Dawn of Terror
Chapter 15: A Change of Heart
~*
The Emperor entered the room, eyeing the pitful neko-jins, some on their knees, some with their hands clasped, praying for some saviour. He smirked. They were so pathetic, so helpless. He loved it. His eyes swept over the crowd, over the bowed heads. And came eye to eye with one of the dispicable creatures. Deep gold depths stared at him, shocked with what could be read from the Emperor's own grey eyes. The neko-jin saw hate and contempt, but all the Emperor saw was pity. He blinked in confusion. Pity? Why would this...this...worthless creature pity him? This creature had no choice but to die, had no money, no power. So why pity? The Emperor frowned and turned away, walking forward to the podium.
Enrique, his blonde advisor, bowed to him as he walked by. He pondered where Oliver, his army overlord, had got to. Robert, one of the many Lords of the land, stood near the corner of the stage, arms folded across his chest, eyes shut tight. He obviously didn't apporve of this activity, but made no objection. The Emperor's will was the law.
And when he looked back over the sea of neko-jins, those eyes were still there, looking up at him through black bangs. Still, he remained his composure and stood in front of them all, hard-faced and iron-willed. He'd put the pitying eyes to death. Nobody pitied him.
~*
Four a.m. rolled around and Kai looked out at the lightening landscape. Across from him, Tala blinked and lifted the map up off his face a bit. "Kai?"
His voice was still fogged with sleep. "Hnn," the bluenette replied.
"Have we stopped yet?"
The bluenette shook his head. "The train's slowing down."
And sure enough, the rotations of the wheels weren't quite as fast and the clacking sound wasn't quite as common. Small houses were now visible in the early morning light.
At long last, the train rolled into the station and stopped with a whoosh. A cloud of smoke rolled back by the window. The porter walked into the car and started talking to passengers. Slowly, he worked his way back to Tala and Kai. "Sirs, ya haft to git off da train now cuz's we is gonna be here fer a while."
The porter had a heavy accent and Tala looked at him confused. Kai understood and got up. Tala followed suit. They exited the train.
"Well, what now?" Tala asked, looking at Kai.
Kai glanced about. "Well, we might as well go into town. There's nothing to do here."
Tala nodded and the two of them started off.
~*
Tala looked at the market place with amazement. There were tiny shops everywhere, most selling odd novelties. Some sold practical things, like food and material for clothes. Kai ignored the shop-keeps and kept walking. Tala trudged along behind him, stopping every so often to look at the junk for sale.
Kai rolled his eyes. Tala was almost as bad as Tyson. He picked up his pace. He passed another shop. Several shop-keeperes were standing outside chattering. "Yeah, they marched them damn neko-jins right through here yesterday-"
Kai stopped and whirled on them. "Who marched neko-jins through here?"
"Da army, dat's who."
"Which way did they go?"
A man with a white moustache pointed. Kai turned back to Tala. "Tala! Let's go!"
The red-head jerked his attention away from the item he was looking at, then scurried to Kai. "They headed North."
"Who did?"
"The army. With the neko-jins."
Tala looked him over for a moment. "Well. Good thing we got off here, huh?"
Kai nodded. "Let's go."
He turned back to the man with the white moustache. "You there! Do you have a car?"
"Yes Siree."
"Go get it."
The man shook his head. "Oh no, I ain't drivin' no strangers of t' see no neko-jins. I ain't a neko-jin luver."
Kai frowned. Another man with a long grey ponytail stepped forward. "I'll drive ya'll. Dun mind Dickenson here- he's an ole stick in da mud."
The man walked by them, across the square. Tala and Kai followed him. The man climbed into a rusting jalopy and started up the engine. The two boys piled in the other side. "Thank you, Mister-"
"Call me Grandpa. Everyone else does."
"Thank you, Grandpa."
"Yer welcome. Just dun go tell everybody cuz I ain't liking the neko-jins any more dan Dickenson."
Kai nodded and they fell silent. Six long miles out of town they drove, not meeting a soul. And at last they stopped in front of a large castle. "Do yer want me t' wait fer ya? Or will ya be okay?"
Kai looked at Grandpa. "Wait here," he said at last.
If things were as bad as he thought, they wouldn't be able to lug Rei back six or seven miles on foot. He got out of the car. Grandpa waved to them as they started up the sunlit path.
They reached the doors, only to be greeted by a green-haired boy. "Halt! Who goes there?"
Kai held out a paper. The green-haired boy took it. "General Hiwatari? I would have thought you'd be a lot older."
Kai shrugged and the boy eyed Tala suspiciously. "Who's this?"
