Lost, Lonely, and Lethal

[Ruina]

((Yeah, yeah, I know. This is just an introduction. I PROMISE I'll do some open threads in the future. I am also not sure how Althanas takes swearing these days, but if it's still an issue, then I guess prepare for a lot of bleeps.))

A single blue eye opened on a dirt-smudged face. It stared skyward. The smoke from burning electronics equipment stung, and it shut once more, though only briefly, as Ruina sat up and dabbed at it with her hand. She craned her neck, enjoying the loud, tension relieving cracks that came with each inch of movement. Above her, the bird-beak like protrusion that was the cockpit of the Deadpool enshrouded the area in which she lay from the sun. It was a good fifty feet high from the ground.

“How the fuck did I survive that?” she asked herself, genuinely surprised. Trying as hard as she could to remember, she couldn’t get a thing, not even bits and pieces.. “But I fell pretty f*cking far. Of course I don’t.”

It was a habit she picked up in solitary confinement. Talking to herself, that is.

“Hey, Siv!” she exclaimed, finding her normally raspy voice a dry, man-like croak. She could use a drink. “Sivius, man, where the fuck are you?!”

She got up, and despite being a little sore in the back, she really didn’t feel all that bad for surviving a crash. Looking around, she found that the trees that may have once been firmly rooted in that area weren’t exactly doing so well anymore. Many of them scorched to blackness or in some cases leaving behind a stump that had no visible remainder anywhere nearby. Of course not. She was surprised the ship was still as intact as it was. The Galaxy Police sure knew how to spend their money.

“Sivius!” she exclaimed one last time, her voice beginning to clear just a bit. Her friend was not around. If he was, she would no doubt find him inside, something irreparable done to his body at some point during the crash. Oh well, she thought, depressed bastard would be happier dead anyway. The words were a bit too true even for herself but she blocked that thought from her head, replacing it with a much more relevant: where the fuck am I?. It was a question to which she had no answer. Struggling to find some sort of post-crash purpose, Ruina made her way around to the side of the ship where, either driven by memory or mere coincidence, a massive, blown open hole existed as a viable entrance. Knowing full-well that the Deadpool was inoperational, it was her best chance inside.

“Yo, Sivius!” she called again, “T…T… what the fuck was that bitch’s name? Taina!”

Nothing. It was about right there that she officially gave up on finding her friend alive. She was alone, and suddenly she felt it. Her heart sank but she continued on.

A little confused and a whole lot of lost, Ruina made her way through the ship by way of the new entrance. She eventually found her way to the cockpit and, upon arriving, sat down in the very same chair she was once inhabiting before hitting the ground on… wherever she was. Looking curiously about her, she found the synth-fab duffel-bag she’d packed not long after her commandeering of the ship. She opened it and found a few pairs of underwear that fit her (stolen from a now-deceased female officer on board), along with her spare uniforms, a bottle of Zakunan whiskey taken from the officer’s dining area, and a few small parcels of food. She was set. Who needed to know where one was when they had booze and crackers?

“Come to mama.” she whispered to the bottle, opening it swiftly. She put it to her lips like a lover and took three deep chugs as only a veteran drinker would and withdrew with a satisfied smacking of her lips.. She replaced the top and stuffed it back in the bag. No point in getting too drunk before she’d even found a safe place to sleep. Frankly, she was glad to have ended up on a planet with breathable air. With her bag firmly in hand, she made her way through the wrecked Maurader and back outside, where a familiar and completely unwanted sound greeted her. The sound of ships. Her first thought was to run, but there was no way she could lose them. Not in unfamiliar territory, not with the soreness in her back.

“Raise your hands into the air!” a loudspeaker enhanced voice exclaimed. Ruina dropped the bag to the ground but did not follow their command. “Raise your hands or we’ll open fire!”

She could hardly make out the craft above, but when the leaves would shift away and give her a decent view, she was able to see that they were only one-person mini-ships, sent from a larger flagship most likely somewhere nearby. Perhaps in orbit.

“Shoot me, you fucking pussies!” she screamed, her sight darting from ship to ship. None of them replied, as though they were letting her offer sit, tasting it to see if it fit their style. Apparently it didn’t, because much like the bugs they were the ships descended, finding space among the wreckage to land. Each pod opened swiftly, armed GP officers stepping out with trained proficiency. She didn’t like the uniforms unmodified. The shoulder pads were ugly. It’s why she cut all of hers off.

“You’re coming with us, Gospel! No cop killer is gonna get away that easy!” a little punk of a cop exclaimed, pointing a standard-issue blaster at her in his little punk hands. The two other cops, an older man with a beard that should’ve been promoted long ago, and a woman with no breasts flanked her, the woman wielding her electro-baton in the typical fighting pose. Here Ruina was on a strange planet just about able to get away from her bloody past, and some high school field trip just had to come and scope out the wreckage. She had no doubt that she could kill them all, but then more would come. They always would.

“Hey, hey, calm down, kids. You got me.” she said, finally raising her arms into the air. Any moment the flat chested woman would shock her from behind, but oddly, it was interrupted by an unlikely, yet well-timed new visitor. The trees went wild, like the crash site was caught in the midst of a violent hurricane. Looking upward, Ruina saw a hull of deep, blood red and was already agreeing that pilot had good taste in color but inwardly hoped it wasn’t bounty hunters. It descended slowly, trying to find the perfect area for it’s larger girth. It did and descended rapidly, landing upon it’s already extended struts a bit more violently than would be good for it if done often. Looking at it from the side, Ruina couldn’t help but hold a little grin. It was shaped like some sort of monster, complete with cockpit windows for eyes. On the side of the ship a door opened and a metal ramp snaked it’s way to the ground from a compartment beneath.

“Halt this arrest and return back to your ships immediately.” spoke a commanding and authoritative voice. It was a woman and, upon getting a glimpse of her, Ruina was decided that she was a beautiful one. There was something familiar about her that she couldn’t quite place, something unusual. Besides this, however, there was one other thing that caught Ruina’s eye. What appeared to be two energy blade hilts dangling on either side of her hips.

“Who are you to halt this arrest!?” asked the little punk cop, making what he would soon find a very big mistake in pointing his pistol at her.

“I am Lunitari Elmdor the second, official guardian of this planet by order of my mother the Empress. Althanas has been claimed in the name of the empire as protected land. You have no jurisdiction here.” she said rather smugly, knowing she was in charge. It was then that Ruina had a pretty good idea where she knew her from. Although never having met the Empress face to face, she felt as though she were oddly close to her yet could not think of why. Besides this, her daughter was an almost exact replica. Despite sun-tanned skin, shorter hair, and eyes of a matching hue, telling them apart would’ve been impossible.

“This is bullshit” Little Punk Cop shouted, stomping his foot like the little punk he was. “The Empire is out of control! You will not have this one, Elmdor! You will no-”

By the time Ruina was even aware of the twin swords being ignited, the Princess of Nightlund had cut Little Punk’s head free of his body. The body collapsed limply to the ground and the other two GPs put away their weapons. This was something Little Punk may have wanted to consider beforehand.

“Leave Althanas now. This woman is rendered immune by her staying here. If you wish to have this immunity revoked, you may appeal to the Empire. I wouldn’t count on succeeding.” Lunitari said, grinning maliciously. “Besides, this woman is the Empress’ favorite TV star.”

Ruina wanted to laugh. TV star is hardly the word she’d use to describe what she was. Though to some seriously disturbed folk she could certainly be seen as one.

“You Nightlundians really are out of control. Your mother is insane if-”

“So am I.” the daughter interrupted, flat-chested GP officer glancing away shyly. In defeat they shuffled to their individual ships and took off into the air, one of them cutting it extremely close to the wreckage as they did.

“You’re coming with me.” Lunitari told her. Ruina’s lip twitched, wanting to grin but not quite making it.

“Why?” she asked, “Gonna give me some sorta special Nightlundian execution?”

“Only if you don’t obey.”

“Oooh, you play rough, dontcha?” Ruina asked, the grin finally coming.

“Don’t give me a hard time, Ruina.” she said, her expression dark and her tone ominous. Ruina knelt and picked up her bag, marching in front of what began to feel like her captor to the inside of her ship. Momentarily she thought of kicking the woman back down her own ramp, perhaps trying to steal the ship and escape. It couldn’t be that hard.

“It would. I can control it remotely anyway.” Lunitari said angrily, and Ruina cursed her stupidity. Thinking ill in front of a Nightlundian was simply begging for an ass kicking.

“Whoops.” Ruina said in her shyest way. It wouldn’t even fool a child.

“Yeah, whoops is right.” the Princess hissed, shoving her the rest of the distance. Inside the ship, Ruina glanced to her left, seeing a single hallway that would end with the cargo bay and then to the right, the cockpit not but a few feet away.

“Come on. You’re my co-pilot for the evening.” Lunitari said, some sort of unusual humor having come to what was earlier an empty, sad voice. Ruina left her bag by the door but retrieved the booze from within before following a stranger to her cockpit to fly around a strange world. Things could certainly be worse.

[Ruina]

Ruina sat in the smaller, less cushioned seat next to that of the pilot’s feeling like a smaller person than she to her left. The actual Princess of Nightlund, all the way out on wherever the hell they were just to get her. It was an honor and sort of humbling, even if she didn’t seem to like her.

“Do you always drink before you fly?” Lunitari had asked while pressing a few buttons on the control console. Ruina’s eye drifted to the bottle clenched like a lover’s head between her thighs. She’d almost forgotten all about it.

“Today’s special.” Ruina said, taking off the cap and putting the bottle to her lips. She took a swig and the Princess snatched it away with a look of anger on her face. Great, she thought, the princess is going to give me a lecture on what I do for fun.

“Well, I do.” Lunitari said softly, as if ashamed of it. She lifted the bottle and took three deep swigs, putting it at nearly halfway empty. Ruina was both impressed and disappointed. Nightlundians were known for having high tolerances for alcohol, so it was pretty much a waste to let her drink it. However, the act was something she found admirable. Perhaps she and the Princess had more in common than she first imagined?

“I think I’m in love.” Ruina spoke with a faint grin. A harmless joke. Lunitari didn’t seem amused. She thrust the bottle back at her and it struck her breastbone. Ruina held it and noted that her chest actually hurt a little afterward. She put the cap back on and replaced the bottle between her legs.

“Don’t say that.” Lunitari hissed, sounding furious. Apparently she’d struck a nerve and made a mental note to not mention love around her anytime soon. “Since you’re obviously not busy, hail the Empress for me, will you?”

