Struggle Across the Tyrannical Dawn

Ares shakes his head and then relocks the door. "I was born in a small town called Ivis. So, where are you from, and what kind of books do you like to read?"

 

She didn’t quite understand how that explained his getup, but she didn’t want to pry. She gave a feigned smile as she thought of her home. Her mother had been… a drug addict. Rarely there, and when she was she was totally wasted. Her mind was never there. Her father had been an alcoholic, and… she shivered to just think about it.

“I’m from a city not far from here, actually.” She muttered.

She looked at the books, her eyes stopping at one brightly colored yellow one. She smiled when she saw the bear on the cover.

“I like all books. I’m really not picky.”

She paused. The man still unnerved her, “You’re… not a soldier are you? It’s just… the getup. You understand, right?”

 

"Relax, I would never work for Devil. I simply dress this way, because I like it. Also, I take it that you aren't a soldier either. That's good to know." He sits down at the table and crosses his legs. He gives her a smile and says "Though it seems like you can't be to careful any more of who to trust in this world. Oh, sorry. I was just thinking outloud."

 

Allan found himself in one of the central soldiers office. It was a small wooden lodge on the outskirts of town. It was preventing anyone from getting in, but also preventing someone from getting out.
Allan had his fliers in his hand, he had to get permission for his book club. This was the only thing he was doing for them, getting their own permission for their own demise.

 

I had yelled out "Oh course." To her about meeting up again and looked around. Not many places to go alone, I thought and pushed my sunglasses back onto my head. Looks like life was back to it's boreing self, might as well live it up. I put my hands into my pockets and began my long trip up town.

This was gona take awile, but I could have some fun while I was at it, picking on the gaurds. I looked around, for once none to be seen, "What my luck." I mumbled and boredly walked on.

 

He finally had permission to have a book club at 9:00 in the evening. They just had to have the curtains closed. Allan began to tape fliers all over the town. He wondered who would grab them and he wondered who would come to this "book club" of his.
Allan unlocked the door of the bookstore to see an unfamiliar girl and the kimono guy. The kimono person was still here. He set down the fliers and grabbed one. He handed it to the girl.
"What kind of book are you looking for ma'am?" he said finding it awkward for that to slip of his tongue when he didn't know if this girl was a customer or not.
"For paying customers I have a free cafe,"
Allan then looked at her.
"And it's free if you aren't a paying customer either,"

 

She put the book she had been looking at back in the shelf. It was one of her favorites, her own copy had been stolen. She looked at him, and back at the paper in her hand. A book club? That was definitely her kind of thing. Though, at a time like this it almost didn’t make sense.

“Uhmm.” She muttered, “Thanks.”

She slid the paper into her satchel.

“Any idea what book we’ll be reading first?” She muttered, not knowing if she could afford to buy the book in the first place, “Or will that be in the first meeting?”

 

Faust tumbled down the street a ways before coming to a stop in front of a bookstore. He rolled over onto his back and looked up at the sky. A tear escaped his eye. Pain racked his body. The government cruiser made no effort to slow before ejecting him. The pain was nothing compared to his rising sense of fear, for the first time since he was ten, he wasn't government affiliated. He was alone in the dark and surrrounded by enemies, sent on a suicide mission that would no doubt end in his death. ****ing Meyers. he thought.

Get up colonel.

Faust jumped up and looked around, whoever it was was close. Their voice was but a whisper. There was no one close enough to have whispered to him. It had to be a telepath.

"Who are you? Get out of my head!" he yelled drawing a few glances from the people passing by.

 

She paused as she heard the yell, and she quickly turned around and made for the exit with her staff held tightly in her hand. She looked at what appeared to be just another civilian. He seemed to be startled, if not confused. She backed away, he seemed a bit stable, but part of her recognized him.

“Hi… there.” She muttered. Her voice carried its usually lyrical tune, and almost seemed to hold the confidence that she rarely had.

“Do you need help?”

Her staff stayed directly in her hand, the glove made a gripping sound as she held on just a little tighter. Why did she recognize him...?

 

"Hi there, Do you need help?" her voice was as beautiful as she was. There was something familiar about her. Faust found it odd that her eyes would not meet his, she was armed, he could see her muscles tense as she gripped her weapon. There was an awkward silence, he had no idea what to say.

Say something you fool!

"I umm... My name is... Ash... can you tell me where I am exactly?" he muttered.

 

He seemed nervous, unknowing. He didn't appear to really know what he was doing, or why he was doing it. Poor guy.

"I umm... My name is... Ash... can you tell me where I am exactly?"

