Patience (The Patience Trilogy Book 1)

followed her.

  Magnum was back on his feet, he walked straight past the Lamina which once again lay un-wielded, and approached her, still lying on the floor.

  His boot pressed against her neck and blocked all air getting through. His metal face had patches of skin showing through, and fountains of blood pouring from his open wounds.

  “You’ve become more trouble than you’re worth,” he said, bitterly, “it’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of me.” Grim punched a patch of skin, sending Magnum reeling backwards. Patience took in a long breath and managed to sit up. Magnum kicked out and sent Grim flailing backwards, but he was able to stay on his feet. For a moment they both stared at each other angrily.

  “The great Grim,” mocked Magnum, “you’re legendary, and now you’re going to die protecting a mortal girl.”

  “She’s no more mortal than you are,” he said, “and who said I’m gonna die?”

  “Well I did.”

  “I don’t care what you say.”

  “You asked.”

  “This is pointless.” Grim thrust a stream of fire into Magnum’s chest, it seemed to encircle him but was stamped out almost immediately. Magnum rushed through the ashen smoke and elbowed towards Grim’s neck. It was dodged, but the low kick wasn’t, and Grim tumbled to the floor.

  Magnum stood over him, laying multiple punches into his side to keep him down.

  “Not so clever now are you.”

  Grim spat blood. “Jesus, you’re even uglier from down here.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Magnum, “you can give your blunt wit a rest, it’ll all be over soon.”

  Patience hadn’t even been aware of the fact that she was moving, it had been an instinct. Although as she got closer to the Lamina, she knew for certain that it was the blade itself which was drawing her nearer. Calling for her to hold it.

  Magnum pulled back his huge metal fist.

  She wrapped her fingers around it, feeling the hilt join with her hand like they were made perfectly for one another. She felt its presence, like it was a living creature, and it was inside her. Something felt strange as though she was feeling truly comfortable for the first time in her life, but another part of her felt horribly secluded.

  She pointed the blade.

  Magnum raised his head, his eyes widening and mouth opening to scream, but no words made it out.

  She felt the raw magic gallop through her as purple shadows shot forwards. Her hand recoiled and it dropped from her grip. It flashed red as the shadows impacted with Magnum’s chest, and he slowly dissolved into gaseous smoke.

  Patience fell on the floor, feeling nauseous, wanting to fall unconscious more than anything but felt too much adrenaline to do so. It was holding her prisoner. Grim rushed forward and scraped her up from the floor, asking if she was ok.

  She managed to utter just three words. “Okay.... check Mercy.” He nodded, laying her down gently and moving off somewhere to her right. She managed to roll over to get a better view.

  From the looks of things, her friend was drowning in her own blood. Mortus was awake again and standing beside them.

  “Take her to Doc Remedy,” said Grim, urgency apparent in his voice. Mortus scooped her up and jogged out the way they had come. Then Grim came over and kneeled beside her. “I think she’s going to be okay. What about you?”

  Patience felt words tumble through her dry throat. “You’re face is all broken,” she said, “it’s almost as ugly as it normally is.”

  He laughed. “You’re the one to talk, then again, you did survive a shot from the Lamina. Some credit must be given.”

  “Mortus survived too.”

  “Yeah, but he’s already dead. You... you’re human.”

  Patience tried to sit up, but failed. “Human.... but with blood of the Old Ones running through these veins of mine. Do you think that’s why I survived?”

  “I think it has something to do with it,” he said, “but not completely, remember this weapon was the Old Ones downfall in the end. So it must be functional, even on them.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “If you remember what Doc Remedy said, the Lamina gets stronger with every use, and Magnum wanted to increase its power so that it could be used against the Old Ones. I think what we witnessed was the results of the Lamina not being strong enough. It was too weak for you.”

  “You mean I was too strong for it.”

  “Yeah, don’t get cocky.”

  “Like that would ever happen.”

  After a while, he picked her up and carried her in his arms. It was far faster than trying to support her hobbling along, and she quite enjoyed the ‘ride’.

