on my way home quite yet,” Ororo said, glancing around the restaurant.
“You really believe her?”
“You do not?”
Logan looked across the table into Ororo’s eyes. She stared back into his. He wanted to say he didn’t believe a word of it, but he knew there were too many things pulling them together. And he couldn’t honestly say that he would mind spending more time with Ororo even if it was following the advice of a stranger.
“You know what, darlin’? I can’t say I’ve been the type ta rush off an’ save kingdoms, but if there’s a chance we could do somethin’ we might as well take it. Better than bein’ shut in somewhere.” She smiled and Logan felt a little stirring inside of him. “You heard the royals havin’ a little talk in the woods that night.” Ororo looked surprised. “I saw yer hair flyin’ up in a tree an’ I caught yer scent on a breeze.” Logan reached over and took Ororo’s hand, relieved that she didn’t pull away. “I really didn’t think I’d see ya again after the mining town.”
“You say that you are not the type to rush off, but here you are. You were on your way to deal with a problem you heard in the woods.”
“’Ro, I’m…” Logan started but was interrupted by their waitress bringing out their orders.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Betsy was busy in the kitchen cooking while Rogue set the table. Their father was still working with Dr. McCoy. Things had been super quiet since Ororo left. Just as Betsy picked up a spoon to stir the stew she had been preparing a loud mental cry echoed in her head. The spoon clattered against the counter before hitting the floor as she clutched her head. The cries kept coming and Betsy collapsed to the floor.
“Rogue,” Betsy croaked, squeezing her eyes shut. “Rogue, help.”
“Bets?” Rogue asked rushing into the room. “Betsy! What’s wrong?” Betsy pointed towards the back door, groaning. “Take ya outside?”
She nodded. “Forest… we have to… help… call father…”
“Okay, Bets, take deep breaths, sug,” Rogue said, picking Betsy up and walking to the door. As she pulled open the door, she mentally called her father. ‘It’s Betsy! She’s having some sort of mental breakdown! She asked me to take her to the forest and call you. Please hurry and maybe you should bring Dr. McCoy.’ Rouge flew off in the direction that Betsy was waving, through the groaning.
Once through the tree line, Rogue had to walk, but only a minute or two later she heard something slowly tearing through the foliage. “Um, Bets?”
Betsy tumbled out of her sister’s arms, her katanas and started slashing through the bushes. After a few seconds of Betsy’s frantic slicing a hand and white feathers appeared.
“Rogue, help me get him out of here,” Betsy said quietly, pulling at the rest of the bushes. Rogue, who had been staring at the limp hand on the ground, looked up at her sister. She moved close, ripping out branches, while Betsy cleared the pieces from his wings. Within minutes, they had freed Warren from the bushes. He had horrible burns along his back and one of his wings appeared to be broken. There were scrapes and scratches along his face and hands.
“Betsy, how are we gonna get him outta here? Ah don’t think Ah should lift ‘im.”
“I can get him out if you can move the branches.” Betsy said, slowly lifting him with her telekinesis, making sure to support the broken wing without moving it. Rogue went ahead, pulling the branches out of the way. They moved quickly, trying to get him out as fast as possible so they could put him some place stable.
“It appears as if we will require your expertise, Dr. McCoy.” Xavier said from the tree line.
A/N: Sorry this took so long!! But it's twice as long as my usual chapters!
The Goddess and the Animal
Chapter 15
“Quite unusual,” Henry said, taking a closer look at the sketches he had done of Warren’s injuries. They were not in the irregular pattern that one would expect if the wounds had been caused by an accident. They were neat, almost perfect circle burns. Henry spread out the other drawings of Warren’s burns in front of him on his desk. They were all neat, circular burns.
“I do believe that is an understatement, my friend,” Xavier said picking up one of the sketches of Warren’s other injuries.
