~~~~~Chapter Five: A Life Spared~~~~~

Exhaustion had claimed my senses, plunging me into a deep dark endless slumber. At first, I couldn't recall where I was but slowly bits and pieces of memory from the previous day came back to me. A young road warrior named Stitch had come to the Citadel wanting to make a deal with our leader, Immorten Joe; war boys and pups in exchange for yearly tribute to our leader. I had been tasked with guarding the newcomer until preparations could be made to make the return trip to the settlement across the desert. It was my personal mission to ensure that I would be among the chosen to go with the war pack that would be sent on this dangerous adventure before my half-life was over.

Gradually my sense of control returned to me as my rusty gears spun to life while a new day was ushered in by the flaming chariot in the sky. It was not quite daybreak as the ground still felt moist from the frigid night time; my body let out an involuntary shiver as it curled upon itself to generate more heat. Last thing I remember was sharing a meal with my new friend then excusing myself to stand guard just outside the doorway to wait for Slit's return with the food he had left earlier to fetch for me. My stomach growled sadly as it remembered Slit's promise to return as well. Although the bread from the night before had kept my fuel gauge far from empty; I was practically running on fumes this morning and unlike the lonely night sweats the biting sting of morning's chill was more oppressive to my weak fleshy body.

As I yawned softly into a stretch, I couldn't help but hear a strange metallic sound coming from the occupied room behind me. It was a very soft rhythmic clanking sound that was barely loud enough for me to hear as I strained my ears to listen with hopes of interpreting what the cause of the mysterious melody was. Cautiously my fingers pulled the curtain slightly to the side as my gaze swept across the room until my sight fell on the lone black clad figure perched on the windowsill with his legs propped up on the back of the single chair. At first, I thought he may have seen me spying on him but his focus was fixed on a small metal box held in his palm which was apparently the source of the soothing sounds. The tiny machine was being wound up by a crank every time it threatened to start slowing down it's tune. It was indeed an odd sight for a man as important as this one to be so captivated by such a little thing but even myself, an expert black thumb, couldn't tear myself away from its hypnotic grip.

I wondered if this unseen force that held us both still was what the history men referred to as 'music'. If so then it was a mighty powerful weapon that was better left lost with the old world. I leaned further in still to hear more as Stitch slowly turned the crank again but this time he spoke gently with the tune.

"Mean ol' moon...It must be fun...To shine upon me… As I come undone...," his melancholy words flowed smoothly from his lips drawing my head further into the room as I strained to catch more of the lyrics. "Til I'm all alone...Beneath the sun...You mean ol' moon." Before I could catch myself, I lost my balance from leaning too far in and fell clumsily through the curtain door. Startled his fingers carefully curled around the fragile device, hiding it from prying eyes and silencing its metallic lullaby for another day.

Embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping on his very private moment I held up my hands frantically waving them trying to explain my actions as he drew a knife from his leg holster 'Shit! This is bad! I haven't even spent a whole day with this guy and he probably thinks I'm spying on him now,' I thought panicky to myself.

For a few moments Stitch held the knife defensively between us until he was sure I meant him no harm. Slowly he sheathed his weapon back into his leg strap, "You really shouldn't sneak up on people. Especially people who don't know you very well, we had a nice time getting to know you last night. I would've hated to have killed you by accident," he grins sincerely as he held out his hand to help me stand up. Blushing deeply, I took his hand and stood to my full height stretching once more to loosen my stiff joints. Stitch brushed off the dust from his tool belt as he began strapping back into the harness, securing it around his thin waist. While watching astonished by his deft fingers fasten and tighten the loose straps there was a question on the tip of my tongue threatening to burn a hole right through due to my desire to know more about the tiny music box. The only thing holding me back from blurting out my many questions was my fear of making Stitch think I was suspicious of him or think I was interrogating him.

My head was throbbing from all the indecisive thoughts I was having until my head was being held in my hands just from the sheer nerves. It wasn't like me to be this unsure of myself, if I was going to succeed in my mission, I had to be a more competent leader.

"You alright mate?", my troubled gaze met my guest's concerned features, "You look like your head is going to split open at any moment now," he gestured for me to sit on the chair as he looked me up and down for the source of my pain. The cool back of his hand met my warm forehead, "You don't feel like you got a fever and you're still as pale as yesterday. That's good I was afraid maybe you had gotten sick from me." Shame washed over me like cold engine sludge, here I was getting all worked up over whether I'd offend him by asking him something personal and it was causing him to worry over me! A stranger he barely knows who for all he knows could be waiting for the perfect chance to cut his throat. A determined sigh escapes my lips as I rise from the stiff chair; I decided I wouldn't ask about the music box for now. There will be a better time later.

With a rush of morning energy putting a spring in my step I suggest we go find some food before the rest of the war boys wake up. As we begin our decent down the winding corridor Stitch lightly talks about the many things he's seen as he journeyed to the Citadel, as he unconsciously lets his right hand trail across the wall bracing his every step. There was still traces of my white body paint smudged on his fingers where his warm hand had touched my skin moments before. Absently it occurred to me I'd have to visit the slurry pits later in the day and receive a fresh coat of paint to protect myself from the harsh sun's gaze.

