Kingdoms End

A taxi cab was driving along a dirt road on one of the recently less populated parts of Ronat. Inside the taxi sat Marco, next to the driver and his sisters were in the backseat.

“This is the place,” Marco told the driver as they got to the open gates of a large farm with the farmhouse standing tall in the center of the compound. “You live here?” the driver asked, suspicion eveident in his voice. “We do,” Meliss replied.

The car stopped and both ladies got out to offload their stuff from the boot, but Marco remaied inside the vehicle. “Thank you,” he told the driver, paying him his money. “We are visiting family,” he lied to the man. “We’ll all be leaving the planet together later in the week.” “Good for you,” the driver replied, still eyeing Marco suspiciously.

Marco got down from the car, checked with his sisters to make sure they’d finish getting their stuff out of the car, then signalled the driver to leave. The driver sped off, while Marco turned to his sisters.

“The owners of the farm already left the city,” he informed the ladies. “Cody told me so. You two get in there and wait for me, while I go get Amisha, okay?” “Do we need to take her too?” Meliss asked her brother. “This is dangerous for you. The troops are looking for you everywhere.” “I won’t leave Amisha behind if she wants to come with us,” Marco replied. Now ket’s not argue this because time is of the essence.” “Marco?” Tenna called. She was going to complain too, but Marco would have none of it.

“I will go check on Amisha and if I don’t return by the time Cody gets here which four hours from now, then you darlings will have to go without me.” He didn’t even stay back to hear their arguments, just turned and began running down the road in the direction from which they’d come. “The only way you girls can help me is by doing as I say!” he yelled. “Just trust me!”

“Wait, Marco!” Meliss cried out. “Who the fuck is Cody!!!!” Marco gave no answer, just kept running.

“Worry not, Meliss,” Tenna told her sister while rolling some of their luggage through the farm gates. “We should meet this Cody person soon enough. Let’s just do as Marco says.”

Amisha was inside the kitchenette of her one bedroom apartment, which was squeezed in at one side of the living room. She had on a big, black T-shirt which ended halfway down her thighs and just blue lace panties underneath, nothing else. She was warming her lunch and her TV was on, thus she didn’t hear Marco unlock her door, open it gently and slip into the living room. She went to the cooker which generated its heat as a result of the putting together of special stones into a metal container beneath the stand on which the pot would sit.

She was thinking so many things at once and even what was being said on the TV, she didn’t hear because her body was here, but her mind was far away. She stood before the cooker and took off the lid of the pot containing her food. She was bent over to take a whiff of the food and her butt struck something, which she immediately knew was a person. She stood up straight and tried turning around, but strong arms came around her body from begin and tough front of a male body was pressed against her back. She couldn’t scream, she wouldn’t. She sleeves on those arms around her had been rolled up and she saw the glowing green veins underneath the skin. She knew it was Marco and she had decided that she wasn’t going to let him get locked up by anybody.

“I missed you, Amisha,” he whispered into her left ear, his lips tickling her ear lobe as he did so. “Unhand me this instant,” Amisha ordered in the strongest voice she could pull up under the influence of the powerful love she felt for the man behind her. “As you wish,” Marco replied, letting go of her and pulling his body away from hers.

“They discovered seven dead and fifteen unconscious guards at the governor’s palace this evening,” Amisha stated without turning around to look at Marco once. “I had to get out and I wouldn’t anything stop me,” Marco replied. “They say some of the unconscious guards upon coming to, said they were knocked out by two females in bodysuits and masks,” Amisha announced. “I am neither a female, nor did I wear a bodysuit on my way out of the palace,” Marco replied. “I believe those ladies might have been Meliss and Tenna,” Amisha stated.

Marco grabbed Amisha’s upper left arm and turned her roughly to fave him. He had anger on his face and opened his mouth to say something, but the sight of her beautiful face melted his heart. His frown disappeared and his mouth fell shut. “You are so beautiful,” he told her, caressing her left cheek with his right hand. “Did your sister and her friend sneak into the governor’s palace in an attempt to get you out?!” Amisha asked sharply. “Tenna is not my sister’s friend, Amisha,” Marco replied, “She is our sister. We swore it by our blood before the gods and if you do not respect my family, then my apologies, but you cannot become my family.”

