The Ancients and the Angels: Celestials
Page 27
***
On’dinn stared at her as confused as he was on the first day he had learned that she was his new neighbor. Quen’die forgot, in all actuality, how long it had been since she had seen him and supposed that he might not have been able to recognize her as she had achieved a weak tan and had at last built the pounds of muscle she had been craving for the past three years. Working on the docks had been serendipitous in helping her achieve some of her goals. Face was right, the docks were way better than assisting the health wardens.
“Wow, Quen’die!” he said as he adjusted his eyes to the dusky light of the flatblock’s old hallway. “It really has been a while. You look like, well…transformed or something.”
Quen’die too had noticed On’dinn that had changed a bit. First, she could have sworn that he grew over an inch in the last month and his ridiculous short hair was finally growing back to a modern fashion. On’dinn, being On’dinn, had failed to dye the black out, so he sported blond hair on the top which tapered down into black tips. The maiden thought it looked rather hilarious. “Same to you, ‘Two-Tone.’”
“Oh, yeah…that,” he brushed the bi-color atop his head with some embarrassment. “I’ve been meaning to get that fixed-up. I just wanted to settle into the new job and stuff. Maybe when we hit the new planet, I’ll be the first person to get a haircut there. How’d you like that? Anyway, yeah, you look great. Eh, that’s what I meant by ‘transformed.’”
On’dinn was all but unaware of the real destination of these so-called Aldebarans. She liked the guy just fine, but she didn’t know him all that well when it came down to it. For all she knew, he could be sweet on one of those demons. They were quite beautiful and alluring in their own way. It was no wonder so many of their personalities were almost like celebrity-status amongst the elves. All over the manacloud, full sites were being built in honor of them to where it seemed like each one of these hellish beings had a fanpage. Regardless, On’dinn, ever being the skeptic, would never dare believe her if she dropped the crushing ball about his dreams of barbering on another world, she surmised.
“Well, why don’t you transform your location up to my flat and we can watch the screen or something,” the maiden suggested. “I’m so bored right now and I have some stuff to tell you about stupid Rylla. I mean, don’t you just want to take a break from all this surreality and just pretend like it’s the way everything was before the pyramids? Just for a day?”
“That sounds like a plan and a half!” his ears were twitching with glee. “I have all these leftovers from work and we can pig out on them. I’ve got mince cakes, squid rolls, elderberry muffins, lingonberry muffins, and these awesome apple latkes. I’ll even give some to Madame Orsi.”
They decided to summon a movie after eating some of the latkes with Nanna. She wanted to retire early for the night and trusted the two teens to their own devices. They decided on an old wacky comedy by the name of Caidhul Doesn’t Believe in Tears; something that wouldn’t remind them of anything going on in the tragic world outside. The pair hoped beyond hope that the government wouldn’t cut into their film with some late-breaking news which was certain to feature Quay’liss Dalian, or even that beast Venn’lith.
Quen’die turned to On’dinn who was propped like a lazy cat against the foot of Nanna’s antique sofa. “Hey, On’dinn?”
“Hay is for horses. Sometimes for cows.”
Ignoring his childish comeback, she asked, “Do you work with any of those demon, er, Aldebarans at the Sea and Shell?”
“No, not really,” he answered after some concerted thought. “From what I can tell, they don’t really seem too interested in food distribution. They look to be more concerned in sniffing around military and civil warden installations. Maybe medical stuff too. To be honest, I kind of fret over that. I mean, isn’t it more important that the people have food over weapons? I understand that we’re under this invasion and all, but the orcs aren’t even here and won’t be until well after we have left. So, really, what’s with all the blood thirst?”
Quen’die took that question under serious consideration as well. She wanted in the worst way to denature their identities to him, but she arrested that urge with a quick bite to her tongue. “Yeah, they don’t seem to care about shipping either. I’ve been working at the Docks for over a month now and they don’t even do flyovers. Heh, it’s like they’re afraid of the place or something.”
“Doubt it,” he said with a blunt chirp. “I figure they’re just…,” his assessment was interrupted as was their film by yet another special breaking report from the government-controlled media.
“Oh no!” they wailed in unison. “Not again!” To that, the two began laughing. Quen’die loved it when such synchronous moments occurred. That would happen with her and Lauryl’la all the time, as if the twain had shared a brain.
