Chapter CCXXIII: Pressing Matters ~Havering

Fanah took some rounds on her way to closing in upon the Spectrum. First, she stopped in on the library. That oddball clone seemed to be clear of the building. Vole was nowhere in sight either. Creeping in, in case the “hero” was still lurking in there, she made her way to the back wall. Reading the titles of the books carefully, she scanned them until she reached one titled Concealment Concrete: A Guide to Covert. Pulling this out she threw it to the floor and reached a clawed hand into the space where it had been. Taking hold of a rather thin brick that made up the wall there, she pulled it out carefully.

The concrete stone actually was a text with stone cover. No title was discernable on the outside of it. Slipping it into a pocket concealed in the lining of her flowing cloak, she made haste out the door and over to the casino. By the look of things, Nero apparently had suffered a similar fate. A quick check in the museum of war confirmed that Rebdok had vanished, but her senses told her that he was still out there somewhere, faring quite well.

After that, it was over to the family mansion of Drakon and Mel. The condition of things where Drakon had been and the remains made it quite evident how the chivalrous one had fared. Inspection of the other half of the mansion revealed that Mel was still alive and well. The two chit-chatted for a bit, though Fanah specifically did not bring up anything about Drakon's fate. The poor girl would find out soon enough. She excused herself and headed off to the other building on the horizon of the wasteland on which the casino/museum sat.

Fanah’s laboratory. Peering around the doorframe to her main workroom, she studied the interior. Whoever had been here had not only trashed everything beyond use. Looking further, she felt sickened and repulsed, but managed not to make a sound. Her fellow council member, Jadea, or rather...what remained of her had been torn to pieces, her green blood still eating away at the floor.

She had also seen the girl, the inferior, and probably false, demoness, huddled and sitting on the floor. She might have ambushed her and been done with it, but the Twilighter decided against it; there was a train she had to catch. Slipping out of the building via a window, she leapt from rock to rock on the treacherous mountains above the main path. She was headed towards the train when a feeling stopped her in her place on a rock ledge. She stood there, breeze blowing her fluorescent pink locks about.

She knew someone was there before she even turned, feeling a terror unlike anything she had ever felt before in her soul. On the mountain wall near her, Sir Pseudo Havering sat, sharpening his claws on his kama blade.

Musing to himself he commented, “Well, seems you’re in a hurry, Ms. Fanah. Would be awful rude to just hurry by and not pay me your greetings and well wishes.”

Fanah swallowed the lump in her throat. Gathering her courage, she finally spoke. “Well...Sir...just how might you be...this pleasant evening?”

Havering inspected his claws, shrugging his shoulders. “Eh, I’ve been rather so-so. Things go well with my revival, as you can plainly see, but I’ve been having a bit of a problem.”

“Which is…?”

“Well, I ‘checked’ in with my excellent senses since returning to the living, and I do say, I am quite offended.” He frowned as if hurt, but obviously an excellent fake. “You blasted Council have something of mine and have hidden it away from me; and don’t lie, I know it’s here now, and I wish it to be returned.”

Fanah went pale. An idea of what this great being was speaking of flashed into her mind from earlier that day.

Pseudo smirked evilly and continued attending to his hand. “Yes, I was referring to that. You’re a quick thinker, you know?”

Rising from his seat, he tapped the joined weapon in his palm with his other hand. “Shame such a promising lass will be cut down because of her horrendous career choice, and the ill fate that she crossed the great and mighty Time Bender.”

Backing away in fright, she blurted out nervously, “Please! Sir! Can’t I do something to spare my life? What is it you want? Name your price! Just, please!”

Havering rubbed his chin, appearing to be thinking to himself. Of course, this was an act too. He knew exactly what he wanted. Turning his gaze to her, a sly grin spread over his face. “Yes...I do fancy you can give me something in return for the privilege of me sparing your life.” His eyes became that deep, icy blue again, filling her with fear and freezing her soul in her. “I want a certain ‘book’ that you seem to have acquired. I do fancy it shall be quite useful to me.”

Fanah stared at the other demon for a moment, then began to search for the pocket in her cloak. Finding it, she withdrew the book and tossed it to him.

He caught it in one hand, snickering. “A most helpful and wise girl you are, my dear.”

The demoness snorted and waved a hand. “You’re a real bitch, you know that? I hope they break you in two.” Turning, she continued to a better position that overlooked the Spectrum.

Havering chuckled and the book vanished from his hand into his mental storage. Folding his arms he snickered.

“And you’re a real spirited lady yourself,” he commented before laughing evilly to himself and heading back up the mountains.