Chapter 2
Divisions of Darkness and Light
Brandon woke up in a dark, dingy cell. He craned his head between the bars, and could see other cells stretching along the walls. He could not see the people inside, nor could he see any windows or sources of light. Looking up, the ceiling seemed to be made of dirt and grounded leaves. "Where am I?" He asked himself, when strong hands grabbed his head and threw him in the cell.
"Stay put if you know what's good for ya, mud kid." Snarled a voice outside the cell. Brandon tried craning his head up but he seemed too tired to do anything but lie down.
Artemis sat in the chair, not moving. He stared ahead, as if in some blank comatose state. A knock from the door jerked him back to cold, hard reality. A reality in which his only son was kidnapped.
He got up from his chair and opened the door. No one was there.
"Look down." Said a voice, and Artemis did. There was Holly Short. She didn't seem to have grown larger since the last time they had met, so he dwarfed her completely.
"Come in," He said coolly. Holly looked at him suspiciously and stepped inside. Holly looked a bit different. Her hair was a bit longer, and Artemis noticed a gray hair or two. She looked a bit weary and tired.
"Sit." He said gesturing to Holly. "And watch out for the glass." She looked down and saw what could have been a tube before it was cracked.
Holly sat down in the chair. "Artemis,--"
"Cut the talk. Do you know about Brandon?"
"Yes. Listen--"
"Was it the LEP who kidnapped him?"
Holly looked a bit shocked, and redness filled her cheeks. "Artemis! We would never do something like that."
"Then who did?"
"Well, I can't prove this but..."
"Explain."
And Holly did.
Since Artemis had left the LEP out of his life for good, it slowly fell apart. A group of power-seeking creatures --a mix of goblins, dwarves and elves-- formed a rebellion.
The power-seeking ones called themselves the Rebellion, but the remaining members of the LEP thought them an evil race, for traitors to their government were brutally tortured and slain. Julius Root, the head of the LEP formed a codename: Divisions of Darkness and Light, for the LEP was separated into a dark group and the regular group.
Artemis interrupted Holly. "Captain Short, why would the Rebellion want to have Brandon?"
"I really don't know. You are kind of considered as a bogeyman of some sort to the youngsters. You were the only one to successfully kidnap one of us. Perhaps the Rebellion learned there was truth from the legend, and saw you as a power source."
"Fine, but what does Brandon have to do with this?"
"Does he look similar to you when you were his age in any way at all?"
"Sort of. We wouldn't be identical, but there are many similarities."
"Well, if he was kidnapped during the night then the kidnappers might've thought him you."
"What's going on out there?" Said a voice outside the door. Holly recognized to be the voice of Juliet.
"Nothing, honey." Called out Artemis. "You stay right in there for now."
"Okay."
"Since when did you go by such names?" Inquired Holly.
"Since we got married. Juliet and Butler were the only friends I had when I was younger." Holly frowned a little at this statement, but kept quiet.
Brandon lay on the cot, remembering better days. He yearned to be home again, to be with his friends and family. He heard voices nearby. Trying not to look suspicious, he craned his ear out the bars. They were discussing something secret, and Brandon only heard fragments of what they were saying.
"--Artemis--"
"--kidnapped--"
"--the weapon--"
Was his father in danger? Brandon wondered as he went to lie down in his cot. Or did they mean him?
Divisions of Darkness and Light
Brandon woke up in a dark, dingy cell. He craned his head between the bars, and could see other cells stretching along the walls. He could not see the people inside, nor could he see any windows or sources of light. Looking up, the ceiling seemed to be made of dirt and grounded leaves. "Where am I?" He asked himself, when strong hands grabbed his head and threw him in the cell.
"Stay put if you know what's good for ya, mud kid." Snarled a voice outside the cell. Brandon tried craning his head up but he seemed too tired to do anything but lie down.
Artemis sat in the chair, not moving. He stared ahead, as if in some blank comatose state. A knock from the door jerked him back to cold, hard reality. A reality in which his only son was kidnapped.
He got up from his chair and opened the door. No one was there.
"Look down." Said a voice, and Artemis did. There was Holly Short. She didn't seem to have grown larger since the last time they had met, so he dwarfed her completely.
"Come in," He said coolly. Holly looked at him suspiciously and stepped inside. Holly looked a bit different. Her hair was a bit longer, and Artemis noticed a gray hair or two. She looked a bit weary and tired.
"Sit." He said gesturing to Holly. "And watch out for the glass." She looked down and saw what could have been a tube before it was cracked.
Holly sat down in the chair. "Artemis,--"
"Cut the talk. Do you know about Brandon?"
"Yes. Listen--"
"Was it the LEP who kidnapped him?"
Holly looked a bit shocked, and redness filled her cheeks. "Artemis! We would never do something like that."
"Then who did?"
"Well, I can't prove this but..."
"Explain."
And Holly did.
Since Artemis had left the LEP out of his life for good, it slowly fell apart. A group of power-seeking creatures --a mix of goblins, dwarves and elves-- formed a rebellion.
The power-seeking ones called themselves the Rebellion, but the remaining members of the LEP thought them an evil race, for traitors to their government were brutally tortured and slain. Julius Root, the head of the LEP formed a codename: Divisions of Darkness and Light, for the LEP was separated into a dark group and the regular group.
Artemis interrupted Holly. "Captain Short, why would the Rebellion want to have Brandon?"
"I really don't know. You are kind of considered as a bogeyman of some sort to the youngsters. You were the only one to successfully kidnap one of us. Perhaps the Rebellion learned there was truth from the legend, and saw you as a power source."
"Fine, but what does Brandon have to do with this?"
"Does he look similar to you when you were his age in any way at all?"
"Sort of. We wouldn't be identical, but there are many similarities."
"Well, if he was kidnapped during the night then the kidnappers might've thought him you."
"What's going on out there?" Said a voice outside the door. Holly recognized to be the voice of Juliet.
"Nothing, honey." Called out Artemis. "You stay right in there for now."
"Okay."
"Since when did you go by such names?" Inquired Holly.
"Since we got married. Juliet and Butler were the only friends I had when I was younger." Holly frowned a little at this statement, but kept quiet.
Brandon lay on the cot, remembering better days. He yearned to be home again, to be with his friends and family. He heard voices nearby. Trying not to look suspicious, he craned his ear out the bars. They were discussing something secret, and Brandon only heard fragments of what they were saying.
"--Artemis--"
"--kidnapped--"
"--the weapon--"
Was his father in danger? Brandon wondered as he went to lie down in his cot. Or did they mean him?