BREAKING NEWS!
“Good evening Atlantis! This is Quay’liss Dalian and I am here at the 12E loading docks on the banks of Corosa City’s illustrious shore! Tonight, a terrible event has transpired as the entire dock has been hit with an agent which is gumming-up the waters with manafoam!”
“Gods!” cried Quen’die. “That’s my dock! I just came back from there!”
“Shhh..,” On’dinn gestured with one finger up. He leaned in closer to the screen as the maiden followed suit.
“Right now, the city’s civil wardens are working diligently with the ADF to investigate the nature of the incident. This is serious folks, as Dock 12E is solely responsible for the shipping of vital Thelemex to the rest of the world! With me now is detective sergeant Venda Hay’cenn of the Docks District command.”
“Good evening, Quay’liss,” Lauryl’la’s mother began with a brusque nod. She was dressed in full armor with her visor raised. The look on her face was professional, cold and stern, like a statue of some grim forefather who had been the sole survivor of a terrible battle nestled within elfdom’s ancient history.
“That’s Rylla’s mother!” Quen’die shrieked. “I totally know her!”
“So, Detective Hay’cenn,” Dalian prodded. “Do you have any leads regarding this unfortunate incident?”
“It’s terrorism and sabotage; pure and simple,” she blurted with unfaltering stoniness. “And a sloppy attempt of it at that! Thus far, we have found the broken container of the foam-bomb with the identity of the attacker stenciled all over it.”
“What does it read, Detective?” Dalian leaned her mic in further for the best audio.
“The stencil reads ‘BH2,’ which we can only deduce is a continuance of those morons in the Black Hood Group.” Detective Hay’cenn paused for a dramatic effect. “They didn’t want us to go to Mars and, apparently, they don’t want us to travel to our new home. Well, that’s just not going to happen if I can help it!”
“Gods, On’dinn!” Quen’die turned to him, wide-eyed. “You’ll get blamed again!”
Before the young elf could react to Quen’die’s supposition, Detective Hay’cenn dropped a bomb of her own on both of them as well as the rest of Atlantis. After a moment of listening into her comm, Lauryl’la’s mother announced the unthinkable. “Right, Commander. This just in: we now have the identity of the main culprit.”
A split second after uttering the update, a full-color image of Quen’die smiling a big grin and holding a beach ball on the shores of Hidden Lake, which was taken by her mother the summer before, splashed across the wide manascreen. On’dinn thought she looked so beautiful until the reason she was advertised on the broadcast hit them. “This suspect’s name is Quen’die Ferd’inna Reyliss.”
“Oh my gods! What’s happening? What do I do?” She couldn’t even think with any proper sense. Tears burst forth from her eyes in tandem with the foul bolts of icy terror that ran up her back.
“We had found a bag of sunshield with her name stenciled on it right next to the bomb. What an idiot!” Lauryl’la’s mother shook her head in disgust. “I am ashamed to say that I know this maiden f
rom the neighborhood. I just can’t believe that such a sweet elfmaid would get caught up in this kind of nonsense.”
On’dinn turned to Quen’die in a lightning-stroke. “Grab your emergency bag. I know where we can go, but we can’t drive. And whatever you do, don’t use your phone. They can track you and they’ll know your identification!”
“What do you mean?” she was still dripping with fear and sadness.
“Travius supplied us with safe houses when I was in the Black Hood,” he demonstrated by forming a rooflike triangle with his hands. “Just in case things got too hot.”
“Yeah, but don’t the wardens know all about you guys by now?” Quen’die reasoned in a frantic huff.
“Heh, maybe so, but not these places! Travius hypnotized us so that the memories of them would not surface under the biomana,” he swirled his finger next to his temple as if he were crazy. “We were assigned to them four apiece and never did any cell know about the others. I’ll take you to mine and I’ll feed you with the tons of leftovers I get from Sea and Shell.”
“Okay, but you have to watch over Nanna. I can’t just leave her like this!” Quen’die stood up and hovered over her potential savior. “What do I do after that? I can’t hide in some shack forever!”
On’dinn bit his lip in stern thought. “I’ll worry about all of that until you get cleared. Look, I know you had nothing to do with this and you’ll be cool soon, but until then, we have to hide you out. Just until this blows over.”
