Demise
Chapter Two
Snipe
The Ties That Bind
A small rumble resonated throughout Cyclonia. New recruits glanced around in wonder as the barracks shook, but veterans just shook their heads in amusement at the recruits' terror. Snipe was angry.
The large man smashed his mace into the stone wall before ripping it back, leaving a sizable hole. Slamming his mace into the wall again, he watched in satisfaction as more of the stone crumbled beneath his might. He could see clear through to the room next to his. He waited to hear a familiar voice scolding him for his 'incessant need to destroy things.' Whatever that meant. But he was met with only silence. She was gone. Gone forever.
His hand tightened on the grip of his mace, turning his knuckles white. He gripped it so hard that it hurt, but he found that he couldn't loosen his hold. He was shaking with rage as his mind processed the information he received only a few minutes ago.
Ravess was dead; killed in battle, but not by the enemy. She was killed by the hands of her lieutenant. With a snarl, he slammed the mace into the wall again, causing shock waves to travel up his arm.
He wasn't allowed to smush him. Apparently, it was deemed justified for him to have killed her. Apparently she had become obsessed with retaking Terra Bluster and had killed two of her own men. Apparently that justified that man killing his little sister. The mace smashed into the wall once again, this time the shock waves were so great that they caused him to drop the mace. Taking a few steps back, he sank onto his bed and stared at his shaking muscles for a moment.
What was wrong with Cyclonis? How could she let that murderer get away with it? He should have just followed orders like he was supposed to. How was it that he could just be let off the hook for killing Ravess? Was it because they were running low on Talons?
Snipe's eyes narrowed visibly as he tried to get his muscles to stop shaking. He failed however, and he reached a hand up and brushed the skin under his eye. He blinked as he rubbed his wet fingers together.
He was crying. He closed his purple eyes. "Snipe's not supposed to cry..." He opened them again as the tears continued to force themselves out. "Snipe's supposed to be tough. If Ravess was here, she'd..." he let himself trail off. He brought his hand down from his face and frowned as it brushed against something. Glancing down he spotted what his hand touched.
Snipe grumbled as he got up to answer the door. Who was interrupting his sleep? Didn't they know that he had just returned from a mission? "What is it?" he barked, throwing open the door. As he spotted the violin in the regretful looking Talon's hands, the implication crashed down on him immediately. "Ravess?"
Her violin. It was her most prized possession. She never did let him touch it when they were kids. Not when they were adults, either. Now it was in his possession... It just seemed so wrong. He brushed his hand against the bow; it had been snapped in half. Reaching into a drawer be his bedside he picked up a roll of duct tape. Clumsily, he wrapped the tape around the bow, fixing it, making it whole once again. Gently, as if it would shatter, he picked up the small string instrument. In his large hands it looked so fragile as if he would break it just by looking at it.
His sister had used it to make beautiful music. Hearing it as often as he did had annoyed him to no end, but now... Now he would never hear it again. He held the bow awkwardly in one hand, trying to mimic the way he had seen his sister holding it. Half closing his eyes and tucking the violin under his chin, he ran the bow against the strings, wanting to hear the familiar golden sound once more.
A terrible screeching sound filled the room and Snipe winced. He lifted the violin up as if to smash it, but then checked his anger and placed the violin down gently on his bed.
That was the difference between him and Ravess. Ravess had always been able to create; he was only able to destroy.
His gaze lingered on the violin. It had been Ravess's last link to home. Home... How long had it been since he'd been home? Years... Master Cyclonis never let him or Ravess visit their family. For all he knew, they might not even be still alive. He closed his eyes wearily and sighed.
"Take care of your little sister, Snipe."
Snipe's eyes popped open. "Mom?" His eyes scanned the room for a moment before he realized that he was hearing things. He remembered that day clearly, the day he and Ravess had left for Cyclonia. His mother had told him to take care of his little sister. He hadn't... He let his mother down...
He ran his finger down the bridge of the small instrument. This was all he had left of his little sister now... What was the point of staying with the Talons now? Terra Nimbus, his terra, had been one of the first to fall. The only reason he was where he was was because of his sister...
"Please Snipe, you have to join!" A sixteen year old Ravess begged.
He blinked. "Why does it matter to you if I join the Talons or not?"
"Because Mother says I can only join if you do!"
Snipe rolled his eyes. "Fine." The recruitment center had been trying to get him for years, practically drooling over his large muscles.
The next day they had left for Cyclonia. Their mother had been quite upset at their leaving.
"Make sure to write," she said, tears coming to her violet eyes. "Remember, you'll always have a home here."
"Yes Mother," Ravess said, clearly eager to get going.
"If anything happens, make sure to tell me right away," she continued. She reached up a hand and rested it one Snipe's shoulder. "Take care of your little sister, Snipe."
"Sure, Mom," he replied.
It was the last thing he had said to his mother. His last promise that he wasn't able to keep. "Ravess... Why'd you have to go back to Bluster?" He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking, something he didn't do very often. He had always left the thinking to Ravess and Master Cyclonis. But now Ravess was gone, and Master Cyclonis... Master Cyclonis let her murderer get away with it. Scowling, he stood up. There was nothing left for him here. Nothing to tie him to Cyclonia. He didn't care about the 'cause' or anything that Cyclonia stood for.
Picking up the violin in one hand and his mace in the other, he headed for the door. There was nothing left for him here. He was going home. Some one had to tell his mother the news. If she was even still alive...
He closed the door behind him, a strange emptiness inside him as he realized that the ties that bound him to Cyclonia were no more.
A/N Meh, this idea sounded better in my head. I think I made Snipe too smart... Oh well... I'm looking forward to writing Mr. Moss and Hamish next. I can't believe I forgot about Repton. I'll write about him after that. :D