Chapter 5 DARK BIRD

''Runnnnnn''

A voice yells as people begin to run

''what's going on Joe'' Zac asks as he sees people running towards their houses

''I think the kingdom is under attack'' Joe says

''Okay hurry get all the men you can gather and let's be on guard'' Zac replied as Joe

run to gather men for battle. As Zac prepare himself for battle and rushes over

to join the others

''Today,

we were not prepared for this, but back in the war we were never prepared for

anything, so today pray for the best but still hope for the worst, Let's

fucking Gooooo!!!!'' Zac yells as they

head to the main market where it was confirmed that were attacked

''What

do you want from us'' Zac yells as he and his soldiers moved in unison towards

the fire as stores were being burnt and houses and goods

''Your

king defiled orders and now he will pay'' One of the men who were destroying

the stores and killing anyone they see

''Attack''

Zac yells Quick as a snake Zac flashes his hand from the pocket and bring

out a knife, in a single move, turns and slashes his arm as he falls back,

clutching his face, as another of the bandits come running he slashed high

across the cheek and his eyes and blood flows, as Joe joins him slashing them

one after the other as they ran coming as the Superior of the Bandits runs

coming with full speed with his sword raised up high Jerome reaches across his

body with his right hand, grips the handle of his sword just below the guard,

draws it out, snaps it forward so it's pointing at the bandit, then places his

left hand on the grip just below the right he draws the sword up over his head

and snaps it down brings his own sword up cutting the side of the superior

bandit the superior bandit rotating his

sword around sideways so that the handle is up high, above and to the left of Jerome's

face, and the blade slopes down and to the right, providing a roof above him

Jerome blow bounces off this roof like rain, and then the Superior Bandit sidestep

to let him go by and snaps the sword down toward his unprotected shoulder but

Jerome is moving too fast, and the superior's timing is off. The blade cuts behind and to

the side of Jerome. Both men wheel to face each other, back up, get back into

the stance breathing heavily. Jerome

makes another attack. This is pretty straightforward a quick shuffling approach

and then a snapping cut in the direction of the superior's ribcage. The Superior parries it. Joe joins in

with his sword with a ear-splitting screech and shuffles toward The superior bandit

, he cuts and snaps Joe's blade, Jerome

parries the attack, turns around, and cuts both of the Superior legs off just

above the knees after Joe distracts him

the superior collapses to the floor.

"Well well!" Jerome

says breathing heavily. "Lookee here!" He says as he whips his blade

sideways, cutting off both of the Superior forearms, causing the sword to

clatter onto the floor. Jerome continues, whipping the sword around sideways,

cutting the Superior's body in half just

above the navel. Then he leans down so he's looking right into the Superior's

face.

'They

are too much'' Jerome yells as he brings out his rod and pierces it through

them as they kept on coming

''Yes

we are outnumbered and our men are down'' Joe yelled as he hears a Gunshot shot

by Zac, the gunshot disturbs a pigeon which was roosting in a recess above the

stores that was been burnt by the bandits, it flies with a sudden flutter of

wings towards Zac and shot dead in an instant by Zac''

''Enough,

we know nothing of which you speak, your fight is with the king not us go now

else we would kill you like we killed your superior'' Zac says as they ran off

''Now

you believe me?'' Joe says

''I

think so'' Zac says as he bends breathing really fast

Yelling and chanting drew nearer and nearer as cool breeze suddenly turn to warm tjwn ot breeze

''What is that all about'' Mayhem says as he stands up and looks outside from where he

sat, he sat outside the back of his mansion

''I

think it's our people dad'' Nora says

''Our

people'' Mayhem says as he lets out a laugh and walks down stairs

''What

made you all come here with sticks with fire and forks as if you are going to

war'' Mayhem says

''The

kingdom was under attack yesterday, and you did nothing'' A voice from the

crowd spoke

''I

was not aware of that'' Mayhem says in denial

''That

is a lie, we sent words to Dabur and when we came here for help the gates were

locked''

''You

know what yes, yes I knew and what'' Mayhem answers as his mood changes almost

immediately

''Why

do you, do this us, what did we do to offend you, you are at war with bad

people and now they want to kill us all''

''Your

father's did this not me, babies disguarded in fish bone and egg shells, girls

twelve years old pierced and punched by old men, fathers with their daughter

and brothers and sisters share beds, beggars and thieves left to run on the

streets, your fathers did this to you all, and all my father did was bring a

revolution of a kingdom without rules and a kingdom without laws, a kingdom

where we all lived as kings, but no your fathers who blind those that see the

evil they do, and cut off the tongues of those that talk, but you are worse

than them, those of you who look the other way, Goddamn you''

