The Father was in a neighboring village to Oradour. The morning had been spent in various meetings with representatives of the local governments. He knew that when the twin suns were high in the sky the redemptions would be complete. When lunchtime came, he purposely asked for a private room at the inn where the meetings were taking place. He told them that he needed time to meditate and that he could not be disturbed for any reason. He would know when Protector Spencer and the others completed their tasks. That was the benefit and the curse of placing the mark. When it happened, his aides would be alarmed at the sight of him. He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a small white handkerchief. He gently unwrapped the handkerchief to expose a few spiny covered leaves. He placed the handkerchief up to his mouth and carefully put some of the leaves into his mouth. They were tough to chew and even harder to swallow. Almost as soon as he swallowed he could feel his throat begin to tighten and then he was unable to speak. When the events unfolded, he did not want to make any sound. He closed the curtains and made sure one more time that the door was locked. Then he undressed, carefully folded his clothes, and laid them on the bed. He was sitting at the desk, reading some papers, when it finally came to pass.
It started as a slight tingling sensation that started at his feet and continued upwards through his body. Then the tingling turned to burning. He found it increasingly hard to breathe and he staggered over to the bed. He grabbed one of the bedposts to steady himself. The burning became more intense and his sweaty palms slipped off the post, causing him to collapse to the floor.
His body convulsed with the shock and agony. The odor of burning flesh filled the room. His eyes rolled back in to his head and his face contorted into a twisted mass of melted flesh. But no sound came out. The leaves he had eaten earlier were working.
His flesh continued to burn, turn black, and fall off until only the bone remained.
Then it was over as soon as it began. His body twitched one final time and then was still. A faint green glow appeared over his body and his flesh reformed on to his bones.
He was on his back and his breath came in haggard gasps. It had been torture, but it was such sweet torture. He smiled as he looked at the ceiling. He knew that the tasks were done, a total of twelve in all throughout the larger cities of the O.Z. It was an announcement that would shake the very foundation of any government, let alone one as fragile as the Queen's.
Then as he continued to look at the ceiling, his breathing finally starting to steady, it happened. A shearing flash of pain ripped through his head and he felt his skull break open. The floor was wet from his blood. He cried out in silent agony. A fleeting image of Protector Spencer flashed through his mind. Then it was it over once again. He realized that Spencer had just committed suicide. Poor soul, he was so loyal, he thought. He then thought of Spencer's wife and his daughters. He told Spencer that he would protect them from Zero and he would. He never went back on his word.
It seemed like forever but Cain and Jill finally got to the origin of the explosion. The devastation grew worse the closer that they got to it. The air was still heavy with ash and dust. Debris, the wounded, and the dead littered the street.
A few royal guards and Tin Men started to show. Cain hollered and jogged over to them. Jill stayed where she was. It was too much to take in. The glass from the storefronts was blown out and small fires rose everywhere. Cars and carts were flipped over and burning. There were smoldering carcasses of horses nearby and their stench nearly made Jill retch. She willed the bile back down in her throat and saw a pile of victims nearby in the street. She took a parting glance over at Cain. He was gesturing with his hands and barking orders. Once again she willed herself to move and she ran towards the victims.
Captain Bower was still on his knees, his head lowered. Azkadellia and Deb slowly looked around at the destruction that was all around them. Then the stench of death hit them. DG went to take a few steps but could not. Azkadellia still had a hold of her hand and she had not let it go yet. She continued to squeeze and it began to hurt badly.
"AZ!" DG screamed at her sister. "Please! Please let go of my hand, it's okay now." DG took her other hand and tried to pry Azkadellia's fingers. Azkadellia slowly came out of her shock and released DG's hand. They hugged each tightly.
Then they saw a short distance away a small group of royal guards and Tin Men. Jeb saw them too and he regained some of his composure. He said, "We need to get over there." He saw both the paleness and the weakness in DG and Azkadellia. He was sure that most of it came from the exertion of the magical energy but he knew that seeing all of the destruction was taking its toll as well.
He looked down at Captain Bower. "Captain, get up." Captain Bower refused to move.
"Captain Bower!" Jeb went over and shook his shoulder. Captain Bower ignored him and continued to look at the spot where Lieutenant Miller had been just a few minutes before.
Jeb had seen that reaction before. It was always from the ones that you would least expect it.
"CAPTAIN BOWER!" He finally looked up at Jeb. Jeb stared him straight in the eye and told him, "There will be time later to mourn our friends. It's your duty to protect the princesses……. They need you now."
Captain Bower still did not say anything but he rose and stood at attention. "Captain, help Azkadellia. I'll help DG." Captain Bower offered his arm to Azkadellia and he coaxed her to move. She stumbled then regained her footing. Jeb did the same for DG. He could feel her trembling out of fatigue and out of shock. DG weakly said to him, "Who could have done this?" Jeb looked at her, "I don't know DG, I don't know."
Jill approached the victims and she felt the bile rise to her throat again. Each one was mangled. There were no survivors. She saw some children and walked over to them. She reached down and gently closed their eyes. She let the tears flow and she took the back of her hand to wipe them away.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the excruciating scream of a man near by. He was further up the street and he was laid out prone on the asphalt. He screamed again. She quickly walked up to him and stopped about ten feet from him in horror. He continued to scream, begging for anyone, even the gods themselves to help him. She began to shake uncontrollably.