“Hello Ash.” She smiled. She didn’t walk forward, only looked at the ground. Her eyes barely trimmed the bottom of his legs. She didn’t like the déjà vu she was getting, but she quickly shed it aside.

“I’m not sure I can exactly help you there. I’m not great at naming places… my feet just take me there. I’m guessing… you’re not acquainted with much around here, are you?”

She took a friendly step forward, but still kept the short distance between them, “I’m Tatee.”

 

You need to relax Colonel, i know you've been through alot in the past few hours but slipping up here will result in your death. These people are animals.

Ash finally began to piece together the origin of the voice. He remembered his mission.

"I'm sorry, i'm from out of town, and unfortunately i get disoriented rather easily. Do you know where i might be able to find lodging?"

Nice recovery Colonel...

"Shut up!" he muttered a little louder than intended.

 

"I'm sorry, i'm from out of town, and unfortunately i get disoriented rather easily. Do you know where i might be able to find lodging?"

“There’s cheap lodging—“

"Shut up!"

She stopped and took a step back. She looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

“I was… just trying to help.” She said with a quiver in her lips. She sighed. And held her breath slowly, she couldn’t go into her dark place. She couldn’t let this man bring the darkness.

"Night light please, I'm afraid of the devils." She muttered.

She quickly blushed, and looked away. But turned back, with a smile.

“As… I was saying. There is cheap lodging where I live. Crap place, but it’s something.”

 

This won't do Colonel. I'm taking over...

Ash felt himself slide out of his body, and though he could still see through his eyes it felt as if he was at a distance, looking through a tunnel. he could see his body move and straighten, but he couldn't feel it. When he spoke he heard a mix of his own voice and the woman's voice inside his head.

"Your help is greatly appreciated Miss Tatee. Please, lead the way?"

Ash couldn't stop wondering where he knew her from, and what's that she'd said earlier about "lights and devils"?

 

"Your help is greatly appreciated Miss Tatee. Please, lead the way?”

She couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Maybe she had been wrong. She nodded her head, and looked at the two in the bookstore. She grabbed one of the flyers, and quickly ran back out the store door. She could hear the footsteps of the distant soldiers. She would have to get into her home soon. She handed him the flyer.

“A book club, would be helpful for an orientation to the city.” She said. She held her staff out lightly and moved forward slowly at first. She turned around.

“Not… going to attack me and rape me when the others are out of sight I hope!” she said with a nervous laugh. She almost felt like she really needed to ask. She’d learned her lesson months ago.

 

I had heard the yell faintly and returned in time to hear the coversation right before he told her to shut up. I had my shealding up, invisible, quiet, and watchful. Something about this guy was wrong and I wouldn't let him have his way, what ever it was. I tip toed out a short distance from were the two stood and then with a blink I was standing their next to them. "Wow, what happened here?" I asked Tatee.

"You look confused there, how'd you get here, and why are you a bit banged up?" I asked the new comer. My voice sounding a bit harsh, like an interigators. He shouldn't have told her to shut up, something was wrong with this guy.

 

Ares kept his eyes fixed on the man.

...He went from stumbiling over his words to sounding like a perfect gentleman a little too fast and I really don't think he was talking to her when he said shut up. He eyes seem to be so distant, and his demeaner changed. Multiple personalities perhaps. No, this seems to be more like a connection to a telepath. I'll have to keep an eye on our new friend here during the so called book club meeting......

Ares walks of to the free cafe and gets himself an iced mocha latte and a donut with vanilla icing, that has m&ms sprinkled on it.

 

Allan walked towards the exist of the bookstore as well to see what was going on for himself. He noticed a fumbling man who was a bit banged up. Allan walked back into the bookstore and grabbed a first aid kit.
"I have a first aid kit," Allan said, "Would you like to use it?"
Allan looked at the boy from earlier who had given the bag of food. Allan smiled at him.
"Did you like your breakfast?" Allan asked him.
Then Allan directed his attention to the man.
"Why don't you come in I have a comfortable couch....do you need help coming in?" Allan said.

 

She didn’t quite know what to say or do. She just took a quick glance at all the men, and took off without as much as a word. Her footsteps were quick and her mind was abuzzing. The bookstore owner was confusing her, his kindness was almost too much. Who was Ash if not who she thought he was? Who was this Ares? He just seemed so out of place, yet at the same time, his face. Jake… he was just a kid, nothing scary about him. She sighed and took a quick turn, she grabbed the cigarette from her satchel, and quickly lit it. She inhaled deeply, and continued with her walk.

 

Sometimes staying in a courtroom all day can be boring for a topnotch 'prankster' like Devil. He had himself feeling pathetic and tired, and would roam about the fortifications, seeing if he had anything much to do.

