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Matt Hein / Fantasy / Efferent | |
| New and Past Animosities, part three. [Anachronistic_Skies] Editing attempt v- 1.0 Chapter Five, Part Three A Harbinger to revolution, pensive thoughts of the ‘serpent’ 5-3-1 Part Three, Act One As the general stood facing the latticed window, towards the verdant countryside of the sprawling and rebuilt republic before him, he could see laborers and artisans still at work to clear away the rubble of prior revolution as the radiant afternoon sun beamed down upon them, the vermillion sky partially interspersed with clouds. Standing in his office and prepared for his leave to the council, he spoke with his two attending female officers casually, as they went about menially assisting his tasks of office. “Ah, general, you look genteel as usual. You requested a wardrobe change for your travels, no?” “Ah, if you could, procure myself the same as usual, Versace suit of pit raptor hide, dress shirt, tie and overcoat. Those should suffice well, Secretary Cambridge.” “As you wish, sire…” She spoke, as she headed off down the creaky old stairwell towards his administration office, his other attending secretary editing his report to the council. “Sire, I discovered errata on your recommendation.” “Are you speaking about the infidelity request?” “Yes, your proposed policy to terminate citizens whom exhibit infidelity. You mentioned-” “I know...Infidels need solid evidence and not hearsay… That was a conscientious error on my part. With all of the formalities of office, my throbbing hand and duties to serve the people, sleep has eluded me lately as though it were a fox. You know, besides distraction, fatigue proves a powerful poison to the quill and its holder.” “Of course sir. I’ll make the amends as needed.” As Jade approached his study, a finely carved and polished mahogany desk facing away from the window at the room’s center front, he picked up his box of ancient photographical wares, and eyed the old prints to somehow make some sense of them. Holding them to the sunlight, he could barely make out the depression of what seemed to be writing through them, but the back revealed no trace of ink. “Hmm…” Jade thought to himself as he leaned against the desk, drinking a small sip of imperial liquor from his flask. As his attendant finished editing his report and handed the parchment slips back to him, the seemingly gentle caress of the room’s solitude seemed to act like abrasive sandpaper scraping away at his conscience. His hand still throbbing as though impaled by fiery needles, and the sudden knocking at the door, Jade suppressed his petulance, and opened the ornamented door, only to see a petty official. “What do you want?” “General, with all due respects, the new conciliate sent me to deliver you a notice. Official orders, sire.” “Well, then, divulge it now!” Jade replied with a harsh tone, as a younger military official stepped towards the general, stopping nearly short of the exotic rug in its center, oddly embossed with the order of the serpent insignia. “Your message, sir…” He spoke, handing a parchment envelope to him from his pocket, as he saluted the general. As Jade opened the envelope, he stepped away from the official, reading the message to himself, the officer lookin on with interest to read the contents. “By recommendation of the imperial council, Jade Maxwell Norbert has been offered the post to direct military staff…” Folding the letter, Jade crumpled it into pieces and threw it to the ground, approaching the official. “I see…” He spoke, as he approached the bewildered official, unsure of the general’s intents. “Is this not a test of my allegiance?!” “No…most noble sire…with all due honestly, we did not at all intend-” “Don’t be so elusive! You know perfectly well in that which I speak. The FIN would appreciate most greatly my ascension to a military post as this information could lead to further recruitment for their cause, even in our cities!” “Of course, sire…” “And one should know from the past, power is best distributed amongst many, and not a few. I cannot commandeer two councils at one time…Comrade, for the authoritarians, the nectar of tyranny may taste sweet, but its corrupting aftertaste ultimately poisons the vermouth wine of their credibility. Now, who signed the disclosure of this article?” “I shan’t say…” “Divulge your logic!” “…only to conclude that it is administrative policy. We need to flush out traitors and dissidents from our government, should we achieve credibility. We do so by means of scenario examination.” “So I see…and I surmise that I passed this examination, did I not?” “You did sir…brilliantly.” “Well, then…now, may I have the official message, the one Reed Cimarron originally intended to deliver?” He asked, withdrawing his saber, as the officer took out yet another envelope, handing it to him.. “Of course, my sire…” General Jade, After some consideration of your faithful service and credibility towards serving our interests, we have decided to grant you authority over a lesser profiled council, the office of public relations and heresy examination. We thank you for your support to the coalition, and the order of the Kai Ne’Hr. Regards, Reed Cimarron “My felicitations sire.” “But I even question this post…” “Now, Dear General, you should be compelled to accept such a post for the sake of formality.” “And I will honour that request. But for now, I am preparing to take leave to LaGuardia…orders of the imperial council, mind you.” Jade spoke, as his attendant approached from the creaky polished stairwell, a wooden box cradled in her arms. “Your apparel, sir…freshly starched and delivered from the wardrobe of the previous ruling party. Versace, just as you requested.” The attendant spoke, as she presented to him, the jet black military overcoat and militant cap, neatly pressed and folded. Unfolding his overcoat and donning it, the general slipped the box of photographs into his inner pocket, as one attendant fixed his briefcase, whiles the other fastened a crimson tie to his guest shirt, smiling at him. “Perhaps later we can rendezvous?” Jade asked suggestively, as the lady smiled at him once again, attributing a final scrub of polish to his shoes, the general pleased with her service. “General, we should be on our way. You only have a few hours until your debut at LaGuardia. The council is anxious for your report.” The messenger spoke, as Jade fastened his saber and stepped