Knight of the Black Rose

by Nissa Gordon

  He held out his hand and the paper lifted off of the table and shot over to him, he flicked through the pages knowing that he had seen a section advertising jobs and thought that this was his best chance of finding one until he fully understood how society worked here properly at this point in time or at least found some of his own kind, as that wasn't going as easily as he had hoped either. Perhaps he should have paid more attention in history classes when he was younger, or at least studied up more on the politics’ for mixed worlds contacting others from off world, he had never needed to worry about that much considering that most of the worlds that he had visited knew that he was coming. He also wasn’t normally stranded alone very often without any resources of any kind.

  It didn't take him long to find the job section, he decided to stick with something simple that he knew and understood, there were security jobs, which he could do; there were about half a dozen advertisements and he didn't know where any of them were but that didn't mean that he wouldn't be able to find them, using their internet that stored information similar to his own databases, but just not as advanced.

  So he began his job hunt, which turned out to be quite easy because all he had to do was ring up as most of them had numbers that he could call. When he got through to them, he gave his details over the phone and then they would get back to him, it took the better part of an hour to go through the list of jobs that he had found. Then with that done and with only time to wait to find out if any of them would get back to him, he decided to go out to have another look around; he picked up the umbrella that Allison had given him the other day because he didn't have one or a proper coat, he had thought that it was quite kind of her to do.

  As he walked through the bus station it kind of reminded him a little of home because of how differently everyone looked and dressed, no one seemed to care how you were dressed when you were in the city centre but when he ventured out into the small centres the people would look at you as though you were from a strange far off land; which to be honest he kind of was, but of course none of them actually knew that.

  The buses parked up empty after letting people off, and then filled up once more letting those on from the rain glad to be out of it for a while and then leaving once more splashing water onto the sidewalks as they pulled off but not high enough to actually splash anyone with; Domnus was sure that they didn't really care, in fact he was kind of sure that drivers here enjoyed it and actually hoped that they might splash someone.

  Domnus was watching the people go about their normal lives not realizing who he really was as he walked passed them as though he was one of them; a sadness filled him as he thought that these people will never know the wonders and horrors that he has seen nor will their grandchildren, though if he can't find away to get back home he won't be able to see any of them again either.

  A bell signalled that a tram was coming so Domnus stopped on the corner and waited, but in that moment he saw a group of people with cloaks across the road, he was sure of it, as it wasn't something you would mistake with the fashions of today. He rushed out in front of the tram only missing it by half a meter, everyone stared at him mainly in shock that he had made it across safely and that he didn't seem to have noticed the scene that he had created, as he just carried on waking without looking back.

  Domnus followed where he thought he had seen the cloaked people heading, it had only been a second when he had took his eyes off of them but he had lost them; he didn't understand how he could have lost them when he had been tracking people for years and never in all of that time has he ever lost anyone in such a manner. Yet this situation might in fact anger others, it didn't Domnus it just meant that he still had much to learn and also he had in fact found what he was looking for; well not completely found what he was looking for, but he at least knew for sure now that they were around here, since he had been sensing their presence for the past couple of days now he just hadn't been able to pinpoint their location.

  He would prefer to be with them even if they were behind like those on this side of the wall was, he would still be with his own kind and have a better chance of figuring out what had happened to him; so all he had to do was find the entrance so he began to slowly walk looking at the wall on his right very carefully not wanting to miss a thing.

  "Revelas!" Domnus ordered but nothing happened, well he knew it wasn't going to be that easy but he also knew that if it was there, just hidden from normal view that he would be able to find it now.

  He carried on walking, looking occasionally at the wall without it actually looking as though he was looking for something so not to draw too much attention to himself once again by those passing by, because if he did manage to find an entry point he didn't want to advertise it to the whole world; it what a secret after all as was their way of life. He crossed the road and found himself in China Town, which he had found on his first real full day as though he had been drawn here as in hope that he could have found Luxis here if she had arrived with him and she was in trouble hiding from whom ever had done this; but there had been no sign of her and he was sure that if she had arrived back here with him that she also would have arrived in this country considering that there had been no other reports of mysteries cyclones in any other countries only this one.

  A door swung open hitting the wall from the restaurant up ahead, three men ran out dressed all in black and their face's covered with balaclava's; the engine of the car at the bottom of the steps roared into action, the man at the front jumped the last two steps.

  Domnus didn't even think about it as he ran forward and in one swift moment grabbed the mans hand turning still back to the next man his leg lifting off of the ground and connecting to his chest knocking him to the ground pulling the other man with him along with a bag that sounded as though it was full of money, he swung the man he still had hold of into the other two on the steps as the car pulled out; he was about to stop it as he held out his hand but stopped himself and instead memorized the license plate number before he turned back around to the three dazed men on the steps just as two elderly Chinese men rushed out quite out of breath.

