Songs used are "King of kings" by Motorhead and Chris De Burgh's "I will". Don't own... bla bla bla.
R'n'R.
God bless!
The King
"Zoot!"
"Zoot!"
"Zoot!"
"Zoot!"
"ZOOT!"
The Guardian couldn't help but grin as he stepped out of the mall's gates and observed the sea of people below him. About a thousand had gathered to witness the execution of the imposter Supreme Mother and two mindless fools, unworthy to serve the Great One. In the front rows he could see the yellow robes of the novices, behind them a motley mob of heathen slaves who were ordered to attend. Finally, encircling the crowd were the Chosen warriors, about three hundred of them, armed with halberds. The attendants were encouraged to chant Zoot's name by kicking, clubbing and punching. Anyone attempting to leave was to be shot - for that, a couple of dozens of archers were spread on the roofs and in the windows of buildings surrounding the square. Between the mob and the mall's stairs stood a platform drapped with lilac and blue. On top of it there were was a single stump, also covered by blue material. Next to it, a hooded and masked Chosen stood, clutching an axe in his hands.
Everything was set.
The Guardian was not in the best mood - there were still no news about how the ambush he had prepared for the rebels went, and he had just had a shouting match with his lieutenant who made another hopeless attempt to talk him into sparing Trudy's life. Yet, seeing all this, all those people looking at him with admiration and fear, knowing that he was about to carry out the will of Mighty One, made him smile from ear to ear. He turned his back to the square to once again admire the larger than life picture of Zoot hanging from the five stores above and nearly touching the ground.
"ZOOT BE PRAISED!!!" he cried out on top of his lungs, raising his arms and feeling happy, happy, happy.
"AND TO HIS CHOSEN, VICTORY!!!" roared the crowd.
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Behold the king
The king of kings
On your knees dog!
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The loudspeakers placed on top of two black vans on each side of the stairs exploded in deafening, boiling sea of sounds:
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Bow down to the
Bow down to the king
Bow down to the
Bow down to the king
---------------------------------
"Zoot! Zoot! Zoot! Zoot! Zoot! Zoot!"
The Guardian lifted his arms again, signalling he wished to speak. Immideately, the song was toned down and the chanting stopped.
"Brethren, I shall not tire you with long speeches. We have gathered here to punish, to celebrate and to teach. The punishment will be dealt out for two fools, Sarah and Troy, whose ignorance and worthlessness to the cause have angered the Great One, and for Trudy, a lying, two-faced traitor, perverted, corrupted and filthy wanton woman. It feels my heart with sorrow to know that she was able to fool us and make us believe she was the true Supreme Mother. Now, she will pay for her sins with her very life. Bring them out!"
First, Troy and Sarah were rudely pushed out of the door and forced to kneel behind the Guardian. They were now dressed in street clothes instead of the Chosen' robes and had their hands tied behind their backs. The girl was weeping quietly; Troy kept silent, looking down at his knees.
Next, Trudy was led out, surrounded by the convoy of four Chosen. She wasn't tied up and was allowed to keep her white and lilac dress. She appeared collected and calm, but there were tears shimmering in her eyes and her hands were trembling slightly.
Rounding up the procession was Luke with the baby in his arms.
"Behold the doomed!" shouted The Guardian.
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The king grinned red as he walked from the place
Where the traitor lost both his name and his face
Through the halls and the corridors, stinking in blood
He tasted his grin and it tasted good
The king took his head
Left him broken and dead
-------------------------------------------
"Luke," said Trudy. "Please take care of Brady. You're the only sane person in here, the only one I can trust. Promise you will take care of the baby."
The lieutenant bowed slightly, " It shall be done, Supreme Mother."
"Don't call her that!!" hollered The Guardian, turning to them. "Luke, I am warning you, you are walking a very fine line here! She is but a lowly scum! A traitor!"
"You do know my opinion on this, Guardian," answered Luke calmly.
The Guardian's eyes flashed with fury.
"That's it! Luke, starting tomorrow you are no longer my lieutenant! You will be just an ordinary guard! You will be watching heathens in the mines!"
