Rally Cry
Heroes Lane was filled with all kinds of activity on a Sunday morning, be it children playing around, joggers circling the lanes, couples spending their time together, families with their small picnics or friends catching up for old time's sake. It was here, beneath the shade of the Protector, that Mortred and Shendel were having a morning picnic/breakfast.
Mortred had insisted that they ate their breakfast at the park, waking up waitress early on just as dawn broke, much to her chagrin. The only reason Shendel agreed to the idea was because of the varied types of pastries she had prepared before they left. Shendel was slightly concerned for her friend, though, as Mortred looked like she hadn't slept yet.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked once again, seeing Mortred yawn for the umpteenth time.
"C'est bien, Shendel." Mortred answered while rubbing her eyes. "I can make it through the day. Besides…" She yawned again, her mouth opening as wide as a Lion's. "It's a Sunday."
Shendel wasn't convinced. "I'm worried that you might collapse."
"Well, if I do, it's a good thing you're here, right?" She laughed, seeing her Shendel's discomfort regarding the idea.
When the laughter receded, they sat there in quiet, content with just enjoying the serene atmosphere Heroes Lane provided. Even after finishing their breakfast, they stayed at their spot, relaxing under the shade. They were in their own little worlds until a scrawny, middle-aged man approached them. He wore a thin black suit with black bandages wrapped around his head, carrying a big box on his back with a hissing sound accompanying it. He also had a chicken following him around.
"Good morning, ladies." He greeted them through a course voice. "May I have a moment of your time?"
They both stared at each other, a silent conversation being exchanged between them on how to approach the situation. Mortred then turned to the man and nodded, earning a soft smile from him. He then propped up the box he was carrying, setting up incense around them. The chicken set itself between Mortred and Shendel, who were confused as to what was going on.
As the man began praying, Mortred finally recognized the man.
"You're that street magician, aren't you?" The man stopped praying, chuckling for a moment.
"Yes, but that is another matter entirely."
"Do you have a stage name?" She asked again.
"I go by the name…" he paused, breathing in the incense that was settling around them. "Shadow Shaman."
Shendel chuckled, finding hilarity in the situation. "A shaman? What can you even do?"
The shaman shook his head at Shendel's ignorance. "It does not matter whether you believe or not. All I ask is for a moment of your time."
The shaman then began praying again, chanting in some otherworldly language that neither Mortred or Shendel have heard of. The smoke from the incense began clumping around them. As if on cue, he took out a bottle from the box. He stood up straight, readying a stance.
"Neia teia an da ka!" he chanted, grabbing the air above Shendel who was startled by the sudden action.
Mortred, who had a good view of the scene, was awe-struck, seeing the shaman grab the smoke and putting it in the bottle. He sat back down and chanted again, this time at the bottle. Both Mortred and Shendel saw the smoke become darker, before splitting into two different colors; dark green and pure black. They shivered, feeling goose bumps form around their body. As the smoke receded, the shaman then looked at Shendel.
"Do you know what the color means?" he asked her. Shendel, still shocked at what had just transpired, merely shook her head.
"This, is the color of your spirit." He said calmly. "The colors mean you are filled with resentment from your past. Is that true?"
Shendel's eyes widened at how the shaman saw through her completely like an open book. Mortred, seeing this, put a hand on Shendel's shoulder to calm her down, not wanting another breakdown. She then turned to the shaman, a looking of irritation on her face.
"Did you come here just to pull my friend down?" she asked through gritted teeth.
The shaman shook his head. "No, I came here because the spirits guided me." He touched Mortred's forehead with his finger. "You are the reason why."
"Then why did you tell her all of that?!"
The shaman shrugged, although he still looked slightly guilty at what he had done. "She wanted to see if I was really a shaman."
With furrowed brows, she asked him "What do you mean when you said that I'm the reason why you're here?"
"You, are a dangerous woman." A yellow snake had crawled out of the box, slithering around his arm, towards Mortred. "You have forsaken your past, yet your past has not forsaken you." The snake glazed its tongue on Mortred, making her flinch. "The people of your past will make its appearance around you, and whether you like it or not, you will have to deal with it."
Mortred and Shendel froze in place, shocked to their very core thanks to the shaman's presence in their morning. Seeing that the message has been given, he packed up his equipment, setting them back into the box; including the yellow snake.
"Wha-… What are you?" Shendel asked, still shaken.
The shaman turned to them as he stood up. "I am the medium between the worlds, the messenger of those gone by." He turned to Mortred again. "And they wanted me to warn this former assassin of her once allies."
He then turned and left with the chicken in tow, leaving them to their thoughts. Shendel, who had gathered herself before Mortred, turned to the still shaken baker, still looking distraught at the simple idea of a meeting between her and her former 'sisters'. She hugged her friend, partly as gratitude for the time she had put in to make her feel better.
"Let's get out of here, find some place calmer." Shendel suggested.
"Oui, good idea." Mortred answered, shaking the thoughts out of her head.
With their things packed up, they left the Protector, deciding on exploring the rest of Heroes Lane on this fine Sunday to clear their heads, still not fully believing at what had just happened. As they walked through the lanes, they came across an activist rally. Curious as to what they were talking about, they approached the rally, seeing the leader on a podium.