''So

you punish us for what we know nothing about, how ironic''

''Get

him'' Mayhem yells at the soldiers guarding his gates, ran towards him but to

no avail as he escaped

''Leave

him be, today is his day, and you all here, but if you stay here after I leave

you will suffer the consequences'' The king says as he left

''Today

we leave, but that does not mean we have failed'' Jerome yells as they all left

Few Days After

''Did

anyone check in here few weeks ago or a month ago?'' Jeff asks unsure of the time

frame as he is still dramatized by the whole incident

''Lots

of people check in here'' The warden replied with a bright smile

''Be

specific'' She adds

''His

name is Zack Asher'' Jeff replied

''Okay,

hold on'' The warden says as she goes through her files

''No,

person with that name has been admitted here sorry'' She says

''Arrgh''

Jeff yells in agony

''Calm

down Jeff'' Nora says as she tries to calm him down with a warm hug

''I

am just so confused at the moment, I lost Jennie, I lost my dad, I do not know

if he still alive wer have check almost all the health centers, and Jennie is

not here to calm me down she always does that really well'' Jeff says as he

sits

''Well

I am here now'' Nora says with a smile

Moments Later

''It

was a bad idea really'' Zac says

''I

do not think so'' Joe replied

''We

still needed a plan'' Zac says

''A

man with a plan is destined to lose, I

have prepared a meeting with our army in an hour we are moving tomorrow again

this time we are not taking no for an answer'' Jerome adds

''No,

no, no Jerome, we need to be patient, patience is key'' Zac says

''The

patience that has half of our men dead, and our means of survival almost gone,

if we stay like this a little bit more, we would all die in our homes, not me

Jerome the son of the great solider who fought for this kingdom in battle many

years ago, I am not a coward'' Jerome says as he storms out

''They

would just be walking into their demise'' Zac says as he stares at Joe

''We

are like the living who is dead already Zac what differences does it make'' Joe

says as he leaves

Smoke

fill the air, as cold wind blows softly around them. A sudden warm rainstorm

washes down in sweet hyphens.

''We are here today, to take a vote and strike

action but before we have a show of hands for that, let's have a show of hands

of all those who fought in Boca for our freedom (the men who gathered raise

their hands up), all those who stood side by side with your brothers at war and

watch your brothers fall, raise your hands (they raise their hands), the blood

shed on the field as we work, the sweat of your brows, who reaps the rewards,

is it you? (They all answered no) Is it your wife (the answered again saying

no). Who then? Do they stand among us? Or do they sit at home comfortable with

their full belly while you scrape to find enough to put food for your families

and what is the reward they offer for this sacrifice? A fucking bandit attack,

a fucking cut in our percentage of food we strived and worked for from

neighboring kingdoms. Raise of hands all those who want to strike'' Jerome

yells as they all raised their hands

''That

was amazing'' A famine voices says as Jerome looks back

''Zara?''

He says in surprise

''You

remember me? How wonderful'' Zara says

''Of

course I do, it's been a while'' Jerome says as he lit up a cigarette

''Yeah,

great speech'' Zara adds

''Yeah

thank you, let's go have some drinks in the pub catch up like old times''

Jerome replied

''Not

today, I was in a hurry but when I saw you I thought I would stop to say hello,

and stop having your meetings in open places, you do not know who is

listening'' Zara replied as she hugged him and left

Later That Day

''My king, my king'' Dabur yells as he came into the chambers of King Mayhem

''Have

not warned you, to stop yelling in the chambers'' Mayhem says

''I'm

so sorry my king, it is just the circumstances my king'' Dabur responds

''What

is this all about'' Mayhem asks

''They

are plotting an attack my king'' Dabur Replied

''Yes

I know '' Mayhem replied

''My

king how did you know'' Dabur asks curious

''Worry

not about that Dabur, Meet the maiden and get wine Dabur this calls for

celebration'' Mayhem says with a smile as he stands from where he sat

''Celebration

my king?'' Dabur asked

''Since

you came in here you have asked two questions and that's a lot in my books,

enough of the question and get the maiden to get wine from the cellar'' Mayhem

replied

''Okay

my king'' Dabur replied

''Close

your eyes and he was never there'' The king says with a smile