The Amazons 2 - Chapter 5

Eons ago in the Amazon fold, a prominent family line was graced by a birth that took place of paternal twins. But, much to their chagrin one of them was male. So no joy was ever had from birthing a boy. In their minds they could never avail such a family disgrace so they kept the secret in place to save face. Maligned by the fact that the two were conjoined. But, a birth was so rare they decided to dare surgically remove this little unwanted spare. He was then tossed aside all alone away from the only home he had ever known to die way past the Amazon borderline

So into the jungle this small babe was cast not given long to last until a pack of rare Uakari monkeys found this infant bound for death and the females allowed him feed from their chest. Thus saving his life that would have turned out not unlike any other boy ever conceived from the Amazon weave. The troop continued to raise him as their own. But known to none the time he was still attached to his sister's side their genes intertwined. So now the grace only before placed to the female Amazon race now endowed this boy with the power to deploy any that sought to destroy him.

He grew faster and stronger than any human child could, and quickly stood as leader of the Uakari pack. One day when poachers attacked he refused to fall and sacked them all. A passerby couldn't believe his eyes after hearing the poachers anguished cries and took him in as a human kin. This big-hearted soul was named Leo, who's ties to Amazon allies helped soon learn the boys line and helped define who his unkind family would be. Leo, taught him everything he needed to know, named him Dionisius after the Greek God of wine because well, this lad grew up like a vine. He sprung up to seven foot tall above all his peers at only fourteen years. Although he was still very young Leo, soon employed him to go deep into the Amazon keep to seek trade with the aid of his Amazon power upgrade.

Now back to present day Jack sits and stares at a ghost he thought at most was deceased at least the last time he checked for a pulse on his most potent diseases' first host

Jack: "Colonel Die?"..."Or do my eyes lie?"

"My name is Dionisius but in Amazon tongue I would be one called Dio." "You speak of my twin sis Dienna, but I insist do not mistake I am of my own make."

Jack continued to stare but eventually bared his breath and continued to ask

Jack: "It's uncanny such insanity you look exactly like your sis even after she was given death's kiss."

Dio: "You mean, my sister is dead!"

Jack: "Yes, she was felled from a Yellow Fever viral strain."

Dio: "The word hadn't spread though I haven't tread on the Amazon shore for many score."

Jack: "Why are you here?" "You don't look like the type to steal to get his next meal."

Dio: "I promised your dad that if you had returned making confirmed Amazon contact with your life intact it was understood that I should give your line the eye back."

Jack: "You left this here to ensnare me to keep it safe despite its fiery chafe?"

Dio: "I don't have the right blood so I had to keep it shoved far away from the Queen." "She wants it for her own to prevent her dethrone."

Jack: "Queen Victoria dethroned?"

Dio: "Parliament questions her mind and binds her hand to rule Britain's land." "They just came upon defeat in the African seat." "Such an embarrassment and she dares not repeat."

Jack: "But she knows she can't hold nor wield the power sealed within it's yield."

Dio: "Why do you think she made you a knight?" "To fight on her side with the might of the eye."

Jack: "I assure you I hold no loyalty to her royalty."

Dio: "I figured as such being your father's son." "No one could tame your father's aims." "Even after I rescued him backpacking the Amazon track with a crack in his head, he still dared me to tread though his life hung on but a thread."

Jack: "Wait!" "You rescued dad?" "How can this be?" "You appear no older than thirty."

Dio: "I am about two thousand of your years old." "I appear young because I am an Amazon son." "Your dad was a lucky man I handed him over to his kinsman in Callo to a fellow named Henry Poole." "I was later schooled that Henry died when Ivy sent me here with the eye and a lock of her hair paired with your dad's to later share."

Jack: "So, Henry Poole brought dad back?"

Dio: "Yes"

Jack: "But why the eye and walking around as if a spy?"

Dio: "Ivy cut her crown jewel in two for she feared a coup and told me to come here stay austere let no one hear of my exist." "Your father later enlisted my assist to a council of eight to keep safe the eye even after his death was nigh."

Jack, after hearing Henry's name and council of eight claim turned his aim to the book he was reading prior to appeasing the Queen's briefing but it was conveniently missing

Jack: "Where is the book?"

Dio: "What book?"