The man who laid in front her had the lower half of body blown away. The rest of him was burnt badly. But somehow the poor bastard stayed alive. He screamed again and Jill could hear the gurgling of his breath.
Jill finally forced herself to move and she knelt down beside him. He batted at her arm and tried to grab it. She took a hold of his hand and held it. His blood splattered on her but that was the least of her worries. "It's going to be okay," she lied. He was hyperventilating but he managed to get out, "Can't….feel….my…. legs…." She looked down once more where they had been and saw the pool of blood forming. She bit her lip and lied again, "You hurt your spine that's why you can't feel your legs." He screamed again and his other arm flailed wildly. She had trouble hanging on to his hand. He stared at her face and even through the burnt flesh she could still tell that he did not believe her. "Liar," He softly told her through his blackened lips.
He screamed and his arm flailed wildly again but he managed to get it under control. He reached inside his coat. He took out his hand gun and flopped it on his chest. "Do it," he hissed.
Jill shook her head no. The tears started to flow again. He convulsed out of the pain again but yet he would not die. "Do it!" he hissed again. His bloodshot eyes implored her, don't let me die in agony like this.
She released his grip and wiped the tears away. She took his hand gun and rose up. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, he had already closed his eyes. For a moment she thought that she would not have to do this, but then she heard his gurgled breath and he twitched. She could tell that he was trying to be still.
She took the safety off and cocked his gun. She closed her one eye and pointed it at his head. She took one last breath and held it so that she would be steady. Then she pulled the trigger. The shot echoed loudly across the downtown and then it was over.
It took a little while for Jeb, DG, Azkadellia, and Captain Bower to reach the group of royal guards and Tin Men. They walked slowly; partly out of fatigue and partly out of picking their way around the debris.
"Dad!" Jeb yelled over when he recognized Cain shouting orders to those that continued to assemble. Cain looked up and saw the group of them. "Son!," he broke out of the group and quickly crossed the street between them. DG motioned for Jeb to go. Cain and Jeb hugged each other tightly.
Cain then he saw Captain Bower holding up a very pale Azkadellia and DG right behind Jeb. DG too was pale and looked like she was on the verge of collapse. Jeb turned back around and put his arm around DG's waist to support her. DG caught a glimpse of Cain's worried look. He looked sympathetically once more at her and then asked Jeb, "Where were you guys?"
Jeb replied, "Near the blast zone. DG's and Az's magic saved me and Bower, but we lost Miller." Cain could not begin to comprehend how much magic it must have taken to protect all of them but it was a wonder that either of the princesses were still standing.
Cain motioned for another commanding officer that had arrived on the scene to come over. "Major Cain, the Captain, and I are going to get the princesses back to the palace." The new officer nodded and began to yell further orders to the growing number of rescue workers, guards, and Tin Men that were at the scene. It was turning into an informal command center.
Cain was ready to tell Jeb that they had to find where Jill went when they heard a gun shot. They all turned in the direction and off in the distance Cain saw a small pink jacket.
She knew that it would happen as soon as she fired the gun. Within moments she was surrounded by a mix of royal guards and Tin Men.
"DROP THE GUN!" roared one of them. She turned around slowly and stretched out her right arm. She clicked the safety back on and let the gun dangle from her fingers. The ones that had assembled around her had their guns drawn and pointed at her.
She slowly knelt and placed the gun on the ground. "HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!" yelled another. Then she slowly rose back up and did as she was told. She took a step away from the gun.
Three men from the side rushed her. It took only a moment for them to grab her arms and restrain her in handcuffs. She did not resist. It was only after she was restrained that they saw the horror that was at her feet.
The remaining men lowered their guns and the leader who had told her to drop the gun walked over to the man. He knelt down and Jill thought that he was saying something but it was too low for her to make out.
Cain came running over and came to abrupt halt. He saw Jill in handcuffs and bellowed "What the fuck is going on?!"
Cain recognized the leader, Captain Mahonski, who was kneeling at the man laying in the street. He slowly rose. "Major, it's Lieutenant Miller. That girl shot him….."
Cain furled his brows and stormed over to where Lieutenant Miller was. A momentary look of revulsion and then pity crossed his face. He took his hat off and held it in his hands.
Cain turned and looked around at the other men. They still had their guns drawn but they were pointed at the ground. Some of them murmured to each other and the others turned and looked away. He knew, they all knew, that Jill should be arrested and hauled off to the nearest precinct. That was the law. You did not go around killing people, even out of mercy.
One of Captain Mahonski's men walked over to him and whispered something in his ear. Mahonski nodded and walked over to Jill.
"Maam, did you kill Lieutenant Miller?"
Jill raised her head and straightened her shoulders the best that she could. She spoke quietly, "He was still alive when I found him." She paused, "He asked me twice to end it."
She said nothing more but turned her gaze to where Lieutenant Miller was. She felt the tears well up again but she blinked them away.
One of the men nodded to Captain Mahonski. He told one of the men that had restrained her, "Release her." He then walked over to Cain. "Major, with all due respect, get her the hell out of here. We'll handle it from here."
Cain put his hat back on and took one last look at the men that had assembled. He sighed heavily and then turned to Captain Mahonski and nodded. No further words had to be exchanged. The events of the day continued to spiral downward out of his control.
He then walked over and put his arm around Jill's shoulders and felt her trembling. "Come on Jill, let's go."
They walked in silence back towards where Jeb and the princesses were waiting.