Touché

As Morgan stared out of the train window, and for the first time, looked upon the Black City, Wallace.

The first thing she noticed was the Buildings, they were huge and dark like the towering spires in her Mistress' stories, they seemed old but new at the same time, like a memory refusing to slip into the forgotten part of the world, and yet, the city was lit up like a Yule tree, buildings cast in a rainbow of dark neon Violets and Crimsons, painting everything in a pseudo-sinister wave of almost northern lights proportions.

There were so many cars, more than she had ever seen, rumbling and bustling down the blocked road like impatient metal beetles.

But it wasn't the beautiful lights or bustling traffic that caught Morgan's Dark eyes, it was the people.... more people than she had ever seen in one place, walking in the grimey streets, weaving in and out of shops as a breeze does a cave, talking, shouting, swearing, singing, it was all there and it was more than anything that Morgan could possibly imagine.

She blinked as they pulled into the busy looking platform, the coach rocking as it came to a sudden halt "Please, do not leave any bags in the coach, and ladies and gentleman, have a lovely night." said the buzzing and slightly depressed voice in the speaker.

Roman gripped his case closely as if it were his own child "Not a chance it hell." He got up and went to leave, pausing as Morgan didn't follow. "You alright?" He asked.

Morgan was stuck in her seat, unsure of if she was really ready for this "I am afraid, and I am excited. Is that normal?" She asked.

Chuckling to himself, he lent down, offering her a hand "Normal is overrated. Come on, I'll walk you out of the station. My family will be picking me up there anyway."

Taking Roman's hand a little nervously, Morgan got up to her feet and followed the tall, dark man towards the doors which were wide open.

Staring out in disbelief, she saw the busy train station bustling with people shuffling by, it smelt old and stale, but the dark platform was accosted by people that rushed by like shadows on a field, grumpy-looking businessmen with their briefcases held tight in their swollen hands. Groups of teens roughly Morgan's age, dressed in casual light dresses or.... "So many ladies wear Trousers here!" She smiled widely.

"Yeah, of course, they do? You been living under a rock or something?" He asked.

Morgan nodded "Yes."

He blinked his tired-looking eyes "Right... well, Shall we?" Extending his arm, Morgan looked at him for a moment, at how you could see the subtle muscle even through his suit jacket, and she nodded, wrapping her hands around his arm.

"Okay, Let's go." She said. and so together, they stepped out and onto the platform.

It was strange, walking so close to somebody, Roman seemed rather casual about the whole thing, but Morgan wasn't quite sure what to say, or to do, she only held unto him tightly, slightly unnerved by the shire volume of people rushing past them.

Morgan opened her lips, baring her teeth in a wide, unnatural smile.

Roman's golden eyes flickered to her, confused and a little amused "You alright?"

She nodded, her cheeks hurting as she tried to look chipper "I aah friendshly, friendshly f'eeople shmile" she slurred, trying to talk without using her lips.

The Dark man chuckled a little "You're nervous huh? Never been in a city before?"

Morgan shook her head, making her snowy hair writhe "Nyo."

"Well, stop doing that. You draw enough attention as it is with that hair of yours, just relax, before you burst a blood vessel or something." He suggested.

She let her face fall back to normal, the muscles in her cheeks aching a little "Have You ever met a Witch before?" she asked curiously.

He nodded as they crossed the boundaries into the Station-proper, where many bored-looking people waited for their ticket outta here "Yes." the look on his face wasn't a good one, it was a little grim, recollective. "More experience than You, however, You're obviously pretty clueless."

"W-Well, I came here to learn. My mistress said that I need to find the Lotus in the black city, I had no idea what that meant, so I have just been wandering around America for a year trying to end up here.... I still don't know what a Lotus is? do you, know what Lotus is?" She asked. It was strange, she was speaking a lot, she usually wasn't very talkative, mainly because here, she had no idea if what she was saying was right or correct.

"You know, telling strangers your life story and what You are looking for in the most unsubtle way possible doesn't really play out very well for Your kind..." He said, sniffing with his pointed nose.

"Holding onto strangers arms and wondering what the inside of his mouth tastes like doesn't seem very wise either, but here I am." She professed very easily and without guilt.

Roman smile shaking his head "Touche, Kid, Touche. Yes, I think I know what a Lotus is."

She smiled in excitement "Really? Can You tell me what it is-"

The Two emerged out of the station, and into the City. Morgan was shell shocked, looking around as she took it all in. Buildings shrouded the dawn, stabbing up into the purple sky like dark blades. There was so much life, even this early in the morning, people moved and acted constantly, musicians played in the streets, neon signs lit up the many stores that were scrunched together, everything had this eery beauty to it, the air was thick with different smells, pleasant and unpleasant. and the sounds hurt her ears... but she liked it, she liked it a lot.

Roman swept back his dark hair, smiling as He looked on at the city "Home sweet home." He whispered. "So what do you think?"

She tilted her head, at this place, taking it all in "It's horrible.... but in a nice way."

"I know what You mean." He chuckled, "Listen, I shouldn't help you, I have no idea what your intentions are and if My dad found out I'd helped a baby witch he'd tan my hide. So, let's make a deal."

Morgan contemplated him "Go on."

