9. What is the most embarrassing thing they have done in front of each other?
Max: let himself get feelings for Morlo.
Morlo: let himself get tricked by Max who isn't that clever of a man.
17. When they find a time machine, where do they go?
To the start of when things go bad between them. It was Morlo's idea. He wanted to see if he could stop his younger self from almost killing Max, if he could convince himself to not go the path of a villain but... it didn't work. Max wouldn't let him mess with time like that an instead shunted them to the Pleistocene where they spend a week camping and running from giant bears and cats. They broke the time machine and it took that long for Morlo to fix it.
Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness
Chapter 20: Last Chance, Make it Count
Morlo
The child was gone. The child was gone and I had no idea how important to my liege that the brat was. I should have been better informed and I could have done better. I needed this to work and I needed to crush the Light where she stood. I wanted to watch her bleed, I wanted to watch her suffer under the might that was my liege. She deserved the worst type of pain imaginable. There was no future with her in power. She couldn’t make the decision that my liege made each and every day. Beings in this universe continued to show me how weak her rule truly was. Suffering and pain was all that followed behind that fake smile of hers. She was a plague that needed to be expunged from the universe.
The child had destroyed the facility and those Supernovas had taken the children. Everything was starting to fall apart, and I needed to stop it. My liege was growing more and more restless and it would be a matter of time before they acted on their anger. Those other Gods had failed to show up and assist me. They were nothing more than a bunch of cowards, even my men were starting to question and fear what would come next. Loyalty was something that was not so easily kept in times such as this.
“Mmm…” I frowned as I glared at the woman resting in my bed. I didn’t expect such loyalty from Brielle. She was nothing more to me than a way to handle my more intimate frustrations. So I was quite surprised to see her take me away from the base. I didn’t even inform her of my plans or where I was going, but somehow she managed to gather a large number of my men and myself, and led us to her personal bunker.
“Foolish woman…” I sat at her side and ran my hand down her bare back. She shivered under my touch, but otherwise stayed asleep. Her dark hair was matted to her skin from the intense sex we had a few hours ago. It was the only time that she was quiet, and the only time that I could think around her. I hated sitting here and waiting for nothing short of anger that I was sure to receive. I would have no more chances. I had to retrieve the child and make this right.
“Tsk tsk tsk…oh Morlo….you are so naïve…”
“What?!” I flipped around to scan the room as a voice traveled through it. Whoever it was, make my stomach turn, even my hair was beginning to stand on end. It wasn’t until I looked at the shadows of the room that a figure started to form. It was not my liege, their presence would have felt much worse. I would probably be dead at that point too. The figure stayed in the shadows, and I couldn’t make out what they were. The only thing I could see was a twisted smile in the darkness of the room. “Who are you?!”
“Oh…just a friendly face…here to make sure you don’t fuck up….”
“Funny…now get the hell out of here before I toss you out.”
“Is that anyway to talk to someone who is trying to help you? My master is not pleased with you at all Morlo…they were ready to tear you apart.”
I swallowed back my nerves as the shadow laughed and moved across the room. I was right. Of course my liege was angry with me. I seemed to keep failing at this fucking assignment. The child was stubborn, but I didn’t realize how much. I figured that I instilled enough fear in his heart, but it just wasn’t enough. The shadow moved and I snapped back to look at it as it slinked across the ceiling. Its grin making me feel more uneasy.
“Say whatever it is you need to report and leave. I have no time for you.”
“Shush now…we don’t want to wake her~” Hearing the voice by the bed now, I flinched as it was beside Brielle. A dagger shining in the dim light was pressed against her neck. I craned my head around to look at the ceiling again. The same grin was still there, but another was right beside Brielle. A chuckle shook my thoughts as another twisted grin appeared in the corner of the room. Whatever this being was, it took multiple forms, but it seemed keen on hiding itself. It was something powerful, and I could not handle it in a fight, I could admit that.
“Step away from her now.” The words left me before I could stop them. No sooner did I admit my weakness, I open my damn mouth for the bitch.
“Aww…I didn’t know that you cared so much. I’d like a turn with her-”
“Move!” Its chuckles flooded my ears as I lunged at it. It just danced around the room before settling near right in front of my face. There was an almost static energy in the air as the shadows grin widened. My breath caught in my throat as its red eyes burned through me. It was infuriating to feel so weak in the presence of this thing. Its taunting was starting to get to me as well. “I will not be toyed with!”
“Fine…” The shadows ceased their taunting and one large shadow loomed over me. I stared deep at it, unflinching, before its mouth opened into its sinister grin. “My master wants you to finish them. Do whatever you must to halt their progress. The child has to be caught.”
“I have contacts that are going to head them off. This will be the final stretch. I will not fail. I will personally go to finish the job.”
“Now if only I could believe that.” The shadow chuckled and backed away as Brielle started to stir. “If you fail once more….my master says I get to have my fun with you, and you don’t want that my friend. I like it when my prey screams, and you look like you scream like a bitch.”
“You-!”
A sinister chuckle was the only thing I received as the shadow left form the room. I was beginning to see red as Brielle yawned and touched my wrist.
“Morlo…what is it-”
“That insufferable group of Gods!” Brielle gasped as my hand tightened around her throat. I did not care for her struggling and scratching. “I will not continue to be disrespected! I will not continue to be used like a pawn! I have conquered countless planets! I will be damned if this is over for me!”
“M-Mor…lo…” Gathering myself, I released Brielle as she coughed and I stood from the bed to think. It was time to call in my elite fighters and their weapons to finish these Supernovas and get that brat. “Brielle…I need a-”
A punch to my jaw when I looked at her almost made me take a knee, but I just glared at the stupid woman as her eyes narrowed. “Like hell I will! You almost killed me you fucking animal!”
“I seem to recall you liking some pain with your pleasure.”
“Fuck you! You know that’s not what I meant!” She growled and cursed as she threw a shirt over her head and massaged her neck. She would get over it like she does with everything that we do together. A deep silence fell over us both as I made my calls. Promises of money and other riches would entice anyone to do anything in this life. It was always so simple to buy power and status even more so. The only thing that was difficult to acquire was respect….
I glanced at Brielle as she made some calls and yelled at some idiots. She caught my gaze before she rolled her eyes, but continued to procure more men for me to use. Yes…power and status was easy to come by with money, as was respect. There was nothing like respect…and loyalty.
Something that Brielle was in constant supply of.
“Ugh…whenever you say the word…you have some more men ready to follow your orders.” Brielle cleared her throat as she rolled her neck. I moved towards her turned back as I looked over her form. My handprints were bright across her purple skin, she was not as dark as the rest of her race. Usually the darker ones were in the poorer parts of the planet. Although, she didn’t care to talk about her more decorated past.