  They looked down at the three men sloped on their steps and then at Domnus stood over them, he still looked completely calm and his clothes hadn't been ruffled at all.

  "Young man...did...did you stop them?" The eldest man asked; his skin had yet to show his proper age yet his hair was almost white.

  "I'm sorry to have coursed you any trouble, I will call the police..." Domnus told him.

  "They're already on their way," The other man told him eyeing him with a small smile forming. "How would you like a job?"

  The elder bent down and picked up the bag of money holding it close to his chest as he watched Domnus waiting for his answer, Domnus bent down and picked up his umbrella.

  "That is very generous of you, but my I ask what the job is?" Domnus asked them.

  "What are you, stupid?" One of the robbers shouted at him from the bottom step.

  "You could work the doors for us...a...bouncer...I think that is the term," The elder answered.

  "Thank you," Domnus said bowing his head slightly. "I'll wait outside with these men stall I until the police arrive then?"

  "If you don't mind...it's awfully damp and the cold...well...we'll just be inside then," The elder told him and then turned around directing the other man in first.

  Domnus stood at the bottom of the steps, the three men looked at him and then at the space he had left for their escape; he pulled down his umbrella as he heard the sirens getting closer and fastened it up again.

  "You should stay where you are, or you'll just end up in even more trouble," Domnus warned them.

  "Please, I can take you any time," The man on the bottom step told him standing up. "It was only because you took us by surprise,"

  "Yeah...you stupid or something...nobody does what you did...only in the movies..." The younger man said at the top of the steps.

  "I don't watch movies, so I
wouldn't know what you're talking about; but where I come from we don't just watch as someone commits a crime," Domnus told them.

  "Then you're not from anywhere that normal people are from then," The man said looking up the road as the police car came around the corner and he made to move but Domnus already had hold of him and pulled him back down onto the wet steps.

  The police car pulled up and two officers stepped out, the driver walked around the car eyeing up the screen before him; they were both nearly ten years older then Domnus and looked as though they had been in the force for sometime but they actually looked quite surprised by what they saw before them, as though this sort of thing truly didn't often happen.

  "Well then, what seems to be the problem?" The officer on the left asked running his hand through his short dark hair.

  "These men had broken into this restaurant and was attempting to escape with the money when I stopped them, the owners informed me that they had already rang for you when they came out of the building; but by that time I had already accosted these three." Domnus told them. "The driver on the other hand was able to escape, but I did get his license plate number; MK12 7HG."

  "Thank you...you really got them all on your own?" The policeman asked him surprise, and fumbling to take his notebook out of his pocket to write the details down with.

  "Are you in the army or something?" The other policeman asked him. "I mean to be able to take down all three of them on your own?"

  "Not really, but you could say that I was a kind of police officer," Domnus answered.

  "Really, ever thought about actually joining the real police force; we could defiantly use someone like you?" The policeman asked him excitedly.

  "What the hell is with this?" The man mumbled from the steps as he was pulled to his feet by the nearest officer. "He attacked us...shouldn't you be doing something about that?"

  "You were the ones that were committing a crime," Domnus told them calmly. "You now have to contemplate your wrong doings."

  "You mean how to do it right next time," The man shouted as he was pulled away into the police car.

  "That isn't going to help your case, if you're telling us that you're going to try again as soon as you're let out," The police man told him shutting the door.

  "I've never really understood people like them," Domnus said talking as if he was a grown man full of life experiences, yet to any on lookers he wasn't even in his twenties yet.

  Music blared out from the upstairs behind Domnus who was actually getting used to the pounding of his ear drums from the past couple of nights, he was stood on the threshold wearing his white shirt and dark nervy trousers and actually looking as though he fitted in finally, in normal clothes; but that didn't actually mean that he felt as though he fitted in. There were several dim lights set above on the ceiling just bright enough to see in front of you so that you wouldn't fall up the steps, though that was still possible of course if you've had a few too many to drink, or as he had learnt depending on what sort of footwear the women were wearing.

  There were three dozen people queuing up waiting to be let inside, but Domnus weren't letting many in because no one had come out in a while and of course there are restrictions to how many are actually allowed inside at any one time.

  "Come on man, don't be like that, we're brothers," The man said at the front of the queue with his arm around his girl friend, she had on a low cut neck short dress and was shaking slightly because it was actually quite cold.

  Domnus didn't really think it was something that she should have been wearing to go clubbing in but something for afterwards perhaps, considering it was more like lingerie than a dress, but who was he to judge the fashion of this time, now if Luxis was with him she would have been able to tell him; he did miss her.