Jack: "Henry Poole's memoirs were placed on the table for safe keeping till I returned for further reading."

Dio: "I have taken no book but you should now look over your shoulder for the holder of the eye will be constantly spied by the Queen's allies." "She only keeps you alive because you are conscribed to the eye.'' "I'd be willing to bet the men she sent to watch you took Henry's book to circumvent your knowledge of her forced ascent into the throne and the own of the council."

Jack: "Let me get this straight to understand what you insinuate." "You mean the Queen preened me to own the use of the eye and now she will keep spies to assure I'm her ally?"

Dio: "Yes," "Also after you left the Queen's meeting I heard of them contemplating a plan to kill all the men next week that came back alive with knowledge of the Callo last stand." "She does not want Parliament to know about the Amazon gold nor of the warships she paroled from under their nose."

Jack: "Now that makes more sense to hide the Amazon kind than her contrived advise about mankind's minds not being ready to find peace that they are all from God's breed."

Dio, then begins to whisper his next words for fear he may be heard and Jack follows suit to remain aloof

Dio: "I will do my best to sabotage the Queens plans." "From what I could understand she told the Colonel to hold a training exercise for the men. She advised him to disguise explosives on the boat so once they are too far out to float or swim back light the fuse and sack them all in one foul swoop."

Jack is aghast at hearing this crafted plan to kill innocent men and feels he needs to help There was too much death dealt that day and he refuses to be persuaded by the Queens sway.

Jack: "I insist to help you pursue a way to save their lives." "I have an idea that will reduce our risk before I enlist into this assist." "Meet me early on the morrow in a tavern called the Galled Goat."

Dio: "I know it well your father used to dwell in that place to touch base with the counsel of eight." "We all met him one at a time to discuss the eye." "I never knew who else he chose to pose with the Amazon disclose."

Jack: "Really?"

Dio: "Only your dad and Queen Caroline knew who they were to preserve the Amazon's conserve." "Jack, your father and I were the only ones who knew the entire path to get back." "If outsiders heard of the hidden Amazon preserve teaming with gold no one could hold the masses back." "It was for this reason alone your father bestowed only limited know to each counsel appointee to negate their overreach."

Jack: "Dad was very guarded regarding the Amazon disclose." "He chose to tell me well, when he was but a shell of his former self about to die lying on his bed he finally said that I needed to go back."

Dio: "Well, it is late, I will head straight out." "No doubt the Queen's men will fight for her demesne and give me chase once I leave this place. 

Jack: "I have no doubt be careful on your way out."

Early next morn Jack feeling quite worn walks down to the cellar. It's a dank place interlaced with debris absentee from his past Jenasee family. An immense printing press monopolized the space left over from traces of his granddad's shop back in the 17th century. An accessory from the past that never quite lasted. He begins to ask himself if he should give it away it doesn't really need to stay. Then, he spies on the side what his heart desires. In a sack of tools are two hand drills that he aims to use. They should poke straight through the boats hull soon making it full of water to prevent the surviving men's slaughter at the hands of their Queen and the Colonel she has preened as her lackey. Just then, on the tatty old press Jack spies an impress of the eye. He prys closer for further inspect to check to see if his eyes deceive him. This press had been here his entire life and never did he see this carving from a knife. Upon further inspect it seemed to be connected to an internal latch which ratcheted open a hidden door once he pressed the inscriptions inner core. Inside was a note with "Jack" wrote on it's side. Jack thought to himself "How have I been alive all this time and never onetime seen this hidden pocket though it was locked quite tight." "Dad must had put this here just before his passing always surpassing himself it's no surprise this hidden shelf was here for dad was always quite austere." Jack immediately opened the note anxious to see what his father wrote.

~Jack, my boy I am overjoyed that you have found this letter for now this means you have met Queen Ivy and have the eye in hand. Understand for me to land on the Amazon shore all those years before with no idea what I was in store for I never could have asked for more. But a warn, you will be pursued. Im alluding to Queen Victoria's constant brooding over the dragons eye. She will try to pry herself into the Counsel of Eight just to take the lead which is rightfully a Jenasee's place according to Ivy. Even though I'm likely to be dead by the time you have this read, understand that I love you my son and have utmost faith in your place as the counsel's lead. Do not let anyone impede it's exist and enlist only ones dedicated enough towards the Amazon's protection. A lesson that I learned rather late and I hope you don't make the same mistake is that people's hearts though they may be good from the start will turn towards evil if the retrieval of the eye comes into their spy. Keep it hidden away and don't let it come to light unless your plight requires it's use.~

                  Jack Jenasee

Jack immediately thinks to himself: If, I am now the lead of the counsel of eight I shall have to replace a few members who entered their place without dad's consent. No relent for this one the Queen and Creep will have to go I will bestow their place to ones already in the Amazons good grace.