She flinched as I brushed my fingers across her neck. I could feel her looking at me from the reflection in the window, but I kept my focus on her neck. Pulling out some ointment from my pouch, I rubbed it into her neck. A sigh escaped her lips as she relaxed against me, she was…she was really becoming a nuisance. Women always were more trouble than they were worth. This one just happened to be particularly annoying.
“Is this your version of an apology?”
“....”
“Fine fine…annoying man…”
“You show me all of this unyielding loyalty…why? There is nothing between us other than our physical relationship, and that is barely anything to write home about.”
“Maybe I just want a strong man in my life, it's refreshing to see.”
“Mmm.” She rolled her shoulder and I retreated to another room to contact my brother and mother. They had been trying to speak with me for the last few days, but things just never seemed to calm down. If things went wrong…then this would be our last conversation. I just had to not fail, that would continue to be my mindset. I had to keep my focus on why I was doing this and I would not take anymore missteps.
A lone video screen sat waiting for me as I forwarded a message to my mother. It would be surprising to see if she was awake right now. She liked to rest early to prepare for her days ahead. The selfish part of my brain wanted her awake and ready to receive my call. It might be the last time I speak to her and that she sees her firstborn. No no…I would succeed and that would be it.
The screen flashing to life and seeing my mother’s bright face light up warmed my solemn spirit immensely. Her graying brown hair was done in a tight braid and she quickly brushed the sleep from her eyes to smile at me. Her blue eyes seemed to illuminate in the darkness of her room as she fumbled for a light source.
“Mother…”
“Hold on, hold on! I want to see my baby bright and clear!” I sighed as she cursed to herself and stood to turn on some lights. She should be looking for and wearing her glasses. The light from the screen would just damage them more. I should have never called her this late. “Morlo!”
“Yes Mother? I’m sorry that I woke you up.”
“Baby no! I was hoping to hear from you soon! Your brother has been asking me to let him know if you called. Are you eating and getting enough sleep? You look tired…”
“Yes Mother…I am fine. I just wanted to see you.”
“Oh sweetheart….oh! Fenra! Your brother is on the video screen!”
“What? Fenra is there? Mother you really don’t-” I sighed and rubbed my temple as I could hear my younger brother rushing towards her. Before long, there he was and completely out of breath. My brother was never the most athletic man. I told him to get better and work out more, but he never seemed to hear me. His glasses kept falling down his nose and he looked so much like he did when we were children. The only glaring difference that he was a man now…was the infant in his arms. A rather plump baby that looked so much like him with dark brown hair and a tiny nose. The only thing different was the green eyes, which I suppose was thanks to my sister-in-law. She wasn’t interesting enough for me to waste my time meeting, but she made my brother happy, so I suppose she was alright.
“Morlo! Hey! I didn’t think that we would ever hear from you!”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Yes…doing something that you aren’t supposed to be doing.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at my mothers tone. She desperately tried to figure out what I did for work, but I would not relent and tell her. “Please tell me that you’re being safe at least.”
“I’m not in danger.”
“Come on Morlo…we just worry about you. We don’t hear from you for months at a time. You act so fidgety and you never tell us anything. We just worry if you’re safe-”
“I am fine! My work is of no concern to either of you! You have roofs over your heads and you are protected and well fed! You both always ask about this! It is none of your business!”
I leaned back in my seat as they stared at me in silence, probably thinking about something to say to me again. It would never matter what they would say, my life and mind was made up. This needed to be done and I would never rest until I completed what I needed done.
“Morlo…” My heart sank as my mother started to cry and my brother tried to console her. I would not be shaken by her tears again. I almost let that stop me once before, but I had to do this for my father and in his honor. “I just want you safe baby…please….just come home for a bit.”
“I refuse. You should rest mother…” I could practically hear my brother steaming on the other end. He was always so attached to our mother. He would probably try and “yell” at me and make me see reason. It was too late for such things. My mother took the child and left and I faced my brother as he rubbed the back of his neck. He…he looked like our father when he did that. “Say what you have to say.”
“I just wish you would be more considerate of her feelings. Be considerate about how we both feel. I know you have this big bad brooding thing you do, but can you just save it?”
“I won’t be coming back.”
“Do not say that! Do you want our mother to hear you say that?! Gods…you’ll give her a damn heart attack you dick!”
“Do not ever say that again.” I leaned forward and he glared at me as he shrugged his shoulders. “You know how I feel about that.”
“Morlo…ever heard of freedom of speech? If I want to invoke the Gods I will. You can’t hold onto this forever-”
“That bitch took our father!”
“He was a damn psychopath and you know it! You just don’t want to fucking believe it!”
“You were a child then! You have no idea what he was doing! Don’t you ever disrespect the honor of our father again!”
“He was a damn terrorist Morlo! He put us through years of grief! You are fucking delusional!”
“Shut the fuck up Fenra! Our father was a genius who wanted to change the world! Sometimes sacrifices needed to be made!”
“At the cost of his family?! He is-”
“Enough!” I slammed my fist against the desk and Fenra just sighed more as we fell into a deep silence. He never cared for our father and look at the bigger picture. He made those sacrifices because it was the only way to make progress. The ways of the Gods had to be changed, and the Light was the biggest obstacle of all.
“Look…just…just visit…your nephew would like to meet you. I would like to go drinking with you and maybe go hunting like we used to. I have gotten much better with my archery and swordplay.”
“Tch…yeah right. You need to use other weapons instead. Enter the modern age brother, and your skills just might get better.”
“Well…here’s hoping that my dear brother comes to show me how to use them.” I smirked as he waggled his eyebrows at me. He would never allow me to be angry with him. I often tried, but I suppose it was the curse of family. I would only allow this weakness in privacy.
“Get some rest Fenra…you have a child to raise. Aren’t children that age more likely to cry in the middle of the night? You should sleep.”
“Fine fine…but I’ll have you know…my son is an excellent sleeper. I barely have any trouble with him.”
“Hmm….good night brother.”
“Good night Morlo, I love you…stay safe.”
“I know I know…” Once he left, I rubbed my head in quiet frustration. My liege should have punished me by now. Something must have happened, or perhaps I just wasn’t important anymore. No no…I was still needed until my liege disposed of me. My contacts would be on the move to those Supernovas. This would still work.
“You never speak about your father…”
“Go back to bed Brielle.”
“You talk about your mother and brother, but your father is a mystery to me.” Her hands on my back made me straighten up. I would not let her talk me into talking about my feelings. Looking up at her, I paused looking at her throat once more. It was beginning to bother me now.
“Cover your throat.”
“I think I like it. Almost like some battle scars.”
“You are the craziest fucking woman I have ever encountered.” She just laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck and rubbed my chest.
“Tell me about him.”
“....” She would not leave me alone unless I gave her an answer. Staring at the screen, the memories of my father invaded my mind once more. “He was an ambitious man…who only ever wanted to make sure his family was happy. Although, his path to getting there was filled with death and misery. The Gods don’t like change or challenges to their order.”
