Gone Rogue

Prologue

The Overworld, approx. 2600 years ago

The sudden sound of the opening door startled Héah, causing her to look over her shoulder and away from the food she was preparing. She relaxed when the familiar forms of Gebétan and Jheoru entered the house.

Her relaxation ended when the two men quickly closed the door behind them in an urgent manner. Gebétan immediately turned to Héah. His gaze was alarmed.

"Gebétan?" Heah asked. "Is everything all right, love?"

Gebétan approached her with swift steps, his expression growing more urgent. "Héah," he said. "Has anyone come into our house?"

"No," Héah replied, frowning. "Why do you ask?"

"We must go to our cellar. Now." Gebétan turned to Jheoru, who had used the dining table and a pair of chairs to barricade the door. "Jheoru? Come with us." Gebétan turned back to his wife. "Go. I will explain once we are downstairs."

Héah had grown nervous—Gebétan was behaving oddly tense—but obeyed. Once the three were in the cellar, the hulk of a man called Jheoru proceeded to barricade that door as well with the few pieces of furniture he could find.

Gebétan was sweating as he sat down on the stone ground, his back at the wall, his gaze haunted and shocked. Héah felt desperate for answers, but she patiently waited until her husband had caught his breath.

"The king and queen are dead," Gebétan suddenly blurted out. "Killed by their son."

Héah's eyes widened.

"Prince Éhtan…" Gebétan panted. "He turned out to be the unnamed leader of the Arbiters. Had 'accepted' numerous fellow undercover members as soldiers and guards. He destroyed the Kingdom from the inside with one single command."

The Arbiters. A hate group that sought complete separation between human and mob. They considered mobs too dangerous to live among humans—or even too dangerous to live at all. They had not gained that many followers, but they had nonetheless become a surprisingly large problem for the Kingdom.

"What about Earnung?" Héah suddenly remembered. "Is she alive?"

"Unsure, but I doubt it. The princess would pose too great of a threat to the Arbiters."

"But Éhtan was closer to his sister than he was to anyone else!" Héah tried to reason, though she knew it was a lost cause. Accepting it was difficult; she had known Earnung personally.

Gebétan shook his head. "I am sorry, love."

"We must leave," Jheoru's deep voice intervened. "They are currently murdering everyone who supports mobs. It will only be a matter of time before they reach this cellar." He looked at Gebétan. "Captain?"

"I am no captain, Jheoru. And you are no lieutenant. The Royal Guard disbanded the moment Éhtan commanded the Arbiters to attack."

"With respect, sir, I do not see the rise of a hate group as a reason to disband."

Gebétan flashed a brief smile. "Ever the optimist, huh…"

"Of course, sir. That is why I am lieutenant."

"True. Very true…"

"We must go," Héah said. "Come. Our secret exit."

Jheoru nodded and looked at Gebétan again. "Time to leave, sir." He held out a hand, which his captain took.

"Very well," Gebétan said as Jheoru helped him to his feet. "Once outside, we must find whoever is left to aid the mobs in their survival. But we must be wary of the Arbiters as well. More may join them now." He looked at Héah. "You are more at risk than most."

"Am I?" Héah asked as she proceeded to go to the cellar's secret exit, followed by the two men. "I imagine they are no more merciful to mob defenders such as you than they are to mobs such as myself."

"She may be right, sir," Jheoru agreed. "The Arbiters hardly care if they have to kill some humans. We are all vulnerable."

Gebétan nodded. "I suppose. Once we are outside the capital, however, we will have a better chance of joining other mobs. Our secret exit is one of few in this city. It will take us two days to reach the outside—after which the hallway will collapse and be sealed permanently."

"Does each secret exit have that last feature, sir?"

"Yes. This was meant to give us an advantage of time during situations such as this." The normal way out of the city takes three days to pass, mainly thanks to its maze-like features and many turns.

Once the three reached the entrance to the exit—which was hidden behind a wall carpet—Gebétan ordered Jheoru to take point. Once the lieutenant was inside, Gebétan gestured for Héah to follow.

"Wait," Héah said as she turned back, realizing something. "We should bring others!"

"We cannot," Gebétan regretfully said. "Éhtan's men must be near our house by now. They execute everyone who opposes them." His shoulders faltered. "I am sorry, dear. We attempted to fight…but the Arbiters ambushed and overwhelmed us. The king and queen were dead before I realized it."

Héah sighed. She had expected this answer, but she never wished to give up. If there was even the slightest chance for her to save someone from death…

Regardless, she shook her head at her husband's words. "No…do not apologize. This is not your fault."

"I was supposed to protect them," Gebétan said.

"Do not worry, love." Héah put her hands on Gebétan's shoulders. "We will unite mobs…and we will end the Arbiters' reign before it has truly begun."