Jack finds his feet after taking a seat to read the letter and Immediately hurries out devout enroute to the pub with tools in hand and a better understand of his place in the Amazon race. If there was a question before about this weight he bore being shoved into their civil war he now knew it was up to him to lead the Amazon breed's introduction to the human seed. His need for a purpose is now replaced by his increased anger and pace to the pub quite eager to shove it in the Queen's face. Just in case he was being chased by her majesties men he time and time again zig zagged his line to the pub's design until he finally saw its front sign.

Seeing the Galled Goat after all this time aligned nostalgia in Jack's mind. Father used to bring him here when he was just a wee lass hanging from his fathers sash. It was haphazardly splashed with white paint the pub looked like a faint shadow of it's past and now not long to last. As he passed the entry a friendly chap wearing a burlap wrap asked if he could help him find a seat but then he did keep staring at Jack and asked "excuse my lack of tact but, aren't you kin of... of... a Jack Jenasee?"

Jack: "He was my father."

Bar keep: "Well, it's been quite a time your father in his prime used to be here all the time." "His picture still sits on the wall over there that's how I could tell he used to dwell here."

Jack strolled over to behold a gold framed painting hanging over his dad's old seat replete with his name embossed on a plaque. Jack sat down and took the painting down. Then a from around it's back a key fell and sat on the table. Enabling him to see the key had the dragons eye engraved on it's side. He installed the picture back on the wall to inspect the intricate scrawl on the key and it said "for Ivy" It's devisee now dead Jack just tucked it away and thought "I will give it to Lyn maybe she knows what it goes in?" Just then, a familiar sight of quite a height darkened the light emanating from the doors iron grating making locating it was Dio a look of unease. He took a seat and without skipping a beat he said in repeat. 

Dio: "I was followed!" "I was followed the entire way!" "Though I stayed to the roofs to remain aloof the Queen had spies behind every spire." "My desire to remain unseen had been for naught I'm lucky I didn't get caught."

Jack: "We need a way out that won't route the spies our way." "Barkeep!" "Please allay my memory." "Didn't they try to close the Goat over the railroad?"

Barkeep: "Yes sir, they attempted to shut her down over it's foundation to run the London underground." "But they sorted it out by steering the underground around."

Jack to Dio: "To the cellar it is then my friend."

Dio: "I don't understand?"

Jack dared to run down the basement stairs with Dio en-tow attempting to duck below the beams it seemed he was almost too tall to fit at all.

Jack took a stray brick to start tapping the cellar walls listening for the tone to fall. Then he saw on the North side the bricks were not where they normally would sit. Admittedly, they were falling away but it wasn't from decay. They were swayed from their place by the vibration taking place from the trains that made their way past several times a day. Jack immediately started to sway the loose bricks away from their home but struggled to pull even a few so Dio decided to step in and shooed Jack to the side implying he was going to need room to boom through the bricks with his massive fist.

((BOOM!)) ((BOOM!)) ((BOOM!))

The wall soon be began to fall as he mercilessly struck the bricks now sitting to the side divided into numerous pieces. No decreases in his gait until a hole straight through to the London Underground Railroad did await.

Jack: "I can see you are an advantage, the hole you just managed to make would have taken me at least half the day." Dio just shook off the dust, jested his hand out, and sprouted the phrase "Let's not delay." "There are innocent men to save."

Jack: "Indeed lets proceed."

The inside was dimly lit a bit of a glow showed from oddly spaced kerosene lamps. As we stamped our feet down on the concrete we could barely see. Jack took a knee and felt the rail to avail the last time the train came through.

Jack: "It's still cold so that means we shall have to proceed with care." "If we dare encounter a train it might mean our bane." "I might barely be able to fit against the wall but you are soo tall so, even if you balled up you would still probably be killed by the express's front shield."

