Big thankies to Dark Eco Freak for commenting
Chapter 8: Ketein Tiger-eye
"We found 3 bodies out to the south to day." A boy who looked about 15, with messy brown hair that feel to his shoulder and over his face the only thing keeping it out of his kind blue eyes was a black band around his forehead, reported to his commanding officer.
"If they are still alive make sure that they get plenty of water and rest.. Keep them cool... If they're dead then get their corpses out of the city... We don't want to attract any metal heads with rotting flesh." Talon said looking out at the night sky at the stars.
The boy nodded and turned to leave.
"Oh.. And Ketein...."
"Yes?" He asked turning around.
"Report to Damus for me... And make sure that no one bothers me for the rest of the night."
Ketein nodded and left.
Talon sighed and rubbed her head closing her eyes. "Why me?" She asked no one in particular.
The boy strode down the hallway towards where he and his men had laid the 3 they had found. Yes that's right, his men. Ketein was second in command under Talon by her appointing. He wore very little armor, in fact the only pieces he wore was the thin piece of metal from his headband to the end of his nose and a piece around his waist, you know kind of like what the Roman Soldiers used to wear during Caesar's time, but not exactly. Other than that, he wore a dark blue robe that reached to about mid-calf and was lined at the bottom with armor, he had a blue green wrap around his waist with a matching loin that flowed down the middle of the front and back of his robes, gray boots with dark gray bands, a matching longed sleeved shirt that turned to black around his torso and went all the way up to his chin, dark gray glove type things that went in between his index and middle finger, and his left ear was pierced near the end with a silver loop. But there was also something else about him that gave him a less friendly appearance... Instead of regular fingernails like everyone else, he had sharp talons that protruded from his fingertips.
Ketein turned from the previous hall down a short one and to an elevator. Taking the elevator down he came to another hallway and then entered a room on the right.
Inside the room on the bed laid a man with long green blonde hair and a goatee, an orange rat, and a red bird.
"Are they still alive?' He asked the guard on duty.
"They're vital signs are weak, but for the time being they still live." He replied.
"Good, make sure they are kept alive, when they awake come and get me." And with that the boy turned and left the room.
He walked quietly down the hall his hands folded behind his back looking out the large windows he passed out at the dessert. The dessert sky was beautiful it sparkled like a rare diamond with stars and was a deep and dark blue like the depth of the ocean.
Talon had told him stories of what the world used to be like... How the ocean waters had been so crystal clear and so deep that you would never be able to find the bottom, also how vegetation flourished every where you went and the sand along the shores was so soft it felt like you where walking in the clouds. He always loved to hear her talk about these things, which was on the rare occasion. But the thing that fascinated him the most was open and plentiful vents the flowed pure eco; and not the dark eco that was now found so often from people drilling into the earths crust, but yellow, blue, red and green eco. It amazed him.
He finally came to another elevator and took it back up, this time he came to a rather large room where a man with white hair and wearing a lot of different kinds of armor holding a staff like object turned to meet him.
"What do you have for me today Ketein?" He asked.
"The metal head and rouge armies are regrouping, after our last ambush along with the Krimzon Guard of Haven City they are pretty shook up. The old 'Green Eco Harvesters' in Haven Cities 'Dead Town' have been found and reopened by the Commander's order." The boy pause a moment, "I saw the green glow they emitted.. It was amazing, to see green eco in such quantities."
"Really?" The man asked interested.
"Yes, Damus. I've never seen anything like."
"Hummm.... As far as I know eco hasn't flowed freely from the ground like that in ages, unless you would like to count the dark eco." Damus replied stroking his chin in thought. "Anything else?"
"Yes, we found 3 out to the south today, they are barley alive, but they should live..." Ketein paused again and waited for Damus' reply.
"3?" He asked... "Notify me when they awaken."
"Of course." Ketein replied with a smile and a nod.
"And one more thing Ketein."
"Yes?" He questioned.
"Why did Talon not report this to me herself tonight?"
"She has requested to be alone for the remainder of the night." Ketein paused frowning, "Something seems to be bothering her."
"I wouldn't worry about it kid. Talon can handle whatever it is herself. You should probably get over there now, and make sure that no one bothers her though."
Ketein nodded still frowning and took his leave.
Walking back into the elevator and riding it down and the walking down the long hallway once more and then up another elevator around the corner and down the hallway towards Talon's room. There was a short indented hall that went to her home and Ketein positioned himself in front of it so no one could pass with out his knowing.
He folded his hands behind his back again and looked out a large bay window across the way thinking his eyes growing sad.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't little old Ketein." Crim said coming up to him and ruffling his hair. "What does the 'commander' having you doing this late at night? It's it past your bed time?"
Ketein came out of his thought, "Watch what you say, you walking piece of metal head crap."
"What did you call me?" Crim asked grabbing him by the collar of his robes and lifting him off of the ground.
"You heard me..." Ketein replied calmly, "And that will get you 3 weeks of guard duty out on the south grid. If you're lucky there won't be to many metal head attacks, but I doubt that." Ketein then twisted his wrist forcing him to let go of him and landed back on the ground gracefully.
Crim gritted his teeth and clutched his wrist in pain, "Listen you little snot-nosed brat.-"
Ketein cut him off, "You don't listen to well do you solider? Leave now before you get a few more weeks of grid duty. And keep that mouth of yours shut."
Crim gritted his teeth more and clenched his fists, "I wish to speak with Commander Talon." He said holding back his rage and trying to be polite enough to where he would get any more grid duty.
"The Commander has requested to be left alone. She won't see you tonight."
"Fine." Crim said roughly turning on his heel and walking back down the hallway still clenching his fists.
Ketein shook his head, 'Some people...' He thought.