Preface: Doomed Gemini’s bearing a rose shall rise twice to defeat a Mortal foe.
Chapter 1
The Beginning.
‘Look Makeeda it says it here on Google. A human is a member of a species of bipedal primates derived from the Simian genus, otherwise known as, Homo sapiens, in Latin meaning wise man or knowing man.’
Matteo waves the phone I gave him last month, in my face.
'That’s what they like to call themselves, the ‘wise man’; sure, they have their politics and their law of nature-‘
‘they are the most advanced creatures to walk the face of the earth Makeeda’.
‘No we are Matteo, we are the most advanced creatures to walk this earth, and would you please stop waving that stupid phone in my face.’
“But they don’t know that.”
“Exactly their not as smart as they think, in my opinion-”
“Always with your opinion.”
“Are you going to let me finish?”
“Yes whatever your majesty Makeeda.”
“Thank you Matteo, no need for the sarcasm. So yes in my opinion they are soft squishy things; that are loud, smelly, sometimes stupid, the odd ghastly fool tends to make a spectacle of him or herself, they do horrid things like blow each other up, and they are annoyingly fragile-.”
“Despite all that, they do grow on you.”
“It takes a few thousand years, and within that time they do something to cause you to become annoyed with them. Again.”
“Makeeda, you know that were here to protect them, how would your father feel if he heard you talking like that; he would think you a traitor.”
“Well my farther isn’t here now, and if I were a traitor would I be here now, helping you?”
“I suppose so.”
It was silent, nothing but the sound of the cold wind rushing towards us, as we jumped from roof to roof. We always had these debates, about humans, and he would always use the ‘what would your father say’ phrase, and I couldn’t help but shut up after that, how I missed him, and how I hated having to depend on measly humans, I mean if one of our kind can’t save him, what makes Matteo believe that humans could. Nevertheless, we are fighting a war, without a king, the Elders are refusing me my birth right, and our kind are hiding. That thought sickened me the most, ‘they were hiding’ as grand as my kind are they are not perfect.
The sky was getting lighter, it was nearing dawn and London was awakening, early commuters bustling through the crowds weaving between the buildings of Kensington, shivering at bus stops, sipping coffee, reading newspapers.
How could we possibly find the human twins Matteo says will help us, he says were close; they are somewhere here in London, ‘it will be easy’ he says ‘their only humans’ he says, ‘they cannot go that far.’ He says. And I would get frustrated, after all that’s what I have been trying to tell him. ‘They are only humans, how could you expect them to protect us from something that can destroy them with a single breath, but no. ‘Makeeda have faith in the humans, they make miracles happen, and we are here to help them as they are here to help us’.
We are going to lose this battle, the odds are against us. I hated it when I felt defeated.
“Don’t think about it Makeeda we will get your father whatever it takes.”
“Who says I was thinking about that?”
“Oh ok so what were you thinking?”
“Beating you to the Thames in a race.”
I kicked of the roof of a house and sent my self-hurtling, through the morning air, I felt the adrenaline warm up my body, I felt the soft satin of my dress beat against my skin, I was fast, I was going to beat him this time.
“Oh you think you can shake me off do you?”
“I don’t think Matteo I know.”
I kicked off the side of another building and sent myself flying at him head first. His golden locks flowing behind him, his piercing grey eyes set on me rushing towards him, smirking as if I were just a ball he was about to catch, his arms stretched out, and locked around me as the impact sent us flying towards an old church, he sent me hurtling towards a small thicket of trees, as he crashed into the side of the church, while I fell through the trees, my dress caught a branch that tore through the fine material, I collided into the mud. My dress half ruined. I landed in the earth causing a ripple in the trees; I jumped up and walked out into the church courtyard, dusting myself of. I found Matteo at the side of the battered church gaping at the smashed stained glass, I walked towards him; tell I’m by his side.
“Matteo, what’s with you throwing me into trees?”
“Look what I’ve done.”
I look up from his smooth face, and there it was, the church tower laying across the courtyard the bell beside it.
“What have you done Matteo?”
“Don’t pretend that you don’t see this, a human could see this!”
“And your point being?”
“It’s a place of worship Makeeda; the humans are bound to notice.”
“So?”
He looks up at me; I smile at him and skip over to the rusting church bell that lay next to the remains of the fallen tower that once held it.
It felt rough under my hands, it once must have been a glorious thing, but like all old things, humans lose interest and no longer care.
“If you ask me Matteo, you did your dear humans a favour.”
“Really?”
He begins to smile again, wondering what I meant. I look over to a poster on the lamppost; it had a bright picture of a women scantily dressed with rosary beads around her neck, above the women in bold letters said club church coming soon.
