Black Hearts

It was a rainy evening in Aeropa. The droplets were falling from the cloudy sky, scattering across the pavement below, soaking the clothes of anyone who was caught out in such weather. Three young children dashed for one of their houses, jackets held above their heads in a last attempt to stay vaguely dry. An old woman was chuckling to herself as she weaved her way around the puddles on the ground, almost skipping. Chancellor Ruskin was also dashing through the rain, although his purpose were not the same as the children, but to find a specific person in which he was looking for as soon as possible.

Being a big city, Chancellor Ruskin had to narrow the places down to just a few likely ones in which the person he was looking for would be. Sighing, he came to the last place on the mental list he had made; The Wayward Vesper. He walked through the highly polished wooden doors of the upper-class Bar and scanned the room. At first, he only saw the regulars, the poker players and the ones that looked as if they shouldn't be there. Then at the bar, in the far corner, was the very person he was looking for. He smiled to himself and slowly navigated the tables to get there, not even receiving a glance from the depressed looking man he was making a v-line for.

"Sir?" He asked, taking the bar-stool that was positioned next to the man he was now talking to. The only vague reply he received was a low grumble. "Sir, I do believe that you should get some sleep."

"Please, Chancellor, I have said before to call me by my name." His voice was blatantly irritated yet smooth.

"Duke Skyheed. You know I would rather call you Sir." His voice was firm yet understanding.

"I suppose." His head sank back down into its original position, his eyes glaring into the shine in his drink.

"It is my duty, Sir, to ask what is wrong. You have been withdrawn all day, and you said almost nothing in the council meeting earlier." It was obvious in ways that Ruskin was almost concerned, but he kept his stubborn self on show for the rest of the Bar.

"I'm twenty-six years of age, Chancellor, and I run an entire city on the edge of a world, outlawed because of our beliefs and hated because of our ways. It came to me this morning... the vile thought... the thought of what if I can never fall in love because of who I am. There are people out there who would like to see me dead and my city fall. Those people may not stop at anything to see me in my grave and this could include manipulating me into situations of false love to do so. Will I ever be able to find someone, fall in love and live my darkened life to protect them?" He let out a depressive sigh.

"Sir, I know how frustrated you must feel, but now is not the time to dwell on such feelings. We are getting the last class of people in during the morning to be transformed into our elite race in which we are creating." He was excited by this, shown by the leaning forward on his stool. Skyheed ran his hand down his forehead, using his thumb and forefinger to rub his eyes before letting it fall to his side as he stood up, leaving behind an empty glass. He sent a quick glance to Ruskin before quietly leaving The Wayward Vesper.

The sky outside was as black as thick tar and there was a distinct rumbling between the clouds, obvious sounds of a nasty thunderstorm brewing. Skyheed looked solemnly up into the sky, letting the rain fall onto his face and slide down his cheeks, acting as tears. A hand patted against his back and he continued to walk, with the comfort from his chancellor being the only fuel keeping him from falling down in a heap of depressive tears on the wet concrete below.

"What time are they coming in the morning?" Skyheed finally asked, lifting his gaze from the concrete steps.

"Half-past nine, Sir. The last of them, all female. None of them are expected to survive very long as they are of the lower-class region, although in their defence, they spend a lot of time around eco-ore and may of built up some sort of resistance." His voice had changed from relaxed to thoughtful.

"I see. I would like to attend." He was being blunt by this point, partially because of his tiredness and partially because they had just entered the Palace and were about to go their separate ways to their chambers.

"Very well, Sir. I will see you in the morning. Sleep well, Sir." Ruskin said, walking off in the opposite direction.

Duke Skyheed walked slowly through the corridors, staring out of each window as he walked past, looking up towards the sky once again. It somewhat reminded it of himself, now infused with Dark Eco. The sky gave a sense of power when it was thunder-storming and Skyheed admired that, it made a connection to the Dark Eco within him and reminded him that he too was now a very powerful being and that his new-found powers should not be used half-heartedly. He knew this deep inside, but he couldn't help bus feel lost in this world. He was different, he always had been. Whether it be the shape of his ears or the way he spoke, he was different. He had been told that this is what made him a great leader for the Aeropans, but this he doubted.

Skyheed came to the door that lead into his chambers and opened it with a whole-hearted sigh. Never before had he felt so alone. Usually he was so involved with the council meetings, expressing his new views and ideas to keep his people safe and to spread power among them, but his new-found love-depression changed that. He sat there today, quiet, staring out of the window to the cloud-ridden sky deep in thought.

Skyheed sighed once more before removing his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. He glanced at himself in the mirror opposite, breathing in and broadening his chest, smiling slightly. Why bother kidding himself, he felt useless to himself, but he knew that he must never show weakness in front of his people, nor the council, it would lead to his downfall and that he did not want. Skyheed threw himself backwards onto his bad and slipped off his shoes before curling into a ball onto his side and gently falling asleep.

Tomorrow was going to be a milestone in Aeropan history... the last of the Dark Eco injection cycles... but what will that lead to?