Marc turned and walked out of the kitchenette, then stopped. “Don’t you ever refer refer to Tenna as just a friend to my family again,” he told her. “If you hate me for trying to save my family, then that is your problem.” “Even if saving your family means killing people for a living?” Amisha asked gently. “This world is old and dying, Amisha. Soon the storms shall begin and they will show no mercy to race, tribe or kind. I didn’t own up to belonging to the Blue hands assassins guild before, but I own up to it now. My sisters and I sisters have been killing people and getting paid very well for it. We have been saving up most of that money to help get us off this dying planet. We even included arrangements for you in our plans once you fell in love with me, even though I didn’t love you at the time. My sisters couldn’t imagine a new life without the lady who kept doting on their brother. Then I fell in love with and I knew I’d do anything for you, Amisha. I know you love me too, else you’d have told the governor that I’d be here and you’d have worn more than just panties under that shirt since you knew I was coming.

At the mention of her being almost entirely naked under the T-shirt, Amisha smiled a little. “Even if you don’t follow me because you love me,” Marco went on, “just come with me for your own good and once we get to Holydoma of Halo-Bir, you may board a vehicle to any planet of your choice and never have to see me or my family again.”

Amisha didn’t say a word in reply, just turned to the food on the cooker, carried it off, then packed some special fine particles from inside a container and sprinkled them over the heating stones, causing them to begin cooling down rapidly. She took a flat plate off a rack and served some food into it. She looked back at Marco, still keeping her back to him to make to check if he was still watching her and he was. Still looking at Marco, she held the plate of food in her right hand, she used her right one to lift up the back of her T-shirt, exposing her butt which the panties only partly covered. “So, which would you prefer for dinner?” she asked in a sultry voice and a smile spread across Marco’s face.

Marco immediately went around the counter and back into the kitchenette, where he slapped the plate out of Amisha’s hand, then grabbed hold of her from behind. “I don’t want to imagine my life without you, Marco,” Amisha whispered. “l love you,” Marco whispered into her left ear and she turned her lips to meet his own.

The time now was 23:34 of the same day. Marco, his sisters Amisha and several other people were outside the small, but well fortified western gates of Ronat. The mighty walls behind them cast its shadow down on them, concealed them from the bright moonlight. The people here were exactly sixty-two in number, they were being smuggled out of Ronat and past the Hergonesse army by Cody.

The people were gathered in groups now, discussing their odds in successfully getting through this journey. Marco and his ladies were apart from the others. They all had on brassieres, long skirts and transparent vales which were currently pulled away from their faces bow; Marco included.

“I will repeat that I love that bra on you, brother,” Tenna stated and Meliss laughed. “So you girls kill people for a living?” Amisha asked. “We did, but we don’t plan on continuing that trade once we get to Guurjey,” Tenna replied. “And you don’t know who killed Lord Leroy Midi?” Amisha asked again. “You have asked that so many times and I’m tired of it,” Meliss stated. “I killed Leroy Midi,” finally confessed. “Put some poison on my fingernail, dipped it in his drink and left him to die. Now you know what happened, si let it rest.” Amisha couldn’t say anything, Meliss and Tenna had always looked so innocent, but now, they were revealed to be trained, tactical killers. “Okay, no more talks about assassins or assassinations,” Marco ordered, putting a hand across Amisha’s shoulders. “Yes, we should forget those and focus on Marco in his prostitute outfit,” Tenna stated, but only Marco laughed.

Meliss noticed the tension was getting too thick, thus she spoke something which she knew would ease the it. “Why don’t you tell us how we are going to be getting through this thing tonight,” she requested. Marco took his arm off Amisha’s shoulders and rubbed his hands together. He moved unto the center of the ladies. “Come closer,” he told them. “So we can get a better look at your skirt?” Amisha asked and all the ladies laughed now. Marco was happy to see his lover and sisters making efforts to end the tension.