"I have been... looking, for someone, she left the city for a while and I tried to follow, but she's slippery. So here's the deal, If You see a very beautiful woman with Maroon coloured hair, almost purplish-red, Green eyes and a Red jewelled ring on her index finger, then I want you to call me..." He reached into his pocket and instantly brandished a business card black a pitch and lined with golden text "...Without hesitation, do not engage with her, do not even look at her for too long, just call me. and I will give you a very big clue as to what You're looking for? Sound fair?"

Morgan sighed, rubbing her lips together, she wondered over it all... this was a particularly new situation for her, usually people just tried to take things from her, there was no equality in her life, it was her fighting or her resting, but this man actually offered to help, in exchange for a fair trade... how could she refuse.

"Okay. I agree." She took the card from him and peered at it, As He grinned.

"Excellent. Did you ever go to school?" He asked very suddenly.

Morgan blinked "No?"

"Hmmm, You should. East-Wallace is one of the best in the State." He gave her a little wink, and Morgan wondered what that had to do with anything?

But they were interrupted, by a car screeching around the north junction, a Long Black limousine whose driver seemed to out of their mind, the long dark vehicle rocketing like a dark arrow across the street, nearly cutting off 4 others on the road before suddenly and abruptly grinding to an aggressive halt on the sidewalk in front of them.

Roman frowned deeply at the Limo, rolling his eyes.

"Your ride?" Morgan asked.

"Unfortunately, I'd like to apologise in advance for this." He muttered.

She tilted her head "In advance for what?"

"My wife." He grumbled.

Suddenly, bursting out of the Limo's back seat, dressed in a frilly, orange sequen dress, her long strawberry blonde hair perfectly waved on each shoulder, and her huge Golden eyes, filled with deep malice, latched unto Roman as she marched over crying "Where the hell have you been!?" Is the first thing she cried, in an accent that Morgan had never heard before.

Roman grimaced as she poked harshly at his chest, glowering at him like an angry hound "Hello, My love." He grumbled sourly.

The Stubby woman folded her arms "You were supposed to be back weeks ago! What's the point of being married if You run off every few months! Don't you know that I have appearances to keep up!?"

Roman looked utterly dead inside "Yes, My love. I've been busy with work." never before Had Morgan heard a man sound so utterly defeated when speaking like a child ripped out of a candy shop.

But Morgan understood this feeling of deep and unwavering dread as the short woman looked up at Morgan's much taller form and scowled like Morgan had turned into a wasp and stung her all over "Who are You?" She asked accusedly.

"This is Ms Hedwig, she's from the UK, had a little trouble traversing the trains so I helped her get here." Roman said, giving her a subtle wink.

Morgan blinked, and held out her hand "Nice to meet you....."

The Woman didn't take it, she merely folded her arms "Eldria Tyrn." She said it like Morgan should have recognized it, but of course, she didn't.

"You look very angry." Morgan said indifferently "Maybe try and smile more, you'd look more pretty."

Roman's eyes opened wide as He looked between them, grimacing as He tried to sweep Morgan's honesty under the rug. "Well we'd best be going, hey? Elle? don't want to keep Pop's waiting-"

But Eldria halted him with a gesture, her golden eyes fixing Morgan with malice. Morgan got a chill, and stepped back, her fists clenching, for in Eldria's place, now stood a great shadow, with flaming eyes of furious gold, it's body swept with jagged wisps like dark stalagmites of frozen water.

"Enough."

Morgan jolted, looking around to where this new voice had come from, but saw only another woman, hooded and dressed in black, grasping Eldria's arm and dragging her off, wisps of her black hair slithering out from her darkened hood.

"Hey!! Get your hands off me I-" Eldria tried to protest. The Hooded woman with her back to Morgan pulled Eldria in close.

"Get in the car. Or I cut out your voice box and drag your gargling body to the car. Your choice." Her voice was dark and dangerous.

Eldria's face washed with fear, gulped, silently allowing herself to be dragged back over to the car by this hooded woman, who paused. Morgan felt goosebumps flash across the back of her neck as Hooded woman turned, her Golden eyes looking at Morgan for a moment, her figure half flickering in between a shadow dark hulking thing, much like Roman did when Morgan first saw him. But the woman looked away, gesturing to Roman. "Hurry up, Rommie. Dad wants to see you."

Roman sighed "Missed you too, Sis." He grumbled before looking to Morgan and smiling "You're a bold one, huh? that's good, honesty is rare enough in this god-forsaken place. I'm afraid I'll have to be off now before My sister kills my wife." He said nonchalantly.

Morgan frowned "Oh, Okay. Will I... see you again?" She asked.

Roman's white teeth crept into view "If You do, then I hope it's as friends."

Morgan moved without thinking, stepped up and planting a kiss on his stubbled cheek "You are nice. thank you for being nice. Goodbye." She stepped back, and Roman chuckled, giving her a silent wave as He turned to go.

Morgan watched him walk up to the Limousine, opening the door, She spotted three figures inside, The Hooded one, Eldria's grumpy one and... another, A Man who was halfway through drinking from a huge Black flask, Morgan couldn't see much of him except for his Reddish-brown hair that was buzzed into a weird kind of Mohawk. But Roman turned to her with one foot in the door "Hey, Hedwig, don't forget, Education is important!" He called.

Morgan raised an eyebrow as a hand grasped at his collar and pulled him yelping inside, the Limousine's wheels scratching and kicking up burning rubber smoke as it flew off into the road, manically swerving through the traffic and out of sight.

And thus, there she was, alone, slightly confused... but hopeful, looking up at the Big Black City, and smiling, wondering just where she should go first.