Henry chuckled, “Yes, but still accurate.” He flipped the papers around for Xavier to see. “These are exceptionally abnormal burns, Charles. They are almost perfectly circular in every area that they occur. Not only that, there was no sign that what ever caused them continued destroying the clothing Warren was wearing once they had reached his skin.”
Xavier peered down at the sketches, “Are you suggesting that someone “ or something “ was controlling the flames?”
Henry leaned back in his chair, “There wasn’t any evidence of fire where Warren was discovered, was there?”
“No and he could not have been able to travel far considering the extent of his injuries.” Xavier sighed. “Someone attempted to assassinate the prince.”
Henry nodded, “Only they did not make sure they had accomplished their task.”
“Perhaps they were believed the fall would finish it for them,” Xavier said glancing back at the deep cuts and scrapes in the sketches. “He did break a wing.”
“Yes, but if the person who did this,” Henry pointed to a particularly nasty burn, “can control fire, why not just burn Warren alive? It would have made things much simpler for them.”
Xavier thought this over. “What if whoever did this did not have anything against the prince at all? What if someone else hired them to do it, knowing their powers?”
Henry looked up at Xavier, “But who would want to kill the prince?”
Xavier sighed again. He didn’t know, but he had a bad feeling. “At least he is alive.”
“Has he woken up yet?”
“No, but Betsy and Rogue are keeping a close watch on him. It is probably for the best that he stay…” Xavier paused as a nearby presence caught his attention. He focused on it, wondering why something felt “off” about whoever was getting closer.
“Charles?”
“Someone is coming in,” He replied simply, opening the door to Henry’s office as a young man dressed in a slightly altered version of the prison guard uniform walked through the front door.
“Dr. McCoy?” He called. Xavier heard the shuffling of papers behind him and turned to see that Henry had put away all the drawings of the prince’s injuries.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Summers,” Henry greeted.
“Excuse me for interrupting,” Scott said, walking into Henry’s office. He turned to Xavier and extended his hand. “Scott Summers, Chief Guard of Allete Prison.” Xavier shook the younger man’s hand and introduced himself. Again, he felt something strange about the young man.
“Am I correct in assuming that this visit to my office was not a simple courtesy visit?
Scott sighed, turning his attention back to Henry. “Unfortunately, you are. Early this morning reports came in of strange noises coming from the carriage path in the woods. I sent one of my best guards out to investigate. What he reported was nothing like I was expecting. Same goes for the crime scene itself,” Scott paused, gazing past Henry and out of the large window facing the woods. Henry shot Xavier a quick glance over his glasses. They both could guess where Scott’s story was headed. “We found four men dead and the burned remains of the Royal Carriage. I had my men bring the bodies here, hoping that you would be able to give us some clue of who could have done this.”
“I will certainly do my best, Mr. Summers.”
Scott nodded once, turning towards the door. “I’ll have my men take them to your laboratory and I will wait for you there.” With a brief nod to Xavier, he left.
“Well I don’t need your telepathy to know that one of those bodies will be that of the late King Erik,” Henry said, removing his glasses.
Xavier sighed, “Which means that someone did attempt to assassinate the prince.” He closed the door as Scott’s men entered the building, heading towards the lab. “Henry, I would not mention to Scott that the prince managed to survive this attack.”
“Is something the matter, Charles?”
“There is something not quite right with Mr. Summers. I cannot tell you what exactly, but I believe his mind has been tampered with recently and whoever is responsible is not someone we would want turning their focus here.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Henry peered down at the jagged cut across the neck of one of the carriage men. It was strangely familiar to him, but he could not say why at the moment. Frowning, he took the forceps from their place on the nearby tray and carefully pulled the torn skin further back. Underneath, Henry could see evidence of burned muscle tissue.
“Curious,” Henry murmured, mostly to himself.
“What have you discovered, Dr. McCoy?” Scott questioned. He was standing in front of the last body that the guards had brought in and left covered up. Henry guessed that was the body of the former king.