Just as I turned my head to ask my guest if he'd be interested in coming with me to the pits after we ate our morning meal, I was cut off mid-sentence as my body collided with another. Thank Immorten I didn't fall! As I began to stumble backwards Stitch's arms had hooked underneath mine breaking my fall which would have awarded many howls of laughter from the other war boys passing us on their way to the chow hall.

"Bout time you woke your lazy ass up and showed your ugly mug," Slit hissed as he glared down at me. Stitch gently raised me upright back to standing position as I try not to rise to my lancer's taunt. Slowly I breathed to calm myself as more eyes peeked into the hallway from the chow hall eagerly anticipating an early morning brawl. "I would've been up earlier if you had been a more loyal partner and relieved my watch duty like you said you would last night! I was practically dead on my feet this morning from hunger! Some lancer you are, you can't even properly take care of your driver," I say the last comment quietly to him as our shoulders brush up against one another as I make my way into the chow line with Stitch following closely behind me.

Before Slit's rage could manifest completely into action, he was stopped by Ace's firm tone telling him that if he was finished eating then to hurry up to garage bay number three. Begrudgingly Slit aimed one last hard glare my way implying this argument wasn't over as he followed our crew chief down the corridors. I sighed with relief as I grabbed a bowl of mush and sat the makeshift table with Stitch at my side clutching his own bowl of food.

"Do you guys always argue like that?" he inquired as he spooned some mush into his mouth hesitating only a moment to sniff the glob. I chewed my food thoughtfully, taking a moment to wonder what he meant by his question. "Not all the time. Slit is just hot headed, he likes to be the center of attention and when he isn't, he gets jealous," I reply while shoveling another bite into my awaiting mouth. He murmurers his understanding turning his full attention back to his almost empty bowl pausing a moment to take a swig of aqua cola from a canteen on his hip. My own container nearly bare as well I scrape the insides clean with my fingers trying to get the last morsels clinging to the bottom before resigning to the sad reality that I had finished my allotted portion. Although my stomach was content the meager portion was not nearly enough to satisfy my hunger, just enough to last me till the noon mealtime. As I stare longingly into the empty bowl a hand nudges my shoulder. Glancing down to my left a pair of young war pups are jumping with excitement, their tool belts clinking with every jittery motion. "Nux! Come play with us! We're gonna throw dirt clots at the bridge guards," they exclaim giddily while tugging on my belt loops trying to pull me along with them to the bridge.

Their energy revs my engine sending a warm flush of blood to my pale cheeks. "Sorry can't join you guys today pups," I point to my important guest sitting next to me, "I got to take this ambassador to meet with Immorten Joe. Very important top-secret mission he has for me!" The boys stop their bouncing, their faces downcast with disappointment. "Hey, don't look so glum guys! How about I join you when my lancer relieves me later today?" At the mention of a future play session the boys' faces immediately brighten. As they run off the smaller one with a grease rag tied to his neck calls back to me, "You better not forget your promise to play with us later Nux!" I give him the thumbs up smiling and nodding reassuringly to him that I would not forget to play with them later.

"We better go meet with your leaders Nux," Stitch says as he returns his bowl to the war boys serving chow. "Right!" I agree as we exited the chow hall and made our way up the winding stairs to Immorten Joe's throne room.

When we arrived at the throne room one of the imperators was waiting to receive us. We followed him through a narrow hallway past the main throne room into a smaller meeting room. There sat the man child himself, Corpus Collosom being attended to by his personal guards. As we approached our escort announced our presence and gestured for Stitch to sit in a chair across from Colosseum's desk. While he took a seat to begin his negotiations, I stood outside the entrance way faithfully guarding the room's occupants from prying eyes. The day seemed to stretch on forever as the two bartered back and forth, each attempting to persuade the other to lessen their demands while simultaneously increasing their own gains. Against my best judgment my curious ears caught snippets of their conversation; it seems Stitch was trying to acquire more warriors than Corpus was willing to part with at the moment. I strained my ears to hear more of the negotiations, but it was difficult to focus on their conversation when my attention was supposed to be focused on watching the many citadel inhabitants flitting back and forth through the hallway.

Suddenly I could hear a hacking laughter from inside the room, Corpus Collosom sounded like he was smiling as he exclaimed, "You're a difficult bastard to bargain with but I think we can agree to these terms," he leans over the desk extending his small frail hand to the young ambassador. "My father will be eagerly awaiting his first tribute from your community in the upcoming months," he said smugly while they shook hands.

"I guarantee my people will be good on their word and will be most grateful for your generous assistance," said Stitch as he carefully shook the small man's hand. For a moment it seemed as though Collosom's eyes became darker as he glared hard into Stitch's eyes, "For your sake boy they better be grateful because if they displease dad there won't be anything left of your home to remember by." A tense moment passed as the two glared at the other waiting for the other to break eye contact first. Then just as suddenly as it came, the moment passed. "We'll begin preparations tomorrow. I'll send word to all the imperators to have their best war boys gathered in front of the Citadel so the trials can begin. Until then feel free have your escort show you back to your room," the business-like tone barely masking the underlying malice oozing from the man child's words.