“I suppose your father wanted to make some big changes.”
“He wanted the Gods to take accountability for all the suffering that they unleashed upon man. The sickness, the death, war, all of the above. Even the horror of childbirth…my mother almost died bringing my brother into the world. My father did everything he could to speak to the Gods and beg for an audience.”
“I suppose he never got one?” The memory annoyed me as Brielle straddled me and rubbed my shoulders. It had been some time since I talked about my father, but it felt good to get it out. It was surprising to see Brielle take an interest, but I wouldn’t dwell on it.
“Oh…he got an audience…but that was only after he destroyed a temple. I remember it because he wanted to bring me along. The God…I don’t even remember his name…but I remember the pleasure he got when he tortured my father in front of me. I remember when he made my father watch as he….had his fun with me.”
“....”
“Ever since that moment, my father decided to change his tactics. He began attacking that God’s followers. He burned villages, destroyed families, even went to the point of making weapons of mass destruction. I helped him get the message around that the Gods wanted to control us and they relished in our suffering. These Gods think we owe them love and gifts, when all we want to do it live. We were going strong for years, and my father and I were feared, but we were also respected.”
“So…the ends justified the means?”
“Always!” I gripped her shoulders tight and her eyes widened immensely. She needed to understand that no good would come from these so-called divine beings. The sooner more people realize they weren’t needed the better. “Then that bitch got involved and ruined everything!”
“What?”
“The blasted Light! That “perfect” and “benevolent” goddess who thinks that she can control and rule over everyone! She even bends the other Gods to her whim! She is the head and she must be stopped! Once she falls then the rest of them fall. My liege will create something better than what she did!”
“Morlo…aren’t you just following another God? How do you know that your liege won’t just-”
“They would never! I have their utmost confidence and I know what they are planning to do! We will succeed and I will avenge my father.”
“What did…this Light…do to your father?”
“....” It was something I could never forget for the rest of my life. Her cold eyes barring down on my father and I. He wasn’t even doing anything wrong that day. He was doing a service to the people. The children of mere Gods didn’t deserve to live. My father captured them and set them loose in a forest, like fresh game ready to be plucked. My father and I spent hours hunting down each and every one of them. Their screams often helped me sleep at night. It was a deep comfort for me and my father. I would do it again if I had the time for it.
I remember my father yelling at the Light as she stared us down. There was no beauty to her whatsoever. There was only a heartless monster as she berated my father for the good thing he had done. The good thing that we had both done! Those children would have grown up to become monsters! Making more of humanity slaves to their rule! The Light did not hesitate when she struck my father down. She split his body right down the middle with her scythe, I didn’t even have the chance to yell or take his body. She showed no mercy as she grinded his body to ash. The blow she gave me should have killed me that day. The pain was unimaginable as I felt like my head was splitting open. My scar was just a reminder to give her the same treatment one day, and that day was fast approaching.
“It doesn’t matter. He is no longer with us. My liege will take care of him in the afterlife.”
“....” Brielle just stayed silent and scanned over my face. She could have her thoughts, I would close my eyes and rest before continuing my plans. I needed all of my strength to finish this. As she adjusted on my lap, I figured that she was going to get off, but then I felt her press her lips against mine. Grabbing her shoulders, I pulled her back and there was something in her eyes that I had never seen. Something that felt too…intimate. “Morlo…”
“You need to stop Brielle…we have an agreement.”
“Morlo I-”
“I can’t love you. I will not give you children. Don’t allow yourself to feel this way for me. I want your body and you want mine. Let’s keep it as simple as that.”
“Foolish man…” She reached under the chair and reclined it back until she was leaning over me. “I know that. I don’t want your love. I want your ambition. You want to burn the Gods, then so do I. I follow only the strong. Let us wreck the cosmos together!”
The woman was an idiot. It would be her downfall and we both knew it. We would most likely be the death of each other. I didn’t need her comfort, not really, but…I would take it for as long as I could. I hated admitting how her touch made me feel. Her words gave me strength, her presence made me stronger, but her love…it would be too much to bear, and I would never be able to reciprocate it back to her.
Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness
Chapter 13: Runaway
Altair
The voices would not stop, no matter how much I tried to ignore them. I held my hands tight over my ears as they kept whispering. The man Morlo had beaten me after I had woken up, and he never told me why. The last thing I remembered was the other kids dying and Morlo getting mad at me. I was woken up with him stepping on me and yelling that I had “ruined his plans”. I didn’t want to be a part of any plans of his anymore, but I also didn’t want to die. The other kids could stay here and keep being killed and sacrificed, but I would get out of here. I would have done that, but ever since I woke up...I kept hearing voices in my head. I ignored it at first, but then it made my head numb almost like it was going to explode. Morlo was yelling outside of the room he tossed me in and I curled up on the floor in pain.
“I….It….It’s alright….”
“Drop….Drop...the barrier...help...I will...help….” The voices in my head started in my dreams, but now I could hear them when I was awake. At first, the voice was soothing and gentle, but another voice soon came after and it made my skin crawl. They whispered back and forth every few minutes, it felt like they were arguing in my head. I wanted them to stop, I wanted all of this to stop. I missed my grandfather, but I know that I would never see him again. I would die before I got the chance. No one would care about a bunch of missing children, and I’m sure no one has even noticed. Most of the kids looked like they were poor and lived on the streets.
“I have to escape…” Just as the words left my mouth, Morlo threw open the door and I moved back against the wall. He crossed the room angrily before he grabbed my shirt and lifted me off the ground.
“Drop the barrier boy!”
“W-What?”
“I will not repeat myself! You have ruined my plans you stupid fucking child!” His grip grew tighter and his eyes were filled with rage. “You killed all of my liege’s creatures! Now there is a perpetual barrier around the planet! No one can get in or out! You somehow have managed to keep out the Light and my Master! I have less than half of my men now!”
“P-Please...I don’t understand...just let me go…” His nostrils flared angrily as he dragged me through the door. I tried to keep up with him, but he just dragged me along. Moving through the ship, I noticed that there were less people than before. I couldn’t have killed all of the people who were here….right? Am I a killer now? Morlo kept dragging me along and the other adults looked at me with anger in their eyes. I kept my head down as he pushed me into a room with another group of kids.
“Make sure when the creatures come back ….that this group of children is first! Starting with him!” I swallowed as his finger shook with anger at me. My body felt cold as he said those words, it meant that soon I was going to die. I had to do something. I had to get out of here. The other kids moved away from me, but I didn’t think about them as I thought about how to escape from here. As I tried to think of something, one of the other boys moved up next to me.
“Hey…”
“What do you want? Leave me alone….”
“No no listen...we can get out of here together...if you want at least…” I looked at him and rolled my eyes. Why would I work with such a stupid kid? He was missing an eye, he would just slow me down and if he did, I would leave him behind. I would live through this, I had too. I wanted to see my grandfather again, I know that he was probably beside himself with worry. Then again, it looked like the other kids were watching. He probably managed to convince them to help him out. Three boys and two girls...this would be a disaster, but I could use that.