This plan was tenuous at best, thought Quen’die, but she was not about to spend a night of interrogation in a dark dungeon. “Okay, I’m sold; I’ll grab my bag, but then what?”
“We can walk to the tram!” On’dinn snapped. “It’s close and we still have time before curfew.” The air was so heavy and oppressive for the both of them. On’dinn, however, seemed to be enjoying the whole thing, but Quen’die felt only mortal terror.
The maiden grabbed the hefty bag of supplies as suggested by her government and stood in the old cherrywood archway of the living room. On’dinn found her newly-toned body hefting the bulky load to be ever the more beautiful and he couldn’t help but pause.
“Okay, now let’s go!”
gmc.thepoplist.flo
Forums>>Main>>News>>Breaking
Badelf1
222 Posts
Member
We are totally in the soup! This is a banger. I just saw the coverage on the AEN and terrorists have bombed the docks! They said it’s another faction of the Black Hood.
GPrince20
1,450 Posts
Boss Member
That’s so five minutes ago, Badelf. It’s definitely been confirmed. It was on the dock that was shipping Thelemex.
Fairymaid89
2,002 Posts
Queen Bee
MODERATOR
Link please or this forum’s closed.
Badelf1
223 Posts
Member
My bad, Fairy:
Fairymaid89
2,003 Posts
Queen Bee
MODERATOR
Thanks, babe.
Riverwind73
45 Posts
Junior Member
OMGs! I can’t believe it! My little brother was talking about it, but I missed the broadcast cuz I was with my friend Dookie and we were getting a bite at Managrill, but they don’t have screens there and we had to get back before curfew cuz I was SO SICK of those rations. But yeah, this is for real.
Manabolt75
330 Posts
Member
I just saw the video on the link. The docks are completely gummed-up! The goopy stuff’s all pink and the ships are stuck in the jetties!
Godsrailler
2110 Posts
Boss Member
This is NOT good. We’ll never get it cleaned up in time. We’re finished. Total game over. Orc food for sure.
GPrince20
1,451 Posts
Boss Member
Way to be defeatist, Godsrailler. We can always use another dock. It’s not the end of the world.
Wiseblood79
226 Posts
Member
You obviously know nothing about logistics, GPrince. Firstly, Corosa City IS the biggest port city in the entire world. Secondly, Atlantis is the ONLY kingdom that is producing Thelemex. The Aldebarans only have a limited amount of material to make enough for all of elfdom, and since we are the most centrally-located continent on the globe, it is only natural that they would choose us.
GPrince20
1,452 Posts
Boss Member
Okay, Smartypants79, er, I mean Wiseblood. Why don’t they just move the shipping of the drug to another dock? You are just full of yourself and are trying to doomsay again. I get so tired of you awfulizing everything.
Wiseblood79
227 Posts
Member
It’s a cold hard fact, GPrince. We have a whopping four or five months to reconfigure the docks PLUS allow for those ports to ship enough Thelemex to over a billion elves worldwide when they are already shipping other goods.
Manabolt75
331 Posts
Member
I agree with Wiseblood. The other docks have to ship food and weapons and all other types of goods. There’s no way they could reconfigure them all in time. I smell a lottery coming. There will be those who are lucky to get on the arks and those who pick the shorter straws are orc chow. That dock was a dedicated Thelemex port and now we don’t have it!
Badelf1
224 Posts
Member
Heh, you mean those who can AFFORD it get on the arks. There’s no way Prime Warden Venn’lith is getting left out of a posh seat. Shoot, she probably gets her own first-class quarters!
Wiseblood79
228 Posts
Member
This is true. Maybe even an entire ark!
Noopystudd
3,005 Posts
Suspected Troll
Chuq No’ryss could clean up those docks all by himself with a straw and ask for seconds!
Scrolling Thunder
478 Posts
Member
Go away Noopy, nobody likes you and Chuq jokes are older than your mother. This is serious!
Troll.
Noopystudd
3,006 Posts
Suspected Troll
I am NOT a troll! I know Quen’die Reyliss personally! She’s my best friend’s sister. I could totally see her doing this because she’s insane and she sucks.
Scrolling Thunder
479 Posts
Member
Noopy, you’re a liar and you don’t really have any friends. Go back and play video games, will you? Maybe help your mama with the dishes.