Having been a pilot herself, Ruina was quite capable of doing this, and after but a moment spent fidgetting with certain buttons, the imperial insignia stood stark white against a black background on a monitor in the console before them both. At the bottom, the words ‘calling’ flashed a steady beat.

“My dear daughter. Have you completed your mission?” asked a voice that, despite a bit of regality and grace to it, was identical to the voice of the woman piloting the ship. The screen flickered away from the insignia to a face of undeniable beauty, two eyes of different colors staring directly into Ruina’s one. It was a disconcerting feeling, considering it was a screen and not an actual person.

“Oh, so you did. I’m glad to see you survived your crash, Ruina.” The Empress said. Something told Ruina it should’ve been some great honor to be told that by the most powerful person in the universe, but really she felt nothing.

“I’m not.” she said simply, blowing some gray hair from out of her eye. “I couldn’t find Sivius. I dunno what happened to ‘im.”

“I don’t care about him. Seeing a man kill is nothing new. Not to me, not to anybody. Seeing a beautiful woman kill, however, oh, there is something wonderful about that.” the Empress crooned, and for a moment Ruina thought she was flirting with her. The Princess seemed to notice it herself, as she grunted in irritation and went to work on the hover engines, their craft rising slowly into the air.

“Well, thanks. I wouldn’t be where even be where I am if it weren’t for my number one fan.” Ruina said, unsure if it sounded sarcastic or not. She grinned and the Empress grinned back.

“Lunitari, I want you to help Ruina get more accustomed to life upon Althanas. Teach her a few things.”

“Oh, gee mother. Is that an order or should I invite her to dinner and rub her feet too?” the daughter replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She seemed kind of spoiled then. Insubordinate and unruly just as fitting for a Princess no matter where they were from.

“Don’t forget that you are a Perfect and I am the Empress. You do what you are commanded. I will check back on your progress in a couple days.” said the picture on the screen, dual colored eyes now focused on her daughter. “You two try not to kill each other.”

And like that, their conversation was over. Ruina licked her dry lips and turned her head to see her pilot.

“I promise not to kill you if you promise not to kill me.” she said. And for a moment, she swore she almost saw a smile. “Come on, lighten up! You’re young and we still have half a bottle of booze left!”

“Half a bottle won’t do anything. We’re going to Radasanth.”

“What the hell kind of name is that?” Ruina asked, wondering just what kind of people inhabited ‘Althanas’.

“A bad one.” the Princess said, piloting them through clear skies. “I have a question for you.”

Ruina took her right index finger out of her mouth, opting to chew the piece of cuticle she’d nibbled off before acknowledging her.

“Shoot.”

“How did you feel when you killed that family on Salarus-Five?” Lunitari asked, taking her eyes off the windshield and settling them on Ruina’s patched-over left eye. “I only saw a few hunts before I was dispatched here.”

“Salarus-Five…” Ruina said, trying to bring it up in her memory. “Oho! Right. It was easy. I didn’t feel anything.”

A silence fell between them and Ruina grinned wickedly, following it with by asking, “How did you feel when you assassinated the President and his family?”

Lunitari growled and her grip upon the controls turned white-knuckled.

“You know your history.”

“Hey, for an amateur like me, the only role model that makes sense is the bitch who’s killed Kings in front of their courts.” Ruina replied, wondering if her compliment would be noticed. “How the hell did you end up out here anyway?”

“My mother thinks I’m too unstable to be an active General.” Lunitari said behind clenched teeth. Ruina had to laugh.

“Hey! I’m unstable too!” she exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood before she got depressed. Because when she did, coming back would be way too hard. Lunitari seemed to smile again, this time for a bit longer. They really were contagious.

The rest of the flight was spent in silence. Ruina watched the various monitors strewn above their heads, each labeled for the view they were expressing. A camera below the ship showed small wooden houses with chimneys, the sides showed clear skies, clouds on the horizon to the east threatening to bring some cold winter rain to them. Ruina hoped it wouldn’t. She hated being cold.

When the ship began to at last descend, Lunitari piloted as if she knew something Ruina did not. They set down gently in what appeared to be the ruins of some castle, it’s once proud spires having crumbled into nothingness due to wear or perhaps vandalism. What may have once been a grand old hall was now nothing but a landing spot, complete with scorched walls and cloth debris that may have once been royal banner.

“What kind of place is Radasanth?” Ruina asked, trying to get a little information about what was bound to be her new home.

“The kind I think you’ll hate. Come on.”

Ruina followed Lunitari outside of the ship and to the inside of the ruin which, despite having somewhat stable walls, was without a ceiling.

“Is this our new house? I have to say I’m not that impressed.” Ruina said, trying for another smile. She didn’t get one. There was a noise, and Ruina followed Lunitari toward the other side of the ship, where a brown horse awaited them.

“You’re kidding, right? I don’t know how to ride one of those fucking things.” Ruina spat, finding things more and more ridiculous as they went on. She was beginning to think that maybe Althanas wasn’t exactly an advanced society.

“You don’t have to know how. Just sit behind me and hold on.” Lunitari said, hopping upon it like a pro. Ruina approached the thing, finding that it smelled just as she expected it to: bad.

“Take my hand.” the Princess said, and Ruina did just that, finding herself hefted upon the beast without warning.

“You’re stronger than you look, Princess.” Ruina said, some sort of derision in her voice. It was embarrassing. I’m riding bitch on a horse and being bossed around by a Princess like a slave-girl. How fucking perfect today is turning out to be.

She could feel Lunitari shudder with silent laughter.

“Be grateful, you could be in prison getting the crap beaten out of you.” she said, spurring the horse into motion. With that, they were on their way. Ruina had no idea what to expect, but it couldn’t have been worse than jail… could it?

[Ruina]

When she opened her eye, Ruina wasn’t exactly sure what was happening. She was on a bed, an uncomfortable one at that, laying on her right side and staring out a window with thin, fluttering drapes of an off-white color. The window was open, letting in cold air. Her nose stung with it yet her back was warm. The last thing she remembered was dinner with Lunitari, a dry steak and some stale bread. After that… nothing. She tried to roll over but found resistance. A warm body. Panicked, she rolled to the opposite side and off the bed, landing on the floor with a dull thud. She was still cold. The thud had awoken the Princess who, without the same reaction as Ruina, sat up slowly. She was still fully dressed (something Ruina could not sayfor herself).

“Ugh… we didn’t-”

“No.” Lunitari said firmly. “You were crying in your sleep. It seemed to help when I laid with you, so I did. I must’ve fallen asleep myself.”

Ruina saw something then in those violet, glowing eyes. Something fleeting, almost as if she’d imagined it. A brief flicker of life.

“Huh... sounds like me.” she said, coughing to clear out her throat. “Where are my clothes?”

“You’d gotten pretty drunk,” Lunitari replied with a grin. “You took them off when we got up here thinking you and I were going to do something.”

“But we didn’t.” Ruina stated.

“No. We didn’t.”

“That’s too bad.” Ruina said with a sigh, feeling more down than usual. She wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. Looking around, it was obvious from the décor (or lack thereof) that they were not on Lunitari’s ship. She’d made her buy a room somewhere because she drank too much. Enough to forget the previous evening’s events at least.

“It’s nearly night. Are you hungry?” Lunitari asked, gliding off the bed by way of her powers and standing tall upon the ground. She rolled her head from side to side, neck cracking loudly, and did a few simple stretches before heading to the door.

“Your clothes are, well, around the room. Meet me downstairs when you’re ready to go.”

And with that, the Princess was gone. Ruina got dressed, but did not make it a point to head downstairs. She went to the open window and looked outside, leaning on the palms of her hands to watch the people go by. Men with horse-drawn carts of goods retiring for the night, shady characters doing who knows what slipping into back alleys and shadowy awnings. There were no ships. No sounds of sirens or humming hover-engines, just the sounds of a simpler, more desolate world.

“I’ll never see home again.” she told herself, “I’ll never see an electric light or indoor plumbing.”

And with those anti-climactic last words, she thrust herself from the window, realizing as her legs left the room that she really wasn’t high enough to end it quick. If anything, she would walk away with something broken. I’m such a fucking idiot, she thought, just a moment before she froze in mid air. Waiting at the bottom was, as she said she would be, Lunitari, her hand outstretched as if to hold her like a doll to the waning sunlight.

“Yeah, you are a fucking idiot. You’ve got guts though, I gotta admit that.” she said as she plopped her on the ground, manipulating Ruina without so much as a wink of concentration on her face.

“Wow, how embarrassing for me.” Ruina said softly, finding the humor in the situation but not being amused. “Don’t mind me, I tend to be the victim of my emotions and whims.”

“Don’t we all?” Lunitari asked, some sort of dark humor in her voice. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

So they did, Lunitari leading the way as they walked in silence through the dark streets of Radasanth. Not long into their trip Ruina had spotted a small, squat building with a glow that emanated into the streets. She began to get curious about what it was, and as fate would have it, it turned out to be their source of food for the night. The name of the establishment was the Prancing Pony, and it seemed a quaint little place with cute, plump waitresses and a big, bald bartender with a frown that would’ve put a horseshoe to shame.

“This place has always been one of my favorites to eat in. At night things can get pretty interesting.” Lunitari said, Ruina feeling as though she was getting a tour. Eyes lingered on them both, no doubt because of their outfits and, of course, appearances. It was not often that tall women with glowing eyes and skin-tight clothes came waltzing into a dumpy restaurant. Bearded men stroked their chins in silent, lecherous thought, and the waitresses murmured things to one another about how the whores were getting out of control. They took a seat at a table near the bar and the corner at Ruina’s request. The more rustic folk of Radasanth making her feel uncomfortable. Lunitari ordered a whole chicken which they picked at like animals, and when it was finished, moved on to a pint of ale. It didn’t last long, so they then went on to the hard drink of the house: A powerful smelling brown liquid called Bugjuice. As unappetizing as the name may have been, the taste was worse, it did, however, pave the road that led to conversation. When somewhat inebriated, it seemed to Ruina that the both of them were no longer held sway by insecurity and emotional trauma. It seemed that they were almost human.

“I notice you roll your Rs when you speak. It’s not an accent you hear often.” Lunitari said after taking a shot and slamming the glass back on the table. “Where are you from anyway?”

“Zakuna. We’re known for our space pirates.” Ruina said blandly, the booze darkening her mood a little. Lunitari noticed.

“You guys kept pretty quiet for the most part. You know it was recently taken by the Empire, don’t you?” she asked, as if trying to incite something. Some sort of racial conflict.

“I heard and don’t give a shit. You could’ve scorched every single planet. There’s nothing in that place for me anymore.”

“Whew, bitter. What happened to you?”