“The captain of the Hergonesse siege camp’s night-watch on this side of the wall, is out to gather money to get himself and his family off Setuh also. The soldiers in his section of the night-watch are aiming for the same thing, so my friend, Cody, cut a deal with the captain. People pay Cody large sums of money for safe passage out of the city, the Hergonesse night-watch captain collects most of that money, to be shared between himself and his units in the watch. Some of our city guards also get a share in the money, that they might open this gate for us to get out......” “Amazing how everyone is selling out now,” Meliss spoke, cutting into Marco’s speech. “Folks are only just bothered about getting enough to get their families off this planet and settled on another before the storms begin,” Amisha stated.

“May I be permitted continue my explanation now, ladies?” Marco asked in a haughty tone. “Go right, Lady Marco,” Tenna said with a bow and the other ladies laughed. “I will ignore your jokes, else you’ll never end them,” Marco stated. “As I was saying, the people crossing the camp will have to be concealed from the soldiers who are not included in the deal and their disguise for tonight is war camp prostitutes, thus our beautiful apparels.” “But the soldiers should know the prostitutes that are here with them,” Amisha stated. “That’s true,” Meliss agreed. “The Hergonesse captain has paid some of the camp’s prostitutes to ride with us and they will do the talking if at all anyone stops us,” Marco explained. Just then, Body came over to where the group were.

“Looking good, Marco,” Cody teased. Cody was a scrawny fellow, a young man with full black beard, shiny bald head and a gruff voice. He was actually just twenty-eight, but his voice, clean shaven head and beard led people to think him in his early forties at least. He was using this look and often used many others because he was a shady businessman who didn’t always come through for his evil clients, especially when the job was just too inhumane. Many if these disappointed clients wanted him dead, thus he was always disguising himself and concealing his location.

“I know this isn’t the first time you’ve had to dress up in ladies clothes,” Cody went on. “Surely, you’ve disguised as a lady before so you could get close to some idiot and slit his throat.” As Cody spoke, he contorted his face and gesticulated, thus giving life to his words. He drew a finger across his throat as he said the words, “Slit his throat.” “You can stop now, Cody,” Marco spoke, feeling uneasy with Amisha having to hear gory details of his job. “Don’t be modest, Marco,” Cody said, brushing him off. “Your brother ever tell you that he took care of some idiots for me too?” he asked Tenna and didn’t even wait for an answers before talking on. “I’m just twenty-four, but I have to look fifty because too many people want me dead. This isn’t even my real voice. I know I do shady business, but there’s a limit to what I can do. Sometimes they want ne to transport living beings Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Vinish. You name it, they traffic it. They sell some as slaves, use some for prostitution and cut up some of the magical ones be used in dark, powerful spells. How do they expect me to help them with something like that?” “Cody?” Marco called, but was ignored. “They don’t tell me that people are in the containers until i check them myself, against their orders of course,” Cody wet on. “Then I see the people, set them free, help them get to safe places and the evil people-trafficking bastards send people to kill me. Can you imagine that?! But I contact Marco here, explain things to him and he cuts down the bastards from from the boss to the last man.”

Cody began laughing aloud now and no one joined him, bur he didn’t care. “Marco even helps me out for reduced fees sometimes, the greedy devil never did it free of charge.” He gave Marco a suspicious look at this point and Marco forced a little laugh, as did his sisters, nut not Amisha. Amisha didn’t look disgusted or angry, just very shocked. “He never agreed to let me see his sister’s,” Cody went on. “Very protective, this guy. Though he does kill women, at least for me he did. After all if they practiced such inhumane things, then they weren’t soulless and deserved to die. There was even this one time onboard a ship whose crew had been sent to kidnap me, thee was this lady who.....” “Cody?!!” Marco called aloud this time, his voice very firm. ?What?!” Cody snapped back. “Amisha didn’t know of my job until tonight and she’s not very happy about it,” Marco explained. “I doubt she want to hear tell anything of it.” “You shoulda just said so,” Cody said, using a smooth voice this time, his true voice. “This is my tea voice and if I had any sense in me, I’d leave with you lot now that my defender, Marco is leaving, but I have to stay back here and help the great many people who still seek a way out of this Ronat,” Cody spoke.