“The muscle tissues underneath the epidermal and dermal layers show signs of being burned. However the skin is merely blood stained. It is as if the blade was heated after entering the victim’s body.”
Scott seemed to think this over for a few moments. “And the others? Do they have the same injuries?” He watched as Dr. McCoy walked over to the next body and bent over its neck. After a few minutes of examining the wounds, he moved on to the final uncovered body. “Well are they the same?”
Henry sighed, putting the forceps on the counter. “No, the neck wounds on these last two bodies were burned from the beginning. Although,” Henry paused, gazing again at the injury in front of him, “the burns through the tissues of the second victim appear much more severe than the first and last victim.”
“As if the blade had been cooled down between the second and third victims?” Scott asked.
“Precisely,” Henry nodded. “The blade wounds themselves are also unusual. They are jagged, messy cuts.”
“Perhaps the blade is dull,” Scott suggested.
“No, the blade is sharp. It would have to be in order to cut through the tissue in the way it did.’
“So maybe the killer doesn’t have much skill with a dagger.”
“Or maybe they wanted to appear as that way.”
Scott considered this before pulling back the sheet covering the last victim. “And this wound?”
Henry waked over, expecting to see jagged cut across the former king’s neck. Instead he saw a dark stain on the king’s rich clothing and the dried blood clinging to his hands. It took a closer look for Henry to see the neat stab wound in the center of the stain. The furry doctor quickly grabbed his forceps and a pair of sharp scissors. Carefully he lifted the stained cloth from the wounded flesh and cut a neat square around the hole. After placing the cloth on the table next to the king’s hand, Henry used the forceps to slowly spread open the broken flesh.
He frowned studying the wound. From what he could see, there were no burns and nothing similar between this injury and the last three, with the exception of a knife wound. What could this mean?
“If I hadn’t examined the scene and only had these victims as clues, I would have thought that the former king was killed by someone different than those men,” Scott said waving his hand towards the other three victims. “There were only one set of footprints found leaving the scene and no evidence of anyone else passing through the area within the last two days.”
Henry’s frown deepened. He glanced over at Charles who was standing by the lab door.
“Perhaps,” Xavier started, focusing on the young man in front of him, “the killer was sent by another to assassinate the king and the other murders were purely for his own enjoyment.” Scott frowned down at the body of the king and Xavier took the chance to sharpen his focus on him. An image of flowing red hair and laughing green eyes met him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Rogue, could you bring me more of that salve Dr. McCoy made?” Betsy called as she started removing the bandages covering most of Warren’s back.
“Sure thing, Bets,” Rogue called back from the kitchen. Moments later she rounded the corner into the sitting room where they had the prince stretched out on the couch, surrounded by pillows. At first it hadn’t seemed like the proper place to put him, but it worked out. The back of the couch kept Warren from extending his non-broken wing and keep the broken wing extended. Not that the splint Dr. McCoy had attached to the wing would allow Warren to move it even if he was conscious.
Betsy took the ointment from her younger sister and began coating Warren’s burns with it.
“Those are lookin’ better,” Rogue commented, standing behind her sister. “Ah wonder who would’ve done somethin’ like this.”
“I really don’t know,” Betsy replied, looking up at the prince’s face. Wiping her hands on her apron, she reached up and brushed some stray hair away from his eyes. She wondered what color they were.
Rogue watched her sister and grinned to herself. “Remember when we’d say this village was dull?” Betsy chuckled, and nodded. “Now it’s almost like we’ve been pulled into our very own fairy tale, complete with mysterious strangers an’ a prince charming.”
“We’re just missing the grand adventure and magical spells.”
“Nah, ‘Roro is out having the grand adventure.” Rogue’s thoughts went back to earlier in the day when their father sighed in relief at Ororo’s letter. She hoped Ororo would send another soon.
“Ah,” Betsy turned to her sister, “and the magic?”
Rogue shrugged, grinning, “Who knows, maybe it’s happening right under your nose, Cinderella.”
