Clockwork Immortal

by Sam Ryan

  “If Elena and I were to go ‘all out’ as you say,” Tara said, leaning back against the wall crossing her legs. “There would be nothing left of this Palace when we were through.”

  “She is just saying that because she knows she would lose,” Elena said, tossing the training sword back to Clementine as she walked over to retrieve her own sword.

  Clementine used the moment of her being unarmed to attack. Elena did not seem surprised or angry about the sneak attack. She only leaned her head out of the way, avoiding the strike, then lifted a leg up and kicked Clementine in the gut, causing Clem to let go of her sword as she hunched over.

  “You alright?” Elena asked, taking a knee beside her.

  Clementine let out a yell as she stabbed at Elena with a concealed dagger. Elena instantly grabbed her wrist, stopping the blade centimeters from her throat.

  “Dang it all,” Clementine growled, pushing all her strength into her arm, trying to get her dagger to move the last tiny bit to her throat.

  “Nice try.” Elena nodded approvingly, then twisted Clementine’s wrist, forcing the blade to fall out of her hand. “Yates would often try similar tactics when we were training.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me,” Clementine said, nursing her sore wrist. “He was the one who taught me to never play fair after all.”

  “And he learned that from Jezebel as she learned it from me,” Elena said.

  Madilyn blinked trying to follow that rather odd line of progression. “I would have thought Jezebel would be the one to teach you how to fight dirty,” Madilyn said.

  Tara let out a snort, tearing off another hunk of bread and popping it into her mouth.

  “Why is that funny?” Clementine asked, getting to her feet.

  “Because Elena cheats in everything she does,” Tara said, glaring at the woman. “That’s why none of us play cards with her anymore.”

  “Rules only hinder one from achieving victory,” Elena stated. “The winner will always be the person who refuses to be bound by them.”

  “That’s a bit disconcerting coming from someone who has no doubt shaped the course of wars and maybe even all of history,” Madilyn said. “Rules and laws are what makes us civil. It’s what separates us from animals.”

  “I have seen a lot of people who follow every law and are the epitome of civilized life,” Elena stated. “And yet they were more like bestial animals than any barbarian of the Southlands.”

  “Elena,” a voice called out. Everyone turned and saw Sophia walking into the training room. She was dressed in a long dress that swayed with her every step, the corset around her waist hugging her tightly, with a white long sleeved shirt underneath that puffed up around the shoulders.

  Madilyn’s heart began to race a little upon seeing her, excitement building in her chest. She did her best to calm herself, thinking she was acting like a silly girl with a crush. But then again, that is exactly what she was. Madilyn could not help but smile at the thought.

  “Am I needed for something?” Elena asked, turning to face Sophia.

  “I have a question for you that has been bugging me for a while,” Sophia said. She seemed to stiffen up slightly when she saw Clementine. Her eyes darting back and forth between her and Elena. But she soon push aside whatever discomfort she was having and looked solely at Elena. “Did something happen to Allora? Because she seems to be doubting her ability to rule. The way she talks and how she seems to have handed power over to others, seems strange coming from her.”

  “I’ve been wondering that too,” Tara said. Her mouth half full of food. “I’ve been hearing rumors for a while now that the Eternal Empire has become far more isolationist as of late. That they were not wanting to meddle in other people’s affairs. That sounds nothing like our meddling Allora.”

  Elena let out a long breath as she turned and went to return her training sword to the rack. “This sounds like a conversation you should be having with Allora, not me,” Elena stated, her back to the rest of them.

  “And I most likely will,” Sophia said, coming to a stop next to Madilyn. “But I want to hear what you have to say before I do.”

  “It’s not like Allora has ever been one to need our help,” Tara pointed out. “Maybe it’s best to just stay out of it.”

  “Whose side are you on?” Sophia asked, shooting a glare back at the woman.

  “Mine,” Tara said simply. “But while she may not need our help, she would never ask for it even if she did,” she added. “We all go to her for advice, but who does she go to?”