Still unmoved, Luke bowed again. "As you say."
"Give me the baby!" The Guardian ran towards his lieutenant and snatched Brady away from him.
"No!" cried Trudy; Luke darted after him but stopped when the guards, obeying The Guardian's command, pointed their halberds at him.
-------------------------
Bow down to the
Bow down to the king
Bow down to the
Bow down to the king
---------------------------
"The Devine Child will be given a proper care," smirked the leader of the Chosen and turned back to the crowd. "We have also gathered here to celebrate - for the hearts of those faithful to Zoot will rejoice at the sight of his will being carried out. And, we have gathered to teach - teach you, heathens, you, unbelievers, you who have refused to let Zoot touch your lives, a harsh lesson. Those who oppose The Great One and his Chosen are doomed to fall on their face and die in misery! So let the execution begin!"
A wicked smile dominated his face as he watched the sentenced being dragged down the stairs. Then, as Trudy was being led by him, The Guardian caught her by the sleeve.
"Before you die, you will praise the Mighty Zoot," he said softly, looking the girl in the eyes. In response, Trudy spat in his face. The Guardian slapped her and hissed,
"Behead her first."
------------------------------
The king left none living none able to tell
The king took their heads and he sent them to hell
Their screams echoed loud in the place of their death
Ripped open they died and with their final breath
They hailed the king
The king of kings
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Two guards helped Trudy to climb on the platform and forced her on her knees, laying her head on the stump. The executioner raised his axe; the blade was sparking white, blinding light in the sunshine. Laughing, The Guardian raised the baby above his head.
"Behold, oh Zoot! Behold!"
--------------------------------
Into the dirt
His will be done
Now feel your fear
There can be only one
--------------------------------
The axe never came down. The executioner stood frozen in shock, watching as the police car, siren blaring, slowly rolled into the square. It was excorted by a group of armed Locos, and standing in the car, in his red pants and black leather jacket, in a peaked cap, with chaotic red patterns painted on his face, with his hands crossed over his head, with Ebony, the queen of Locos by his side, was One True God of Power and Chaos, the Great One, the Mighty Zoot.
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The king is here
Now feel your fear
The king of kings
All hail
All hail the king
On your knees
On your knees for the king
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Heads all over the square were turning in his direction; screaming and calling Zoot's name some of the Chosen and the novices were falling on their kness; the others stood paralyzed, shocked into a stupor. Some of the non-Chosen slaves paniced, and large groups of them rushed at the cordon lines in an attempt to flee. From the nearby roofs screams were heard; a body of an archer, clad in blue robe, soared through the air from the top of the building. His fall went unnoticed.
"Zoot..." the Guardian whispered with quivering lips. "Oh Zoot, you did hear my call." Still clutching the baby he ran down the stairs, hurring towards the approaching car.
The car stopped. Martin hopped out of it and walked to meet The Guardian, Ebony behind him. His face was carrying no emotion, his gaze steely and cold..
"My lord... my lord..." The Guardian babbled, shaking. "Zoot, my lord... ZOOT BE PRAISED!!!" he screamed suddenly with an insane, gleeful smile. "ZOOT BE PRAISED! ZOOT BE - "
"Shut up."
The Guardian jerked and backed away as if being struck in the face. Martin looked at him up and down and his lips arched in disgust.
"You're angry with me oh Mighty One?" whispered The Guardian. "I was merely following your orders."
"Shut up Jaffa. You're making me sick."
"But my lord..."
"I SAID SHUT THE HELL UP!!"
Martin slapped his face and The Guardian sank to his knees in anguish. Tears were streaming from his eyes as he kept pressing Brady to his chest. Luke approached along with the two guards and stood behind his leader,pale but still reserved and calm.
"You're sick Jaffa. Listen up!" Martin raised his voice, looking around at the Chosen huddling around them. "This guy has been fooling you for months and you all were dumb enough to believe him. What have you guys been smoking?"
"My lord, we - " whispered one of the Chosen but Martin wouldn't let him speak.