“Cinderella? Wouldn’t that make you an evil stepsister then?”
“That depends,” Rogue said thinking it over. “Would ya do all my chores if ah told ya to?” She wasn’t surprised when Betsy laughed. “Besides, this prince charming came callin’ for you.”
“So shouldn’t I be the one asleep?”
“No, it’s like Snow White only reversed!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act like ya don’t know the story. Maybe if you kiss him, he’ll wake up!”
Betsy ignored the last part, “What about you?”
“Nah, he’s not here for me. My story is more like Sleeping Beauty. We found each other by chance,” Rogue stared off and sighed, remembering the night. “Anyway, are ya gonna kiss the boy to wake him up or just leave him there?”
“What about ‘Ro?”
“Ah already said she’s on her grand adventure. Probably out runnin’ through the woods knowin’ ‘Roro.”
“You mean like in Beauty and the Beast?”
Rogue nodded, “Exactly. Now will you wake the poor prince up? Ya know ya want to.”
“Kissing Prince Warren is not going to wake him up, Rogue.” Betsy argued even though Rogue was right. She did want to.
“Prove me wrong then.”
“Why should I? I know it won’t work.”
“Then ya’ve got nothin’ ta lose. Might as well try.”
Betsy sighed, knowing Rogue wouldn’t give up. Being the baby of the family she was a bit spoiled. Or maybe she was just born as stubborn as an old mule. “Fine,” Betsy said, knowing deep down she didn’t really mind giving in this time. Not like the prince would ever find out about a harmless peck.
“Go on then,” Rogue urged, grinning. Betsy rolled her eyes and leaned close to the prince, careful not to bump his injured wing.
Her eyes traced his lips. ‘What will it hurt? It’s just a little kiss, right?’ Closing her eyes, she brushed her lips against his and pulled away. She looked down at the prince, deciding that she only imagined the twitch she felt.
“See, Rogue, I told you it…” Betsy stopped mid-sentence when she saw the prince’s shoulders shift. She stared in shock as his eyelids fluttered open, revealing sapphire blue irises.
“What was that, Bets?” Rogue muttered as the prince groaned. She realized that he was trying to get up and shook her head. “Your highness, ya really shouldn’t try ta move right now. You’ve been badly hurt.” She thought he might’ve mumbled something under his breath, but she went on “My sister, Elizabeth has been looking after you.” She smiled as the prince’s gazed moved to Betsy who was still staring.
“Thank you, Elizabeth,” He said softly.
Betsy seemed to finally find her voice, “It wasn’t just me, your highness. My sister, Marie also has been looking after to you. As well as our father and Dr. McCoy.”
Prince Warren smiled sadly, “I do not deserve your kindness.” His eyes closed once more, “Please,” he whispered starting to slip back into unconsciousness, “tell your father and Dr. McCoy the sorceress is free.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Red smoke rose up from the bubbling cauldron filling the small dungeon like room with a sickly sweet smell. Jean smiled and moved closer to the smoke, breathing in the fumes. She took a quick glance back at the glowing crystals on the table before turning to face the tall bookcase set against the wall. She studied the dusty jars filling the top shelf for a moment before pointing at the jar on the far right. The glass jar began to shake as if it were resisting Jean’s pull on it.
She laughed, holding her hand out, palm up, “Come now.” With one final shudder, the glass lifted into the air and floated over to Jean. As the jar touched her skin, yellow steam seeped through the lid. Smiling, Jean pried open the top letting more of the bright mist free from the glass. She reached into the jar and pulled out a single white petal and threw it into the bubbling potion.
Jean watched as the petal floated on the surface of the thick red liquid before turning black and dissolving. She frowned. ‘That should not have happened.’ She threw another petal into the now darker potion and watched as this one also turned black and dissolved. Her frown deepened as the potion itself turned black and stopped boiling. She looked up at her crystals only to see that their glow had also gone faint. She clenched her fists and walked to the door, ignoring the rumbling of the stone walls shaking around her.