  “Not me,” Elena said, sounding rather disappointed by that fact.

  “Did something happen that caused Allora to doubt her ability to lead?” Sophia pressed, refusing to back down.

  Elena turned around, placing her hands behind her as she leaned against the weapon rack. This was probably the most vulnerable Madilyn had ever seen the woman.

  “There is no one thing I can point to,” Elena said, looking sullenly at the ground in front of her. “It’s merely the accumulation of many centuries worth of little things. Every time there was dissent among the people. Every time a noble made some sort of power play, Allora felt like she had somehow failed as their leader. This was especially hard since she tends to think of her people as her family.”

  “Well they kind of are,” Tara said under her breath. “They are all her descendants after all.”

  “So what are you saying?” Sophia rested her hands on her hips and continued to stare down Elena. “She just gave up?”

  “Nothing so decisive,” Elena said. “It was a gradual thing. She felt the reason that these things kept happening was because she was unable to give matters the necessary attention they deserved. So she began delegating responsibility to other people. Little things yes, but eventually those little things added up. Now Allora is barely anything more than a figurehead in her own Empire.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Sophia spat, and Madilyn found herself in agreement.

  “Every kingdom has its problems from time to time,” Madilyn said, speaking up. “That’s only natural. The things that separates the great rulers from the terrible ones is how they handle those situations.”

  “That may very well be true,” Elena said, giving Madilyn a not. “But most rulers often only have to deal with one or two such situations during their reign. Allora has had to deal with hundreds.”

  Madilyn pursed her lips together. She had not thought of that. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown after all. Never was that more true than with Allora.

  “Well.” Tara sighed, pushing on her knee as she stood up. “Far be it from me to tell Allora how she runs her own Empire.”

  “I disagree,” Sophia said, glancing back at Tara. “I think we are the only ones who do have the right to tell her. We are her only peers. It becomes hard to take advice or council seriously from people who haven’t even lived a quarter as long as you.”

  Madilyn tilted her head to the side as she listened to Sophia. Was that how Sophia also felt towards her? Madilyn would not blame her is she did. Madilyn was young and inexperienced by comparison but hearing that her words and opinions meant so little was still hurtful none the less.

  “I really do not think that this is what we should be focused on,” Elena stated. Her gruff expression returning to her face once more. Any hint of vulnerability now gone. “We have far more pressing matters. Such as dealing with Stella.”

  “You’re right.” Sophia nodded, letting out a breath. “The Empire will keep. Dealing with Stella will not.”

  The words were frightening to Madilyn. Not because Sophia fully meant what she had said, but that Madilyn fully agreed with her.

  What had her life become that matters of Empires and Kingdoms were now secondary? But that was what it meant to be dealing with Immortals.

  ***

  “This seems like an overly simplistic plan,” Tara said with a shake of her head. Her hands planted on her hips. She chewed the inside of her lip in irrita
tion as she looked down and glared at the map sprawled out on the large table in front of her.

  “The more complicated the plan, the greater the chance that something could go wrong,” Allora said, pushing herself away from the war table they were all gathered around.

  Jezebel and Yates were the only ones not present as they were still off flying his Majesty and the Prime Representative back to their respective lands. It seemed odd that they were not waiting for them to return but Allora had seemed to get into her mind that they needed to act sooner rather than later.

  Sophia was keeping to herself near the pack corner of the room, more intent on watching the people than trying to contribute. The last thing she wanted to do was get in the way of their planning.

  “Yeah,” Tara dragged out the word, her arms crossed in front of her chest. “But I think there needs to be a little more complexity to it than attacking them at night. And why so soon? We have only been back for three days. Yates probably hasn’t even gotten to Lear yet. It will probably be another two weeks or more before he returns.”