Having been dismissed from Collosom's presence we headed down the narrow hallway back to the chow hall, my mind vibrating with so many questions for my new friend. What did he mean by 'trials'? Would we be chosen to go on the mission or was there a chance I could earn my place among my fellow warriors? My chest swelled with hope at the possibility that I could go with my friends to this faraway place.

The possibilities seemed endless to me; the shiny chrome future was well within my grasp. I just had to be bold enough to reach out and claim it for my own! A loud rumble from my stomach reminded me it was time to eat the midday meal, I couldn't wait to trade places with Slit so I could go prepare my car for the upcoming journey. Taking Stitch's elbow, I quickly pushed our way ahead of the other war boys waiting for their serving of green mush. Much to others annoyance we grabbed our full bowl and sat together at the rickety table from earlier that morning.

Stitch seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts as he didn't spare a single glance my way when I leaned in close to his face displaying an eager grin on my face. "Hey, do you think you could pick me to go with you? I know you're supposed to be choosing war boys to take you back to your home. I want in on the mission," I whisper with as much confidence as I dared to display. He didn't look up from his meal and continued to absently stare into the bowl's contents stirring the mush aimlessly with his cheek cradled in his other hand. 'Snap, Snap, Snap' My fingers snapping loudly in his face finally get his attention as he sits up straighter and gives me his full attention. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What were you saying Nux?"

"Uh, I was asking you if I could accompany you on the mission to return you to your home? I figured since I've been your bodyguard for the past couple days, you'd put in a good word for me," I patiently explain to him slightly annoyed by his lack of focus to the beginning of the conversation. A heartbeat then he was softly chuckling! Did he think I was too weak to do war? Smiling the black clad boy replied, "Whether you are chosen for the mission or not is entirely up to you. I won't be able to choose who I want, there will be a competition tomorrow to choose which of you will have the honor of escorting me back to my homeland."

'A competition! If it's a test of driving skill, then I'm sure to succeed! I'm the best driver in the whole Citadel,' I think smugly to myself. If the key to being chosen for this honor lies within me then I need to find Slit so I can go over my vehicle and make as many improvements possible before tomorrow morning.

As I lick up the last smears of mush from my bowl, I stand ready to find my lazy lancer. "Come on Stitch, I got to find my partner so he can watch you while I get ready for tomorrow." He tosses his bowl into the crate piled high with used bowls as he too rises to follow me out of the chow hall. The corridor was buzzing with the movements of hundreds of bodies rushing from one place to the next. Some bringing in new scraps of building material scavenged from the wasteland, others repairing various machines of war, and then there were a few others who basked in the shade trying to pass the time. It was my hope that as we passed the many garages, we'd run into my commander Ace who could maybe point me in the direction of my lancer. Garage bay number three was a wash of smoke, sparks, and hot metal as war boys of various ages worked tirelessly repairing the many machines to battle ready perfection. My eyes adjusted to the dim smoky light given off by the sparks spraying off the welding torches. But no sight of Ace or Slit.

'Where are they?!'my panicked mind thinking of a thousand different reasons why those two wouldn't be in the garage supervising the many repair jobs being performed. A small figure rolling a tire in front of me catches my eye. "Hey boy where is Slit?", I ask the little war boy struggling to roll the tire to jacked up V eight. His soot covered face glances up at me acknowledging my superior rank, "Slit and Ace were called to go on a supply run to Gas Town this morning. They should be back soon."

"Thanks pup!" I call back to the boy as I lead Stitch to the elevator platform hoping the supply run party was returning now. Luck was on our side as a dust stream could be seen in the distance coming from Gas Town. The two platform guards were standing by waiting for the party's return so they could lower down to greet them. From a nearby ledge the two war boys from earlier this morning were perched above them carefully taking aim with their handmade slingshots. I waved my hands frantically towards them trying to get their attention. "Hey guys!" I shout towards them, but they don't seem to hear me over the roar of the mixed sounds of machines and voices of the wretched below us. "I need to get them to climb down from there before the guards see them," I mutter to myself thinking of a way to reach them. Stitch scourers the ground at our feet and hands me a decent sized rock which I promptly chunk towards the boys' heads. The rock pelts the cliff face behind the boys' heads, garnering the attention of the grease rag war boy who begins to stand up and wave happily in my direction.

The next few seconds moved so slow I swear I could see the number of times a fly beat his wings.

As the young pup rested his full weight on the cliff edge on one arm holding him up, the dirt began to rapidly crumble underneath him. His face bright with joy rapidly descended into horror as his grip lost purchase and the loss of ground underneath him caused his weight to shift forward, plunging him into the chasm below. An anguish shout from his friend desperately reaching for his hand misses it by mere inches. The boy drops like a stone falling faster, all eyes powerless to stop the events as they unfold.

Powerless to change the boy's fate my body is paralyzed, frozen in place helplessly bearing witness to the war boy's flight to Valhalla.

Just as I had resigned the boy to his fate a strong wind blows past me as if pushing me to action. Its only after Stich jumps from the ledge that I realize the wind was him running past me.