  They passed through the Atrium, catching sight of a puddle of blood. There was a body shaped gap in the puddle, someone had been laid there, but they were no longer there. She wondered if that was where Viper lay, but it didn’t answer the question as to where the body had disappeared off to.

  Patience relaxed her mind, for she was the hero of the day. Yes, Grim had taken most of the beating and saved her skin multiple times, Mercy had taken a giant sword to the chest and Mortus had been murdered three times over. But at the end of it all, she had finished the job, and OH did she feel smug about it.

  28

  QUIT WHILE YOU’RE A HEAD

  Kensuke

  Kensuke didn’t like life as a head. It was very dark, and lonely, and he would never be able to experience small things, like feeling the sand between his toes ever again as he jogged across a beach. Not that he liked beaches, or jogging for that matter. He was more of a sitting down kind-of-guy. Actually, now that he thought about it, he was sort of suited to life as a head.

  Occasionally the small things that came with having a body crept up on him and made him long to be back on his neck, being able to actually move and do things. But it wasn’t so bad, not really. It may not be the most luxurious life but it was simple and honest. Not to mention, he would be able to park in disabled parking spaces, finally. Not that he could actually drive a car without hands, or sight, or even a body for that matter.

  He wasn’t exactly certain why he was even able to think these things. Sure, his brain was still intact in his head, in all its glory. But he had no body, no heart, and no consciousness. This was all very impossible. Was this what heaven felt like, or someone’s idea of hell, just pure darkness.

  There was something he still had though, ears. In fact, the only thing keeping him relaxed for the past few hours, or was it weeks, was the rhythmical pattering of rain against the hollow roof above him, or below him – his orientation was so messed up right now. Any lesser man would have been driven insane from grief and the humiliation of it all, but not Kensuke, he was too strong to allow himself to wallow in sadness all because of the small and meaningless fact that he was a head. He felt certain that one day he would learn to roll, and then maybe eventually his other senses would return. He might be able to see, once again view the beauty and colour of the world. He might be able to taste. Maybe he would go back to the bakery, whoever was running it now, and taste one of Momma’s Multiple-layered Chocolate Fudge Cakes for the final time. It was going to be glorious. He just had a few obstacles to overcome first, like the darkness, and immobility, and general death.

  There was a sound of wood scraping against the hard floor, and then footsteps approaching. He expected a cry of horror. A few days ago a woman had come in, possibly to do the cleaning. She screamed, ran away and hadn’t returned since. He really should have hired proper, loyal staff. It was strange, Kensuke had always dreamed about making people scream as they fall down at his feet. The screams of horror should satisfy him, but it actually made him feel sad and empty inside – figuratively speaking, since he is quite literally empty inside.

  Kensuke didn’t hear any footsteps running away, or horrified screams though. Instead they approached very close to him. He could hear their breathing right beside his ear. Then, his eyes opened and
his vision was immediately repaired, albeit in black and white. But who cares about the colours of the world anyway, he could see.

  The first sight he saw was his saviour. A man dressed in a black cloak with a black lipped smile and short black hair. You know, maybe it wasn’t all black, maybe that was just because the only two colours he could actually see were black and white. He wanted to see pink again more than anything, or the red of blood.

  “Kensuke Addington?” said the man. At least his ears were working fine. He wondered if his mouth was still working.

  “Yes, that’s me,” he said, trying to hold back his excitement. He had been lifted from hell, and he had this man to thank for it.

  “Welcome back to the world of the living,” said the man, showing his dazzling white teeth – or were they? Kensuke really had to learn to deal with this. “You work for me now.”

  “Oh, yes of course, master,” he said. He had never bowed the knee, he was the supreme leader, not some pawn. Yet he found himself agreeing to the terms. How can you not love someone who has brought you back from the dead?

  “Very good.” There’s was a blinding flash of white light and Kensuke found his vision gone again.

  Then, a brief moment later, the world flashed before him once again in the black and white filter he had been growing used to over the last few minutes. Although, now his saviour was standing a good few metres away, so what was holding him up?

  He looked down, his face twisting into a smile that spread