“No, what happened to you, Princess? What turned you from rich General into the mopey bitch that got stationed on this podunk shithole planet?”

Lunitari’s glowing eyes narrowed and like a candle in a gust of wind, they went dim, Ruina at last seeing the purple irises behind them.

“Do you really want to know?” she asked, looking at her with a silent plea hidden in the depths of her eyes.

“Sure.” Ruina said, cringing at her own lack of impactfulness. She was genuinely curious, but if it were a therapist Lunitari were looking for, she wouldn’t find it in the psycho across the table.

“I was undercover on the planet Langrillus who we had heard were in the process of developing a new weapon. It turned out that their weapon was, by all rights, nothing more than a simple person. A girl who bore the ability to control electronics and machines much like Nightlundians could minds. I was something of a servant, learning what I could, learning to… like her in the rare moments we had to speak. I fell in love, but she was already in love with the woman who had been training her. It enraged me. When the armada finally arrived on the planet to attack, I killed her in the confusion, leading the girl - Lavinia… her name was Lavinia - to kill the Emperor in her rage and escape during the conflict in the cities. She fled the planet and I followed, as it was my order to assassinate the girl before she could do any harm.”

She took a deep breath, sighed, and continued, sounding more tired than before.

“We got into a skirmish in Althanas’ atmosphere… She crashed, I landed here to find her. Well… when I did, I couldn’t bring myself to kill her. I loved her. Have you ever been in love, Ruina?”

“No… no I never have.” she replied softly, eyes averted. It was not a subject she enjoyed speaking about.

“Well it’s strong. Stronger than I was. I took Lavinia in, protected her and, well… she began to love me back. My mother knew and despite my disobeying of orders gave us her blessing… but still, I was a soldier and had things to do. I got sent to Salarius IV to research a disturbance… my mother didn’t tell me what it was or why, and only when it was too late did I find out what it was. Alluria Lurenta… the first Omnipath before my mother was there. She lived there as some sort of shadow. Like a virus she got inside me and… she took over. I was here, I was able to see, but it was not me. She had transformed my body, taken Lavinia and turned her into some sort of… sex slave. I had to watch as she berated and tortured her, treating her like a dog until this monster of a woman showed up. Valentina Snow was her name, and because of her, my best friend and the woman I love are dead.”

“You look normal now. How did that happen?”

“I fought her. I won. My body became mine once again, I was in control. She is… no more.” Lunitari said. She poured another shot, downed it, then poured another. The glass stayed on the table. “I got in with a group of bandits. I became a leader, befriended many within the ranks… they are all gone now too.”

“The closest thing I had to a friend your mother told me she didn’t even care about.” Ruina said, trying to figure out how just a couple deaths managed to crush a woman as powerful as Lunitari. Then again, she hadn’t been in love. It probably was stronger than her.

“It’s nice to have someone to talk to again.” Lunitari said, giving a faint grin. Ruina took the bottle of Bugjuice of the table and began to drink deep. She figured it was enough of a response, but then she couldn’t really stop herself.

“Yeah…”

She set the bottle back down and wouldn’t pick it back up the rest of the night. Not long later they left, riding the horse they took into town out of the city toward the ruined castle that was now a landing pad, Ruina wondering what happened to the people who once lived inside. Wondering if they ever imagined it would turn out how it had. Nobody ever does.

[Ruina]

Within the abandoned castle, Ruina and Lunitari sat upon what may have once been grand steps, accepting royalty from all across the land for grandiose feasts. They stared at the city of Radasanth in the distance, the clouds on the horizon slowly approaching, cutting sunset short and bringing the chill night early. Ruina would have been lying if, upon discovering what sort of world she was faced with, she found some comfort in Lunitari, someone pretty much stuck in the same position as herself if not for the fact that the Princess could up and leave whenever she pleased. Ruina however, had made it a point not to think about anything like stealing the ship, as it would not be conducive to a good relationship with the woman who could most likely revoke her immunity from the police.

“How do you stand it on this fucking caveman planet?” Ruina had asked her, a brief gust of wind blowing her wispy hair into a center-part and once again off to one side.

“I don’t. Why do you think I stay on the ship? It’s not helping my loneliness but it certainly is nice not having to go to the bathroom in a cauldron or not bathing for weeks at a time.”

“Fuckin’ planet. Of all the places I had to end up.” Ruina hissed, furious at the development. It’d take a lot of getting used to to enjoy herself on Althanas. Hell, it’d take a lot of getting used to just to tolerate it.

“It could be worse you-”

“Could be in jail, yeah, I fucking get it, thank you.” Ruina snapped. She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, trying to calm down the rage that threatened to boil up. “I guess I should go out on my own soon, huh?”

“Not before I see a few things.” Lunitari replied with a grin. “Like the arm, and the eye.”

Ruina stared at her for a moment before a grin of her own formed.

“Lemme see one of the swords and I will.”

“Ha! Deal! Change it into the sickle!” Lunitari exclaimed, sounding like a child in a toy store. Ruina stood up and outstretched her left arm. Like a mere trick of the eyes, it turned a bright silver like that of mercury and, in but a moment, was a solid blade from the wrist down. Four feet of curved viciousness gleaming in the half moon’s light. Ruina had made the inner edge serrated as a special touch for her new friend.

“Wow. How many people has that thing gutted, do you think?”

“Shut up and gimme the sword,” Ruina said with some humor, outstretching her right hand as her left returned to normal. Lunitari shrugged and pulled the left hilt from her belt. She handed it to Ruina who, upon gripping it, looked at in wonder.

“I’ve never held one-a these before. It’s heavier than I thought.”

She flicked a switch on its side and with a flash a violet beam launched from the tip, humming ever so slightly like a bad light bulb.

“This thing is awesome. How many people has it gutted, do you think?” she asked, giving sly grin that Lunitari followed with a chuckle.

“More than I could count. Now the eye.”

“Ugh, do I have to?” Ruina asked, swinging the violet energy sword through the air a few times. She turned it off and tossed it back to the Princess, shaking her head as the hilt stopped in mid-air and floated to her belt on its own.

“Yes you have to! We had a deal!”

“Well, I’m the type of woman who breaks deals.” Ruina said, grinning mischievously. Lunitari stood up from the steps and kneaded her fingers together before cracking her knuckles, and for a moment, she thought she was going to fight her for the right to see it. It would be a fight Ruina knew for certain she’d lose.

“Okay, okay, look.” she said, flipping her eye patch upward. Like a computer monitor come to life her peripheral vision returned, as did the various scanning features that came standard with her normal vision. The red iris narrowed at Lunitari, who stared at it with glowing violet eyes that were much more interesting than her one prostheses.

“Who did this to you?” she asked, opening the floodgates. Ruina’s memories, lacking control, flooded back to her in a torrent of pain. She remembered them cutting upon her, half-awake, half-asleep and unable to do anything about it. She remembered Doctor Jeffries who sated his sadistic whims by cutting upon the insides of her thighs, masturbating to her screams. It was all there.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” she barely whispered, flipping the eye patch back down. She swallowed hard, trying to remove the lump from her throat.

“Come on, I told you what-”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT IT!” Ruina shrieked, shoving the Princess without concern for her status as a Nightlundian or the shakey bond they’d begun to form. None of it mattered anymore. Nothing mattered. She was losing control. Her arm threatened to change on its own, ready to form a blade and skewer the woman who had reminded her of all that had gone wrong in her life. She fought it, collapsing to her knees in a patch of unkempt grass and screaming into her cold metal hand. Lunitari stood back, face contorted in some mix of concern and shock. Like a circuit finally shorting out, Ruina went limp, slumping over in defeat.

“I just want to go to bed.”

Lunitari obliged in silence, helping Ruina from the ground and taking her aboard the ship. She brought her into a room that looked like it had seen a lot. Everything was connected to the hull of the ship from the desk to the mirror to the closet, all metal, all cold. There was a bed, unmade yet apparently comfortable considering how thick it was. Ruina stared at it, seeing in it’s blue sheets a sort of haven, made even safer by the thick Nahilite walls and her new guardian Angel.

“Do you want to sleep with your clothes on or off?” she had asked, standing beside her with a look that could only be described as empty. Ruina looked at the full-length mirror opposite the bed, staring at herself in silence. She thought about what awaited her underneath the glistening GP uniform. Scars, a body she despised and no long recognized as her own. She turned away from it.

“Off.” she softly spoke. Lunitari took a step forward, placing a hand upon the zipper of her vest. Ruina slapped it away with her right hand and shoved the Princess with her left, sending her into the wall. A dull, metallic thud echoed through the otherwise quiet ship and Lunitari stared at her, her brow furrowed. Ruina began to weep.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-” she stepped toward her, throwing herself at the mercy of the woman who had taken her in. Somewhere deep in the back of her mind, Ruina knew she was freaking out. Stress, emotional and otherwise was taking its toll, and it had dug too deep, inspiring something weak and pitiful within her to rise to the surface, exposing itself thankfully to just one person.

“Get undressed, get under the covers. Tell me when you’re done.” Lunitari said, looking sad. Ruina did as she was told, unsure if she did it for herself or otherwise. When she was under the blue covers, feeling only a little hopeless, she said, “I’m done,” and like clockwork, Lunitari stepped back in and sat at the edge of the bed.

“I don’t want to hear you crying or screaming again. I may just kill you while you sleep.” she’d told her, laying down on the bed and draping her arm over Ruina’s side, effectively positioning herself in the spoon position. Were Ruina’s mind not so clouded with pollution, she would’ve seen past Lunitari’s lie to the truth underneath it. She wanted to be in that bed, desperate for the company of another person no matter who it was. Ruina didn’t know, she wouldn’t for quite some time. These things however, did not stop her from taking Lunitari’s hand into her own, clasping it as she silently sobbed into sleep like she had ever since she’d escaped the lab and didn’t pass out drunk. It felt almost nice there. Warmed by a body in the metal room of a ship.

“Thank you.” one of them said. Or had it been both of them?

[Ruina]

The days went on faster than Ruina could’ve guessed. There would be times when she’d awake to find herself alone, hearing noises off in the ship somewhere, and she would sink back under again. A couple times she’d find Lunitari sitting at the edge of the bed in silence, unaware that the woman behind her had even roused from her fitful slumber. Sometimes she’d be lying there, back to Ruina’s. They’d feel one another breathing, Ruina unsure if Lunitari was awake, Lunitari unsure of what to say. The Princess would leave, and Ruina would let it come again, sweeping her from consciousness swiftly and ruthlessly. It was four days before she finally found the inner strength to leave the bed. She sat at the edge, feet firmly placed upon the chill metal floor. The reflection in the mirror stared at her crotch, looking at the long lines of discolored scar tissue, some of which ran from thigh to knee, some only an inch or two.