  “Because in four days there is a new moon,” Allora stated. “Stella will likely be expecting us to muster up a large army and assault her complex that way. That will take weeks, maybe even months to prepare. So if we strike her now than we can still catch her off guard. And thanks to the information Representative Blake gave us before he left for Trevelia, we now know where she is. Or at the very least, were her official research facility is. I doubt she would have taken the time and effort to move it. Not if time really is a factor for her”

  Yes, thanks to the Representative they finally had a target. The city of New Dentin. It was fitting that things would bring them back there. After all, that was where everything had started in a way.

  According to Representative Blake, in the center of the city was a building that had been made into a sudo-hidden research facility. To the outside, it looked nothing more than the power plant that powered the rest of the city. But that was only the camouflage used to hide the immense power that Stella used for her research.

  “We still have no clue what she is doing there or even what the facility is for,” Sophia reminded.

  “That is another reason we need to act soon,” Allora said, giving Sophia a nod of acknowledgment. “Considering how openly Stella is acting now, she is likely near completion of whatever it is that she is working on. The longer we wait, the greater the chance there is that we will not make it in time. As it stands now, I fear that four days still might be too long.”

  “Alright,” Tara sighed, still not liking the plan. “So how do we get there? Both our airships are currently out and you have made it clear that your hands are apparently tied when deciding what to do with your own military.”

  “Tara,” Elena warned, glaring at the woman.

  “No, Tara’s right” Sophia said, jumping in. “I’m sorry Allora, I’m sure you are going through a lot but this shouldn’t even be a problem. You are the ruler of the most powerful and advanced Empire in world. You should just have to order a ship be made ready and it to be done so.”

  “Nothing in the world works that way,” Allora said, trying to sound unphased by Sophia’s rebuke, but Sophia could tell by how her eyes shimmered that the words had struck deep.

  “So then how?” Tara asked, flashing Sophia a look and a nod.

  “We will able to get ahold of a cutter class airship,” Clementine stated, not elaborating further on how they will manage to get ahold of said airship. “Between me and Max we should have no problem sailing her.” She glanced over at Max who gave a nod of agreement. “If we have a light load and good winds, we should be able to make the trip in three or four days.”

  “If we fly into New Dentin under the cover of darkness,” Allora continued. “The four of us can drop into the center of the complex, hopefully bypassing most of their security. All we have to do if find Stella, and if necessary, destroy whatever it is she is working on.”

  “And what about me?” Madilyn asked, stepping forward. “What am I going to be doing?”

  Allora pursed her lips together, knowing that Madilyn was not going to like what she was about to say. “You are more than welcome to come with us, Sir Madilyn,” Allora stated, trying her best not to sound dismissive or unappreciative. “But you are not a sailor, nor are you an Immortal.”

  “I get it,” Madilyn said, nodding her head. Her gaze not looking at anyone in particular. “I’m not needed.”

  “It’s not that I doubt your skills or your ability,” Allora said, trying to sound reassuring.

  “But I die when I am killed.” Madilyn nodded, failing to hide the hurt she was feeling.

  “Yes,” Allora said with a whisper.

  “Whatever,” Madilyn said, dropping her arms to her sides and walking for the door.

  “Madilyn,” Sophia called after her.

  “I’m fine,” Madilyn said, brushing Sophia away. “Don’t worry. I’m still coming along. I swore I would see this through until the end.” She looked back at Sophia, a look of deep hurt in her eyes.

  Sophia withdrew her hand, unable to say or do anything else. After a moment Madilyn began walking once more, leaving the room.

  “Did you really have no better way of saying that?” Sophia asked, clutching her fist.

  “We need to make sure things are made perfectly clear,” Allora stated. “There is no room for error in this.”

  “You certainly made things clear alright,” Sophia spat. She gave Allora one last glare before she stormed out of the room after Madilyn.

  ***

  Madilyn fell back onto the bed, her body spent. Her naked chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

  “Thank you,” Madilyn said. “I needed that.”

