Book of Glitch - Chapter 17

Part VI

We will return to the boys’ adventure shortly, but I do worry that without informing you of how my dear Syena and her new companion had fared after their own encounter with the rebel forces I would only succeed in confusing you much later on. So as I had mentioned, the girl and the Stonie youth by the name of Iggy had narrowly escaped capture but thankfully Iggy’s quick thinking took them deep into the forgotten sewers of London unpursued.

“Well that was a close one,” he chuckled.

Syena frowned as she observed her surroundings.

“Where exactly are we?” asked Syena.

“Good hearth, not even a thank you?” he rebuffed. “I mean it’s not like I was expecting a snog or anything, bu—”

“Yes, thank you,” she said. “Now please tell me where it is that you’ve taken me, and why it’s so dank down here.”

“Oh, I suppose where you’re from the sewers are lined with gold and silver?” Iggy scoffed.

“No of course not,” she rebuked. “But then again, I wouldn’t really know. Where I’m from we don’t make a habit of spending time in the sewage system.”

The boy stopped his trek to study the young female.

“And where exactly is that?” he asked.

“Providence, in the States, do you know it?”

Iggy shook his head and continued to march along the pathway raised just a few inches above the channel’s waters. As the two marched further through the tunnels, meeting an assortment of Stonies, Syena analyzed each character Iggy greeted along their way. It was as though her young companion knew just about everyone in the underground village, and a village it seemed to be. Despite the gray, algae-ridden ceilings, the sewer tunnel walls were lit by gas lamps for every few yards and the pavement that they walked on appeared to have been swept/cleaned/scrubbed. Syena also saw that there were title signs at certain intervals along the walls and upon reaching two or more intersecting tunnels the title signs were hung from the dank ceiling pointing in the respective direction of their original channel.

“It’s actually quite pleasant down here,” she said.

Iggy only shrugged his shoulders as he continued to trudge on ahead of her. As the children drew closer to the great river, they came across several female Stonie youths who had stopped their gossiping to speak to Iggy. Syena observed as the females petted her companion and seemed rather eager to keep his company for the evening. Not one of the young Misses wore enough fabric for Syena’s modest taste—the most adamant two were in the Dragoon fashion of wearing thin vests that at first glance appeared as though they were bare-chested.

“Please Igneous, love,” one of the females cooed. “They’re so mean to us up at that blasted pumping station, couldn’t you come keep watch for us?”

“I’d love to girls, honestly I would, but I’m engaged at the moment and must see to it that this little pebble makes it home all right.”

The girls turned their cool gaze on Syena and for the first time she noticed that all of the females had scars on their faces.

“She your gem?” asked the female with the least faded/most prominent scar across the bridge of her nose.

He grinned as he answered, “No love, only you lot have the pleasure of being my girls.”

Each giggled at his comment, and Syena made a special effort not to smirk at the idea of being on the arm of such a lanky specimen.

“Now you lot best get on to Abbey’s before you’re late,” he ordered. “And stick together tonight, some noise is stirring up there and I don’t want to have to go run after one of you if the authority gets a hold of you.”

The female Stonies took turns passing Iggy around, several of the girls pecked him twice on the cheek before releasing him back to Syena.

“If you get into any trouble later, go find Rhyon,” he called after them.

Iggy waved a final goodbye to the gaggle before continuing their underground hike along the river. As they approached another intersecting tunnel, he ushered Syena in the direction of the sign that read “Savage Gardens” and she beamed with anticipation as she recognized the location. Iggy made his way to the ladder that lead out to the above ground level, but a male Stonie began to descend just as the former had started to climb.

“Watch there boy,” said the husky male.

He was followed down into the tunnel by two well-wrapped Bolt females, who were unable to shield the glow of their luminescent skin under their countless layers of dark fabric. Upon setting foot on the underground passageway, the females tucked themselves under the arms of the husky Stonie and offered both Syena and Iggy shy nods. Syena observed that their faces glowed so brightly from underneath their veils that she could see each of the female Bolts were somewhat giddy.

“Where’s my invitation to the party, mate?” Iggy shrugged.

“Looks like you’re doing just fine for yourself, lad,” answered the male. “Besides, I doubt you could handle the tingle.”

At that, the two withdrew their illuminating hands from their coverings and began to poke at the Stonie’s shoulders and ribs. All three were frantic with laughter and both children couldn’t help smiling at the scene.

“What are you bringing those eels down here for?” barked a wispy voice from an unknown corner of the tunnel.

The Bolt females immediately sheathed their glowing hands and drew the edges of their veils closer together. The older male Stonie fumed as he escorted his companions down the path away from the objecting audience, cursing the persecutor down to magma all the while. From the shadows limped forward an old, tired looking Stonie male with thin, wiry gray hair and dirty scruff on his jawline. As the dim light captured more of the old stone’s features, Iggy took note of him and seemed displeased at the other Stonie.

He grabbed the older male by the neck and began to pummel his head into the tunnel wall. As the damage did not appear sufficient enough, Iggy proceeded to knee his captive in the abdomen until the aged Stonie collapsed onto his side. Just before the young male could lift his foot to kick the other male, Syena wrenched/dragged Iggy from his victim’s shivering form. He broke away from her, returned to the beaten male and hoisted him into the air by the old stone’s throat.

“That’s enough,” she shouted. “Just leave him be.”

“What’s the matter with you?” Iggy barked. “Did you forget he’s one of the Stonies who were ready to kill us up there? And now that we have him right here in front of us you expect me to just let him go?”

“That’s what I said,” she answered.

Iggy released a low growl under his breath as he tossed the Stonie back to tremble against the sewer wall.

“Waste of my time anyhow,” he huffed.

The young Stonie stood by the ladder awaiting his companion to take the lead.

“Why are you so mad all of a sudden?” she asked.

But Iggy ignored her and proceeded to climb the ladder himself. Syena reached for his arm and pulled him back to her.

“What’s your problem?” she demanded.

“What’s yours?” he fumed. “Who do you think you are with your nose turned up at everything and everyone you see down here? This is our home, my home, and you should be a tad more grateful that you’re able to stay somewhere it’s safe. But no… All you want to do is go back up there, to all your Elder friends who don’t really know you, and you can’t even see don’t care about you.”

“What in the world do you know about my friends?” she spat.

“I know they’re probably the ones who sent those creepy Shams after us,” he answered. “Or did you not hear? There’s a bounty on our heads. It’s probably because that Elder of yours is dead and they’ve sent the authority to come get us. I bet they couldn’t get a single Stonie guard to come after us though, Stonies don’t hunt down their own and hand us in like we’re trophies.”

“You were the one about to rip that male’s arms clean off,” she insisted. “You’re going to stand here and tell me it wasn’t just for the thrill of knowing you could hurt him?”

“That’s just principle,” he retorted. “My father always said, ‘Stonies take care of our own, be it for the good or bad.’ We keep each other in line and letting that weathered rock go is like telling him he can pick on some other female anytime it strikes his fancy.”

“And how would he learn that lesson if he passed?”

“It sends a message to all those like him,” Iggy hollered. “Why are you so concerned on whether or not he lives or dies? Don’t think I didn’t see you let that idiot from before go. You could’ve snapped him clean in two, but instead you just left him there. I’d be madder if those Incantare hadn’t shown up, I doubt they left so much as a shard of glass behind when they shocked those boulders. Honestly, the fewer of their lot stomping about the better for all of us.”