“You’ve experienced some terrible things.” Lunitari said. She stood in the doorway, having appeared as silently as she often left. On her person was a single piece baggy brown outfit, often seen on mechanics or other sorts of ship technicians. It remained unzipped, Ruina getting a faint glimpse of violet bra underneath.

“Why did you do this?” Ruina asked, dodging the subject of her past entirely.

“Do what?”

“This. Let me stay here, buy me food, every-fucking-thing. Why?”

Lunitari didn’t look like she was thinking, but she remained silent for a few beats before finally saying, “It’s my job.”

“It’s not your job to keep me company. It’s not your job to-”

“I think it’s about time you headed out to Althanas on your own.” Lunitari interjected, “Here.”

She tossed a little brown sack at her. Ruina letting it strike her chest and flop to her lap, making no attempt to pick it up or grab it.

“One hundred gold pieces. It should be enough to get you started.” she said, opening her mouth as if she had something to add but saying nothing more.

“So I just start getting accustomed to staying here and you’re throwing me out on my ass?” Ruina asked, her upper lip curling on its own. “You fuckin’ bitch! Get the fuck out of here! Leave me alone!”

Lunitari stared at her for a moment, her sad, glowing eyes saying more than words ever could. She left, and Ruina wouldn’t see her on the ship again. Staring at the pack of money, Ruina grabbed it and tossed it to the opposite side of the room letting it slump to the floor, the money inside clanging dully. I don’t need any fucking charity, she thought, feeling embarrassed for how she’d represented herself. She felt as though she’d let herself get babied, pampered like a child. It was true, she had, and it drove her crazy. As if the pretty little Princess needed anybody else to feel more superior to. Not me. No fucking way.

She’d gotten dressed quickly, angrily, each leg being stomped into their respective leg in the pants, each zipper being pulled violently. At that moment, she felt no gratitude to the woman, not even any compassion, but almost pure hatred, smoldering in her veins. She knew that later she’d come to her senses, that she’d feel terrible and want to come back and apologize, but she wouldn’t. Not this time. They were already getting too close. Closer than she needed to let someone get.

She retrieved her bag as she left. The ship’s door open, the ramp extended and waiting. The castle awaited her, wind whistling through the partial halls that still remained, echoing like ghosts. Her bag lay by the door, also waiting. It seemed that Lunitari had planned for such a thing happening, and it made Ruina even angrier.

“Ugh, fucking cunt.” she hissed, picking up her bag and rushing down the ramp. She was crossing a field of green and brown, a dusty path at her feet before she realized how easy it was for her to walk away from everything familiar, everything she knew. For a brief moment she felt vulnerable, unsafe out there in the open. Too far from Lunitari and too far from Radasanth to truly be anywhere. Her heart rate began to soar, as did the pace of her breath, but somehow she managed to gain control. Something in her told her it would be alright, and suddenly it was. It was a rare occasion indeed when that sort of thing actually worked.

Ruina arrived in Radasanth around mid-afternoon and was immediately intimidated into standing still for an hour, unsure of where to go, what to do, or who to talk to. She began to wish she took the money Lunitari had given her. She began to wish she never left. Even hoping for some place familiar, she couldn’t remember where she and Lunitari had gone her first night there or where they had stayed. She did, however, remember the Prancing Pony. As she tried to navigate the city in hopes of finding the place, she considered the various ways someone like her could earn money. She could, in hopes of making some quick cash, wind up on her back with her legs in the air, but she knew for a fact that something like that would be bad news. It did, however, lead to another, more exciting idea. She was a killer. She killed for a living. Why not find people who are getting prostitutes, and kill them? Or even better, kill prostitutes?

“I’m a fucking genius.” she said, thoroughly convinced that now things would be set. Hell, she already had a job and she just got into town.

It took a few hours before Ruina gave up on finding the Prancing Pony. She couldn’t remember the way she and Lunitari had taken to leave so she couldn’t back-track, and frankly, the place wasn’t exactly a proud establishment. It was a dump just like the rest of Althanas. Wood and dirt and stupidity all crammed into one massive city. It crushed her spirit and her hope.

“I can’t live here.” she said. And she believed it. Althanas was too different. Too ancient. The whole situation was still too much to handle. Feeling a panic begin to overwhelm her again, Ruina ducked into the nearest building she could find. Conveniently enough, it was an inn and restaurant, crowded enough so that only casual glances came her way, but empty enough so that she could find a seat away from them all. She set her bag on the chipped wooden table and buried her face in the fabric to muffle a scream of terror and rage and sadness all combined. It felt uncomfortable. It felt different. When she unzipped it to investigate, she found things inside that were not there before. Her electro-baton, a small brown bag, and a folded up piece of paper on top of a small, round thing that resembled a large watch. The baton she’d noticed was missing, as she was used to the feeling of the weight against her thigh. Without it’s power-cell though, it was just a club. The other things were new. She went to the piece of paper first, reading aloud the contents.

“While you were sleeping I replaced the cell in your baton. Don’t blow this one with any more science experiments. Enclosed is also a communicator connected directly to my own, and a bag with one hundred gold pieces in…” Ruina trailed off, her heart sank. “I know… that you are a woman with a tumultuous mind. You’ve seen a lot and it has taken its toll. If you are reading this, then you have left my ship and most likely refused my going-away present. Consider this payment for making me feel again. Love, Lunitari.”

A tear escaped Ruina’s eye, trailing toward her lip where she licked it up. Her eye remained focused upon the closing of the letter. ‘Love, Lunitari’. Something most likely done out of letter-writing habit and not exactly a sign. If it were, she left about the right time.

“You stupid bitch.” Ruina said, talking to herself and Lunitari at the same time. How could someone be so kind to someone they just met, and even more so, someone like Ruina? She couldn’t comprehend the kindness, but it didn’t matter. Now she felt pretty good. Maybe things weren’t as hopeless as she thought they’d be. Maybe.

“Excuse me,” she said to a passing waitress. She ignored her. Ruina knew for a fact she did not speak quietly, so it may have been some sort of outsider prejudice. She needed to command respect and attention. So she did.

“Hey, bitch!” Ruina yelled. The woman turned to her with shock on her face, incredulous, unable to believe that someone would dare treat her that way. She approached and Ruina grinned, believing she had finally gotten what she wanted.

“You can’t act like that in here! This is a high-class restaurant!” she exclaimed, and Ruina surveyed the situation. It looked like any other disgusting place but those who dined there were dressed a bit nicer. Nicer than her at least in her stolen GP uniform.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave!”

Ruina took a deep breath, meant to calm her down, to keep her from doing what came next.

“I’m gonna have to ask you to do your fuckin’ job and get me some food! Right fucking now!”

“Bob!” she screamed, holding out the O. They were getting attention now. The eyes of the upper class turning toward her table. From behind the bar area a big man dressed like a cook came out, his hands the size of hams and his head merely a bulbous pimple protruding from between his shoulders. Ruina got out of her seat before he arrived. No doubt a man of that size was not going to be used for quiet negotiations. As she rose, she put her baton back in its place. It may have been necessary.

“Is dere a problem?” Bob asked, his voice sounding a bit empty. Ruina noticed this.

“Oh what a shocker! The big guy’s also a fuckin’ retard!” she exclaimed, feeling the fires of a confrontation grow warmer. She was pouring gasoline on it every time she spoke. Bob put his giant left hand upon Ruina’s right shoulder, the weight of the thing alone threatening to drop her to a knee. She began to grin.

“I think it’s time fer you ta go.” he said. Ruina clasped his wrist with her right hand, expecting that nobody would be looking at her left. Bob surely wasn’t, but the others in the establishment were. She knew because they gasped. From elbow-down had become gleaming steel which she used with no hesitation, swinging it up and to the right to cut Bob’s arm off at the elbow. Blood streamed out upon Ruina’s face. The waitress screamed, and Bob uttered some sort of half-hearted, “Ow,” but didn’t go down.

“Not bad, Bob.” Ruina said, leaning back on her left foot and snap-kicking her right to his face. That one sent him stepping over to the left, stumbling over his own feet in a vain attempt to keep upright. It failed. He landed upon a couple’s meal, spilling their food everywhere and trapping the man beneath his massive body. Ruina watched this all happen with a smile that lingered for a moment before turning into a full-on cackle. The waitress who had initially caused the conflict was crouched beneath the table, moaning and groaning in fear. Ruina knelt and looked at her, still smiling.

“I think I’ve lost my appetite.” she said, each word causing a twitch reaction in the woman. She stood up to leave but knelt one more time to do something fun. She growled at her like a monster, eliciting a delightful squeal from the woman before standing up, grabbing her bag, and walking to the door. She kicked at it, breaking the latch from the door. Before she exited however, she turned to those inside, many huddling in fear.

“Hey! Have a nice night!” she exclaimed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Outside, the streets were getting emptier, the night darker. Paranoid for some sort of local law enforcement, she began to run down the street, away from wherever the hell she’d stumbled into and poor one-armed Bob, his career as dumb bouncer probably ruined for good. Ruina kept smiling.

[Ruina]

Kneeling beside a long trough of water, Ruina splashed it into her face, finding the winter air had made it colder than she’d wanted it to be, and instantly her cheeks and nose stung. It’d fade, but she’d not like it while it lasted.

“Hey lady, horses drink from that.” said a little boy’s voice. Glancing to her right, a boy that, judging from his clothes may or may not have been an orphan stood there, wringing his hands together nervously or out of boredom.

“Yeah, thanks kid. I really needed to know I was washing my face in horse spit. Really, thank you.” she said humorlessly, her eye narrowed.

“Why were you covered in blood?”

Ruina continued to stare at the kid, impressed that someone his age knew just what blood was. Then again, maybe Althanas was a cutthroat place, children were just as viable as targets as any man. She grinned.

“I cut a guy’s arm off.”

“Cool.” the boy said, sounding genuinely impressed. He ran a hand through his well-brushed, straight brown hair and stared at Ruina even more.

“Where’s your mother, kid?” she asked, genuinely curious about the child’s status as far as his lifestyle went.

“She’s over there.” he said, pointing to an alleyway. “She’s doing bad things but she says that’s how we have to do stuff now.”

“That’s pretty fucked up, kid. Why does she take you with her?”

The little boy looked up at her as she stood and shrugged, maturely asking, “Where else would she put me?”

“That’s a good point. Do you know any places to eat around here?”

“No. Not really. You’d have to ask mama.” the boy told her, taking a drink from the trough. Ruina shook her head. It was dog eat dog no matter where you went, and that kid was almost completely devoured.