"My personal attendant."
"Very well then," the green-haired boy said, still eyeing them suspiciously. He opened the door and they walked by him into the hall. They were inside.
~*
"Emperor, Sire," Enrique whispered to his master, eyes flickering about the room.
The Emperor looked at him suspiciously. "What?"
"Oliver has just admitted two men, one calling himself General Hiwatari."
The Emperor frowned. "I didn't invite Hiwatari here. How'd he get news of this?"
"I don't Sire. Should I investigate?"
"Yes. Yes, of course. We can't have any spies here."
Enrique bowed and walked off. Robert opened an eye, looking at the Emperor, then shut it again.
~*
"So, where do you think they are?"
Kai shrugged. "I have no idea."
Tala frowned. "Probably the basement or a ballroom or something like that. They'd need somewhere big to hold a lot of neko-jins."
Kai nodded. "You're right."
He glanced about. "You go to the ballroom. I'll head downstairs. If you find 'em, stay there."
The red-head nodded. "Right."
"Let's go."
They took off in separate directions.
~*
Kai clattered down the stairs, into the dank basement. The rotting wooden door was unlocked and it swung open easily. He glanced around, creeping down the crumbling stone stairs. There was nobody there. He crept around in the empty cells, looking carefully, just to be sure. There was no one there.
Defeated, he sighed and turned back to go upstairs. He hoped Tala had found them.
~*
Tala dashed down the hall, passing by rooms, looking frantically for the ballroom. He knew it wouldn't take Kai long to search the basement and he had to find the neko-jins before the bluenette if the mission was to properly executed.
He skidded to a stop, dashing double doors. The room was huge, and it was filled to the brim. Neko-jins were on the floor, bowed, crying. Soldiers were posted at various places about the room. On the stage, above the kneeling neko-jins was the Emperor and one of the Lords, Tala couldn't remember who.
Tala smirked. Now, to find Rei....
He slid into the crowd, unnoticed. He pulled the revolver out of his pocket, searching frnatically for the black-haired neko-jin...
~*
Kai clattered into the ballroom, knocking soldiers out of the way. Everyone looked up, staring at him. It took a second for them to react, but when they did, Kai was sure that all hell would break loose. The first one to react wasn't the Emperor, wasn't the guards. It was Rei. The black-haired neko-jin pushed his way out of the throng, to Kai. "Kai-chan! KAI!"
The neko-jin stopped, resting at his feet. "Kai," he whispered.
He was crying. Kai hauled him up, hugging him. "Rei-chan. Oh God, Rei-chan, you're safe."
He felt tears burn at his eyes. He didn't care if anybody killed them now. They were together.
~*
Tala had found him. He raised the pistol, following his moving target as he dashed across the room...And into Kai's arms. Tala frowned. This wasn't part of the plan, but....
He raised the revolver. He heard the Emperor shout, "Shoot! Shoot them!" and his hand tightened on the trigger.
Kai was hugging Rei, tears trickling down his cheeks. He looked so relieved, so happy. Tala was touched. He looked about the room, looking at all the hopeless faces, at all the bloodied and tear-stained neko-jins. Gritting his teeth, he trained the gun on his target...And fired.
The Emperor tumbled off the platform, dead. Tala's aim had been true. The room erupted into chaos. Tala shoved his way through the crowd, finally reaching Rei and Kai. "Let's go," he said urgently, tugging on Kai's arm.
Rei tugged back. "Wait! I can't leave Li and Kevin behind!"
He turned back to go into the crowd. Kai caught his arm. "Leave them! You're free!"
Rei hissed at him, glaring. "I can't leave them!"
"Rei!"
The black-haired neko-jin whirled and saw Li emerge from the crowd, Kevin in tow. "Let's get out of here!" he said urgently.
Rei nodded and turned back to Kai. The bluenette lead the way out of the room. They dashed down the hall, out the doors, outside. Oliver stared at them. "Hey!"
Tala shot him. The green-haired boy stared down at the wound where the bullet passed through him, then toppled to the ground, dead.
They continued to run. They ran down the path, back to the rusting jalopy. Grandpa strared. Tala and Kai clambered into the cab, the neko-jins climbing into the back of the truck. Kai glared at the old man. "What are you waiting for?! Get going!"
Grandpa shoved the car into gear, pulling a u-turna and tearing off down the road as fast as he could.
Rei's hair whipped out in front of him as he stared back at the quickly disappearing palace. And then he turned around, looking forward. They were headed home, he was safe and Kai was here. He sighed in relief. They were headed home.