Noopystudd
3,007 Posts
Suspected Troll
I don’t live with my “mama,” Trolling Thunder. I am an investment warden and I live in a condo Downtown. AND I don’t need Thelemex to make the trip anyway. I’m buff.
Scrolling Thunder
480 Posts
Member
Noops, Sweetie. I know you are still in novice school at the most. You even admitted this fact on an older forum about how much Golem Smash 4 sucks and how your mama wouldn’t refund your allowance when you whined and cried about how much you hated it. Investment banker=Seriously?
Fairymaid89
2,004 Posts
Queen Bee
MODERATOR
Noopystudd and Scrolling Thunder, you are both blocked for the evening. Play by the rules. This is some serious business here and we need the flow open for serious discussion. You do this nonsense again and you guys are permabanned.
Sammi666
1 Posts
Peeweepop
Hi everybody! This is my first post! I am a representative for the Aldebaran Hegemony. I must inform you that we are working with your authorities on getting everything back in shape in a timely manner.
Please do not worry yourselves over this. There will be no lottery and everybody on Earth will have the chance to receive Thelemex as well as a seat on an ark. Thank you.
Wiseblood79
229 Posts
Member
Bull! I call bull. You aren’t an Aldebaran. Why would any of your kind bother getting on poplist if you have all this stuff to do? Especially now that this operation is under siege by terrorists? AND if you are indeed Aldebaran, I have no clue as to how you could conceivably clean this mess up in time. It all makes no sense, “Sammi666.” Looks like we are going to have our fair share of trolls tonight.
Fairymaid89
2,005 Posts
Queen Bee
MODERATOR
It checks out, Wiseblood. I have monitored her post and it’s coming directly from the Palace’s mcsp! Greetings Sammi666! Good to have you with us.
Minniedevil
343 Posts
Member
Hey, everybody. I do indeed work with Quen’die Reyliss down on the same dock. I can tell you all about it. Earlier today, she was playing all dumb and asked me where her sunshield bottle was cuz she’s all pasty-white and her skin burns easily. Anyway, she was looking at me strangely, like always, but all day she was acting really suspicious and edgy. Lo and behold, authorities found her bottle of sunshield next to the bomb casing. Pathetic!
GPrince20
1,453 Posts
Boss Member
Are you a golem handler there? The report said that Quen’die is a golem handler or something like that.
Minniedevil
344 Posts
Member
I am. Quen’die pretty much kept to herself and did her work. I don’t know all that much about her, but she didn’t get along really well with any of the other workers, in case you were wondering. She would always shoot me dirty looks and mean-mug me and stuff.
Manabolt75
332 Posts
Member
Well, she IS a terrorist! What do you expect!
Smoothwalker
424 Posts
Member
You are gonna hate me for this, but Quen’die Reyliss=HOT! I just saw that picture link. I know it might sound bad, but she is absolutely gorgeous!
Wiseblood79
230 Posts
Member
Uh, Earth to Smoothwalker! Like Manabolt just said, she’s a terrorist! She’s solely responsible for sealing our fate, son. Beautiful, yes, but deadly.
Smoothwalker
425 Posts
Member
I know! How can evil be so hot? Besides, that Aldebaran just posted personally that everything was going to be okay. Just sayin’…
Badelf1
225 Posts
Member
You’re nuts, Smoothwalker. I say that we leave her and Travius and all those Black Hood freaks to the orcs! I don’t care what she looks like! She could be getting us all killed. Unless, like I said, you can afford it.
Minniedevil
345 Posts
Member
Smoothwalker, this is serious. Quen’die Reyliss is definitely dangerous and you should really develop a different taste in maidens.
Sammi666
2 Posts
Peeweepop
Everybody, please do not worry. I am working personally with the ADF in tracking her and any of her comrades down right at this moment. That’s why I am on the manacloud. We will bring her in for questioning and get to the bottom of this. Please refrain from sparking conspiracies about lotteries and paying your way onto the arks. You will all get a seat, guaranteed, and it will most assuredly be free of charge. Thank you.
Fairymaid89
2,006 Posts
Queen Bee
MODERATOR
All right everybody, you heard it from an official channel. Just sit back and relax. Before any more doom-mongering floods this forum, I’m going to close it. Keep in flow for any more developments and I’ll post them as soon as I get them. A special thanks to Sammi666 for defusing any drama here. It would be kind of nice to get some sleep for once.