“Money is the real reason you’re staying back,” Meliss stated. “That I false,” Cody replied, ” I have more than enough money for my getting off the planet and also have contacts on all four other worlds who can help me settle down wherever I go. I stay back to help help people. The money I collect for these trips are great, but I give the all to the Hergonesse captain, his soldiers and all the others I have to bribe to make this possible at all. I’m not a bad man, Meliss. Your brother can vouch for me.” “It’s true,” Marco confirmed. Cody turned ro Amisha and put a hand on her shoulder. “Now, Marco never told me he had a lover, even though I asked him several times, but we both know he did that for your own safety. Many people want ne dead and if they had seen me meet with either you or Marco’s sisters, the they might have mistaken you to be my relatives and that would have been terrible. Ignore the fact that he’s a trained assassin and you’ll find that you have yourself a good man capable if anything for his family,” he told her. “You are one lucky girl. Though I must inform you that I am better at hiding my movements then your boyfriend here ever was.” “If you were so good, the why did I have to risk my life saving you from capture more than ten times?” Marco asked the guy and everyone laughed.

“I see vehicles approaching,” Tenna announced. “I guess the time has come for goodbyes, old friend,” Cody told Marco, taking his hand off Amisha’s shoulder. “We shall meet again,” Marco stated. “You know where we are going to be living on Guurjey. You helped us buy the house and the other building for our businesses.” “You must come and visit us once you decide to leave Setuh,” Tenna added. Cody turned to the fairy and spread his arms for a hug. Tenna stepped forward and hugged him. The hug lasted awhile and when Tenna tried to break it up, Cody held on. “I really like this,” he stated, snuggling the fairy.

“Let her go now, or I’ll break your legs as a parting gift,” Marco spoke and Cody immediately let go of the fairy. “I need my legs functioning properly, that I might run from all those people who want me,” he stated and everyone laughed. “Our brother told us a lot about you, Cody,” said Meliss, “and even though I’ve only known you personally for a few hours, I know I’m going to miss you and can’t wait to see you again.” “Me too,” Tenna added. “It’s your brother’s fault you didn’t see enough of me here,” Cody stated. “Wicked boy,” Amisha teased Marco, punching him playfully on the arm.

“You lot are among the last groups that will going out this way, as the Hergonesse captain and his soldiers plan on deserting their army once their monies are complete and he tells me it will be very soon. They already have their families waiting in cities outside their own nation, from where they shall take transport off the planet. Mostly in cities within the Holydoma of Halo-Bir,” Cody explained. “I’ll have to find a new captain or some other person of high rank out there who will agree to help. Not that it will be difficult, but these new people might charge more.” “Or they might charge less because they might be it’s desperate than the people you’re currently working with,” Tenna pointed out. Cody looked at Tenna questioningly now. “I like the way you think,” he spoke. “Never thought of it like that myself.” Tenna smiled shyly.

The vehicles got to the wall now, three military vans. A man with grey, well trimmed beard got down from the passenger seat of one can and the rear doors opened to let out at least twenty women apparelled just like Marco, his ladies and every other person waiting to be carried a ross the camp.

“There’s the captain now,” said Cody, looking at the man with the well trimmed beard beard. “You lot put the veils over your faces and come to the cars so you can be counted. Remember, once you are released a few miles away from the camp, travel apart from everyone else. These are desperate people and they’ll rob and gut you if given the chance. Be careful. Head for the Halo-Bir capital, board one of the free transporters from Guurjey and you have success. Don’t board the ones from any other planet.” “Thank you, Cody,” Marco said, putting his veil over his face. “Take care of them of them and enjoy your new life in Guurjey,” Cody replied. “We look forward to seeing you on Guurjey,” Amisha told Cody. “And you will,” he replied, returning to hus gruff voice, then he walked away.

“Okay, everyone stay together,” Marco told his party. “Don’t forget to be on the lookout for assassins from the guild,” Meliss added. “Why?” Amisha asked. “Nothing,” Tenna and Marco lied at once. Alisha guessed that trio might be lying. She also knew this trio would never let anything slip if they didn’t want it to, so she didn’t pursue the matter any further.