Chapter 15: A Change of Heart
~*
The Emperor entered the room, eyeing the pitful neko-jins, some on their knees, some with their hands clasped, praying for some saviour. He smirked. They were so pathetic, so helpless. He loved it. His eyes swept over the crowd, over the bowed heads. And came eye to eye with one of the dispicable creatures. Deep gold depths stared at him, shocked with what could be read from the Emperor's own grey eyes. The neko-jin saw hate and contempt, but all the Emperor saw was pity. He blinked in confusion. Pity? Why would this...this...worthless creature pity him? This creature had no choice but to die, had no money, no power. So why pity? The Emperor frowned and turned away, walking forward to the podium.
Enrique, his blonde advisor, bowed to him as he walked by. He pondered where Oliver, his army overlord, had got to. Robert, one of the many Lords of the land, stood near the corner of the stage, arms folded across his chest, eyes shut tight. He obviously didn't apporve of this activity, but made no objection. The Emperor's will was the law.
And when he looked back over the sea of neko-jins, those eyes were still there, looking up at him through black bangs. Still, he remained his composure and stood in front of them all, hard-faced and iron-willed. He'd put the pitying eyes to death. Nobody pitied him.
~*
Four a.m. rolled around and Kai looked out at the lightening landscape. Across from him, Tala blinked and lifted the map up off his face a bit. "Kai?"
His voice was still fogged with sleep. "Hnn," the bluenette replied.
"Have we stopped yet?"
The bluenette shook his head. "The train's slowing down."
And sure enough, the rotations of the wheels weren't quite as fast and the clacking sound wasn't quite as common. Small houses were now visible in the early morning light.
At long last, the train rolled into the station and stopped with a whoosh. A cloud of smoke rolled back by the window. The porter walked into the car and started talking to passengers. Slowly, he worked his way back to Tala and Kai. "Sirs, ya haft to git off da train now cuz's we is gonna be here fer a while."
The porter had a heavy accent and Tala looked at him confused. Kai understood and got up. Tala followed suit. They exited the train.
"Well, what now?" Tala asked, looking at Kai.
Kai glanced about. "Well, we might as well go into town. There's nothing to do here."
Tala nodded and the two of them started off.
~*
Tala looked at the market place with amazement. There were tiny shops everywhere, most selling odd novelties. Some sold practical things, like food and material for clothes. Kai ignored the shop-keeps and kept walking. Tala trudged along behind him, stopping every so often to look at the junk for sale.
Kai rolled his eyes. Tala was almost as bad as Tyson. He picked up his pace. He passed another shop. Several shop-keeperes were standing outside chattering. "Yeah, they marched them damn neko-jins right through here yesterday-"
Kai stopped and whirled on them. "Who marched neko-jins through here?"
"Da army, dat's who."
"Which way did they go?"
A man with a white moustache pointed. Kai turned back to Tala. "Tala! Let's go!"
The red-head jerked his attention away from the item he was looking at, then scurried to Kai. "They headed North."
"Who did?"
"The army. With the neko-jins."
Tala looked him over for a moment. "Well. Good thing we got off here, huh?"
Kai nodded. "Let's go."
He turned back to the man with the white moustache. "You there! Do you have a car?"
"Yes Siree."
"Go get it."
The man shook his head. "Oh no, I ain't drivin' no strangers of t' see no neko-jins. I ain't a neko-jin luver."
Kai frowned. Another man with a long grey ponytail stepped forward. "I'll drive ya'll. Dun mind Dickenson here- he's an ole stick in da mud."
The man walked by them, across the square. Tala and Kai followed him. The man climbed into a rusting jalopy and started up the engine. The two boys piled in the other side. "Thank you, Mister-"
"Call me Grandpa. Everyone else does."
"Thank you, Grandpa."
"Yer welcome. Just dun go tell everybody cuz I ain't liking the neko-jins any more dan Dickenson."
Kai nodded and they fell silent. Six long miles out of town they drove, not meeting a soul. And at last they stopped in front of a large castle. "Do yer want me t' wait fer ya? Or will ya be okay?"
Kai looked at Grandpa. "Wait here," he said at last.
If things were as bad as he thought, they wouldn't be able to lug Rei back six or seven miles on foot. He got out of the car. Grandpa waved to them as they started up the sunlit path.
They reached the doors, only to be greeted by a green-haired boy. "Halt! Who goes there?"
Kai held out a paper. The green-haired boy took it. "General Hiwatari? I would have thought you'd be a lot older."
Kai shrugged and the boy eyed Tala suspiciously. "Who's this?"