  "I am not your brother," Domnus told him calmly. "I'm just waiting to confirm that I can let more inside, if you'll just wait quietly."

  "Quietly? This is a club isn't it?" The man asked him.

  "Indeed it is," Domnus answered. "It won't be long,"

  "He talks funny...I don't think he's from around here," The woman tried to whisper to her boy friend, but it was still loud enough so that she was heard by others.

  Domnus checked the computer screen on the side bar that was set around the wall, the message that he had been waiting for flashed up onto the screen ‘ADMIT HALF A DOZEN!’.

  "Right then you can come inside now," Domnus told them stepping aside and holding out his hand as the man handed over his entrance fee, Domnus quickly scanned it making sure that it was all there and to see if it was real considering the owners had informed him that a lot of fake notes have been circulating; when he was completely satisfied he let them upstairs before he quickly turned back to the next couple. "Thank you,"

  They handed him the right money and then the next couple came up the steps but they were dressed quite oddly compared to everyone else he had seen tonight, even though to him everyone was dressed oddly except perhaps really these two. The man had a blue cloak which was edged with torques, brown trousers with a white slightly ruffled shirt; the woman had a full length cream coat, hooded, with green pin striped trousers and a two tone green tunic.

  "I've been thinking about getting a new cloak, but I'm new to the area hence the job here; I was wondering if there was anywhere around here that I'd be able to get one?" Domnus asked, hoping against hope that they knew what he was talking about because the people behind them just looked at him as though he was mad.

  "Really, what school did you go to then?" The guy asked him seemingly interested.

  "Burnaby Advanced," Domnus answered without thinking, and then hoping that he hadn't blown it; but it seemed as though he had in fact impressed them both, the man stepped nearer to him so that they wouldn't be over heard.

  "Well considering that you went there you must be good, though I'm a little surprised that you don't know," the man said.

  "I didn't grow up here, but in the magical world and I ran out of money while I was visiting," Domnus told them trying to sound somewhat humble and grateful for any help that they could give him.

  "I know what you mean, everything here is so expensive isn't?" the woman agreed. "How am I supposed to buy clothes if they're so darn expensive not that they have many nice things to wear to begin with, but if they want us to blend in...you know what I mean?"

  "Yes, yes I do," Domnus answered.

  The man stepped closer and whispered, not wanting anyone to overhear him. "Well, if you go down here and take your first right onto the narrow alleyway it's just at the end there. Wave your wand commanding to enter, but make sure that there's no one around of course...we don't want any uninvited guests,"

  "Of course, thank you," Domnus said, quite pleased by his stroke of luck, perhaps things were starting to look up for him. "It was nice talking to you, I'm sure that we'll meet again,"

  "I'm Duff and this is Zara," Duff told him.

  "Domnus, Ordin Domnus," he told them.

  "It was nice meeting you," Zara said smiling at him.

  Domnus let them inside feeling an awful lot better now that he had had some contact with others of his kind and hopefully tomorrow he'll have found the entrance and can really begin his search; he had known that there was one around here somewhere but he hadn't been able to locate it, which he had thought was strange considering that he had never had any problems in that area before.

  The ground was still wet with puddles from the rain during the night but it had finally eased up as Domnus walked down the street past the club where he now worked, he was actually looking forward to tomorrow because he was going to be paid; they had agreed to pay him cash in hand because he had explained that he didn't have a bank account. He had also been pleased that they had believed him and he hadn't had to use more magic on them, especially if he would have to stick around for a while.

  He walked further on looking around making sure that there wasn't anyone else as he turned down the small narrow ally which
was bricked up on all three sides and on the side door on his left were overflowing bins, he walked to the end reaching for his side but there was no need because the wall began to move on its own accord.

  Domnus watched as the wall before him began to dissolve slowly becoming more and more transparent until finally the wall was gone and instead was a bustling square lined with shops, the people were dressed in cloaks, suits, dresses and hats that the world behind him wouldn't have seen for at less a hundred years, though perhaps in more modern colours and styles, yet here they belonged and actually suited their surroundings and the people that was wearing them. He stepped into this world relief washing over him from the normality, it wasn't what he had left behind but it was as close as he was going to get here, which was good enough for him for now.

  In the centre of the square was a sign post ‘WELCOME TO WITCH CHESTER SQUARE’, but there were also smaller signs below pointing in different directions; pointing to where he was stood ‘NONE MAGICAL WORLD’, to the left ‘WEAVE STREET AND MAGE VOLT BANK’, to the right ‘ACHER ALLY’.