“Yeah….yeah I want to escape too.”
“Good...so listen this is what we can do. One of the girls is gonna cry and say she has to use the bathroom, and when the guard comes we can ambush him!”
“What if he has backup? We can't take an adult.”
“Hmmm...that is a good point…” This guy is an idiot.
“I don’t think this will work.”
“Have some faith will ya?!
“I don’t think faith is gonna help us, but I will join you.” He smiled happily, but I ignored him as one of the girls started their plan.
“Alright, when he shows up...we’re gonna jump him and escape! I’m a great pickpocket, so I can grab his gun…”
“......” I watched as the guard threw open the door and began yelling at the girl. She started to cry and when he grabbed her the other boys jumped on him. I quickly stood up to shut the door before others heard all of the noise. I watched as they tried to wrestle his gun away from him, but I couldn’t bring myself to help them. We were going to get caught, and we would all die.
“Hey! Are you going to help out or not!” Hearing the other boy yelling for me, I somehow gathered up my courage and kicked the man as hard as I could between his legs. He fell down pretty quickly and I jumped on him and started to hit him in the face. The other boy managed to get his gun, but he started to fumble with it.
“How do you shoot this stupid thing-” He gasped as the gun fired off and the others grew quieted as well. Everyone looked at the door in fear, if the other guards heard that, this would be our first and last attempt at escape. We stared at the door for some time, but not hearing anyone coming we quickly gathered ourselves together. The older boy named Roy, peeked through and after a but, he waved us over. I had my doubts about this working, but I couldn’t sit here and wait, especially with that Morlo guy so mad at me.
The seven of us slowly snuck through the ship, and it was strange that no one had spotted us yet. Morlo did say that some of his men had been killed, but I didn’t know it was this bad. There was no way that I could have done this. Roy quickly made us hide in the shadows of the ship as some of the henchmen walked by us. At least the girls weren’t crying or anything, that would make everything go bad. If they messed up then I would make my escape no matter what. Once they were gone, we quickly made our way to the hanger doors. Roy must have the direction memorized from when we first boarded the ship. There weren’t any adults walking around the hanger, so we all took a chance and ran for it.
“Hey! Get back here!” I looked over my shoulder as some men ran after us. I didn’t waste any time as I ran outside. The heat almost made my throat dry up instantly, but I just swallowed my spit and kept running. I didn’t stop as I heard one of the girls cry out and some guns firing. One of the others actually stopped to look back, but I kept running with Roy. I ducked behind rocks and trees as they kept shooting, ignoring the cries of the other kids. Roy and one other boy were still with me, but I didn’t look for the others as we disappeared into a thicket. After another twenty minutes, I think, we finally stopped at a stream and I quickly ran over to drink from it.
“We...we did...it…” I ignored Roy as I kept drinking. The other boy silently drank next to me and I finally stopped to lean back and rest. It was so hot and I removed my messed up shirt and dipped my feet in the water.
“We have to keep going...we can’t stay here…”
“Yeah...come on Van...he’s right. We ran in a straight line and I think the sun is setting. Who knows what could be out here at night. We have to try and find some help.”
“.....” I walked through the water to get to the other side and the others followed me. I was not going to sit and talk about what we should do. I was getting out of here.
“Hey! Hey kid! We should stick together!”
“No…” I looked back at them with a frown. “I have no interest in sticking with you guys. I’m not gonna end up like the others. Don’t call me kid either, you aren’t that much older than me.”
“Don’t be an ass, We should stick together.” I sighed as I looked at them, but rolled my eyes and they flared up angrily.
“Let’s hurry up then.” They hurried into the water after me and we began our long, hot, and annoying journey to find some help.
~~~
After walking for hours, we managed to find a rundown house. It was still so hot even though we were under a roof now. Roy had gone out to find something to eat. He said that his parents were hunters so I didn’t argue or care much when he left. Van kept looking out the broken windows and sighing and pacing, and it was really annoying. I sat in a corner of the room trying to ignore the voices again. They still sounded messed up and odd. The one voice made me feel sick to my stomach and the other was strange. It made me feel….safe....like nothing could hurt me. It was gentle...like what I remembered my mother sounded like. I wonder if I could hear this voice more often. It might make this whole escape more bearable.
I flinched as the door slowly opened and Roy walked in with some sort of creature. Van turned up his nose but didn’t say anything. “This was all I could get before it got really dark out.” He laid the thing on a still standing table and went to the window to cover it with some sheets. “Hey Van….help me cover the windows so no one will see the fire when we cook.”
“Right…” I looked around the abandoned house and tried to find something to get dressed up in. The only clothes that I could find were for adults. This house was trashed and dry blood was on the floor and walls. I guess whoever lived here must have gotten attacked, but it looked like they escaped. The back door was hanging off the hinges. I grabbed it and slowly closed it as best as I could. I guess I could wear a shirt and just cut it down or something. As I rummaged through the drawers, I fell to my knees as it felt like something was hitting me inside of my head.
“Altair! Altair!”
“Altair! Please! I will help you!”
The voices were getting so much louder and I felt dizzy as they went back and forth, maybe I was just going crazy. My nose started to hurt and I touched it and was surprised to see blood running down my nose. I yelled and curled up on the floor as they got louder and louder. I could feel Van and Roy grabbing me, but I couldn’t hear them over the noise. It hurt so bad and I couldn’t help but wonder what I had done to deserve any of this. I just wanted a normal life and to live with my grandfather.
I finally stopped hearing the voices and Roy and Van helped me stand up and sit me on the nearby bed. Roy ran out to make sure no one heard me scream and Van looked at me curiously.
“What is it?”
“Are you ok?”
“Yeah...just leave me alone.” I wiped my nose and looked away from him. He said nothing as he left, and I fell back against the bed. I stared at the ceiling in annoyance, I would need to break away from these guys. We needed more space between us and the adults, but if these voices kept ringing in my ear I wouldn’t survive for much longer. Sitting back up, I decided to walk around the house. I didn’t see Roy but I tried not to let that bother me. I coughed as dust kicked up in a room when I opened the door. I felt bad as I looked around, it looked like the couple here had a baby, but the room was destroyed. The crib was broken and the paint was faded and all of the toys were ripped and broken. Walking over to the window, a crunch under my foot made me kneel down. I tilted my head as I looked over the purple skinned people. The mom was really pretty with bright red hair and brown eyes, and the father was a bit scary with his red eyes. The mom was holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. Turning the picture around I saw that they had written something down, thankfully it was in the common tongue.
“We love you more than life, Nerissa.” I flipped it back over and put it back down on the ground. I kinda hoped that whatever happened here that they got out. This picture confirmed that we were far from our last location. I remember reading about this species in a book, and they weren’t that aggressive, but we would still need to be careful.