"My personal attendant."
"Very well then," the green-haired boy said, still eyeing them suspiciously. He opened the door and they walked by him into the hall. They were inside.
~*
"Emperor, Sire," Enrique whispered to his master, eyes flickering about the room.
The Emperor looked at him suspiciously. "What?"
"Oliver has just admitted two men, one calling himself General Hiwatari."
The Emperor frowned. "I didn't invite Hiwatari here. How'd he get news of this?"
"I don't Sire. Should I investigate?"
"Yes. Yes, of course. We can't have any spies here."
Enrique bowed and walked off. Robert opened an eye, looking at the Emperor, then shut it again.
~*
"So, where do you think they are?"
Kai shrugged. "I have no idea."
Tala frowned. "Probably the basement or a ballroom or something like that. They'd need somewhere big to hold a lot of neko-jins."
Kai nodded. "You're right."
He glanced about. "You go to the ballroom. I'll head downstairs. If you find 'em, stay there."
The red-head nodded. "Right."
"Let's go."
They took off in separate directions.
~*
Kai clattered down the stairs, into the dank basement. The rotting wooden door was unlocked and it swung open easily. He glanced around, creeping down the crumbling stone stairs. There was nobody there. He crept around in the empty cells, looking carefully, just to be sure. There was no one there.
Defeated, he sighed and turned back to go upstairs. He hoped Tala had found them.
~*
Tala dashed down the hall, passing by rooms, looking frantically for the ballroom. He knew it wouldn't take Kai long to search the basement and he had to find the neko-jins before the bluenette if the mission was to properly executed.
He skidded to a stop, dashing double doors. The room was huge, and it was filled to the brim. Neko-jins were on the floor, bowed, crying. Soldiers were posted at various places about the room. On the stage, above the kneeling neko-jins was the Emperor and one of the Lords, Tala couldn't remember who.
Tala smirked. Now, to find Rei....
He slid into the crowd, unnoticed. He pulled the revolver out of his pocket, searching frnatically for the black-haired neko-jin...
~*
Kai clattered into the ballroom, knocking soldiers out of the way. Everyone looked up, staring at him. It took a second for them to react, but when they did, Kai was sure that all hell would break loose. The first one to react wasn't the Emperor, wasn't the guards. It was Rei. The black-haired neko-jin pushed his way out of the throng, to Kai. "Kai-chan! KAI!"
The neko-jin stopped, resting at his feet. "Kai," he whispered.
He was crying. Kai hauled him up, hugging him. "Rei-chan. Oh God, Rei-chan, you're safe."
He felt tears burn at his eyes. He didn't care if anybody killed them now. They were together.
~*
Tala had found him. He raised the pistol, following his moving target as he dashed across the room...And into Kai's arms. Tala frowned. This wasn't part of the plan, but....
He raised the revolver. He heard the Emperor shout, "Shoot! Shoot them!" and his hand tightened on the trigger.
Kai was hugging Rei, tears trickling down his cheeks. He looked so relieved, so happy. Tala was touched. He looked about the room, looking at all the hopeless faces, at all the bloodied and tear-stained neko-jins. Gritting his teeth, he trained the gun on his target...And fired.
The Emperor tumbled off the platform, dead. Tala's aim had been true. The room erupted into chaos. Tala shoved his way through the crowd, finally reaching Rei and Kai. "Let's go," he said urgently, tugging on Kai's arm.
Rei tugged back. "Wait! I can't leave Li and Kevin behind!"
He turned back to go into the crowd. Kai caught his arm. "Leave them! You're free!"
Rei hissed at him, glaring. "I can't leave them!"
"Rei!"
The black-haired neko-jin whirled and saw Li emerge from the crowd, Kevin in tow. "Let's get out of here!" he said urgently.
Rei nodded and turned back to Kai. The bluenette lead the way out of the room. They dashed down the hall, out the doors, outside. Oliver stared at them. "Hey!"
Tala shot him. The green-haired boy stared down at the wound where the bullet passed through him, then toppled to the ground, dead.
They continued to run. They ran down the path, back to the rusting jalopy. Grandpa strared. Tala and Kai clambered into the cab, the neko-jins climbing into the back of the truck. Kai glared at the old man. "What are you waiting for?! Get going!"
Grandpa shoved the car into gear, pulling a u-turna and tearing off down the road as fast as he could.
Rei's hair whipped out in front of him as he stared back at the quickly disappearing palace. And then he turned around, looking forward. They were headed home, he was safe and Kai was here. He sighed in relief. They were headed home.