"Sir, General Horace's wife and kids are here."

Devil had heard when he was touring the piranha swimming pools.

"Excellent. Bring them here, soldier."

The soldier bowed respectfully and ran off, while Devil threw a piece of meat in the piranha pool. Piranhas fought for the meat piece, having been hungry for days.

"Beautiful, just beautiful."

Devil laughed to himself and then increased the temperature of the pool by twenty degrees. The pool started to simmer, and the somewhat silent piranhas could only jump up and down, splashing in the water. Devil laughed and concentrated his sight on a large piranha, and blew it, the meat and bones spattering the walls. By then, the woman and her children had arrived. Devil looked to the beautiful woman and her children, and then cackled.

"Here here, we have liars. And liars must be dealt with. Harshly."

Without much thinking, he clicked his fingers and then children were shoved into the pool. Fountains of blood sprung up in the pool, and one of the child's eye rolled at the mother's feet, who held back her tears.

"We're...I'm...sorry."

She murmured, at which Devil walked to her and slapped her so hard that he fell on her back.

"Sorry is a large word. And large words, have large compensations. Eat."

The woman eyed him dubiously, until he picked up the child's eyeball and forced it into her palm.

"Eat it."

The woman eyed him with horror until his slammed the eye into her mouth, the gooey substance rolling down her mouth. She gagged, and cried with a choking effect. Devil cackled once more and then ordered.

"The woman has no horror. Remove her clothing and tie her with the skeleton 767-AR5 in my courtroom. She shall die so."

The woman wailed as they mercilessly stripped off her clothing, and then dragged her to the courtroom. Just then, Devil walked to a screen in the swimming sector and turned it on.

"Tell me, what have you found?"

 

Allan stretched out his hand to trying to reach for the girl.
"Wait its nearly lunch time the Groundwalkers will do their noon sweep," Allan said.
Allan watched as the girl left. Allan looked at the boy.
"Don't try anything when they do their sweep," Allan said, "Just stay here because I don't want you dead."
Allan looked at the fumbling man.
"Can someone help me bring him in?" Allan said.

 

It all happened so fast. Suddenly ASh was surrounded by strangers. A young boy approached and asked why he was so banged up.
"street toughs" SPhia replied, patting him on the head.

A man in a dress appeared but said nothing.

Some one exited the bookstore, most likely the owner, offering to give ASh first aid, asking him if he wished to go inside. Ash noticed that TAtee was beginning to walk away.

I actuallynhave to get going. But thanks ffor the offer.

Ash began to walk away.

 

Ares sits his donut down on a paper towel and takes one more sip of his iced mocha latte. He walks over to the store owner and grabs one of the arms of the strange man. Working together, they pull him up onto a couch. Ares quickly looks the man over. However he ran away.

......That man was covered in scrapes and bruises. He must have been dumped in this city, but by who and why? His eyes didn't seem to react the way they should have when he was talking. It was like his body was moving independantly. I hope he doesn't cause any trouble for us....

 

"I can make something," Allan said, "I'll go make some herbal tea and some plain bread."
Allan walked into the kitchen of his bookstore and turned on the oven. He had premade dough, that he made, in the refrigerator. He placed the dough in a bread pan and placed it into the oven. He then boiled some water in a tea kettle and made some fresh green herbal tea. He came back with the cup of herbal tea.
Allan just wanted to keep busy. He wasn't even suppose to be not working. It was part of the city rules. Until break time you were suppose to work. He looked at the man in the kimono.
"Are there any books you would like?" Allan said.

 

"Nothing that I’m too sure about, Master. The bookstore owner..."

The voice let out a choking sound as it came back, "But… the book club, it’s rather suspicious."

"Knowledge is always bad. Tell me, what have you seen?"
Devil asked with increasing curiosity.

"Indeed my lord." The voice paused, "The lame dogs seem to have growled at it’s master, I see the possibility of it biting back when the master comes with the whip. The banzai tree is bothersome with it’s noble stance, and power that it emits, it sits along the lame dog."

The voice paused, and the voices of what sounded like many men came on. He could hear the hiss of the voice, and the other men’ voice’s trailed off. Silence came for a few moments, and finally the voice came back.

"I think a noble has left our kingdom to live with the village idiot."

Devil nodded, realizing the possibility of civil war, and perhaps new recruitements too.

"I see, I see. Well, fair lady, you much approach the lame with the game. We shall speak again, soon."

"Yes Master."

The transmission ended, and Devil returned to his courtroom.

"Frederick?"

"Yes?"

"Time for recruitment..."