“Hey...the food is ready.”
“Ok….” I went into the main room and sat down and nibbled at the strange thing we were eating. It was a bit chewy, but it was good. I hoped that this thing wasn’t poisonous, but that would be better than being torn apart. “We should hurry and leave…”
“What? We’re safe here for right now. We don’t need to rush and leave.”
“They’re gonna come this way eventually, and we don’t know if they can track us. They could be outside right now.”
“You are such a worrywart. We can leave in a few days.”
“I want to live. Do you?” Roy’s face turned an angry red and I glared at him as he moved to grab me, but Van grabbed his arm to stop him. I was a bit thankful, because I did not feel like having my nose bleed again.
“Of course I want to live stupid! I would rather be back on the street then deal with this shit! No one should have to deal with this stuff….” He angrily bit into his food and I rubbed my nose again and looked at Van. He was really quiet and nothing really seemed to bother him.
“What?”
“Huh?”
“You’re staring at me…”
“Sorry.” He looked me up and down before he fully turned to face me. I swallowed my food slowly as I looked at him confused. “What?”
“Actually...is it true what the guards were whispering about?”
“Depends….what did they say?”
“That you killed all of those creatures and half of the adults.”
“What?! That was you!” Roy stood up excitedly and Van yanked him back down as we shushed him. “Are you serious?!”
“I don’t know what I did. They could just be saying that stuff…”
“Are you some kind of alien? One of the celestials?” Van asked as he tilted his head. “I heard they are rare.”
“What? I’m just a human. My parents were normal and so is my grandpa. It might have been something else.” I rubbed my hands together as they looked me up and down. They looked at me like I had a third head or something.
“If you have some sort of powers...maybe you could help us escape. What if you can fly?!” Roy looked excited about it, but Van shook his head. “What? That would be good for all of us.”
“He’s like ten...he would have to be strong enough to carry us. It wouldn’t work anyway.”
“Oh...that sucks.” I rolled my eyes and stood up to sit by the window. The sun was setting faster and I was still against us staying here, but I needed them to be my shields so I could escape. I looked at them talk to each other and tried to think if it would be good to keep them around.
Roy was an idiot. He had too much energy and was loud and annoying. He seemed tough though, but that was probably all he had going for him. Van was quiet and smart though, and he would be the better person to keep around. It would suck to lose him, so if it came to him or Roy….I would choose Van without hesitation. I had to think about myself.
I had too…
I looked down at my hands and they started to lay down and head to bed. What if...what if I could do what they said? What if I had the power to make everything stop? I looked at my hand hard as I tried to focus and...do something...anything really. I tried to concentrate hard but I couldn’t feel anything. Putting my hand down, I realized how stupid it was. I would have gone to sleep, but our little bit of rest suddenly collapsed at that moment.
“FUCKING BRATS!” I fell to the ground as the door was thrown into the house. I ran toward the back door, not even looking back for Van or Roy. I didn’t even get my foot out of the door as a man grabbed my collar and threw me onto the ground hard. I flinched as my arm started to hurt from the fall. I heard Van and Roy yelling as they were carried away. I sat up quickly as Morlo walked into the room and looked down at me. “I’m going to enjoy torturing you brats.”
His fist collided into my face and I blacked out. As everything started to get dark, I could hear the whispers starting back up again. I was once again captured, except this time the voices only got louder and they didn’t seem keen on stopping.
I had a feeling this was my last taste of freedom.
Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness
Chapter 8: Behind Enemy Lines
Morlo
Everything was going according to plan, and I was ecstatic about the progress that was made. To think it would be this easy to kidnap several hundred children across the galaxy, hell different species in general. My liege was proud of the work I had managed to do in such a short amount of time. Making them happy was my purpose in life and I intended to fill it wholeheartedly. The children had become easier to corral once the sacrifice was over. No more crying and begging for their sires, just quiet fear and terror. My liege thrived on it and it only made them more powerful, the Light would be vanquished thanks to my efforts. If I could keep up this momentum, then I would surely get a high seat of honor in the new world. I was to be made a god in the world that would be created and nothing would stop me from reaching that frontier, not even simple morals of killing children.
“Such a dark heart…”
I knelt to my feet and dropped my head low as a familiar, yet dark voice invaded my ears. I didn’t look up as a soft fabric brushed across my face. I cursed the goosebumps that traveled up my arms from where the fabric touched me. A low chuckle sounded above my head as my liege stopped in front of me. “I see your body still reacts in fear of me….”
“I’m sorry my liege! I will train my body better!” Another chuckle sent chills up my spine. The room was far from cold, but my body often betrays itself in my liege’s presence.
“I like that it does...I want you to continue to fear me Morlo….” The voice sounded right in my ear and I could not stop myself from looking up at my master. I could not hold back my gasp as piercing red eyes looked back into mine. My liege had chosen to take their woman form for the last few months and it was a rare sight to see. Their beauty was nothing short of perfection, a perfectly sculpted being. I was positive the Light didn’t look more radiant then my liege. Usually they were just a voice, or a man, or some other creature, but I took immense pride in the fact that I was one of the few people who had seen them like this. Their hair was a pitch smoky black that billowed in the windless room and cascaded down their back to the floor. The pitch black gown pooled at their feet and I would have thought they were gliding if I didn’t hear the distinct sound of heels every so often. I couldn’t help but glance at the deep v in the front of the dress, perfectly showing off their plump and round breasts. I looked away as their full red lips curled into a smile. “I see that you still have your basic impulses, Morlo, even though you claimed to abandon them years ago.”
“Forgive me!” I put my face against the floor as my liege stalked around the room. I looked up as they looked over the list of children with a smile. “Have I…have I pleased you?”
“Keep this up and maybe you will…” I smiled as I chuckled. My master was pleased with me and that’s all I needed in this life. Now all I had to do was continue with the children before-
“Boss!” I quickly stood as one of my men threw open the doors to my workspace. He rushed at me with a wild look in his eyes, but I did not care because I specifically told them I was busy! My liege could not be bothered with the presence of these idiots!
“Idiot! I said not to disturb me!” He paused at my sudden anger and his eyes darted to my master, and I watched in annoyance as he looked slack jawed at them.
“W-Wow boss…that’s a fine bitc-“
“Watch your tongue before you lose it!” I gripped up his shirt and pulled him in close. “Now what is it that you want?! How hard is it to handle some fucking children?!”
“N-No it’s not that but…well…”
“Spit it out!”
“I got a report that some people have been going around asking about the children!”
“So what? Of course people will ask if children suddenly disappear. The musings of crying parents are of no concern of mine and you have wasted my time!”
“W-Wait! They said the people who asked attacked some of our men in our eastern location! O-One of them was a black man and a blue skinned woman with pink eyes!”
