Chapter 2
The Baron paced in his study. The day had been nothing but paperwork and politics, his head was pounding from all the bullshit that was thrown around in the council meeting held only minutes ago. Could these simpletons not think for themselves? Praxis slumped into his large chair behind his desk and pondered the only important fact mentioned that morning. What of Damas? The people still loved their former King and the majority was still loyal to him. Even stripped of his power Damas mocked him, it was humiliating. How was he going to rule the people if the people had no respect for him? And this Underground resistance force was like a thorn in Praxis's side, making him look like an incompetent fool.
Everything had been planned out meticulously, and would have been flawless had it not been for Damas. The king and his royal guard had gone out of the city into the Forbidden Forest to quell a rising force of metalheads. It was the perfect time to take the throne, the palace was virtually unprotected and the Baron's personal guard could easily take it with little effort. When the King came back into the city, he would be welcomed by an escort unit of Krimson Guards, were he will be put into the Palace Prison to rot until he signed his powers over to Praxis. Unfortunately the King's wife, Aria, had gotten to the emergency communications unit to report to Damas the events happening in the Palace, and the King returned prematurely. The escort guard waiting for him was caught on their rear flank when Damas and his elite took another entrance into the city, coming directly behind the Krimson Guards, and defeating them within a matter of minutes. Fortunately, Praxis had taken the Palace and activated the security system to allow no one in. The Baron had hoped to have caught the Queen in order to use her against Damas, but she, and some of Damas's senior officers, had escaped the Palace before the security had been activated.
It was galling how one man and his wife could thwart his seemingly perfect plan. Even now Damas and Aria had escaped the KG patrols and raids, and the news that Damas had once again gotten away from his clutches frustrated Praxis to no end. The Baron rubbed at the scared tissue on the left side of his face. If only he could be rid of Damas, the city would be his to control without resistance. How he longed to see the powerful man beg at his feet for mercy, and then see the life snuffed out of him like a candle. The thought brought a baleful smirk to his face and a plan came to him.
Damas mood darkened in the following days after the meeting with Onin, and was affecting the ambiance of the Underground. Most of the members of the underground had become short tempered and restless, the only one not affected by Damas's brooding was Aria. She had to be strong for Damas and for her long lost son. The news Damas brought back to her about Mar had broken her heart, but she couldn't afford to break down emotionally. Her other boys, the men of the Underground, and her husband, needed to sense her strength and to let it fill them. She was the light in the darkness.
Aria kneeled in front of her husband who was sitting on the side of the bed, head in his hands. Her hands gently cuffed his face and she looked into his sharp indigo eyes. She saw Damas's pain and his struggle to quell the anger that was lurking within him. His face softened and he bent over to kiss her forehead.
"It is not the end my love, our son does still live and we should be thankful for that and hope he continues to live a happy life," she said, his forehead now resting on her own. "Let us not dwell on the fact that we have been robbed of our first born. You need to stop this destructive thinking and move on."
"I will not forget our son Aria," Damas said angrily, his head lifting up off of hers and he stood up, towering over her.
"Nor will I, but we need to be strong. Can't you see? The whole Underground is miserable because of your attitude. If we were attacked by the Baron it would be a sure loss. The moral is low and if this continues the Underground will disband," she said keeping her voice soft and low and taking his hands into her own.
Damas sighed in silent acceptance. He hated it when he was in the wrong; Aria would not let him forget it anytime soon. She stood up and kissed him on the cheek. She knew he would come around eventually and relief washed over her.
"You should go back to work, I think Samos is beginning to get overwhelmed by the extra work load you piled on him," Aria said, breaking their embrace and turning toward the door. She paused momentarily in the door frame to glance back at Damas, his powerful disposition restored and radiating confidence once more. She took off down the long corridor of the Underground facility; taking little notice to the soldiers she passed along the way. She needed to get some fresh air. The close quarters of the Underground were starting to wear on her, and she felt an urge to escape. Running up the flight of stairs, she finally reached the exit, and stepped onto the old wooden flooring of Samos's hut. She leaned on the balcony railing and looked over the small sector.
The main headquarters for the Underground was located in the farthest corner of the city. The area was mostly left alone by the Baron and his KG for it was a quiet community with no booming businesses. Most citizens called it the Mid-sector for the people who lived there weren't rich like the upper-class citizens living in the city but weren't as poor as the people living in the vast slums. It was one of the most beautiful places inside the city walls. Gardens upon gardens of flowers and other lush greenery surrounded the buildings and streets as well as clean clear water not yet polluted by the toxins of the city. It was the only sector, besides the rural sector, to have organic plants growing in such quantity. The buildings were stacked neatly together, influencing a sense of community unto its occupants. It was the ideal place to raise a family. There were Schools for children of all ages that provided a safe learning environment and there was no crime to speak of.