Dio: "I'll deal with the train in my own way."

Jack: "Ok"

As they walked the tube Jack eluded to the recent news to fill Dio in on his deceased kin.

Jack: "I feel you need to know though it may bring you grief your sister killed Ivy."

Dio: "I'm not surprised, my family hated her line." "They had designs to take Ivy's throne Leo told me so." "I know they felt it was and insult for Queen Mai to deny their place but she saw their hate and looked for someone with grace and love with the right blood." "Ivy was loved and a perfect fit to sit on the throne." "So who owns it now?"

Jack: "Ivy's daughter, my sister Lyn is in the seat."

Dio: "Wait!" "Please repeat?"

Jack: "Lol" "So you didn't know all those years ago when you saved dad him and Ivy were to have a child?"

Dio: "I have been exiled here for soo long to think all along I was serving royalty." "All my loyalty to your dad I never had a clue that he too had a seat next to Ivy and you his devisee holder of the eye that why it all makes sense now. My vow to protect the Jenasee line was of Ivy's incline and now I understand why she sent me to this foreign land."

Jack: "Well, if you are up for a trip back home instead of roaming around the streets I think you would greatly increase our teams ability make trade with your aide." "What do you say?"

Dio: "To allay my need to see home and once again roam amidst the trees of my upbringing." "I concede that sounds great how long will we wait till you get underway?"

Jack: "No more than a fortnight to have the ocean in our sights."

Dio: "Alright I'm in!"

Just then a faint tone droned from behind it was the train coming through. Our duo froze not knowing what to do because well, now they were screwed.

They began to run but tons of train wasn't going to give any sway for them to get away. Jack splayed his body against the wall and insisted Dio crawl to the side. But he refused to abide Jack's cries. As the the train came even nearer without any fear he turned to peer directly into it's nose and hold his ground as certain death came speeding down the rails to take his life though it balance on but the edge of a knife. 

Dio, cheating the afterlife of it's take he jumped away with only a second to spare and ensnared Jack into his massive grasp and clasped onto his shirt giving it a very stern jerk. Before Jack could fully work out what just went down he realized they were both hugged around the top of the steam engines crown. Drowning in the chimney's smoke he was barely able to evoke the words over the noisy engine's turns.

Jack: "Two-thirds of my life were just swept away but thank you for the save!"

Dio: "I won't lightly waive my promise to Ivy!" "Besides me and you have a job to do!"

So they rode the train despite the engineer's distain all the way to where their ship awaited at the dock. But when they arrived they were blocked from sabotaging Creep's games because their aim had already set out to sea.

Dio: "How can this be I heard no sooner than three?" "Looks like we are too late." "The men's fate are in their own hands now."

Jack: "I disavow fate and will take a swim before I call this grim fate to take innocent lives."

Just then Jack dives into the sea intent to be the one to prevent the Queen's derive. Dio hesitates and strives to see the boat floating on the horizon. But, after widening his view he can see it's blue naval flags wagging in the wind it must have been three kilometers out with no signs of slowing down. Not wanting Jack to drown he sounds "Wait for me!" and dives into the icy blue sea. Dio, being so much more than mortal man did understand that Jack would never make his partake so he had to dig deep from within his Amazon metabolic keep. After heaping Jack on his back he attacked the ship quickly filling in the gap. Flap after flap like a torpedo ploughing through the waves towards their ship named the St. James. His aim didn't stray a bit and quickly they did sit neath the bow. Allowing for it's massive wake they quickly got to their partake drilling holes into the hull. The drills were not dull and did their job allowing water nonstop into the boat negatively affecting it's ability to float. But their smote wasn't going fast enough for the crew to take note and they quickly plugged every hole they shoved. Jack got pissed and insisted the ship sink before the men are hoodwinked by the Queens intentions to blow them sky high. Jack spied the rudder and uttered for Dio to follow him. On a whim he knew they wouldn't be able to get to it. It's internal mechanisms hidden behind walls of oak. Jack immediately poked several holes then the rudder rolled to the side wacking Jack above his left eye. Blood immediately flowed showing Jack the path to the light on the other side. Guiding into him into unconsciousness he immediately slipped below the waves no longer to save another's life for now imminent death was his only strife.