Now my body felt freezing cold as I heard the manuscript hit the table behind me. I didn’t dare look as I felt my master slink up beside me and run their nails up my spine. They tapped each vertebrae slowly, but with enough subtle force, that I felt as though it would snap. I gasped as I suddenly felt their hand pierce my skin, grasping my spine. I felt no pain and could only think that they wanted me to feel it when they wanted. They were keeping me standing, but playing with my level of pain. I felt cold as they reached around and caressed the face of my subordinate. A small squeeze caused me to let him go as harsh pain traveled through me.
“Why don’t you tell me more about these people who attacked your comrades?” My subordinate looked at my master in shock and also a bit of terror. I could see the sweat form on his brow as he swallowed back his fear. I tried to keep perfectly still as I felt my spine be rubbed like it was a cat.
“R-Reports said that…they were asking the residents about the children. Another man with one eye and a purple skinned woman were spotted in our south location as well.” I felt another shot of pain run up my body as they squeezed harder, and I was sure I heard something begin to crack.
“Is that right? Well that appears to be a problem…don’t you think so Morlo?”
“Y-Yes…a very serious problem…why don’t you head out so I can-“
“S-Sir…there’s something else…” I cursed to myself as their grip tightened and I felt like collapsing to the ground.
“W-What?!” I hissed through clenched teeth as my master kept a firm grip on my shoulder. “Out with it!”
“A-A man was spotted in the woods a few miles away from our location! He seemed to have some control over the plant life sir! Some men went to intercept him but we haven’t heard anything back!”
“Leave.” My subordinate left without another word and practically tripped on his feet on the way out. I let out a relieved gasp as the hand in my back was gone, but it was short lived as I was thrown across the room into the table. I gasped as my paperwork fluttered to the ground, and my master advanced toward me. I went to stand but a kick to my ribs lifted right off my feet into the air, before my master grabbed me out of the air by my throat. My head was spinning as I couldn’t get any air into my lungs. The wind had been knocked out of me, and I desperately tried to breathe. “I thought I SPECIFICALLY told you to make sure the Supernovas did not catch wind of your plans!”
“I-I-“
“So why is it that not one, not two, but ALL FIVE OF THEM ARE ON THIS PLANET!”
I gasped as I was dropped to the floor and finally able to catch my breath. I coughed and choked as a foot slammed me into the ground. I knew I made a grave mistake, I should have expected that they would eventually catch on, especially the older members of the Supernovas. I had no words for my actions, and I would accept whatever consequences that my master would give me. I would probably be disposed of...but I had come too far to fail now!
“My liege please! I can make this right! I will put a stop to them at once!”
“If they are here...then Serafina already is aware of your movements, which means she is aware of mine...or however little that is….” I gasped as their heel was removed from my back. “What will you do to keep my favor Morlo?”
“I will send my….my spies to slow down their progress. I have many contacts that I can call to make sure this will not be a problem.” They chuckled darkly at me as they went to sit and I stood up slowly, rubbing my back, I lifted the table and spread out a map. “I will begin moving the children we have here to our ships in the mountains. Our base in Zhikar is well hidden and we can stay there for quite some time.” I rubbed a shaky hand across my brow as I looked up at my master. They were staring at me emotionlessly and I was not sure if my words had angered them.
“I will send you some of my creations and I had better see more progress this time to make up for this failure Morlo. I also have beings that I will send to assist you. This is not a kindness, nor is it a show of good faith. This is a warning. Do not fuck this up Morlo, if I have to get involved...well...don’t let me get involved.” I swallowed deeply as they looked down at the map. “Also...do something about the nature god.”
I looked at my liege as they gestured to the monitors on the other side of the room. I quickly walked over as I saw the Supernova walk through the forest. I zoomed in as he casually walked on, I frowned as he stopped and held a hand to his chin in deep thought. His head turned to the camera with a knowing smirk before he winked and the signal went dead. I jerked away from the monitors in anger, I turned to my liege but they were already gone.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!!” I threw a chair into the monitor and tossed all of my documents around the room in my rage. I could hear my men shuffling outside the door, and they knew better than to disturb me in my angered state. “Bring one in now!”
I let out a deep breath as the door opened and I heard a pathetic whimper behind me. I grasped my dagger on my belt with a tight hand. I needed to focus, and assembling my forces would be the first step. For now, releasing some stress would help with that. Straightening up, I smiled and turned toward a shaking child by the door. “Hello sweetheart, are you ready to play a game?”
She shook her head fiercely as I walked over twirling my dagger. “Well...you don’t really have much of a choice I’m afraid. I’d love it if you’d start screaming…” Feeling flesh tear with my blade always made me feel alive, but I would not get this satisfaction if my liege killed me for my failings. I’d have to call in quite a lot of favors to make this work. Some sacrifices could be made of course, and...I looked down at the child gasping at life beneath me.
“Let’s continue shall we? I want to savor this before I get to work…”
~~~
“We have no time for any more mistakes! Move these children faster and make sure that man is being slowed down!” I growled low in my throat at the crying children and my men struggling to round them up. “Just pick them up you idiots! If they keep complaining, beat them, or kill some of them for all I care!” I stared over the raised balcony at them shuffling about faster. I wiped the leftover blood off my cheek as I heard someone run up behind me. “You had better have something worthwhile to report…”
“Our forces are moving in on the Supernova, and some of your contacts have gotten back to us. They want some type of compensation for the trouble.”
“They will have it! Just make sure they get here.” I glanced around the room and narrowed my eyes down at the young boy from the earlier sacrifice. It was obvious that he was afraid, but he kept a determined look on his young face. I was almost impressed by his strength, but it would not matter much longer in the end. I watched as he was dragged away before I went about my business. Heading down a hallway, I shut the door behind me and stared at the glowing orb floating in the center.
“Hopefully they will answer this time….” I placed my hand on it and felt a surge of energy course through my body. I hated using this form of communication because the bastards hardly answered my summons. “Hey! Answer my summoning's! This is an emergency!”
I watched as energy ran through the orb but no response came out of it. My patience had always been thin, but this was a dire situation. I had no time for their games, my life depended on it. “The Darkness will not be pleased that you have been ignoring me…”
“What is it Morlo?”
“He always calls at the worst times…”
“Filthy little mortal….always needs a handout.”
“....I hate being bothered…” I let out a breath as several voices poured out of the orb. Using the name of my liege always got them in a panic. Tch...and they called themselves Gods? I would have called them pathetic, but regrettably, they did have more sway and power than I did.
“My liege has need of your services. The Supernovas are moving in on our operation and they need to be taken care of. We need this handled swiftly, before the Light joins the fight.”
“HA! You think she won’t notice if we even take out one of her toy soldiers? We’d be dead before we’d even see her.”
“I’m trying to keep under her radar…” I frowned as the complaints started to come in. Cowards.