Footsteps came up behind her and Aria looked back despite knowing who it was. Sure enough the lean figure of the Commander of the former guard came up and leaned on the rail beside her. Commander Stav Wayland looked out at the horizon, his sharp intelligent eyes scanning the area. Although he was old, Aria could still see the strength the man had once possessed in the days of his prime. His grizzled face was still handsome despite the mask of battle scars of war torn days. As long as she could remember Commander Wayland had always managed to keep track of her whereabouts. She remembered countless times when she had tried to sneak out of the palace to visit the bazaar and mingle with the commoners, but always he had caught her in the act and many other times had accompanied her. He had also managed to get her out of the palace to safety when the Baron had turned on her husband.
Recalling events of the past, she chided herself for not seeing the betrayal of Baron Praxis before it happened. How could she have been so blind? The man had obviously been jealous of Damas, which quickly turned into hatred when Damas was crowned king. But she couldn't see Praxis kidnapping Mar; the man hadn't even paid any attention to the young prince. If the Baron didn't do it, who did, and what would that person have to gain?
As if reading her thoughts Commander Wayland cleared his throat and said, "I lost a son once. He was a year into manhood and was sent on a mission into the wasteland. His squad encountered some metalheads and were torn apart. The soldiers that returned said he was killed. For a long time after that the sun did not rise for me, there was no more joy left in this pit of a city. I suspect that Damas and you must feel the same way. It is terrible to lose a child, but you and Damas bring hope to us all."
Tears began to form in her eyes. She felt like such a hypocrite. Had she not just said those words to Damas? Yet she was still brooding. She stood, leaning against the railing of the balcony with Commander Wayland beside her, and tears shimmered down her face in the fading light of the sun.
The angle of the setting sun's rays cast shadows over the streets of the mid-sector. The black garbed figure stealthily moved from shadow to shadow, careful not to be noticed by the KG patrols that walked the barren streets to enforce the new curfew. The person melted into the darkness of the city like a ghost. Keeping a vigilant eye out for the red armor of the guards the 'Ghost' moved down alleyways and streets to an access panel leading to the sewers. The hatch opened with a loud metallic screech and the Ghost stopped to look around. Satisfied that no one heard, or that no one cared to look, the ghost slipped down into the grim of the sewer.
The sewers beneath Haven City were a maze of plumbing. Pipes connected to pipes leading to rotundas and so on and so forth. To traverse through the sewers brought to perspective the sheer size of the city.
The Ghost navigated the tunnels with ease. Each turn and pathway etched to memory so much that it was second nature. After nearly an hour of walking through sludge, the Ghost reached another access door. The gears of the door activated upon the Ghost's approach and a moment or so later the door opened and light flooded the dark corridor. An underground community lay in the mists of the sewers, where the filth of the city gathered and did business. The Ghost welcomed the sight of the small cut-throat villa and went towards a pub called the Grimy Dagger.
The Grimy Dagger was the smallest pub in the area but known for its secrecy; anything that went on in the pub was never mentioned outside of the pub. The owner, and barkeep, of the Grimy Dagger was an ex-convict and said to be the only one to return from the wastelands after being banished. Although a large man, his skill and speed with gun and blade kept violent arguments from happening in and around his pub. Everyone knew that Klever was not a man to piss off.
The Ghost entered the pub. The hush of secretive meetings and other business stopped momentarily to watch the new comer enter. The Ghost walked further into the room and the whisper from the booths and tables continued. Klever watched as the dark figure strolled in, absently wiping the dirty counter with an equally dirty cloth. The Ghost leaned over the bar top and whispered something to Klever, who nodded and led the Ghost into the back room.
"Well, is it worth my time to be here?" said the already present cloaked figure.
"That depends if you have the agreed fee,"
Throwing a cred card on the table, the mysterious figure took of the cloak revealing the red armor of a KG officer. "I think that was what was agreed upon. Now for your part of the deal…"
The Ghost looked at the cred card's display: 50 thousand creds. "The Underground has several outposts throughout the city. But their main HQ is located in the mid-sector…"
A.N: Okay so I know that the story is going slow and my writing it is going even slower but bare with me it will pick up I promise.