The door was thrown open as soon as Jean turned her narrowed green eyes on it. The sound of rumbling walls followed in her wake as she stomped through the empty castle halls. The servants, hearing the telltale signs of Jean’s anger, fled to their quarters.
“This cannot be happening,” She muttered throwing open the balcony doors with a glance. Walking to the railing, she stared out over the kingdom “ her kingdom. “I just need a stronger potion. Nothing can stop me now.”
“Don’t be so sure about that, Sorceress,” a voice called from behind her. Jean turned, wondering who would dare walk up on her. No one was there. “Is something wrong?” the voice asked, laughter ringing in Jean’s ears.
“Who are you?” Jean asked, looking around for the source of the taunting voice.
“Do you really think I would tell you that? If you cannot figure it out for yourself, then that’s not really any of my concern.” Jean frowned. “I have only come to bring you a simple warning.”
“Oh really? And what would I need to be warned about?”
“Leave the kingdom or you will be destroyed.”
Jean laughed, “What’s this nonsense? Why would I leave when the kingdom is under my control?”
“Then you have sealed your fate.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You do not think we should tell Remy that we are going out for a walk?” Ororo asked as they walked out of the inn.
“Nah, he won’t even notice we’re gone,” Logan replied, glancing back at her. She nodded, catching up to him.
It was around mid-morning and the town was humming with activity. The cheery townspeople greeted them just as they had done the day before. Ororo looked around at the gleaming white buildings and perfectly trimmed flowering trees lining the golden street.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Ororo asked looking up at the bright blue sky. Logan turned watching her, a smile tugging at his lips.
“Yeah, beautiful,” He said quietly. She tore her eyes from the sky, meeting his. They held each other’s gaze for a few moments, oblivious to the knowing smiles they were getting from the passing townspeople. Logan looked away first, clearing his throat. “I could do without the smell.”
“I did not even notice the flowers. I suppose I have gotten accustomed to the scent.”
“Lucky you,” Logan muttered. Ororo chuckled, reaching over and taking hold of Logan’s hand. Surprised, he glanced down at their hands, but didn’t pull away. A light breeze swirled around them suddenly and Logan felt a tiny spark between their hands.
“Sensitive nose?” Ororo asked as they continued walking.
It was Logan’s turn to chuckle. “You could say that.”
“I understand why the flowers are bothersome then.”
“It’s not just my nose that’s sensitive, ‘Ro,” Logan said as they crossed a side street. “What about you? Is callin’ up storms as easy as you make it look?”
“You are welcome to try it and let me know,” She replied with a grin. “And we were talking about you, not me. What did you mean?”
“Curiosity killed the cat, darlin’.”
“It is fortunate that I am not feline then.” When Logan didn’t reply she walked over to the next tree, pulling him along with him.
“’Ro what are you doin’?” Logan asked when she looked up between the tree branches.
“You seemed interested in what I can do,” Ororo answered as her eyes swirled white. The smell of ozone filled Logan’s nose and electric tingles flowed from her skin to his. “I am simply giving you a demonstration.” Shadow surrounded the tree, while beyond the branches the sun still bathed the street in light. The townspeople stopped, looking up above the tree. Logan looked up to see a dark storm cloud forming above the tree, wind shaking the branches and tugging at his jacket. He watched as a gentle rain fell over the tree. He had expected the townspeople to run off, but they stayed watching the mini storm, looking as awed as he felt. Then as quickly as it started, the rain stopped. He looked over at Ororo to see her smiling back at him.
“Show off,” He teased, reaching up and brushing the snowy locks that escaped her scarf back behind her ear. She shook her head and walked from beneath the tree, with Logan by her side.
“I was not showing off,” She insisted, still smiling.
“Yeah, sure.” Ororo looked at him expectantly. “Lookin’ fer a demonstration?” He grinned when she nodded. “Heightened senses aren’t somethin’ you can show off, darlin’.”
