"There she was in the cage, her left arm chained to the bars leaving her right free. She still wore that dress from last night, the same night when the Earl slashed my face. That bastard. I walked over hiding my true feelings for her as she scurried back to the backside of the cage.
"'I am not going to hurt you creature,' I said, 'I am a friend.'
"The woman did not respond.
"I know you are scared of all of this,' I said, 'But I reassure you that you do not need to worry about any pig in this ship. You are safe.'
"The woman clearly does not believe me. I took another approach.
"'Can you speak?' I asked.
"No reply.
"'Can you speak?' I asked once more.
"Again no reply.
"Okay,' I began, 'My name is General Yalen Yashmit of the Kingdom of the Neoworld, Son of the Archduke of Garos and Archduchess of Wes Li. To whom do I have the pleasure to meet?' I asked being friendly.
"'S-S-Samantha,' said the woman.
"'Samantha? That's your name isn't it?' I asked.
"Just before she replied, a knock was heard on my door. It so happens to be the Earl.
"'General Yalen, I wish to speak with you privately,' he announced. I sighed.
"'Forgive me for what I'm about to do to you,' I said to her, dragging the cage from the corner of my bed, hurting her in the process as she screamed in horror, terrified for what is about to happen. I shoved her into the closet and shut the door. Suddenly, something dropped from my pockets; I bothered not to get it as I reached for the doorknob and opened the door.
"'Was the screaming?' he asked.
"'Either you are drunk or you are just hallucinating,' I said annoying the Earl.
"'Charming,' he said coming into the room with nothing in hand. No knife, no sword, nothing. I arched my right brow at this. Does he know the trickery our people can be. We would fight to be in a powerful position. We would do anything to equate to you King Mungfalme. Anything!
...
In the closet, Samantha struggled to get herself free from the bars, but there was no use. The cage was unbreakable. She pulled and pulled until blood seeped from her chained hand. Gash wounds appeared on her arm the harder she pulled until her own force pushed her forward back to the door harming her head.
"What was that?" asked the Earl from outside the door.
"What was what?...oh it must have been those rats. Damn rodents festering the place..." the General continued.
Her tears slithered down her face as she silently sobbed in her cage, hopeless that she would ever be free...until she saw something. Trying on the ground at peace was her badge. She tried grabbing it but it was far from her reach. Suddenly instead of using her arms, she used her legs. She outstretched her legs to lightly pull the badge from the tip of the crack of the door to the cage. Finally when it was at her reach she grabbed it.
She took long look at the marvelous piece as it let off a shine from the closet's artificial light.
...
"'Take a seat," I said making the Earl comfortable. He sat down on the desk, I followed suit by sitting on my bed.
"Good afternoon isn't it?' the Earl began.
"'It is,' he said.
"'You know before I start, I want to say that I had this feeling inside me burning for a long time. I want to know something.'
"'Like what?'
"These humans...what do you think about them?'
"'As vermin why?'
"'Just a saying. The reason why is because I have been hearing rumors about you housing a human for a pet. Is it true?'
"'If it were than I would have killed every single creature on this ship.'
"'You mean the humans?'
"'Does it matter?'
"Then something wicked happened, that smile slithered its way across this demon's face. His smug look was poisonous to my eyes. Was I caught or was I saved. I didn't know.
"'That is all I need to hear,' he said getting up, before he left out completely he said this, "And oh if I dare see this human anywhere on my ship instead below in the Untouchable Zones below deck, I will have you executed,' he said and closed the door.
...
Samantha heard the door closed, she quickly stuffed the badge in her chest hiding it from the General; hearing the knob rattle from the door she held on to her chest to try to keep the badge from slipping from her.
The door opened; The General was covered in sweat. Samantha was scared for her life once more.
"Come on you're coming with me," he said.
TEN
I FINALLY MADE it home; it had been hours since I left the school house; the sun had reached its peak in the sky. I say that the warmth of the air had not spurred to Olympic levels like last time. The rich folks who were dropping me off gawked at the sight. Yeah it was not a pretty sight for foreign eyes. The driver arched his brow at the land, curious of my residence.
This was open land, vast to see the edge of the world. At least it was what my mother told me before she passed. It was as if they never seen farmland before. It was funny to my eyes because of how distant they were. Years living outside of the land could alienate man from nature - despite the fact that it was safer there than out here all alone in the openness where anything could happen.
The Duke of Washington was like the only one who has not gawked at the slightest. It was as if he understood where I was coming from or somewhat. We finally stopped at the old mailbox. I turned around to see the house still standing firm, untouched by foreign hands. The fields were still emptied - at least the temperature was comforting enough for me to grow crops again before the month is over. Thanks to the heat wave, it might take over about a month and a half for the crops to grow. Well despite having a little bit of money with me, I guess it'll have to do until the crops grow.
Mr. Dalton was not fond at my house. He saw it as some sort of plague. A diseased ridden home, "You live in a shack?" he asked.
"It's my home," I said, "It's my land...it was a gift from my parents."
"So your parents gave you a heaping pile of junk they call a house? Heh, well as a sharecropper you should live with better living arrangements such as a ranch or a townhouse over in Emily City. You can’t possibly survive out here all alone...and with your sister!"
