by Samuel Small
The man’s voice came from behind, calm and deliberate. The sound of it led Jake to whirl around so he could defend himself. “Isn’t this interesting? You… trapped in a little cage. Not much fun is it?”
The voice moved steadily along the wall. The man must have been walking the perimeter, no doubt with a cocky stride. “Of course, that’s where you kept me for months and no doubt intended to keep me forever… and all to maintain your precious sense of familiarity.”
“Familiarity? What do you mean?”
“Order. The established order. You want to keep the Republic the way it is, don’t you? Rather than change it back to the utopia it once was.”
“Utopia? A monarchy that launched a campaign to eliminate an entire race of people and kills a sixteenth of the adult population is a utopia to you?”
The fire raged upward, and a hole appeared before Jake. The man stuck his face into it, his features twisted with rage. “You talk like you know about his highness Arnold! Everything you know about him is from history books designed by the very people who killed him! You didn’t know him personally, the kind man that he was, so don’t you dare insult him or his kingdom!”
The face receded into the wall as the flames burned hotter, and Jake was now well aware that the air in the space was becoming much thinner. He took a large intake of breath, although very little air filled his lungs. The man’s voice continued with no hint of his prior outburst.
“The ‘Mad King’ as you people call him was anything but. He helped us and protected his people. If he would orchestrate such a campaign, he must’ve had a damn good reason.”
Jake was furious, ready to call out how ridiculous it was, but the pressing of the heat against every inch of his body caused him to hesitate. Within that hesitation, Jake felt a sudden jolt of pain in his abdomen. He hunched forward and coughed. Looking down, he saw that the wall of fire had parted just enough for a fist to pass through it and smash into his belly. The fist withdrew quickly, and the hole in the wall of fire filled as Jake fell to his knees and grasped his injury.
“And what do you know anyway? You’re just some kid. Hell, you were hardly even alive while he was ruling.”
The fire withdrew and the man’s booted foot made solid contact with Jake’s temple, sending him crashing to the side. His head slammed into the concrete with a massive explosion of pain. His head filled with a throbbing sensation, but it got duller and duller as he found the air thinner and thinner.
“And to think that girl didn’t want me here, or that Major. I’ll have to show them how useful I am, just like that butler guy, Smithers was it?”
The image of a girl with blonde hair keeping her head downcast so that she didn’t have to make eye contact filled Jake’s drifting mind, and all at once his strength returned in a violent outburst. He gripped his sword tight as embers flew through the air, slamming it into the ground and raising himself to his feet. Directly in front of him, the man’s cocky voice rang out. Jake screamed and leapt straight into the fire, his blade held before him. He jammed it into something solid and thrust into it all the way to the crossguard.
The fire exploded into sparks, and Jake saw before him the ragged man, his eyes wide and focused on the blade that was now buried in his chest. His mouth formed words, then tried to coax them into sound, but all that came up was huge spurt of blood that rolled down his chin. He gave one final look at Jake as he removed the blade, then fell to the ground.
Jake looked around and surveyed the burning buildings. There weren’t any screams of people trapped inside, so they must have all escaped. That was good, because Jake had somewhere he needed to be.
Ignoring the destruction around him, he took his first step in the direction of the administrative building.
Chapter 11
Clashing metal. Elizabeth’s least favorite sound, although she’d might as well get used to it.
That jarring noise rang through the air as she parried the blade of the Major before her, then gave him a solid shove. She began to step forward to lunge and finish him, but her companion placed a hand on her shoulder that caused her to hesitate for a moment.
Leal Miles walked in front of her and toward the man who had been his comrade. For whatever reason, the idiot didn’t bother to unsheathe his rapier, even though his opponent before him had his at the ready. When the Major saw Leal, he cowered for a moment, almost in fear of the man who hadn’t even drawn his blade. Then his facial features coarsened and he glared at the man with pure hatred.