“Well I guess I’ll just keep an eye on you for the time being then.” she said, grinning faintly. “You know, horses drink from that thing.”

The kid stopped drinking and smiled up at her. She smiled back. From across the street there came a scream and the boy turned.

“Mama?!” he shrieked back.

“Run, Joe, run!!” she screamed, but Joe didn’t run. Joe stood still, staring at the ground. He clenched his hands into little fists and started to cross the street, but Ruina stopped him, putting her cold metal hand upon his head and holding him back. She sighed.

“Stay here, kid. I’ll check this out.”

Ruina started to cross the street. She pulled the baton from its holster, expecting only the worst when she got to the alley. Her expectations were not unfounded. In the light of the moon, she could make out a figure standing above a downed female form, crumpled upon the ground and shivering like a dead leaf in the breeze. He was naked and hard and held a knife firmly in his hand as he breathed through clenched teeth. Ruina flipped her eye-patch up, she’d need the sight that the moon’s beams couldn’t give.

“What the f*ck is your problem, pal?” she asked, clutching the baton tightly. He merely turned to her, and she saw that the knife, a short stubby thing, had blood upon it.

“Can’t a guy get a little privacy?! Eh?!” he exclaimed, and she knew then that he was gone. She didn’t hesitate as she bridged the distance between them quickly, slamming the baton firmly into his elbow. A pop came and he dropped the knife, his arm dangling loosely to the side.

“C’mere baby.” he fumbled, sounding drunk with bloodlust and possibly something else. He stumbled into her, forcing them both to the ground. Ruina’s fist hit the dirt but she kept the baton in hand, slamming it into his ribcage repeatedly. Nothing seemed to phase him. Like a dog in heat he tried to thrust himself at her, his broken arm flopping pathetically on the ground. She could feel him rubbing against her thighs and had quite certainly had enough. Ruina let go of the baton and reached up with both hands to clasp the man’s head.

“Lights out, mother f*cker.” she hissed, slamming her forehead into his nose. It gave way easily and blood spurted from it like a fountain. The shock was enough to send him sprawling over onto his back. Ruina retrieved her baton from the dirt and rose, staring at the man whose blood was snaking down her forehead to her nose.

“C’mon. C’mon, gimme summa that!” he exclaimed, eying her like a wild dog. Not one to disappoint, she gave him some, pressing the baton into his neck and activating the shock. He spasmed for a moment and curled into a ball, twitching violently. From his throat came noises that may have been attempts for breath. They wouldn’t come. It was a technique she remembered from the old days that was used on prisoners who had done something especially wrong. Ruina holstered the baton and walked over to the downed woman, her son probably worried to death. The dirt below her was soaked, and in the night looked black. She’d stopped moving long ago, her skin already growing cold.

“Mama?” asked a curious little Joe from the head of the alley. Ruina looked up at the boy, thought of telling him to go, but had a change of mind.

“C’mere, kid.” she said, beckoning him with a wave of her hand. Joe did as he was told, stepping carefully around the still twitching, naked man curled against the wall.

“Your mother’s dead. That man right there is the one who did it.” she explained, picking his stubby little knife from the dirt. She brushed it off a bit on Joe’s mother and handed it to him. “Are you going to let him get away with it?”

Joe stared at his mother’s body in wide-eyed horror, frozen in shock. With a snap of his little arm he snatched the knife away and started toward the man against the wall. He stood over his still-twitching form as intimidating as can be, knife held firmly in his little right fist. Ruina watched with a faint grin, eagerly awaiting the boy’s attack, to see what the streets had taught him. Nothing ever came.

“I can’t kill this man. My mama always told me that killing was wrong.”

“Your mother’s dead, you stupid little sh-” Ruina stopped herself and swallowed her anger down. Kids. What could you do? “Let’s go then.”

Joe was already leaving the alley when she stopped beside the downed man. He’d begun breathing again.

“Was it worth it?” she asked, pointing her left arm down at him. The blade struck down like a thrown spear, piercing his back to chip a vertebrae and tear through a lung. She withdrew and wiped it clean on his discarded pants before returning it to a hand and leaving. The local guard would think it a double murder, possibly connected to the murder of poor Big Bob, who bled to death after an unruly customer took his arm off at the elbow. When asked, nobody could thoroughly describe the woman who had killed old, stupid Bob except one dark-skinned man that the guard ignored. They didn’t care for his type.

[Ruina]

Ruina followed orphaned Joe to wherever he was going. Not because he asked her to, but merely because it felt right. The kid could only have been ten, maybe even younger, and she knew it was wrong to ask him to kill his mother’s murderer, but wrong and right didn’t really matter to her anymore. She secretly hoped he would do it. That he would’ve ruthlessly cut the man’s throat. Perhaps she’d keep him around, teach him the way of a killer. A protégé, a son, without any of the painful work of childbirth or intercourse. It couldn’t be easier. That small idea was crushed though, when little Joe dropped the knife in defeat. She wanted to slap him for it.

Ruina followed the lad through Radasanth, and though he walked as though he were lost, he certainly had a place he was going. It was maybe a half-hour walk before they reached a tall, thin building at the edge of town. The street ended at a culdesac, the building Joe walked to seemed to lord over the entire avenue like a father sitting tall at the head of the table. Two men stood outside, the one on the right gruff and heavily bearded, the one on the right young, staring at the world with an arrogant grin.

“Well, well, if it ain’t little Joe. Where’s your mom, punk?” said the younger man, Ruina deciding quite quickly that they were guards.

“His mother’s dead.” she answered for him, approaching Joe from behind. She stood taller than the two guards, both of them looking offended by it.

“Dead? Did you kill her?” asked the bearded one, stroking the thick black hairs on his face.

“Yeah, and I’m here to finish you all off.” she said sarcastically, rolling her eye. “I tried to save her but she’d been stuck quite a bit. Joe’s an orphan now.”

“That Maria. She had it good. Serves her right.” the young guard spat, Joe beginning to shake in anger. He threw a solid right-jab at his stomach that, for a ten-year-old in a ten-year-old fight would’ve floored his opponent. To the guard, who already wore thick clothes to protect from the cold, it was a bug-bite, a mere excuse for what he did next.

“Why, you little shit!” the young guard hissed, pulling a little dagger from his belt. He was ready to stab Joe, and Ruina was ready to stab him, but the bearded man put a halt to it all, placing his big body in front of the knife and the boy.

“That’s enough. It’s a kid and a woman. Calm down.” he said, each phrase said slowly, deliberately, as if he were trying to calm a dog. It worked, and the dagger went away.

“Take ‘em in to see mother.” the young guard grumbled. The bearded man opened the right of the double wooden doors and stepped inside, allowing Joe and Ruina to entire before slamming it shut behind him.

“Don’t mind Zeke. He’s always been a bit jumpy.” the bearded man said. Ruina ignored him, opting instead to look around the establishment. The floor, in areas was lined with small cushions save for a small bit of wood that led directly to a desk, in which sat a blonde woman with a sad look in her eyes. Before her was some paper and and a quill resting in an ink bottle Behind the desk was a hall lined with doors, and above it was a second floor that mimicked the first, two sets of stairs against the left and right walls leading up and into the beyond. It was all lit by candles and lanterns and Ruina felt sick. No electricity either. Things were looking great.

“These two need to talk to Beth-Anne.”

“Ain’t that Maria’s kid?” the woman asked, giving Joe a weird look.

“Maria’s dead.” the bearded bodyguard added. The woman uttered an “aww” that sounded almost patronizing, and thumbed behind her.

“She’s in the office. What’s up with your clothes, lady?”

Ruina, realizing she was being spoken to, narrowed her eye at the blonde woman and shook her head.

“I’m not from around here.” she said simply. She shrugged as if to say ‘good enough for me’.

“Remember though, no shoes.”

Ruina groaned and watched as Joe slipped off the little leather shoes he wore to reveal bare feet. She could almost imagine the smell that, luckily was covered by the mixed scents of perfume and burning incense.

“Are you serious?” she asked, the bearded guard shrugged.

“Rules are rules. Joe knows where the office is.” was all he said. He walked back outside, shutting the door a little too hard behind him. Ruina knelt and began undoing the buckles of her boots before taking them off with the toes of the opposite foot. She hefted them up and slammed them upon the desk, startling the blonde woman into finally giving her some real attention.

“Where did you get these boots!?” she exclaimed, impressed.

“Uh… from uh… Elves.”

“No kidding!? Elves make this stuff!? Oh man, I gotta get to Raiaera someday.” she said, and Ruina’s mouth was open with shock.

“You’re fucking joking, right?”

“You didn’t get them from dark elves, did you? If so then forget it.”

Ruina was flabbergasted, unable to think of anything to say in reply to what she thought was incredible stupidity. She didn’t have any idea that Elves really existed. If so, the woman would be disappointed when she went to get her pair of synth-fab boots from them. Without another word she continued past the desk and down the hall, following the young boy who was a little too quiet for someone his age.

“Hey kid, are you gonna be okay?” she asked. Joe didn’t reply, but she swore she saw him shake his head. At the end of the hall was a door that was as plain as the others but with ‘office’ burned into it, apparently with a knife judging from the angles. Joe knocked on it, and a decidedly feminine, but quite gruff sounding voice beckoned them to “Come in.”

They did, and Ruina was impressed at the modesty of the room. A desk and a bed (for who knows what reason) were the only bits of furniture. Some pieces of art hung on the walls, none of it too fancy. The woman at the desk was a bigger woman, plump but not ugly. She had dark brown hair and a twinkle in her eyes that said she was either high or a little stupid. Ruina figured it was both. The room smelled of perfume and something herbal mixing together into a pretty noxious stench. She got used to it quickly though.

“Mama was killed.” Joe said simply to the woman. Upon letting it sink in for a moment, she got up from the desk and walked over to the lad, Ruina discovering that she was only a couple inches shorter than herself. Mother knelt, hugging the Joe something fierce, as if she could squeeze the grief out of him. Her green eyes were focused on Ruina, curiosity glowing within them.

“I’m the killer of the killer. I came here to make sure Joe got back okay.” Ruina said, lying. She came hoping to get paid or perhaps find a job. The type of job she’d most likely be offered though was not one she wanted.

“That is very kind of you. I’m afraid that poor Maria was all Joe had. He has nowhere else to go now…” Mother said, as if trying to pawn the boy off on her. Ruina’s expression said it all, and Mother stood, nodding her head as if she silently got the message. “Well then, Joe, you can be on cleaning until you are old enough to be a guard. Do you know where the tools are?”