  “Any time,” Sophia said, laying down on her side next to Madilyn. She too slightly out of breath, but not nearly in the same way that Madilyn was. “Best way to relieve stress and frustration.” Sophia smiled as she propped her head up with her hand, looking over at the naked woman lying next to her.

  “Normally I just hit things with my sword,” Madilyn said.

  The sun was shining in through the window of their room as the two of them lay on top of the bed. It was decently warm and made even warmer with the heat they had just generated. The bed covers kicked to the other end of the bed.

  Madilyn rolled over on her side so she was facing Sophia, their breasts nearly touching. She tucked her hands under her cheek, using them like a pillow as she peered into Sophia’s eyes. Her eyes were so dark and enticing. Madilyn could not explain it in words, but how those eyes looking at her created a longing or deep desire in her chest unlike anything she had ever felt before.

  “You alright?” Sophia asked, reaching out with her other hand, brushing a lose strand of hair out of Madilyn’s face.

  “I’ll be fine,” Madilyn assured, kissing Sophia’s palm as it passed by her lips.

  “I want you to know that Allora didn’t mean anything by what she said,” Sophia said. “She just doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “I know that,” Madilyn said with a sigh. She looked down, breaking eye contact with Sophia. “Is Stella really so dangerous?” she asked, looking back up at Sophia. “I know she is an Immortal and not to be taken lightly, but she is still just one person. There are four of you, not counting Jezebel. Shouldn’t you be more than a match for her?”

  “In a head on fight? Sure.” Sophia shrugged with one shoulder. “And I think that is why Allora is pushing for one so badly. But you saw what happened back in New Albion. Even knowing what we were up against, she still got the better of us.”

  Madilyn was forced to nod in agreement. Even as she went over it in her mind, she still could not think of anything that they could have done differently. They had all reacted so fast, but Stella had still walked all over them.

  “Aren’t you worried that this might be a trap then?” Madilyn asked with a frown.

  “Of course I am,” Sophia said, gi
ving her a playful half smile. “But if we can catch her flat footed and in a frontal fight, than we have the advantage. Allora likely thinks she suspects that Stella thinks we will take our time to recuperate and lick our wounds. If we move in now, she hopes to catch her off guard.”

  “And I’ll just slow you down,” Madilyn said bitterly, averting her eyes.

  “Hey,” Sophia cooed, reaching out and cupping the side of Madilyn’s cheek, forcing her to raise her gaze to meet hers. “It has nothing to do with that. I saw firsthand your skills on the Iron Rose. You are more than capable of handling yourself. I know this might sound strange, but I think that it’s me that Allora is worried about.”

  “You?” Madilyn snorted. “Why would she worry about you? You can’t be killed.”

  “But I can,” Sophia said in a soft voice. “If something were to happen to you, I would die on the inside. You are the first person I have cared for this much in over three hundred years. I don’t even want to think of the state I would be in if I ended up losing you now.”

  “So because you can’t compartmentalize, I have to be left out,” Madilyn said.

  “I guess so.” Sophia nodded, her smile warming a bit. “But you know?” Sophia scooched forward, pressing her breasts into Madilyn’s as she leaned her face in. “I’m not going to apologize for loving you too much.”

  Madilyn did not move as Sophia leaned in, but she did pucker out her lips to meet Sophia’s. After a quick peck, Sophia drew away. The silly grin on her face broke through Madilyn’s bitterness and she too cracked a smile.

  Sophia leaned in again, only this time the kiss was longer. Not pulling away, Sophia wrapped a hand around Madilyn’s back and began working her tongue inside Madilyn’s mouth. Madilyn accepted it all as she rolled onto her back, Sophia rolling on top of her, straddling her hips.

  Madilyn dug her nails into Sophia’s back, just shy of hard enough to break the skin, causing Sophia to arch her back in pleasure.

  “Do we really have time for this?” Madilyn asked, though her hands were still moving down Sophia’s back, digging into her ass cheeks. “Clementine and Max will no doubt be back with the airship soon.”