“I suppose not, but I am sure that they come in handy.”
He shrugged and turned his attention to a rosebush coming up in front of them. “I could say the same ta you.” Making a fist with his left hand he extended his claws, clipping off a rose. He caught the flower as he retracted the claws. Logan handed the rose to Ororo, whose eyes were focused on the quickly healing cuts on his knuckles. Once they healed, she took the rose, smiling again.
“And you called me a show off,” She said as they started walking again. “Did that..”
“Logan! Stormy!” Remy’s voice called from some distance behind them, interrupting Ororo’s words. They looked back to see Remy running towards them.
“He better not have blown somethin’ up,” Logan muttered, watching as the young thief dodged through the townspeople.
Ororo chuckled, “You would have heard it if he did.” Logan didn’t look convinced, but Remy had caught up with them.
“Mon ami, we ‘ave a problem,” Remy said quietly. “We should be on our way.”
“Did something happen at the casino Remy?” Ororo asked, concerned.
“Non, nothin’ like dat Stormy.”
“Then what are ya…” Logan paused.
“Logan?” Ororo asked looking over at him.
“Shh.” Part of a conversation across the road had caught his attention. He heard one of the men mention the prison guards arriving in town sometime during the day. “You know, maybe the kid is right. We still have a long way ta go.” Ororo frowned, looking between Logan and Remy, knowing that she had missed something. Logan grabbed her hand and started back towards the casino, with Remy leading the way.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Are those Prison Guards?” Ororo asked, peering through the trees. They had left town in a hurry, moving away from the path, choosing to stick to the shadowed shelter of the woods. However, they were close enough to the path that Ororo could just make out familiar navy blue uniforms.
“Dunno, Stormy,” Remy answered, pretending to glance in the direction she was looking. Logan was silent.
She turned, narrowing her eyes at her two companions. “There is something you two are not telling me. Were you two in that prison?”
“Well…” Remy started only to be interrupted by Logan, grabbing hold of Ororo’s hand and walking further away from the path. Remy followed close behind.
Logan stopped once he could no longer hear the prison guards’ heavy footsteps and let go of Ororo’s hand. They were at the edge of a small clearing.
“Is someone going to tell me what exactly is going on here?” Ororo asked, crossing her arms. Logan leaned against a tree, looking off into the distance, also crossing his arms.
Remy sighed. It seemed as though he would be the one to tell her. “Oui, Remy and Monsieur Logan were in dat ‘orrible prison. Remy ‘appens to be a ‘umble t’ief who ‘appened to get on Summers’ bad side.”
“What did you do?”
Remy shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips, “Nothin’ really, Stormy. Monsieur Summers just didn’t like dat Remy picked ‘is niece’s fancy new lock. The fille should’ve known better than ta challenge me wit’ a lock like dat.”
Ororo’s eyes widened in surprise, “That was you?” That story had even managed to get to her tiny village. She never would have guessed that she would ever meet the thief who managed to break through Katherine’s lock.
Remy smiled, nodding, “Oui.”
Ororo turned to Logan, who was still staring off into the trees on the other side of the clearing. “What about you, Logan? Are you a thief as well?”
“No.” He sighed, nodding toward the nearby fallen tree. “It’s a long story.” Logan waited until both Ororo and Remy had taken a seat on the tree before speaking again. “It happened seven years ago…”
Flashback
The early morning sunlight had just begun to filter down through the tree leaves, but Logan was already wide awake. He was in the middle of tying his boot laces when the light reached the windows of his cabin. As he looked up through the window he saw autumn leaves falling past the glass. He stood up, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair, slipping it on as he walked out the front door.
The grass in front of his home was now scattered with orange and red leaves. Winter was approaching quickly and he still had a lot of work to do to prepare for the cold. Frowning, he walked around his house to the old tree stump where he kept his ax. Logan pulled out the ax out of the stump with a slightly grunt, swinging it back to rest on his shoulder before setting off through the woods.