Joe nodded his head in silent resignation. He’d already let his fate get decided, and he knew he wouldn’t make it on the streets. Without a single word, Joe left the office, leaving Ruina and Mother, eye-to-eyes, locked intently on one another.

“You look like you have questions.”

“I’m from outta town.” Ruina said, grinning faintly. Mother returned to the other side of the desk and waved a hand at the chair before it.

“Then please, have a seat. We have much to discuss.”

[Ruina]

“First things first, what’s your name?”

Ruina sat down in Mother’s opposing chair, finding it to be incredibly uncomfortable. She tried to situate herself, taking a good amount of time before finally answering the question with a curt “Ruina,” and a nod of her head.

“Is that your real name?” Mother asked. Ruina grinned.

“As real as you’re gettin’.” she replied. “Besides, as far as I’ve seen, your name is Mother. Like you have a right to judge.”

“I am called mother,” she began, sounding offended, “Because I am seen as one. In fact the owner of this humble establishment is my son.”

“Humble establishment? I mean, sure, there’s no neon lights flashing outside but it’s far from humble.” Ruina said, shrugging as she did. “But hey, whatever you wanna believe.”

“Neon lights?” Mother asked, her curiosity becoming wariness.

“Uh, nothing.” Ruina snapped quickly, struggling for a way to change the subject. “Uh, who’s the young guy outside? The one who was going to stab Joe.”

“He was!? That little bas-” Mother stopped, correcting herself. “Ah… he is my son. He inherited ownership of our pleasure palace from his father… despite the fact that I am the one who keeps it running. He was a soldier for a bit, now he guards, keeps an eye out for bad customers.”

“Didn’t do so hot with Maria.” Ruina said, grinning once again. Mother appeared shocked at the remark, appalled that someone could be so frivolous with the names of the dead.

“Well… Maria was working outside on her own. That would not have happened here.”

“Oh no, of course not.” Ruina said sarcastically. She stood up from the chair, firmly believing that Mother and her “pleasure palace” had nothing to offer her. Mother saw this and extended an arm across the table as if to pull her to stay.

“No, wait. Do you… need any work?”

“Depends on the work.”

“Well, you have the body for-”

“No.” Ruina snapped. “No way.”

“How old are you anyway? You look great.”

Taken off guard by the compliment, as she was by all compliments, Ruina stumbled for a moment before finally saying, “28,” followed by, “I work out.”

“Well it’s working.” Mother said, grinning mischievously. “You look like you can handle yourself in a fight. Can you?”

“More than you would believe.” she replied, knowing she knew something they did not. “Now you’re speaking my language. What did you have in mind?”

“I may need someone for a… job. Come speak to me tomorrow.”

“Sure.” Ruina said. “Hey, is there anyplace to get some food or a room around here? I am a bit lost.”

“I noticed. What kind of accent is that?”

“I, uh… I’m from Raiaera. Half-Elf.” Ruina replied, amused at how clever she was.

“Ah, yes, that would explain your height.” Mother said softly, as if absorbing the information to see if it were true. “Well, as for room and food, I can provide that in exchange for the vengeance you bestowed upon Maria’s killer. You can use her old room. I believe it’s room nine upstairs. For food there is a restaurant next-door. We since merged with them. The end of the second floor hallway will take you to their building. It’s that or the front door.”

“Thanks. I’ll be sure to see you tomorrow.” Ruina said, retrieving her bag from the floor and starting toward the door. Mother made a noise to get her attention and Ruina stopped.

“How do you feel about… killing?”

“Better than any healthy person should.” she said simply. Leaving the office then, Ruina retrieved her boots from the woman at the front desk and put them on at the stairs, very much aware that the idiot at the desk was watching her. She paid it no mind and continued upward until she found room nine. Opening it was like a punch in the face, perfume and the lingering scent of sex reeking from every piece of furniture, every piece of skimpy, revealing clothing. One bed, complete with velvet sheets of a blood red, was massive and looked unbelievably comfortable. At the foot, a smaller, apparently much less comfortable bed stretched in the opposite direction, forming a T shape. Poor Joe was all she could think. It seemed to be the thought of the night. She retrieved the pouch of gold that Lunitari had given her, her gaze lingering on the communicator that beckoned her to call her and apologize. It was light in her hands, and cold like metal would be in winter, but in the end she put it back.

She crossed what seemed to be a newly-built walkway between the two buildings to a restaurant that had very much succumbed to those who owned it. Women in shameless clothes served sub-par food to people who couldn’t care how it tasted. Ruina did, and her steak was disappointing. As much bare ass and nipple slips as she could enjoy, it did not make her steak any less tough. They did not make her bread any less stale. Not that any of that mattered. Alone there in the smoke-filled restaurant that had no name, she felt like a ghost. A stranger to herself. The only person that may or may not have been her friend she abandoned, her final sentiment to her being that she was a cunt and she hated her. Ruina had been privvy to what may as well have been considered the longest running killing spree in the history of her galaxy, and yet up until then she’d never felt like such a bitch. She left, paying what she was told without knowing that they were praying on her obvious naiveté and charging her double as much.

When she returned across the walkway to the Pleasure Palace, Joe was sweeping the second floor, his eyes dull, his child-like face devoid of feeling. It was as though he’d aged thirty years since she’d last seen him.

“Looks like we’re roommates.” Ruina said, trying to put a little life into them both. She hoped human interaction would be what it took.

“I know, I saw your weird bag on mama’s bed.” he replied softly, sounding as though he were waiting for her to come back. He really deserved better. She watched him work for a while, a young man leaving a room near the stairs with a look upon his face that told the world he had a good time. A skinny woman with jet black hair waved him goodbye with a giggle and retreated back inside. Ruina sighed.

“I’ll be in the room.” she said, defeated. Despite the fact that she spent days in a funk of depression and sleep, she could easily go to bed then, but she wouldn’t do just that. When she sat upon the red velvet blanket and got slowly undressed, her eye remained settled upon her bag, knowing full-well the contents. Stripped to nothing but her undergarments she crawled under covers that had probably seen more ass in a day than she had in her life and tried to rest, but she couldn’t. Giving in at last, Ruina opened the bag and retrieved the communicator. She stared at it for a while, trying to find words. Not the right words, just good ones. Finding that she couldn’t, she took the plunge and turned it on anyway, clasping the circular thing in her right hand like a compact mirror. It flashed the simple, square-lettered word ‘calling’ until it came to an empty screen, the head of a chair without an occupant staring back at her. She figured it an error, that it picked up despite her not being there, and with a defeated groan, she made to disconnect until a face suddenly appeared upon the little screen, as if there all along and simply unable to be seen. They stared at one another in silence, Lunitari’s glowing eyes having settled into simple violet irises that pierced Ruina’s heart. With a shy grin of submission, Ruina looked pleadingly at her and asked, very simply:

“Wanna talk?”

[Ruina]

And as if the morning’s events had never happened, they spoke like old friends, talking about their day, Ruina explaining how she’d gotten where she was. It was harmless, and yet Ruina hadn’t felt as comfortable as she did then. A familiar face, a familiar voice. She needed them more than ever.

“I miss seeing the lights at night. You know, ships in the sky and shit. It’s too quiet… too dark here.” Ruina would eventually say, sparking a much more serious conversation.

“It takes some getting used to,” Lunitari said, grinning faintly. “But then again, after a hundred and sixty-five years, I think I was ready for some change.”

“You’re a hundred and sixty-five years old?”

“No. I’m a hundred and sixty-eight years old. Still young, too.”

Ruina sighed. Not something sad, but one of bitter amusement.

“I’m not even thirty and I feel like dying.” she quipped, not intending for it to sound as it had. A silence fell between them, made even more awkward by the fact that they were staring at one another via screen. Ruina shifted on the bed a little, switching the little communicator to her left hand. She laid back on the bed, and for some reason, Lunitari laughed.

“What are you wearing?” she asked.

“What? Are you coming on to me?”

“You should be so lucky. I just saw the bra-straps and got curious.”

Ruina, feeling unusually brave or stupid, tilted the thing at an angle a bit, pointing its camera toward her chest only a little. She let it linger and started to get hot, as if Lunitari’s eyes alone were warming her blood. It made her uncomfortable, and she tilted it back to her face. Either Lunitari was unimpressed with what she saw or purposefully remaining cold-faced in hopes of being un-offending. It wouldn’t have worked mattered either way, Ruina’s self-image was terrible, and now she regretted doing it.

“What’s wrong?” the Princess asked

“Why? Read my fucking mind again?” Ruina snapped back.

“No… You’re crying.”

She didn’t even notice, but as if it happened at Lunitari’s command, Ruina could feel the two tears escaping her eyes and slithering down toward her ears. Dabbing at them, she took a deep, calming breath to refrain from looking any more pathetic with a another unnecessary verbal attack. She wanted to cut the connection. To go back to sleep for another couple days, but she couldn’t help herself when she blurted, “I can’t stand it here.”

Her voice was a low, frightened version of itself, and it seemed to hit Lunitari hard.

“Come back to the ship. Come back and we’ll see if we can get you taken to another Nightlundian protected plane-”

“No! I’m trapped here! You think the GP would let you take me away? They don’t care about Nightlund anymore! I’m fucking stuck on this shithole planet!” Ruina screamed, hoping nobody would come investigate.

“Then stay with me.” Lunitari said, giving the type of smile one gave to a crying spouse. “Come back and stay with me. We could probably have a lot of fun here together.”

She sounded desperate. She sounded like she had no other options but to confide in Ruina. They both knew it, they both accepted it.

“I can’t come back. I need to do this. I need to live here for a bit… and then maybe I will get used to this planet.” she said, wiping away the tears, her voice returning to normal.

“I know.” Lunitari replied, her eyes yielding an understanding that Ruina had never seen any other person give to her.

“Why are you so nice to me?” Ruina asked, narrowing her eye at her.

“I’m lonely. You’re lonely, and we’ve both seen a lot of bad things in our lives. I don’t think it’s a simple coincidence that my mother sent you to the farthest planet we protect. To me.” Lunitari answered without a hitch. It seemed as if she’d been waiting for the question.

“That…” Ruina trailed off, looking at the Princess, the General, the warrior and the lover. She smiled and shook her head, as if she just couldn’t believe what was happening. “That makes perfect sense to me.”

And conversation resumed as normal, the previous exchange having been remembered, logged, and never vocally acknowledged again until the very end of the conversation. Ruina finally took the time to explain her past to Lunitari, who found it riveting when it was, and expressed her anger when necessary. Often she’d tell Ruina that she’d have personally hunted down all those who wronged her back in those ‘bad old days’ if Ruina hadn’t already killed them herself. They laughed, sometimes hard, but always together. In the end, when Ruina had finished her story and decided she was going to try and get some rest, Lunitari stopped her with a simple, “Hey.”