“Besides, you have saved them tons of money, they don’t have to demolish this place, you did most of it for them; they’ll probably turn this place into, I don’t know a night club or something.” The smile disappears as he notices the poster.
“Humans. You gotta love them Matteo.”
I laugh as I walk towards the trees I emerged from, before the humans see what we had done, let them make their own assumptions; there was a lot of wind last night.
Matteo gets the picture and gently jogs to my side.
“You know, this isn’t going to change my opinion on humans.”
“I know Matteo, I know.”
We start to run through the trees tell we could hear the traffic; we slowed down, as we joined the rest of the commuters and walked down the street.
Children came out of their houses on the way to school; I smiled at a young school girl, who stared at me with wide eyes. Although I’m not the greatest fan of humans, their offspring I cannot seem to hate, they’re innocent to the world unaware of their parent’s grave wrongs.
We pass men and women on their way to work, the women in London seem to have a permanent bad attitude, women with faces full of makeup, fake blonde hair, and clothes that seem three sizes two small, stare at me rolling their eyes and shaking their heads, I don’t understand this city.
“These women look a wreck. Why are people staring at me, don’t they know it’s rude?”
“Well you look erm”
“What?”
“Well you look a wreck.”
“Thanks girls love hearing that, besides it’s not my fault my dress isn’t tree proof.”
“Well if it makes it any better, you look like a very nice expensive wreck.”
“Ha ha ha, I feel sooo much better.”
I laugh sarcastically, as I looked at my reflection in a shop window; I did look a wreck no wonder people were looking at me. I ripped the dangling piece of blue satin of the bottom of the dress, leaving my long mahogany legs on show from my thigh downwards; this wasn’t going to stop the stares, but at least I don’t look like my dress got ripped apart by a lion.
“We are not good at this discrete thing at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well we don’t look normal you and me together, the local bum walking around with a rich girl.”
“Well you know Matteo you could still take up that offer, there is plenty of space for you at my home, you don’t have to live out here-“
“Makeeda we’ve been through this I like living under the stars like this it reminds me of home.“
“What stars? What with all the car exhaust in your face you’ll be lucky if you see a plane, besides you could do that in my garden.”
“Your standard of living is too extravagant for my liking, besides its beginning to get too crowded.”
We were silent for a while.
“How much space do you have left in that house of yours?”
“Another two floors to fill I’ve already brought the house next door ready for more recruits.”
“I don’t think we are going to be in London much longer.”
“The twins? “
“They’re on the move again if we don’t get them today, well were going to have to go where ever they go.”
Stupid human twins, I thought to myself.
“So what next commando?”
“Tonight we choose who’s coming with us, if we find the twins here, today; we then choose leaders for when we leave.”
“Busy night then.”
“Yes, but crucial. Here you get on this bus I’m going to the library, the bus driver driving this bus is our kind, recruit her then I’ll meet you at the next stop, that’s were her route ends.
Keep your eyes out for those twins, I have a good feeling today we’ll find them.”
“Optimistic aren’t we this morning.”
“Not all of us are pessimistic sceptics.”
I stick my tongue out as I get on the 360 bus. I was the last on the bus after a grumpy elderly women, I look around the crammed vehicle; personal space just didn’t exist on this bus.
I look around at the passengers, ignoring the big staring eyes, just hoping that the twins might just be here. At first I see nothing, I take another quick scan just to make sure, and there they were, standing near the front not too far from me. Two dark haired twins’, one boy one girl, surrounded by luggage. I tried not to get my hopes up. The birth mark, I had to look for that, it defined them. One twin, the girl turned her head to her brother she whispered to him asking whether I was staring at them. Thank god her hair was in a short ponytail otherwise I don’t think I would’ve seen the brown flower birthmark on the back of her neck.
The boy looked up I smiled my most charming smile and waved, he returned my smile warily and waved back less enthusiastic.
I felt overjoyed; I snapped out my phone and dialled Matteo’s number. Ringing. Ringing.
“Makeeda-“
“Matteo I found them.”
“What?”
“The twins Matteo I found them!”
“The birthmark and everything?”
“YES IT’S THEM!”
I silently shout
“Okay, okay I’ll see you at the library bye.”
“Alright Matteo see you in a few. I hope your right about these twins.”
“Me too.”
“Wait Matteo the bus driver.”
“Leave her she’s not necessary, just get the twins.”
I put the phone down.
I look towards the bus driver; I hadn’t noticed I was so close to her, she looked at me with wide eyes probably in fear, hoping that I wouldn’t pull her out of her hiding place from this mundane human job, to free her kind, it sickened me.