The next few hours found Logan hacking away at a large tree he had chopped down the previous day. He already had a large stack of firewood behind his house and another set aside to trade with the village folk, but he knew from experience it would not be enough to last through the entire winter. He stopped, setting his ax down before wiping the sweat from his brow. He had removed his jacket sometime ago and the cold autumn breeze flowing through the trees raised a few goose bumps along his skin. Logan looked over at the stack he had finished chopping and decided that he had better take this first stack back before continuing. Throwing his jacket back on, he gathered up the firewood and made his way back to his house.
An hour later, Logan was back at the tree. He was reaching for his ax when he heard the sound of someone running through the trees. He was about to dismiss it “ the sound was a few miles away and not heading in his direction “ when he caught the scent of fresh blood and lots of it. Leaving his ax behind, he ran toward the scent.
As he neared the path the scent went in two different directions. Barely hesitating he headed for the stronger source.
Moments later he tore through the bushes to see a young woman, lying face down in the bloodstained grass. Logan crouched down next to her and carefully turned her over onto her back. Three jagged, bleeding gashes stared up at him from the woman’s abdomen. He looked up at her face, surprised to see her eyes fluttering open. Brown eyes met his. Without thinking, he pulled off his shirt, using it to cover the wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. Blood was soon seeping through the material and covering his hands. She placed one of her hands over his causing him to look back up at her face.
“It’s too late,” She whispered. Logan knew it was. He could feel her pulse slowing and smell death clinging to her skin. She smiled sadly, weakly squeezing his hand, “Thank you for trying to help me.” With one last shaky breath, she closed her eyes and her hand went limp.
Logan stood up, considering going after the person responsible. He knew he could track them, but he didn’t feel right leaving the young woman’s body by some bushes near the carriage path. He heard footsteps coming towards him and he looked up to see men in navy blue uniforms running towards him.
“Stayed at the scene of the crime this time did you?” The young man with ruby tinted glasses questioned, reaching Logan and the woman’s body.
“What? You’ve got it all wrong, bub. I didn’t do this.” He pointed in the direction he knew the killer had gone, “The guy you want went that way. I just got here a few minutes ago.”
“A likely story,” the young man said nodding to the men behind him. They rushed forward, seizing Logan’s arms.
“Didn’t you hear what I said? If yer too stupid ta listen ta me, let me go and I’ll catch him,” Logan said, yanking one of his arms out of the men’s grasp.
“Cuff him,” the leader said, ignoring Logan’s words. Growling, he extended the claws on his free hand and landing two flesh wounds on the men still holding his other arm. The other two reached for his arms earning themselves broken noses. Logan ran for it while the guards clutched their injuries, hoping to get far enough away so he could have a chance to track down the killer.
He never expected the sudden flash of red and searing pain cutting through his back. Logan managed a few more steps before darkness took over.
End of Flashback
“I woke up in a prison cell,” Logan finished, refusing to look in Ororo’s direction.
“Wow, Summers didn’t even look w’ere you said de real killer ran off?” Remy asked.
“’Ro,” Logan started, ignoring Remy’s question, “maybe you should go back…”
“I wish you both would have told me sooner,” Ororo said, interrupting Logan and standing from the log. A little surprised, he turned to look at her. She was running her fingertips over the rose he had cut for her. “Well at least I know now, I suppose. We had better be on our way. We still have some distance to cover before the next town.”
“’Ro,” Logan started again, only this time he wasn’t sure what to say. She walked over to him, taking hold of his hand again and leading him away from the tree. They set off, with Remy trailing behind as usual, strangely silent.
“Remy?”
“Oui, Stormy?”
“Could you teach me to pick locks?” She asked, looking back over her shoulder at the young thief. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Logan’s grin.
A/N: Continue? PS: Darlin I hoped you liked your cameo ;)
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.