"I have survived here for almost five years alone Mr. Dalton in addition of " I said, "This home happens to be my parents."
"Don't mind him, Mr. Gilliganson," the Duke of Washington said, "He's a little..."
"No I'm a little shaken," Mr. Dalton intercepted, "How can you survive out here?"
I smiled, "Just chance." I opened the door to the carriage without the driver getting it for me. I know that he wanted to...or needed to, I wasn't sure, but I just felt the need just to leave on my own without anyone aiding me. It's just the kind of person I am. I closed the door behind me.
"You know we have a driver to open the door for you, you know," said Mr. Dalton.
"It's quite alright," I said.
"Are you sure you don't want to spend some time at the Kaminoyama Villa?" Mr. Dalton offered me, "You and your sister will be safe there. And plus you will be housed by the finest..."
I held my hand up halting his offer, "Thank you, but no thank you," I said, "I appreciate the offer, but my luck is to remain here."
"Is that your final decision?" the Duke of Washington asked.
I nodded.
"Well then, you know where to find us - beyond the tracks between the lakes, from there you'll see the villa," he said.
I nodded.
"Have a good day, Mister Michael," he said, I waved. The driver whipped the horses, the horses clopped away turning back around as the rich folks in the carriages ride off back to their villa. I walked back to the house just before looking at the fields again. They need to be treated. Well it was a good thing that there was an aquifer. Yes we have an aquifer, I'm also surprised that the industrialists from the city had not spotted it since they often complained that th
eir water supply is tainted by useless junk.
...
I took off my shoes and placed them by the door. The house was silent...eerily silent since Nya and Thames are in the schoolhouse things had been silent around here. Too silent. What can I do for the time being? I could read the books my parents left behind only downside is that I read those books nearly to death. As old and as compelling they were: the language, the syntax, characters, etc, I would often fall asleep at the fifth chapter. I could write? but what could I write about? I could listen to music, but the records had been broken. So what could I do? Just talk to myself?
I guess it would be best that I would just go to my study and read a few books here and again until I get a call from Ms. Jillian that is over. It was an hour and a half walk. That means that Ms. Jillian had to keep her company until I come over.
Suddenly, the telephone rang. What a convenience. I picked up the phone and answered the call.
"Hello," I began.
"Hello, Michael is that you?" It was the Salesman from the other day! Why is he calling me? Not that I'm complaining, but why?
"I'm just letting you know that I am on my way to your house," he said making me to furrow.
"Wait? How are you calling me?"
"Does not matter," he said, "Just be prepared for what is to come."
"Can you tell me right now?" I asked, "I mean you are calling me from an unknown source."
"No, this information should be kept in secret. Can you wait for me until I get there?" he asked.
"Sure, I will," I said and hung up the phone. I was turning to go to the room until my eyes dragged my head to the familiar object...the Orb, the orb that I placed on the counter yesterday. It was funny I was not thinking about the orb all day yesterday. I thought Nya had put it back where it was like I told her. Looks like Nya and I would have to have a long talk. However, there was something with it. I was curious about it. There was no tag on it. No address, no name, no date. nothing. All there was a large yellow rectangle on the surface.
I shook it; I heard nothing but a strange beeping noise - it flat-lined. Instinctively I threw the orb across the wall and ducked for cover. The orb exploded intense blue light outshining the fluorescent light bulb above me. In fetal position, I thought that it was the end for me until the light died down. I uncurled my body and opened my eyes to see that the hatch was open. Boy was I stupid.
"What the hell?"
Cautiously I crawled over to the orb. I peeked inside the hatch and discovered what happened to be the most anticlimactic objects that I had the pleasure of looking at.
"A badge?"
This was what gave me willies? A simple badge? Well that was strange. to what I could tell, the badge was circular shaped and had the same design as the orb. The body was dark blue and the yellow rectangle was centered. There was a yellow ring around the body of the badge. What kind of badge is this?
"You have got to be kidding me," I said. I flipped to the back and I found a little note. I took the note from the badge.
"Alpha?" I said with an arched brow. Little did I know that the low humming and the brightening light from the rectangle was gathering energy.
"Uh oh," I said, again I was about to take cover, realizing that I faced the front of the badge to my wall; in the most unexpected turn of events, the badge had blasted powerful beams of energy at my wall creating a nice hole. That blast alone was enough to send me flying backwards to the stove. I fell down to the table breaking it before my ass landed on the ground back first. I was in pain. Incredible pain. The force of the impact was enough to shatter my spine...but it didn't. It hurts...like hell, but not to the point of being fatal, but benign. I was shocked to what I have witnessed.
I panted, yes I did. I looked at the badge in both fear and...interest.
"Damn," I said in awe.
CLANK.
My head snapped to the direction of the noise it was coming from.
CLANK.
There it was again, I heard something fall to the floor yonder...but it was not from the house. no, it was coming from an outside source. How in the hell could my hearing be this enhanced - unless it was from the aftershock from the badge - or was it? I was not sure in the slightest. Not in the slightest. I hot up slowly, my head facing the direction of the sound...out from the hallway straight towards...the barn.