“Yeah? What?”

Without hesitation or modesty, Lunitari pulled open her suit, the zipper in the rear having somehow undone itself. She bore her breasts, the both of them covered with many scars. Some short, some long, some deep, some not, and stood there, staring at her as though she expected them to do something.

“We both bare the scars of our pasts,” she began, sounding deathly serious, “And so you know, I was not judging you earlier. You are beautiful, Rivette, try and remember that.”

Suddenly, Ruina felt as though she was, but before she could say anything, the screen went dark, the connection cut. She thought about trying to call again but put it to rest, stuffing the communicator back into her bag and slipping under the covers of her bed. The sound of Lunitari’s laugh still lingered in her mind. It was loud, and obnoxious, the type of laugh you’d expect to hear on drunken book-worm. Ruina thought of her smile, of her breasts and her kind words. How long has it been since someone called me by my real name? she asked herself, the word itself sounding so unfamiliar. Rivette, wasn’t she dead?

She kept Lunitari in her mind as her hands drifted south. Not long later she climaxed with tears that lulled her into sleep. Joe slept in the hall, unable to bear an unfamiliar woman sleeping in his dead mother’s bed. Ruina dreamed of nothing.

[Ruina]

When Ruina awoke the next morning, she was almost disappointed to find that she was still in the same place. She got dressed quickly, putting on the uniform she’d worn the day before if simply for the fact that she didn’t know when she’d be able to clean them again. It was best to keep the clean clothes for a later date. Ruina prepared as though she were going into battle, tightening her boots, checking her baton, and stretching vigorously before she finally made her way into the hall. Joe was already busy sweeping up the mud clumps and dusty footprints from patrons who cared not for the rules or the little boy who had to clean up their mess. She watched him go down the hall, his attention having not turned from the broom for even a moment. It was shock and she knew it, but it was probably too late to try and help him anyway, so without a word she continued downstairs.

“Hey, Hey! You have to take-”

“Shut up. I’m not takin’ off my fuckin’ boots.” Ruina had hissed at the bubbly blonde at the desk. She gave her the stink-eye from the only one she had, and any hope of verbal retaliation fluttered away from the little prostitute like a butterfly from a shaken flower. “That’s what I thought.”

She derived some sort of sick pleasure from intimidation, almost moreso than murder in that intimidation usually was something you could exploit for much longer. The look one gave when dying, while priceless, was fleeting. The look of pure, unadulterated fear, the quaking hands and the quickened beating of their heart. In that there was something wicked and special, and she loved it.

In Mother’s office, she stood by as her unruly bastard of a son berated her for allowing Ruina to even enter the building, let alone hire her.

“Let me do it!” he would exclaim, giving snide glances in her direction every time he made a point about her being a woman, and that she hadn’t the capacity for what was to be asked of her. After about five minutes of this, she’d had a bit more than enough and approached him from the rear only moments before slamming a metal-knuckled punch into the back of his head. He slumped over his mother’s desk before collapsing backwards onto the floor, a small trickle of blood seeping from his nose.

“Oh boy. He isn’t going to like that you did that.” she said, standing just a little to peer at his unconscious body. “But, he did have it coming. Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure. Believe me.” Ruina said, grinning at the downed man. “So what was the temper tantrum about? Did you cut his allowance?”

Mother laughed, Ruina’s smile faded.

“I see you are nothing but business, so I will tell you what I desire. On the other side of town there is a man. His name is Ram. He runs what could only be described as our… competition, and lately they have been playing dirty. I have reason to believe that the man who killed Maria may have been employed by him, just as a few others who have sought to harm my girls have been.”

“You want me to kill Ram?” Ruina asked, wondering who the hell gave him such an awful name.

“No… I want you to kill Ram’s business. If it comes up, then yes.” Mother said, her face contorting into a serious, wrinkly thing. “I will pay you one thousand gold pieces to do it.”

“Oh, well,” Ruina began, not exactly sure if 1000 gold pieces was a lot, “We’ve got a deal.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You will, of course, be paid on your return, and…” Mother reached into a drawer and pulled out a small, rolled up piece of paper. “I drew this up for you last night. It’s a map.”

“La dee da. How decent of you.”

“I can see it in your eye. You look lost.”

“Thanks a lot.” Ruina said, rolling her eyes, one of which was unseen. It was her way of showing appreciation to someone she couldn’t give a sh*t about. “Well, see you later then. Better have my money ready.”

She headed to the office door and as she was opened it, stopped in her tracks as a weird sound of irritation and worry escaped Mother’s throat.

“Shouldn’t you wait until night?”

Ruina looked back, grinned, and shook her head slowly.

“Why would I do that? They expect bad shit to happen at night.”

“This type of work… is not something you are a stranger to, is it?” Mother asked, appearing suddenly quite frightened, as if she’d made a terrible mistake. Ruina licked her lips and shrugged in apathy as her answer. She left the office and walked past the blonde at the desk feeling like the Queen of the world. Outside, there was one man she’d never seen before standing watch at the door. He calmly leaned against the building, smugly staring down anybody that walked by, patron or otherwise, as if he knew something they did not. Probably that he had some hidden weapon somewhere, some special talent that made him better than everybody. Ruina, as someone who did in fact have special things that made her better than everybody, took offense to it. She made it known.

“What makes you so fucking cool, huh, pal?” she asked him, getting right in his face. She towered over him like a mountain to a hill, a good foot and a half of distance between them in height. “You think you’re hot shit? I could gut you like a fucking fish right here in front of every mother fucker in this town and then they’d know you’re nothing but a simple little bitch, being paid nothing to do nothing.”

She stepped back, sneering at him as she waited for a reply, hoping he said something smart or extremely stupid, something that was enough to give her reason to give him a good hit to the jaw. He didn’t appear so smug anymore, but something more along the lines of shocked. Shocked that someone he’d never met before seemed so hateful of him. He looked around casually, perhaps making sure no law enforcment was around, before finally asking her, in a very calm voice, “What the hell is your problem, lady?”

Ruina took a deep breath. Her right hand balled into a fist and she raised it, only to point a finger at him right between the eyes and say, “Asshole. You’re an asshole.”

She left without another word, without the shedding of blood. Ruina knew she was on edge, she knew she craved a kill, some violence that the murder the night before couldn’t sate. She needed to kill Ram.

It took a while before Ruina remembered she piece of paper crammed between her belt and hip. She eventually retrieved it and, upon getting her bearings, began to follow the streets of Radasanth inward, further into the city, where the buildings became taller, some of them not even made of wood but of something else, something sturdier and lighter in color, like clay almost. She followed the map, tracing her fingers down the paths as she got closer and closer until, at last, she arrived on a red X and stopped to look around. The streets were busy, men and women out selling or purchasing wares from food, to weapons and clothing. Little booths and carts lined the roads, eclipsing the stores behind them that people still tried to shuffle into in hopes of a better deal and perhaps less obnoxious salespeople.

“Excuse me, outsidah! You t’ink you want one ‘o’ these?!” exclaimed a high pitched, sleazy sort of voice. Ruina looked around until she saw a man waving at her, a dagger in his hands. She waved back, her arm from the elbow down gleaming in the sun as a long, triangular blade. He went silent, dropped the dagger, and stared at her in shock, asking some of the men next to her if they saw it. They hadn’t.

It didn’t take Ruina long to find out which building was Ram’s. It was massive, taking up nearly half a block in length alone and most likely three or four floors up. A banner draped across the center of the building decreed it The Wishing Well, and Ruina shook her head. Where did they come up with those names? She looked at it and grinned, knowing that somewhere within, her prey awaited her. With murder on her mind, she entered the double doors in front, knowing for certain only one thing: There wouldn’t be any guns, and that made her happy.

[Ruina]

The Wishing Well was, by all rights, a den of sin if Ruina had ever seen one. Half dressed men, either waiting for their whore of choice or having just finished a rousing session of expensive love, gambled at cards with other men, some dressed, some not. At a bar that ran nearly the entire length of the far wall, men and women sat drinking each other stupid, the women praying on those who were too inebriated to think otherwise about paying double for their services. It was a mess. A stairwell against the far left wall led up to who knows how many floors, who knows how many rooms, and a door to the far right, past the bar, was labeled Office/Scheduling. Ruina figured that was the first place to look.

The door was already ajar, and so she invited herself in, a woman with long red hair sat at a little desk writing something down. Papers were strewn about it in a haphazard fashion, almost in a way that seemed impossible to be organized. The room otherwise was empty save for three completely boring, uncushioned wooden chairs placed on the opposite side of the desk and a door not too far behind it. Somehow, Ruina equated the room with purgatory, a seemingly harmless dead-zone that came before entering Hell or in some rare cases: Heaven.

“Whaddya here for? Work or pleasure?” the woman asked without even glancing away from her writing. Ruina thought a moment, reminded suddenly of the practices a few strip club owners she’d known would use to hire new girls. That is, screw them to see what they had. Any girl who refused wouldn’t be hired, and any girl that would get down and dirty was just the kind they needed. Nothing could get her closer to Ram than that so it was natural that she replied with…

“Work.”

“Yeah? What’s yer specialty?” the little secretary asked, finally glancing up at her. Ruina snickered.

“Uh… anal.” she said, hardly able to refrain from bursting into laughter.

“Haha. Then yer gonna be walkin’ funny for a week after yer interview.” the secretary said, and Ruina suddenly felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll see. He’s got a girl in there now, so you’ll have to take a sea-”

As if on cue, the door behind the desk burst open with a loud, incredibly booming laugh filled with the kind of bass that knocked pictures from walls and caused hearts to beat irregular. A naked blonde woman ran screaming from inside, fumbling with the door that led to the main hall before finally getting it open and darting off into the streets to who knows where.

“I’ll tell him you’re here.” the secretary said simply, standing up and going into the room behind her. Whatever she said could not be heard, but Ram’s replies could.

“Yeah? What’s her specialty? Hahaha! Are you serious!? I love my life! Send her in!”

The secretary returned, shaking her head and grinning faintly, as if she were disappointed in herself for enjoying what was happening.

“I’ll have a doctor ready for you.” she said as she returned to her seat. “He’ll see you.”

Ruina narrowed her eye at the woman and stepped into the second office, finding it particularly opulent and showy as soon as she entered. Whoever Ram was, he seemed to enjoy velvet quite a bit. Velvet drapes left the room in near-darkness, dispelled somewhat by candles strewn about in fashion that seemed deliberately poor. To the far left of the room, placed in the corner and taking up far too much space was an enormous mattress in an unkempt state, and to the far right, a thick curtain that stretched from ceiling to floor, behind which shuffling noises could be heard.