“Besides….what makes you think we can take even one of them? Nim, the God of Lightning, just obliterated a god just the other week with one swing of his sword. I would rather not…”
Fucking children.
“So you would rather my liege rip you cowards apart then? Are you so scared of these Supernovas and the Light, when my master has far worse things they could do to you. Need I remind you what would happen if none of you comply?” The silence was like music to my ears. “I have a counter to these Supernovas regardless.”
“Oh? What would that be then?”
“I’m sure you all know of the black market...and the items they sometimes procure…” I smiled wickedly as I heard some gasps. “I would be more than willing to gather them for you, that is if you’ll help our master.”
I heard them murmuring to themselves and I rolled my eyes at their indecisiveness. I was about to snap at them to get it together, but a dark chuckle gave me pause.
“When do we start?”
My lips curled into a wicked smile as I relayed to them what the plan would be going forward. Nothing would stop me from pleasing my master, not these children, the gods, these Supernovas, not even the Light herself.
Chronicles of the Supernovas: Children of Darkness
Chapter 5: Be Strong, Be Brave, in A Hopeless Place
Altair
It was cold again in this new area that we were in. I scratched my face as my dried tears started to make my face itch. I rubbed my nose as I curled up into a fetal position. The other kids around me were silent and staring through the bars of our cage. Most of them had stopped crying weeks ago when they realized it was pointless. I haven’t shed a tear since I was really small. Crying would mean more beatings, and I didn’t want that again. One of the other kids shared a blanket with me, but it was so cold that it didn’t matter. I hated that I couldn’t feel my toes. I just wanted to be warm and have something to eat.
“Move the damn prisoners now!” I flinched as the guards hit their weapons against the cage. I sat up as the cage moved. We were being moved a lot and everyone was scared that they would finally kill us all. I was afraid of that too, but I would not show it. Most of the other kids had nothing to go back too, but I did. I had to get back to my grandfather. Although, when I was taken, he was beat up by the men. He could be dead for all that I knew...then I would be just like the rest of these kids.
“Altair?” I slowly looked at a girl beside me who had managed to keep her doll. “Are we ever going to go back home?”
“I…I don’t know…” I looked away from her as we bumped along the road. “You should just forget about it…”
I ignored her whimpers and silent tears, they wouldn’t magically make our lives better. Tears wouldn’t bring back the others who had died along the way. I hated seeing other people cry because I couldn’t do it myself. I had to be strong or the problem would only get worse.
“Altair….”
I turned around quickly as I heard a voice call out my name. It was like a whisper in my ear and it made my head hurt a bit. Everyone was yelling and crying but I heard it so clearly. My stomach started to hurt again and I curled up again. This feeling has been happening for a few weeks, and I was afraid I caught some sort of illness. I’d probably be better off than the others though. They would just get rid of me at that point. I could escape if I just played dead then. The girl next to me kept whimpering and I was starting to worry because if she kept it up, I would also get in trouble.
“Hey...be quiet...we’re going to get in trouble…”
“I just want to go home...I want my mom and dad…”
“Yeah well...you have to shut up so the rest of us don’t get in trouble…” I sat up and frowned as she looked at me with tears in her eyes. “Please...I think the next place we go will be the last.”
“Really?”
“Yes...now go to sleep or something.” She gave me a happy smile and laid back down, but I knew I shouldn’t have lied, but that was the only way to get her to shut up. I didn’t need her to drag me down into the gutter with her. I had to think about myself and only myself in all this. I refused to be punished or killed because of her.
“Is the boss back yet?” I looked through the bars of the cage at the men who took us. They always talked about some leader but I never saw him. My curiosity got the better of me as I crawled further into the cage to listen better. I tried to listen to the guards often in case anything important was said. If I could escape because they said something they weren’t supposed to, I’d take that chance.
“No but he said we should start taking them to the Pit…”
“Ugh...I hate going there…”
The guard shuddered and I hated to think about why he did. Whatever they had planned for us could not be good at all. I had to get out of here soon, but I never could find the chance to do that. My ears started to ring as I heard a voice again. I covered my ears as the ringing grew louder and louder. I wish it would stop. I wish I was not in this cage of torment. I’d do anything to be safe.
“Altair…”
“Shut up!” The cage came to a harsh stop and the other kids looked at me with wide eyes. I tried to calm myself down as the guards made their way over. I didn’t mean to yell,but the voice just wouldn’t stop calling me. It had hurt so bad, but what was coming would probab;y be worse.
“What the hell are you screaming for you little bastard?” I swallowed back my nerves as I slowly shook my head. He reached through the bars and yanked me forward, slamming my face against the cold bars. My head was really throbbing now and I forced myself not to cry out or whimper. The man was glaring at me intensely and his angered breath on my face almost made me throw up. The heavy smell of alcohol always made me feel sick.
“I-I’m sorry! I had a...a bad dream!”
“Keep making noise and I’ll make your nightmares a reality!” He threw me back into the cage and I curled back under my small blanket. “All you fucking brats keep fucking quiet!”
The others silently watched him walk back to his friends and I just wanted to rest. I would have gone right to sleep, if I didn’t feel a hand on my shoulder.
“Altair…” The crying girl was pulling at my shirt and I brushed her off. “A-Are you alright?”
“Shut up!” I whispered through my teeth. “You must have a death wish, you brat. My head only hurts a bit.”
“I wanted to make sure you were ok…”
“Well don’t do that!” I tossed the blanket at her and her eyes filled with tears, and it almost made me feel bad for yelling. I frowned, however, I could not be weak like her. Weakness meant pain and suffering and probably death. She could drag herself down that path, I had to look out for myself. “Go and cry over there or something…”
“B-But I...I’m scared to be alone.”
“Join the club then! All of us are scared! You are not special!” Tears streamed down her face now and I licked my lips in annoyance. Rolling my eyes, I turned away from her and covered my ears to drown out her whimpering. It also helped, because the cart had stopped again and I heard her scream and cry as the men yelled and beat her into silence.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry!
Be strong. Be strong. Be strong!
If I didn’t then I would just end up like all the others. Weak and dead. I would make it out of here if it was the last thing I did. If the others had to suffer so I could make it then so be it. My life was the only thing worth saving. The cold air made me tremble and I didn’t want to fall asleep yet, but the guards were too far away now. I couldn’t make out what they were saying now. My head was still ringing as I started to get sleepy and I couldn’t stop my eyelids from slowly falling shut.
~~~
“Get up!”
My eyes shot open as I was thrown to the ground and dirt went into my mouth. Spitting it out, I looked up at the guard who yelled at me last night. I scurried to my feet quickly as he scoffed and walked away. The other kids were waking up and following behind them and I quickly followed suit. I saw the girl from last night holding her doll tightly, but I ignored her so she would get the message to finally leave me alone.
“Altair?”