towards the doorway. “Cambridge, Alecia, you’re both dismissed…” The general spoke in a tone of finality, as he presented each attending officer a golden Lucre, leaving the area to pursue his next line of agenda. And with that, his estate stood empty as the afternoon sun dimmed slightly. Stepping away from the exquisite and picturesque Imperial estates and towards the common district of Faiye, Jade stood accompanied only by a small entourage of state officials, although the general wished for a moment of privacy. Passing through the recently refurbished streets, and over one of the water purification tunnels, he stopped short of a street lamp as a shrill voice called to him. “Sir Jade? Can I speak with you momentarily?” As Jade turned slightly to look, he could already sense an approaching figure from his rear, as his attending officers kept close watch. “Sir…allow me to introduce myself…” “No need for introductions…Miss, Grey, is it?” “What…how would-“ “Intelligence, my citizen…one can never falter with exuberance.” He spoke in a facetious tone, eyeing her. “The ministry sent me to escort you to your passage…” “And passage by what means, I ask? I have two attending escorts already…” He spoke, as he continued towards the harbour gate, when the lady suddenly stepped affront him, the general pausing. “Come now, general! You should know perfectly well, with all of your intelligence and all…your secret police do a great deal of bidding…” She spoke, motioning as somewhat distracted. “Now, cease this nonsense and step aside. My administration conducts little surveillance upon the people.” He requested as she failed to oblige, his two escorts at guard, as she drew forth a small dagger. “This is for my countrymen!!!” She shouted as she lunged at the general, several other citizens revealing their weapons as well as they rushed at his entourage. “Fordham, Selleck, at arms!” As the lass rushed forth at him with a stabbing lunge, the general leaped to her side and produced his damascene saber, fending yet another vicious strike at his torso with a deflective stride. And yet, both unwavering to lower their defensive stance, both eyes and blades interlocked, the lass shouted at him with rancor. “Tyrant, your ideals are truly bastardized! Why did you massacre my countrymen and don borrowed robes?!” “Borrowed robes? Tyranny?! I see not that in which you speak, lass! So fueled with the fires of fervor, your conscience is clouded, your eyes mislead!” “And the volatile venom of dissent flows through the blood of a tyrant such as yourself.” As the lass struck at the general once again with a lunge, they arrived at odds, Fordham and Selleck combating the enemies ahead. “Why do you continued to follow the order of the throne renounced? To cheer on the pusillanimous Ludan, the very man whom deserted his troops to preserve his welfare and no other!” “You corrupt liar!” She yelled in a final scream of anguish as she dove at his neck, driving her dagger towards him, only to fall short of her objective, impaled upon Jade’s saber. Her dagger clattering to the street and her eyes frozen in wide shock, she crumpled to the cobblestone, a pool of blood forming at her torso. As Fordham and Selleck terminated the threat, the assassins lie dying on the cobblestone street, Jade eyed the lass whom lie before him as she struggled for breath, clasping her wounded torso in outright agony. Setting his right battle boot on her neck, and glancing towards her azure eyes, he spoke to her in near pity. “’Tis the obscure fate of the insurgent dog, to fall at the hands of their masters. Your lack of clear allegiance sickens me…like a savior, my men fought and died for your liberation! And you repay me by romanticizing the enemy?! You wish servitude upon yourselves, but why?” The general asked to the lass as she lay there dying, a priest from the local shelter administering her customary last rites. “May Akael have mercy upon her…” Jade spoke, as with the sudden knoll of the local assembly, the chaotic resonance of incivility echoed across the republic. And yet, their footsteps drowning out the service bells of the cathedral, it seemed as though a mob of insurgents was forming to his front, their leader, a young lad, vociferating at Jade. “We must abdicate the tyrant, the serpent to all aspects of civility. Come hence, brandish your swords and repulse his venom!” “Sire! Let us take flight immediately!” Selleck spoke as Jade held his stance, saber drawn. “Selleck, may Akael have my sacred word I shan’t recede from the claws of conflict.” “General, by all due respects, your welfare matters most to the order of the serpent! Reed Cimarron shall quell this uprising. It is your duty to seek passage to LaGuardia.” As Fordham assented and the mob crept ever closer, Jade sheathed his saber and fled from the enemy towards the harbor, his entourage fulfilling his final defense. His feet clasping across the cobblestone and overcoat ruffling about the breeze, stocked arrows streamed by him, one piercing his overcoat as he flew to the ground with a forward leap. Quickly regaining his balance and making haste for his destination, he heard the death cries of his comrades, turning to see Selleck crumple to the ground and Fordham fall as well as several resisting factions of his order leapt to somehow quell the conflict, firing upon the rebellious citizens with their muskets. With god speed and flight, Jade approached his small briefing council at the foggy harbour, as they stood in wait. “Ah, sir, the evening beckons you…” “And yet, the blood of rebellion repulses me from this district! I order you to take flight immediately!” The general spoke as he handed one of his attending councilmen his briefcase, mounting the saddle of the black dragon before him, the vicious reptilian creature outfitted with talons. “With respect sir, we shall take immediate leave, so soon as we receive confirmation…” “Damn confirmation! As your superior, I order you to take leave, so less I do so myself!” Jade spoke as he snatched the briefcase from the councilman, pulling back on the dragon’s metal reins. “Assist the defending factions and deliver word of my welfare to Reed Cimarron!” The general commanded as his dragon spread its wings, hovering above the harbour with a puissant draft. And yet, with a sudden gust, with great acceleration, it flew off towards the fiery horizon, with unwavering grace. Other Links of interest |
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