He wore a blue and pink ensemble, colors clashing with the environment. But what was distinct was how tall he was compared to the others, especially the woman next to him. They recognized her as the veterinarian that Mirana and Luna goes to, except she had forgone her lab coat, replacing it with a green hoodie that still didn't cover her midriff.
"We have to tip the balance!" the leader called out to them. "Humanity needs to pay for all the impurities that they have cause to the earth! The earth deserves its revenge!" The people cheered, making Mortred and Shendel uncomfortable, more so on the subject matter. "Let the taste the strength of the tainted waters they have polluted! Let them suffer the impure powers of nature!"
"Should we leave?" Shendel proposed, but Mortred shook her head.
"Not yet." She answered, feeling a strange wind, mostly thanks to the shaman for making her even more paranoid than she already was.
"We are nature's darkest agents! Because only in death, are we purged! Only in death, are we humbled! Only in death, will we find solitude! Only in death, will we be purified!" The crowd cheered once more, louder than before. Mortred found the cheery, silent smile the vet gave to e more unsettling than the people's reactions. "Because, every moment of existence, is torment to us and all others, yet only the wisest see this truth."
At that moment, Mortred felt a shiver down her spine, seeing a familiar looking figure approach the man from behind. The attire, she was sure who it belonged to. Her mind filled with determination and adrenaline, she rushed to the man, intending to stop what was to befall upon him. The figure was approaching closer, faster than her, but with a burst of energy, she launched herself at the man.
The man looked surprised, but Mortred saw a brief look of confusion when he realized that she was not going to land on him. Instead, Mortred, upon landing, covered his back and blocked the dagger that was about to strike him down with her own shoulder. The assailant was shocked, but it was immediately replaced with rage. She then ran away from the scene, leaving the stunned crowd and a wounded Mortred, but she was not going to let her get away, bolting towards the assailant.
Mortred chased her through the lanes, drawing attention from the ruckus, but even more attention from the trail of blood Mortred was leaving behind. When the assailant made her way towards an alleyway, Mortred felt glee, thinking the assailant had trapped herself in a dead-end. But when she herself arrived, she found the assailant nowhere to be seen.
Feeling lost, Mortred was about to leave the alley when she felt the wind behind her back. Her instincts made her act before she could think, rolling back into the alley as the assailant came crashing down, trying to strike her. As Mortred got herself off the ground, she saw that the assailant had a sadistic smile on her face.
"Hello, sister." Mortred greeted, trying to stand up straight, still clutching the wound on her shoulder.
"You are no longer our sister!" the assailant yelled. "What is it, that you called yourself? Oh, that's right. Mortred."
The Veiled Sister started laughing, almost in a maddened state. "You think you can give yourself a name, and be rid of us so easily?"
"It worked well enough." Mortred countered, trying to stay calm, but finding it harder with each passing minute, as the wound started to sting. "It took years till we finally see each other."
The Veiled Sister looked furious, especially at Mortred. "Because of you, the target I was supposed to kill is still alive."
"Hm, what a shame." Mortred replied, chuckling all the while. "You must not be a very god Veiled Sister to fail a contract like that."
"No matter." Her expressions then turned to glee. "I can kill you instead." She said, pointing her knife at Mortred.
Feeling threatened, Mortred tried to stand up straight, but her wound was starting to hold her down. "That would still mean you going against orders, sister. Are you really willing to risk punishment?"
"I'd be perfectly willing, as long as it means your death!" she said, before jumping to strike Mortred.
Finding that a head on fight would do her no good, Mortred sidestepped the attack, dodging all the attacks her former sister tried to make. But already losing more blood than she had thought, her movements started to slow down, giving ample opportunities for the assailant to strike her, slicing parts of her body.
As good as Mortred was, even amongst her 'sisters', her own vision was starting to get blurry, doubly so as each hit from the assailant struck her. Finally her body had had enough, collapsing on the back alley wall. All Mortred could do was stare at her former 'sister's eyes, accepting the inevitable death.
"Any last words, Mortred.?" the assailant asked, taunting Mortred.
Mortred spat at the Veiled Sister, angering her even more. "Casse-toi."
"I will enjoy this." She said as was about to strike Mortred.
But instead of the sound of metal meeting flesh, the sound of gunfire filled the alleyway, startling Mortred. She saw the Sister drop her knife, falling onto her back, writhing in pain with a bullet wound going through abdomen. Another figure then came into view, and it took a while for Mortred to recognize the man as Detective Banehallow. If it weren't for his physique, his sideburns and his ponytail giving him away, it would be the corgi following him around. Another person, who looked like Detective Davion, approached the still scream Sister, cuffing her hands.
Then another figure appeared, running straight towards her. "Mortred! Are you okay?" Shendel looked at her friend's appearance. "Oh, no…"
"Don't worry, Shendel." Mortred said, trying to calm her friend. "This is nothing."
"Very brave of you, Mortred, for risking your life like that." Banehallow said, grabbing her attention. "We'll get you medical help as soon as possible."
"Thank you, detective." Mortred said in gratitude.
But her eyes had gone too heavy for her to keep up, feeling the need to rest for what had already happened.
"Somebody, get her to the hospital!" was the last thing she heard, before limbo had taken her.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
well, little side note, i initially wanted to have a lighthearted chapter, since the last few were quiet serious, but as the story began to write itself, it ended up being way more serious than i imagined.
hopefully you guys enjoyed it!