A Krimzon Past

Remembrance

Torn sighed in frustration, yet he managed to keep calm. Ashelin just wasn't listening to him… as per usual. He rose to his feet from the step he had been sat on. He glanced around him in deep thought. They were in the throne room of the Palace in Haven City. "This place… It has many memories…" he muttered under his breath. A few feet away, Ashelin stopped in her tracks. She had been in the middle of storming out of the room but his words made her freeze on the spot as if he had threatened to kill her. She turned to face him; her washed-out green eyes focused on the figure of Torn gazing around the large room.

"You are tactless Torn… You can only think of the past now?" she growled in an incredibly riled tone. Torn ignored her. He was slowly running his hand along the worn red velvet fabric on the throne of the dead Baron. Ashelin snorted in dismissal. Torn glanced back up at Ashelin.

"I saved you…" he said in a low tone. "…On more than one occasion!" he added. Ashelin frowned and pointed at him.

"It's because of you All of this happened Torn! It's you who sold out the Underground… It is you who watched as the Baron corrupted this city… You even stood by as Erol became twisted!" she bellowed in anger. Torn opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. A look of shock struck his face. Ashelin grinned, thinking that she had won the fight.

"Erol… That moron…" he said sitting on the arm of the throne, leaning back. He clasped a hand over his chin in deep thought. Ashelin let out a growl of anger as she strolled towards Torn.

"What is it now?" she asked impatiently. Torn looked at her in confusion for a second before sighing to clam himself.

"It must have been what, four years ago now, when I was a commander in the KG… It seems strange to think about everything that's happened…" he muttered in his deep, husky voice. Ashelin looked at him wearily; her anger had dissipated, but had been replaced with curiosity. She sat on the steps up to the throne and waited for him to continue. Torn raised his gaze up to the glass roof above them (which were still stained with mucus from a certain Ottsel.) and smiled slightly.

"I suppose it all started about a year before you joined the KG ranks Ashelin…" Torn said, clearing his throat.

***

Footsteps… Heavy Footsteps… The sound of a unit of Krimzon Guard elites thundering through the water slums in pursuit of a criminal. "You have permission to shoot to kill!" growled a familiar voice. The leader of the group and owner of the voice fell back and turned his back on the scene. Behind him he could hear the screams of the people who desperately tried to escape. "That's the second escaped criminal in three weeks…" There was a succession of gunshots, closely followed by a loud and heavy sounding crash.

The leader turned his head to glance back at the scene. The unit was returning to him. "Commander Torn… sir! The target has been annihilated!" said one of the Krimzon guards. He saluted in respect. Torn nodded in return to the guard. He turned his back on them and began to stroll off.

"Go on patrol, I am returning to the barracks," he said over his shoulder. The Krimzon guards saluted and dispersed.

Torn glanced, with a sense of pride, down at his Commander's uniform. It had been specially designed and made for him by the Baron's personal Tailors and smiths. He had been a commander for a few months and already loved the job. He could command several units of Krimzon guards, including the elites, and took his orders directly from the Baron.

As Torn calmly strolled into the Haven City Slums, he looked around him, noticing how the people reacted in his presence. They were either fearful, respectful - or his personal favourite – scornful. Torn turned his head to face forwards only to have to stop in his tracks… There was an adolescent woman obstructing his path. She stared at him with hate in her bright blue eyes. Her blond hair was messy, but kept in place with a red hair band.

"Out of the way…" he muttered. The woman did not even budge which made him frown. He moved closer, leaning down slightly to her height in an intimidating manner. "Do you have any idea who I am?" he growled, almost spitting in her face. She seemed only minimally unnerved by his actions, which annoyed him slightly. The girl took a step back and spat in his face. He looked away as his hand immediately met against his face over the spot she had spat at. He wiped it off and shook his head.

He glanced back at the girl… only the girl was no longer there; she had bolted off towards the Slum district. "You little wench!" he yelled after her as he gave chase. She was indeed a fast runner, he speculated that she must have been a common thief or pickpocket, having to rely on her speed to get away from her victims. She was fast, but he was faster – He was superior. He soon caught up with the girl, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her back towards him.

The girl fell to her knees before Torn and panted heavily from running. "How dare you!" Torn growled. The girl glared at him with repulsion and hate. "What is your name?" he demanded. The girl shook her head in complete defiance. His free hand moved slowly over his shoulder towards a hilt of some sort of weapon. He made sure that it was slow enough for the girl to see it… and to fear it. His fingers gently wrapped their way around the hilt of the weapon. His arm began to move as he carefully drew the weapon from its sheath.

The girl could now see the weapon. It was a curved knife, made from a precious metal of some sort. Torn gently moved the blade over his shoulder and into plain sight. The girl squirmed in his grip, trying to free herself. "If you persist in holding your tongue…" he spat as he pressed the flat of the blade against her cheek. "Then I will have to cut it from your pretty mouth!" he added. The girl squeaked in fear.

"M-M-My name is Tess!" she shrieked. She stopped squirming and sat rigid in front of Torn, taking in his appearance. She then gasped in realisation of what she had done. "I'm sorry I didn't realise it was you!" she said incredibly quickly. Torn laughed at her feebleness. He did not know why he had bothered with her. She was nothing. He thrust her arm at her, making her fall backwards. He then turned his back on her.

"Get out of my sight…" he growled as he sheathed the blade. Behind him, Tess scrambled to get away, bolting into the distance, not looking back. She was gone.

Torn sighed in a cross between boredom and melancholy… he had only wasted his time on the girl. He continued onwards towards the Fortress.

***

"So that's how you met Tess?" Ashelin asked inquisitively. Torn nodded at her in a grim manner. He had almost forgotten how cruel he had been when he was still in the Krimzon Guard.

"Yes… It wasn't long after that… When he appeared…" Torn added. Ashelin lowered her head. "Erol…" she said gloomily.

***