"Don't call me that. I am not a god. You all heard me? I'll say it again - I am not a god! I'm a human being, just like you. Well maybe not as guilable," he smirked watching the stunned expressions on the faces of the surroundings. People stood quiet, unable to believe what they heard; some were crying; some turned around and began to stagger away, as if in trance.
Meanwhile Amber, Bray and Lex got out of the car and were now on the platform, untying the sentenced.
"I am not a god and I am not dead. And I think it's time all of you guys pick up your asses and get the hell out of the city... And you Luke?" Martin turned to the lieutenant. "What the hell is wrong with you? When you were a Loco everyone was joking about how you do not fit in the tribe 'cause you were such a goodie two shoes. Shit, you used to read books when everybody else whiped their ass with them. What are you doing with this creep?"
Luke cleared his throat. His hands were nervously toying with his robe's sleeves.
"You were gone Zoot. It was either this or complete anarchy again. I was trying to help to bring some stability to the city... and then it got out of hand, I guess."
Trudy approached, accompanied by Lex, Amber and Bray. She appeared weak and was looking at Martin in shock; yet when she spoke, her voice was more or less calm.
"Zoot... Don't blame Luke. He was trying to help us all the time, he stood up for us before The Guardian. If it wasn't for him, none of the Mallrats would have been alive today."
Martin gave her a quick glance and nodded. "Alright. Now Jaffa, give me my daughter."
The Guardian was still whining, slumped on the ground.
"Jaffa. Give Brady to me. Now."
The leader of the Chosen raised his head.
"You are not Zoot," he whispered. "You are just an imposter. You shall be punished for daring to mock our god. Get him!" he yelled at the Chosen. "Get the imposter, get the false Supreme Mother! Get the Wicked Sibling of Zoot!"
Nobody moved.
"Get them! Get them, damn you!!!" shreiked The Guardian. A couple of Chosen made a few steps forwards, raising their halberds. The Locos drew their guns; Bray let out a sharp whisper and Eco archers stood up on the roofs of nearby buildings, ready to fire.
"Uh-uh guys," said Lex mockingly. "I don't think so." The Chosen dropped their weapons.
"Cowards!" bellowed The Guardian in a fury. "Luke, do something! Summon the Praetorian Guard!"
"Jaffa, you don't understand, do you?" said Martin. "It's over. In the morning I've paid a visit to your troops' bases and ordered them to leave. All of them. The only Chosen left in the city are here at the square. And they will not fight for you. It's over. Now give me the baby."
"No!"
The Guardian lept up, his long hair askew, teeth bared in a scowl, spit dripping down his chin. His eyes were the eyes of a madman. In a snake-like move he pulled a short narrow dagger from beneath his robes and put it to Brady's neck. Trudy shreiked in horror and darted towards him; Bray barely managed to grab her by the shoulders and hold the girl in place.
"You will not triumph over The Guardian Of The Cause," he growled. "I am going to join my master in the hereafter and I will bring his daughter to him. Enjoy your little victory while you can, devils! Zoot will avenge himself! Zoot - "
Behind him, Luke stepped forward, linked his hands together and clubbered The Guardian in the back of the head with a double ax handle. Seeing this, Martin took a quick step forward and snatched the baby from the hands of the falling maniac.
"It's enough violence for today," Luke said softly, looking down at the prone body at his feet. "That's it. That's it."
The square was emptying slowly; the attendants were leaving, complying to Bray's request; Locos and the Eco warriors have finished rounding up the Chosen; later they were to be excorted out of the city, never to return. While the Mallrats gathered around Amber, Lex and Ebony, Bray took Trudy and his brother to the side.
"So Martin, are you going to stay?"
"No," he shook his head. "I told you, I've promised Lani I'll return by the evening. She's worrying man."
"Okay, but I mean in general. Why don't you take your girl and move back to the city with her? Come on Martin, we will need you. We'll now have to start all over again and you could help us."
"I don't think so, sorry. Bray, you guys will be alright. I've seen you in the rebels' camp, my guys obey you, more so than Ebony. They'll give you no problem. And look, too many people still hate me around here. If you bring me aboard they will revolt. You don't want that. And I don't want that either."