“Your highne-“
“Don’t you think you should keep your eyes on the road?”
She looked away before I finished, fearing I would change my mind and take her with me.
I wave them over and watched as they nervously slipped between the grumpy passengers almost hitting a few with their luggage.
The boy was just a bit shorter than me, considering I’m taller than the average human male.
“Hi, there’s some space here for your luggage.”
They didn’t reply just stared, surprised at the kindness of a stranger.
“Erm thanks.”
“My names Makeeda.”
The girl, she’s a little bit shorter than her brother, she wore simple cloths, jeans, a black top, a grey coat and a simple brown scarf wrapped around her neck, her short black hair was held back from her smooth dull pale face, her large green eyes peered up at me through the silver frame of her glasses, her little lips turned up shyly in a smile, I gave her my hand to shake, she hesitantly shook it, I instantly realised and became shocked by how thin she was; how frail and fatally human she is, as her thin long, delicate hand shock my own, how on earth was she going to survive what was to come much less, help us survive.
I shivered with disappointment, she must have sensed my mood because she instantly let go of my hands
“My name is Valentina.”
She whispered it. Timid. Great.
“This is my brother Vincenzo.”
She gestured towards her brother, who stared at me with harsher eyes, less trusting then his fragile sister. He was going to be harder to convince. He didn’t offer me his hand and I didn’t offer mine I just simply stared in response, two can play at that game.
The boy was like his sister in many ways and in many ways was different. Though they were twins they were not exactly identical, he had thicker hair then his sister’s short thin, limp hair, though both were jet black, they both had large emerald green eyes but he didn’t wear glasses, his skin glowed olive brown and rough from a growing beard, whereas hers was smooth and pale.
He wore far more lavish clothes then his sister; a grey cashmere role neck and dark sleek trousers, and a long brown trench coat, his black, Italian leather boats peaked from under his perfectly cut trousers.
I picked up Valentinas bags and put the luggage down in front of the door, and turned around to face them. I can’t help but smile ever so slightly as I look at the pair, as they both look back with questioning eyes.
“I know who you are already, no need for introductions.”
“Sorry have we met before?” The young girl asks slightly confused
“No we haven’t, but all the same, your appearance has been much anticipated, you will be of great help.”
A high pitched squeak rang in my left ear, the gasp did not come from the twins, they were still confused as to what direction our polite conversation had turned into, no the gasp of realization came from the eaves dropping bus driver, who stared at the twins with her large black eyes, in amazement, she may be a coward but all of my kind are aware of the prophecies.
I stared back at her face, her head snapped around and looked away from my glare like a child would when being told of, I tore my eyes of her and looked at the road she was clearly not concentrating on. We were speeding towards school children crossing the road to get to school on the other side.
“WATCH THE ROAD!!!”
Her eyes glazed over as if she was day dreaming, while passengers began to scream, bracing themselves for an impact that wouldn’t hurt them, while others closed their eyes to avoid seeing the massacre that was clearly unavoidable. She closed her eyes as if she was concentrating.
“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DO-”
Everything around us seemed to have stopped. No, not stopped, slowed down. A lot. The people around us seemed to have slowed down, as if they were some sort of show that had been put on slow Mo, it was just me and the bus driver moving at an unnaturally fast speed. Her hands were moving fast over the gears and her foot was pressed down on the brakes.
I looked at the watch of a passenger, the hand on the watch seemed to be moving slow, extremely slow, more so then usual, in fact to slow for the average human eyes to see, She hadn’t speed us up, but had slowed down time. Reality returned and everyone were no longer moving at the speed of a snail, but the bus was no longer moving either, it stopped perfectly before the zebra crossing, and the children crossed safely, whilst the passengers began to open their eyes in relief, some teens cheered from the back, others tuted with disapproval.
Once it was safe she moved again cautiously, concentrating on the road avoiding eye contact with me. Very wise of her. We turned onto the main road, and we finally reached the final bus stop, I looked across the road, I could see Matteo patiently waiting in the autumn wind like a statue.
“Final stop everybody of?”
“You too.” I say to her.
She’s gifted we need that. She looks at me with protest but obviously decided against it, as she got her coat and bag. Another wise move.
I pick up the girl’s luggage, and step of the bus into the wind the twins on my heels, and the bus driver trudging along behind.
I turn to Valentina.
“Where are you of to?”
“Just the library we need to return some books before we-“
Vincenzo nudges his fragile sister. Still following the don’t talk to strangers rule I guess.
“Perfect, I’m just about to meet my good friend there Matteo, I will introduce you.”
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