My eyes squinted from confusion. I took a short glance at the badge before I gently stuffed the badge in my pockets. My instincts kicked up again; I walked over to the fireplace and grabbed the gun from the fireplace and walked outside.
...
I slowly pushed the door with the butt of my gun. The old barn had not been maintained since...well ever. Even when I was a lad, the barn was out of shape as it is now - well more really. I looked around, cautious of my surroundings, knowing that at any moment anything could happen. I heard a faint growl from afar before it fainted.
"Hello, is anyone here?" my voice echoed in the emptiness of the barn, "Anyone?"
A piece of wood fell on the ground causing me to aim my gun at the direction where the wood fell. I heard tapping footsteps from afar. I thought I was going insane so insane that I was about to open fire in the barn. I was indoctrinated by fear no doubt, maybe I was going insane. I haven't visited this barn ever since they were alive. The haunting echoes from its once turbulent past still voiced itself in its own darkness - if it had a turbulent past to speak of. The barn was so old that plants were growing around, almost making it look like a cave from the inside. Weeds grew from underneath the floorboards, the bacteria was eating the wood away rotting it from the inside making it weak and brittle. The rusting chains hanging on the rotting beams above me chimed as they continue to age in the vastness of time.
So was the sounds was part of my imagination? Was I going mad?
I withdrew my gun and took a breather.
"Strange," I ended it with a final note as I made my way to the double doors - until my ears caught an eeire screeching noise from afar. I had no time to react when a green, scaly reptilian humanoid tackled me to the ground clawing its long sharpened claws at my skin. I threw him off with my gun sending him flying to a beam. I quickly got up, pumped my gun and open fire.
BANG!
The creature dodged the blast leaping from one beam to the next. I fired at the creature but I could not get a good aim. He swung around the beams like an ape swinging on vines in a dense jungle. Me continuing to blast this damn thing to kingdom come, it leaped off from the beam into the air missing the bullets flying towards as he spun horizontally down towards my face delivering me a powerful high roundhouse kick to my left cheek bone.
I had no time to fight back. No time at all. I cocked my weapon but to know avail. He was too fast! I pulled the trigger, but the creature animatedly sliced the bullet in mid air inches away from the barrel of the gun with his bare hands, kicked the gun from out of my hands and sliced it into threes, then finally kicking me to the column at the abandoned horse pen. The creature sprinted leaping in the air with its claws outstretched. I moved out of the way just in time. The creature clawed my body, I tried to dodge but the creature was too fast. I pulled out a bowie knife in an attempt to cut it up, but the creature with a monstrous, quickened snarl kicked the knife from my hands; the knife got stuck on a beam, he jumped up and held onto the handle and gave me a powerful kick to my chest forcing me to exert a few pints of blood. The creature flipped off, a knife now in his hands and sprinted towards me. Thinking quickly. I dodged the attack and leaped over the walls to another post. I was running to the double doors, but the creature threw the knife on my leg forcing me to kneel. He then leaped up wrapped his legs around my neck and flipped me to the ground, strangling me. He had that knife in his hands and rapidly stabbed me on lower torso. It does so repeatedly as it laughed.
He rose the knife above my face and thrusts its arm down until...
BANG! A shotgun was heard. The creature was blasted to a wall. There was a nice hole in his
face. I got up, my hand tightening its grip on my torso as I try to stop the bleeding. I turned my head to see the Salesman!
"What's up!" he called, "I am Pappy and I am here to chew bubblegum and kick ass!" he yelled picking up a slug from his shotgun. He smiled with a smug, "And it seems I ran out of bubblegum." The Creature roared angrily; it's back exploded wings.
"Go ahead, make my day you scaly son of a bitch!" he said with a cocky smile, throwing the gun on the ground. I ran to the column thinking that the Salesman was crazy. Do he fights these things? Was he keeping a secret?
The Salesman, now calling himself as this Pappy person pulled out two sabers as the Creature flew with its wings stretched out flying in the air at top speeds. Pappy sprinted over to the Creature with the same velocity; I jumped out of the way. Pappy leaped forward, does a horizontal flip and sliced the creature down the middle with ease all in mid air. He landed to his feet, swung his sword in the air and finally sheathing it. The creature fell and exploded on the ground, leashing out green fire to erupt from its body. Strangely it quickly died out after turning the body into ash.
The Salesman turned its head towards me nodding disapprovingly with a smile. What did I do?
"Boy, I told you stay in your house."
"No you didn't!" I began, "You said that you were going to be here! Oh and question: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"
He took out his smokes and lighter and began to puff, he walked over towards me, "That was a Metaomega. They are energy vampires energy from badges. Are you okay son?" he asked.
"No," I said, "I'm wounded."
"Let me see," he said. It was strange, the more I pressed my arms against the wounds of my lower torso, the less I felt the pain. The Salesman lifted my shirt and to his surprise and to mine the wounds were no longer there. Blue energy was slowly eating away the flesh wound. My eyes popped out of my skull
"You're healing fast," he said in awe.
ELEVEN
The Son of Alpha (The Legend of the Sky-Titans Book 1) Page 6