“So, tell me your name, sweetheart.”

“Ruina. I’m not from around here.” she replied, trying to peer between the folds of the fabric to get a glimpse of the man with the incredibly deep voice.

“Interesting accent,” he said, following it with a snort. “You sound a bit butch. You, uh… special?”

“I think the job calls for an open mind.” Ruina replied, dodging the question craftily. Ram’s laugh told her she said the right answer.

“Good girl.” he said, and the curtain spread to reveal something Ruina did not expect. Not even in the slightest. Ram was no mere man, this much was certain. Towering at a bit over eight feet, Ruina had seen apartments smaller than him. Five feet wide at the shoulders, he seemed to be nothing but brute strength and a bit of business acumen stuck in a gigantic box of a being. His state as a human was seriously in question, as his skin, while a sickly shade of tan, was certainly not meant to be that color, it seemed. His hair was a deep orange and cut short, sticking up from his head like dying grass in a field. His face was weird, looking as though it had been pummeled repeatedly. His nose was short and stubbly like that of a pigs and yet his lips were massive and protruding like he was trying to kiss the air. Ram smiled a sickening smile of yellowed, pointed teeth and took a seat in a custom-made office chair that resembled a throne more than anything else. It creaked as it held his weight, sounding as though it were on the verge of exploding beneath him.

“One eye, huh? Good thing they’ll mostly be seein’ you from behind, eh?!” he asked enthusiastically, his baritone laugh rocking the walls. “Well, do a little twirl for me, darlin’.”

Ruina, not wanting to break her cover yet, decided not to decree her disgust at the man (and she used the term lightly), and did a little spin that lacked grace or enthusiasm. It seemed to please him just the same.

“Oh, darlin’, you’re looking’ real nice. I can see why your specialty is the behind, yours is got to be one of the best I’ve seen.”

“I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.” Ruina said half-heartedly. Trying to play along but finding it extremely hard. Ram really was just that repulsive. “Like what you see? If so, how about you show me what you’ve got?”

She regretted the question. As if on command, like the barbarian he resembled, Ram tore off the loose flowing silks he wore, revealing a body that was disgusting as the rest of him. Most terrifying of all was that the secretary was indeed correct. One would have to be a fool to let Ram have his way with them if they ever wanted to feel another man again.

“Impressed? I hope you’ve had a lot of experience. If you think it’s big now, wait until you get me going.”

Ram began to walk toward the bed in the corner and Ruina took her chance. She pulled free her baton and slunk up behind him like the professional killer she was. When close enough she jabbed the baton into his back and pressed the trigger, hearing that familiar hiss of electricity passing into him. He went taught, as if ice water had just been thrown on him, but that was it.

“What the Hell?!” he boomed. Ram spun and slammed a giant, meaty hand into Ruina’s chest, sending her sprawling backward to the floor. The mighty blow that constricted her lungs was nothing more than a shove and it gave her a shudder to think of what a full-on punch could do.

“Mother sent me,” Ruina said with a grin as she re-sheathed the baton to let it charge. “But it looks like I fucked up the quiet method.”

She pointed her left hand down at the ground, letting the blade that it became shoot her back up to her feet, where she grinned and pointed it at him menacingly.

“Now I’ll just have to cut that massive toy of yours right offa you.”

“Marina!” he screamed, sounding quite terrified, “Full alert! Get Salim!”

Somewhere in the building, a bell rang, and Ruina hissed, knowing full-well that it meant reinforcements.

“You mother fucker!” she screamed, charging at him angrily. Ram didn’t get into a fighting stance. He didn’t roll out of the way or try to give a pre-emptive strike. He instead froze, hands raised in the air in some sort of surrender. Ruina didn’t see surrender. She saw targets. Ram became aware of his as her left arm pierced his right hand. He screamed as Ruina twisted the blade in the wound and pulled back, letting black blood ooze from it like a cracked pipe.

“What the fuck is your problem? Aren’t you gonna fight back?” she asked, not waiting for an answer before she kicked him firmly in the gut, knocking him on his ass.

“You’re so big! How can you be such a pussy?!” Ruina asked, laughing cruelly at the naked beast that scrambled away from her on the floor. The door to his office then burst open, launching from it’s hinges and onto the ground. It kicked up a cloud of dust that put out a few candles and choked the air for a moment. When it settled, Ruina stared at the man curiously. His skin was the color of oak and yet his eyes were as green as a leaf. His hair was stringy and black and he bore a beard that was a sign he hadn’t shaved for about a week. He wore a sleeveless leather vest and thin fabric pants, both of a black shade. At his hips were two blades, both of which he unsheathed and held menacingly in his hands. He knew how to use them.

“I am Salim,” he said with a thick accent she’d never heard before, “I am this man’s guardian.”

“Well I’m Ruina, and I’m this man’s murderer.” she replied with a condescending tone. “But, I suppose I’m yours now, too.”

And with that she charged, meeting Salim head-on in a duel for the life of someone she’d just met, and someone he loathed.

[Ruina]

Before at last approaching him, Ruina had torn her eye patch from her head, giving her the peripheral vision and sensors she’d so sorely need in a conflict with a man such as Salim. Drawing close, she raised her left arm threateningly and blatantly into the air to make an obvious downward slash. Salim scissor his swords above him, ready to block and counter this, but the attack never came. Ruina shot a firm right hand into his solar plexus that knocked the wind from his lungs, followed by a kick to the same area which sent him stumbling back, but not over.

“You are a dirty fighter.” he said, finally able to breathe once again. Ruina chuckled.

“Guilty as charged.”

“Good. I needed the challenge.”

Salim then struck, swinging his right sword at Ruina’s abdomen. He was far, and so it didn’t take much of a bend for it to meet nothing but air, however, he closed the distance and followed through with his elbow, getting her on the left side of her head with enough force to make her see stars for a few moments. He did not stop. Relentlessly he stabbed at her with his left sword and she parried it off-kilter with a clever slap to the flat of the blade, following it with a knee to his unprotected stomach and an elbow to the back of the head. He struck the ground and rolled to avoid the spine-aimed stab that instead pierced and splintered the wooden floor. Without rising, he launched both legs up at her, each foot catching her in the chest with enough force to send her to her back. Using the force of the kick she somersaulted backwards onto her feet, narrowly avoiding a two-pronged stab from Salim’s two weapons. They stopped, Ruina staring into Salim’s green eyes with a grin on her face.

“You know your shit.” she said between gasps, a hint of respect in her voice.

“Though you fight deviously, yours is one I shall remember.” he said, sniffling due to the dust that had been kicked up by their falls.

“You won’t be remembering shit,” she added, withdrawing her baton. It wasn’t charged, but it was still a hefty chunk of nahilite metal. They charged simultaneously, a series of sword and baton strikes meeting one another in the air, sparks occasionally glinting from the weapons. Each blow matched, neither one managing a cut or hit on the other. Their fight continued into the preliminary office, where Marina was backed into a corner, holding the papers she had been so diligently working on in her hands, cradled like they were her children. Salim, showing some sort of concern for her, had made the mistake of glancing in her direction to see if she were okay. Ruina took the opportunity to charge him, ramming her shoulder into his chest and bowling him to the ground. She made to stab him but he kicked again, knocking her into the little chairs. Stumbling through them, she almost made it without falling before finally getting snagged on the leg of the desk and falling to her ass with a groan.

They both rose at the same time, the battle obviously getting the better of them. They took their time, propping themselves on their knees before at last rising to their feet. Ruina charged at him, stomping upon a chair to lift herself higher. She leapt and struck, slapping the sword in his left hand to the ground just as he knocked her baton away, sending it clattering against the office door. He slashed and missed and she did the same only before reaching behind her and grabbing a chair with her freed right hand. She took it by the back and swung it around, striking Salim in the shoulder and arm. He stumbled but didn’t fall and they both attacked again, stopping only moments before they would have simultaneously cut each other’s throats. They both withdrew, a silent agreement to catch their breath before continuing. Salim knelt and retrieved his other sword, then sheathed them and wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his left arm. He smiled, outstretched his right hand and said, “Salim Durant. You fight without fear. I admire that.”

Ruina cleared her throat and took a deep breath, her heart slowly beginning to calm. She took his hand and smiled herself.

“Ruina. Man, I haven’t had a fight like that in for-fucking-ever.” she said, sighing heavily. “Won’t your boss be mad that you didn’t kill me?”

“Yes. But I have an idea.”

Ruina followed Salim back into the other office, where Ram had torn a piece of his bedcloth to wrap around his hand. He gasped when he saw that they walked together, but then looked angry, his sickly white skin turning a shade of red Ruina hadn’t quite seen before. It was almost orange.

“Durant! What is this!? You betray me!?” he boomed, the windows rattling in the sill.

“This woman and I are evenly matched. Our hearts would give out before we managed to defeat one another.”

“You think this is a joke?! This woman was sent here to kill me!”

Ruina smiled, kneeling down to retrieve her eye patch while Ram fumed.

“And now that you have my attention, you can send me back.” she said, grimacing as she looked at the red blood upon her fingers as opposed to her blade. Ram went silent and Ruina tried to remain focused on his face and not his repulsive naked body. He grinned suddenly, as if it all made sense.

“I’ll send you back! With you and Salim, their guards won’t stand a chance! You could put some fear into that woman!”

“Good idea.” Ruina said sarcastically, and Ram smiled.

“Thank you!” he exclaimed, standing tall and proud. “Marina! Get the healer in here! You two… go do something. I’ll call for you when I have a plan ready.”

Ruina looked at Salim who shrugged and quite gentlemanly led her from the offices and back into the main area, where men still gambled, women still hustled, and the world went on as though nothing had happened at all. Salim and Ruina looked at one another, two people who had just been trying to take the life of the other yet were then co-workers, and felt awkward.

“Let us go to the second floor. The kitchen is still serving breakfast.”

Ruina shrugged and followed Salim along, passing a topless woman on the stairs who busied herself by fondling an older man in the middle of the steps. Public acts of affection made her uncomfortable. On the second floor, both of them ordered pancakes, though Salim called them ‘breakfast cakes’, and made himself seem even more an outsider than Ruina did in her strange clothes and accent of her own. She didn’t know what drew her to shake his hand, to greet him as a worthy adversary instead of cut him down when he was unprepared. She thought about it and didn’t really care for the answer. It didn’t matter. Now she was going to get paid more, and be in the favor of someone with far more clout than Mother or her idiot son. Things were looking brighter everyday.