“Leal, why the hell would yo—”
“This isn’t up for discussion Braxton. I want you to get out of here before you get hurt.” With those words, Leal Miles pulled his sword out of its sheath and swiped it to the side in a grandiose gesture, then placed it before him in a battle stance. The man positioned himself in a similar manner, although his legs were shaking.
It only took Leal Miles one lunge to defeat the man, and Elizabeth could’ve sworn she heard him mutter “unfortunate” before he went in for the blow. He turned to her and nodded, and Elizabeth followed him, stepping over the man who desperately grasped at his injured shoulder.
That kindness reminded Elizabeth of another naive fool, one with bedraggled hair who thought that all they needed to do was ‘talk it out’ to prevent this rebellion. It was a ridiculous and childlike notion and one she wanted no part in, or anyone who could come up with something so stupid.
Still, she supposed it was a nice fantasy.
Elizabeth shook her head quickly. No it wasn’t. That boy was ridiculous, almost as ridiculous as his thug friend. You wanted to shout your approval of his words at the top of your lungs, but instead decided to keep your head down and pretend that you had nothing to say.
It was too late for that now and she damn well knew it. She took a few steps forward and saw the building stretching upward. The very one in which Führer Bellator resided. She turned to the two boys behind her. “Keep guard and ensure that no one in the Republic’s military comes in.” The larger boy nodded sternly, whereas the smaller one folded his hands behind his head and uttered a less than professional, “okey-dokey.” She ignored this irritation, turned to Leal, and nodded. Then they both stepped into the building.
***
Jake’s lungs begged for air as his throat seized up. Running was exhausting, and the fact that he had breathed in so much of that smoky fire before didn’t help at all. In spite of this, he was making good time. He looked to each side of the street, shocked to see that there wasn’t more carnage. Sure, it was clear something was happening, but there wasn’t any fighting or anything, just people staring at the fire that engulfed the area behind him. He momentarily wished Sara was here, she’d be able to put the thing out quick, but then her condition dawned on him. Perhaps he should make a quick detour to her apartment to ensure that she was still safe.
Then it hit him. Because of her condition the Republic couldn’t afford to keep giving her an apartment all to herself so she was moved to a hospital that sat right next to the administrative building. He cursed himself for not realizing it sooner, then picked up the pace, his feet slamming heavily on the hard concrete.
As he was about to round a bend a thought occurred to him: if the administration building truly was their target, then their forces would be much more present there. He should slow down and be careful about how he proceeded. Jake’s sprint turned to a run, then a jog, then a walk, then a silent creeping as he made his way to the last building on the street. He placed a hand on the cold structure, then peeked his head out.
To the rear was the administrative building, seeming to taunt him with its immense height. He squinted at the seemingly empty street, trying to see if there was anyone around. It was difficult as it was dark and there wasn’t much light aside from a few glowing streetlamps, but he was almost certain that there was nobody there and that was what worried him the most. It was dark out, yes, but it was also winter and it couldn’t be much later than seven. The area shoul
d still have people out and about.
Then Jake’s eye caught sight of someone near the entrance of the administrative building. He squinted and tried to focus, but he couldn’t make out much detail aside from the fact that it was a man and based on the exaggerated hand gestures they were making it didn’t look like he was an enemy combatant. However, they were making those gestures at something or someone, and although Jake couldn’t see clearly due to the shadows cast by the arching structure of the building, he assumed that it was at another person.
He came out of his hiding place and walked toward the people, making an effort to have his stride seem dignified and confident. His steps were loud and he was now aware of how silent everything was. How ominous. He persisted anyway and watched as the second figure came into view. Although still cast in shadow, Jake could make out the silhouette of someone with a rather large build, and for some reason that caused his heart to skip a beat. He shook his head and willed the nervousness away, taking longer strides toward the two people. The smaller person stopped talking to the larger one and turned to Jake, and he was close enough now to make out some basic features.
Like messy pink hair.