I groaned as I felt a tug on my shirt. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?” I stopped walking to face her and was surprised at how pretty she was. It was hard to see her under the cover of night, but out in the sunlight she was really pretty. Her eyes were different colors and her hair was messy but a nice brown color. I cleared my throat as my cheeks grew warm, I was not gonna let a pretty face make me feel bad.
“I thought that we could be friends…”
“I don’t need any friends...I’m just trying to get out of here and survive.” I brushed past her and she skipped next to me. “You have too much positive energy…”
“Huh?”
“Like...you’re way too happy in this type of situation. Are you not scared?”
“Yes...but I just hope that everything will get better soon. Maybe someone will rescue us...like a knight on a white horse!”
“Wow...you are delusional…” She tilted her head at me and her gaze made me blush again. “W-What?”
“You know a lot of big words…” She smiled at me then. “How old are you? How do you know such big words?”
“I-I’m 10…” I looked away as she waited for my response. “My...my grandfather read a lot of books to me when I was small. I guess it just rubbed off on me...I used to read a lot.”
“I don’t know how to read. Can you teach me how to do it?”
“I um...s-sure I guess.”
“Yay!”
“Hey! Keep up brats!”
We hurriedly caught up to the rest of the group before we got in trouble. I have no idea why I agreed to help her read, but I had to remember to worry about myself at the end of the day. If I had to throw her to the side to make it...then I would do that.
It was survival of the fittest.
“Altair?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think we are gonna be ok?”
“.....” What kind of question was that? How was I supposed to answer that?
“Just….just keep walking ok?” I finally took notice of where we seemed to be walking towards. I hadn’t been in a forest for a long time and I usually liked being in the woods, but this place seemed wrong. It was sunny when I was thrown out of the cage, but now it was growing dark. The trees were all bent and the grass was dry and dead. The other kids were whispering and huddled up as we moved on. The men pushed us along faster and I was not too keen on being here much longer.
“Think the payout will be good this time?”
“I hope so...look how many of these kids we managed to round up. The payoff had better be worth it, it was hard as hell getting this many.”
“Morlo always keeps his word despite how much of an ass he can be. That guy is a master at this type of work.”
“Are we meeting him at the rendezvous point?”
“Yeah I hear he’s in a pretty good mood so this will probably work out good for us.” I listened closely to the guards, hoping that anything they said would be useful. It just seemed like they were only talking about how much they would make. I felt instant relief because it meant that we would live another day, but be taken to another place. I smiled to myself as we all moved on and I looked down as the girl grasped my hand. I wanted to tell her to let go, but I couldn’t find my voice at that moment.
“You’ve made it. Good...you all are right on time.”
Everyone stopped as we looked at a man looking over a cliff. The men walked further ahead of us and bowed their heads. The man who spoke slowly turned around and looked over all of us. I did my best not to avert my gaze, but he made my skin crawl. His bald head had a large scar that ran over his head and across his face. It made him look so terrifying and I just wanted to run away as fast as I could. He fixed his jacket as he made his way down to us. The guards moved out of his way and he stopped in front of a younger boy.
“How many have you brought me?”
“Over three hundred sir, and we have two hundred more on the way.” He nodded and chuckled as he looked at us all over once more. “Have we...have we not pleased you sir?”
“No no...you have done excellent work, men. I’ll be sure to give you your rewards as soon as we wrap this up.” He knelt in front of the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. “What is your name, young man?”
“B-Brian…”
“Nice to meet you Brian...my name is Morlo. I’m sure you’re worried about everything that is happening. Well...I’m here to tell you that you have nothing to worry about.”
“R-Really?”
“Of course...here let me show you something. All of you children are important to the future of the world...of this universe. You have important duties that you all have to have to accomplish.”
The man named Morlo led Brian up the cliff and we all watched silently as they talked between each other. Brian had a smile slowly forming on his face, but I had a feeling that he was lying about something, but I had no idea what. Morlo waved his hand and the guards made us follow him up. I felt the girl grip my hand tightly as we moved forward. Brian and Morlo stopped at the edge of the cliff and they faced us and we stopped.
“Now children...look at Brian, look at how brave and strong he is standing with me. He is going to be the stepping stone to our bright future! Hold your heads high, children! Know that after today you will be a part of a greater purpose! You have all been chosen and I’m here to guide you to sanctuary!” He looked down and smiled at Brian and he smiled back at Morlo. I felt my stomach twist in unease as Morlo patted Brian’s shoulder. My worry was justified as he gripped up the back of Brian’s shirt and threw him over his shoulder, right over the cliff!
Everyone began to panic and scream as Morlo turned towards the cliffside and laughed. A dark fog rose from the cliff and we all heard Brian screaming and begging for help, to be saved. The sounds coming from over the cliff were terrifying. It sounded like something was attacking him and weird sounds of squishing noise came out. We didn’t hear Brian scream anymore, but we grew silent as a loud thud sounded from the cliff.
“Welcome to the Pit, children! Where all your lives will be used to their full potential!” I fell to the ground as a large black hand shot out of the Pit. A monster pulled itself out and roared at us with rows and rows of teeth. Everyone started to run but I was frozen to the ground. My eyes widened as more creatures poured from the dark abyss. They charged forward and stopped the others from running away. The men who brought us here even looked scared and that made me feel even worse.
“Line the children up and bring them up here.” One of the men dragged me to my feet and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. My legs shook as everyone was pushed forward and thrown over the cliff. The cries and panic from everyone before me made my head spin. I was going to die. This was it.
“A-Altair?” Hearing my name, I took notice of the girl I had been talking to. She was still holding her doll as she was looking at me with pure fear in her eyes. She was walking slowly in front of me, but she never turned to look ahead of her.
“I-I…” I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to her. My throat felt so dry and my mind felt empty. “.......”
“Altair...I’m-” I never heard the rest of what she said as she disappeared from my sight. I looked up as she screamed and soared through the air. Her doll fell from her small hands as many hands grabbed at her and tore her to pieces. I trembled as Morlo grasped the edge of my shirt and held me over the edge. I never even knew that girl’s name, maybe I should have been nicer to her. Did that even matter anymore? I was about to join her in death soon. The Pit was pitch black and the only thing I could see were the creatures and they were horrifying.
“A brave one we have here….” I was pulled back and Morlo gripped up my face to look closely at me. “Not even a single tear…” He pushed me to the ground and wiped his hands on his pants before he walked past me. “Gather the remaining children we’re moving. Congratulations children! The bravery of that young man has earned you all the right to travel elsewhere to somewhere just as exciting!”
I grunted as I was pulled to my feet and pushed along with the rest of the kids. Morlo continued talking and sprouting out his nonsense. I couldn’t hear any of it as I walked on. I knew this was only the beginning of our torment and I had a feeling the next place would be worse. Morlo stopped and smiled at us and I felt suddenly cold when he did, colder than I felt last night. My lips trembled as he laughed at our scared and panicked faces. It was at that moment that I finally found my voice.