"Martin, half of the city just saw you take The Guardian down. Had we went in without you there would be full-blown war in here, and thanks to you there was no bloodshed. Who will hate you after that?"
Martin shrugged with a smile.
"The other half of the city. Bray, look, I love living at the Green Cross, alright? In fact, I'm more happy now living there than I've ever been. It's just... peaceful, you know? The woods, the lake, the sea, everything. And, in a few months Lani will have a baby. I think it's much better to raise on the island than in the city. Don't you think so?"
Bray smiled thoughtfuly, rubbing his chin and nodding.
"Speaking of babies," Martin continued, "Trudy, will you allow me to visit Brady sometime? Or you guys could come to the island. She could play with my kid and I'm sure Lani will be happy to meet - "
Martin didn't finish. Suddenly his body jerked and a grimace of pain disfigured his face.
"Bro? Martin, what's wrong?"
The next second Trudy squealed in horror, pointing at his chest - where the long blade of a dagger, crimson with blood, was sticking out. Martin slowly sank on his knees. Behind him, laughing manaicaly, stood he who everyone forgot about, The Guardian.
"I told you!! I told you!!" he was screaming. "The Great One will be avenged! He shall not be mocked!! Zoot be praised!! Zoot be praised!!!"
Two arrows fired from the roof pierced his back just as a bullet from Bray's gun ripped through his stomach. The Guardian made a few staggering steps.
"And to his Chosen, victory," he breathed out and collapsed face down, dead.
Martin was lying on his side. It was getting hard to breathe; in his mouth there was a taste of blood. People were gathering, crouching around him, but his vision was getting flurry. Whose arms were supporting him by the shoulders? He could not tell.
"There must be a first aid kit in the mall!" somebody screamed. "Somebody go get it! Come on, move it! Quick!"
"Martin..."
"Zoot..."
Somewhere, seemingly worlds away, a girl was crying, repeating "Martin, please, don't die. Please. Please, Martin, don't die. Don't die Oh God. Oh God.".
Trudy?
The voices were beginning to slowly fade away. His eyes closed and he saw a golden shore with wood-covered hills above it, all drawning in the light of a sunset. On the beach there stood a girl, another girl, who he knew was waiting for him.
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I'm going to an island
Where the sun will always shine
Where the moon is always riding on the sea
And when I go I'll leave behind
The chains that hold me down
The time hes come to set my spirit free
I will
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"...I think his lung's been punctured..."
"...Damn, where is Dal when you need him?!"
"Martin... bro... hang on." someone's hand squeezed his. "We'll get help for you. Just hang on."
With a great effort he opened his eyes. Everything looked so dim. It was hard to see. Hard to think.
"Bray..." he whispered and groaned in pain, coughing out blood. "Bray... please... take me back. I've promised to Lani..."
For a breif second he managed to see his brother's pleading face clearly, and then his eyes closed again. Back. Back to the island.
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конецформыначалоформыAnd
there beside a mountain stream
I'll build a house of stone
And
work the wood of cedar, pine and fir
And then I'll make a
garden
And I'll plant a field of corn
Press my hands deep into
Mother Earth
I will
--------------------------------------------
Something hot and wet was dripping down on his face now.
"Man, don't die. Please don't die. Don't do this to me."
"Don't... don't cry Bray. I'll be fine... Just take me back to the island... I'll... I'll be okay there. Promise me you will... take me back there."
Emerald grass... sunlight through the twigs... sparks on the surface of the Silver Mirror... two small figures, one chasing the other... their bright laughter...
---------------------------------
And
then I'll teach my children love
Like every father should
For
we are part of every living thing
And speak of half-forgotten
words
Like peace and joy and good
For the world can only live
when love can sing
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"Martin... bro... please... I'm begging you... don't go... don't go."
But he had to. Before his eyes a vast field of warm, white light have opened, and on the other side of it, he knew, Leilani was waiting for him."
"Lani..." whispered Martin. His body convulsed and blood poured out of his mouth, but he didn't feel the pain anymore. "Lani, I'm coming home."
And he stepped into the light.