The color drained from Jake’s face, and he was too shocked to even grab his sword. The possibility, no, the inevitability that they would show up was completely removed from his mind after dealing with that fire user. The shadow of the large boy lit up as a few sparks raced up his body. Thun began to walk toward him and Jake gritted his teeth. How many friends was he going to have to fight today?
Upon seeing the emptiness in Thun’s eyes Jake was all too aware that the negotiations he had planned for Elizabeth would be lost on him, and that he fully intended to finish what he started that day. Silent except for the sound of his sword being unsheathed, Jake took the blade and placed it front of him, now ready for battle. Thun nodded, and his two downcast palms began to gather twisting bolts of electricity within.
Violent energy lashed out from each of Thun’s hands. Jake jumped to the side and began running toward the boy in a curved arc as the violent lightning chased him. It died out, and Jake was almost within striking range. Thun reached into his jacket as Jake wound up for a slash. Just as he began swinging forward an image flashed into Jake’s mind: one of two boys pointing and laughing at a dripping wet one. It was enough to stop his momentum completely, and he jumped back to compose himself. With a start, Jake realized that Thun had a gun in his hand and partway raised at him. The two stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, and Jake knew that he saw a hint of emotion within his opponent’s pupils. What was it? Confusion? Sadness?
Thun scoffed and jerked his body to the side, looking down the road. He grimaced, then slowly placed the gun back into his jacket.
“There’s no point if you’re not gonna take this seriously. Get out.”
Bolt peered out from behind Thun, his arms folded behind his head in a posture that was unbecoming of someone trying to overthrow a world government. Jake’s gaze wandered from him back to Thun, who’s stern features almost made Jake hesitate, but his resolve would not be shaken by something so simple. Jake raised his sword back upward and chuckled.
“I was the one thinking you weren’t serious. I could’ve ended you right there and I thought ‘no way can it be this easy,’ and jumped back.”
“Like hell you were! I was gonna parry it with my gun and blow your fucking head off!”
“Sure you were,” Bolt said, finally coming out from behind the larger boy. He placed a hand on Thun’s shoulder and shook his head as the other boy fumed with embarrassment. “Face it buddy, this is your loss. How about I have a crack at it?” He reached into his jacket while smiling and pulled out his gun, the barrel reflecting the light of the dim streetlamp. Jake nodded and placed his feet into a more formal stance.
Bolt dropped his posture and held the gun to one side rather than pointing it at Jake. Behind him, Thun walked away, his hands stuffed roughly into his jacket pockets. All of this seemed odd to Jake, like a fight he’d have at the academy rather than one of a supposed war. But their behavior eased his heart a little and for whatever reason he wasn’t nervous at all, despite the fact that he fully intended to go at the smirking boy with all he had.
Jake ran toward the pink-haired boy and swung his sword. Bolt pulled his gun to the side and knocked into it with a force that Jake couldn’t believe someone his size could muster, and he stumbled back with his sword raised way into the air. As he tried to regain control of his weapon, Bolt pulled his leg back in a telegraphed kick, aimed at Jake’s thigh. With little options, Jake was forced to jump over the kick. As his leg swept underneath him, Bolt’s content smile transform into a wry grin. Jake’s face tensed, and he shot both of his legs out and into the other boy’s chest.
Bolt stumbled backward and nearly fell flat on his ass as Jake landed hard on the rough ground, bracing himself with his forearm. He quickly leapt up and charged at Bolt, who was still trying to regain his balance. When he took in Jake’s figure his mouth dropped in a shocked and pleading display. He began to wave his hands in front of his face, shouting for Jake to calm down.
Jake didn’t listen and rammed into Bolt, pressing his shoulder well into the other boy. The force sent Jake back a little bit, and he planted his foot to keep from falling. Bolt’s balance, on the other hand, had taken too much abuse, and that last full-force impact was enough to send him spiraling backward and onto the ground. Jake took his sword and raised it before the boy, who looked up, shocked.
Seeing Bolt’s expression lit a light inside Jake that he thought had gone out a long time ago, and he began to laugh. He placed the sword down in front of the boy and doubled over, seeing that he too was laughing, his hands behind in order to keep himself up. As the two boys chuckled in the city, Thun’s smirking figure approached them. It seemed the bonds they had forged were not entirely gone.
Jake continued laughing and sheathed his sword as the two boys faced him. He was glad they were no longer fighting, but he wasn’t sure how long their change of mood would last, although he supposed that he could save his doubts for another time. Just before he was about to opt for some conversation, Thun broke the ice.
“Is it that important to you?” The goofy smirk had left his face and he was now somber.
Jake nodded. “Did you see a girl go into the building? Maybe a man in a uniform like mine with a buzzcut?”
“Oh!” Bolt said, “you mean the princess lady and the traitor Major? Yeah, they headed inside just before you showed up – said they were gonna try to get to the Führer.”
I knew it, Jake thought, then scoffed and jerked his body toward the building. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thun place a hand up and he put off his mad dash to the building to hear what he had to say.
“What is it you aim to do? If you’re with the Republic, then—”
“I aim to stop her, not kill her.” Jake peered up at the foreboding structure before him. “If I don’t, the Führer will handle that last part for me.”
With an eyebrow raised, Bolt shifted his gaze from Thun to Jake. “I guess that kindaaaa makes you our ally. So we’ll let you go. I mean, you’re trying to save our boss’ life, right Thun?”
Thun smiled and dipped his head. “Yeah, I reckon.”
“So we’ll stand guard and ensure no pesky Republic military types come through to prevent you from doing that by, uh, stopping her. Likewise, since the presence of any rebels might jeopardize your ability to save her as well, we’ll just have to stop them too,” Bolt said with a smirk. Jake thanked him as he chuckled to himself. Bolt and Thun looked on with warm smiles, and just as Jake was about to take his first step into the building an uneasiness hit him. I did warn Dante about the rebellion. He said he wasn’t interested but just in case…
Jake turned back around and faced the other two. Both boys looked very confused, as they must have expected Jake to rush up those steps, and he certainly wanted to. “Can you guys just do something for me, n
o questions asked?”
Thun’s eyes narrowed and he almost responded, but Bolt placed a palm in front of his face and nodded. “No problemo, just tell us what it is.”
“I need you guys to get out of here. Like, out of the Republic entirely.”
Again, Thun’s feature’s tensed, but Bolt strode past him and began dragging him along by the collar. “You heard the man, Thun. He’s got our boss’ safety in mind, so it makes sense for us to listen to him.” Thun hesitantly turned around and met Bolt’s stride, but spared a backward glance to Jake. “We’ll see you later, Jake. Hopefully under more favorable circumstances.”
“Yeah,” Jake called, “I look forward to it.” He caught one last look at the two boys, Bolt striding away with Thun sulking behind, then turned and faced the entrance of the building. It was time.
***
Rushing up the steps and down the hallway, Elizabeth was becoming annoyed by the architectural design of the building. In her mind’s eye when she was planning this mission she envisioned herself climbing up a winding staircase, knocking guards down as she rushed onward. In the narrow space, their numbers wouldn’t matter and Princess Elizabeth would reign supreme.
In reality, the building was made with just that scenario in mind. As she ran down the hall, she called to her comrade, “This is tedious.”
“Yeah,” Leal Miles replied, “but they built it that way for a reason. Since the stairway to the next floor is always on the opposite end, the time to the top is maximized. It gives them a better chance to formulate a strategy in the event of, well… this.”
Major Miles jumped and skidded to a stop and Elizabeth followed suit. She turned her gaze from him to the location that his eyes were focusing on, where four guards of the Republic stood before them, each well armed. Elizabeth clicked her tongue and brandished her rapier, hearing Leal Miles do the same at her side.
“I’ll hold them off, Miles. You go on ahead.”