Chapter 3: The Limits Of Humanity
Garret nervously bit his lip as he looked into the eyes of the man and the boys in the tent with him. Orion had a kind look upon his face, though Jason and the other, William, had slightly more serious expressions. He felt a sense of peace from all of them, a kind of feeling that he was under protection within their presence. And so he began to recant his tale.
"My mom and my sister used to live in this rich man's house. Mom said we couldn't afford anything else, and he let us live there as long as we worked for him."
Orion nodded. Jason's gut tightened. It sounded like a kind of indentured servitude to him.
"We had it pretty rough. Me and my sister would have to sometimes work really hard, and there were sometimes guys with guns around that would shout at us to work harder..."
"Did they ever touch you?" Orion asked.
"No...not at first."
Orion nodded, and beckoned him to continue. Jason narrowed his eyes slightly and leaned forward. William tilted his head.
"Momma would sometimes come home with bruises on her back and arms. And she would go to the bathroom a lot. And then she would cry. But she never told us what happened to her."
Orion made a face. Jason hissed in disgust. William only shook his head slowly, his sympathy for the abused boy apparent.
"One day, momma was really sick. The man came in and asked her why she was not working. She couldn't answer. We tried to tell her she was sick, but he told us to not say another word, or we would join her. Then he made his guys with guns take her away somewhere..."
"Do you know where they took her?"
"No, they dragged her away somewhere. Me and sis tried to stop them, but they hit us with their guns and threw us in a cell. We had a window and..."
"Yes?"
"We heard some gunshots..."
Orion's mouth dropped slightly in surprise. Jason growled in rage. William only sighed in sympathy. This poor boy...
"After that...they made us work with the others. It was in some kind of shop, and we were put with a bunch of other people. It was hard, and the guards beat us a lot with whips and stuff."
"Oh you poor boy..." Orion trailed off.
"By the gods...what kind of monster does such a thing to their fellow human beings?" William whispered to Jason.
"Exactly that, Will...a monster."
"When some guards let me out one day, they decided to leave me alone for a few minutes. I managed to find an opening in the fence, and crawled through it. I don't think any of them knew about. I ran and ran until some of their guards caught me...and then you guys showed up."
Orion glanced at Jason who's expression did not change. He simply raised his head a little taller, but inside, he felt a surge of pride that they had managed to save the poor child from further torment. William only gritted his teeth and continued to shake his head slowly, his mind still trying to wrap around what horrors had been done to this boy.
"I wanted to go back for my sister...but the guards caught me too fast. She is still in there...she...she..." the boy suddenly broke into a sob and clutched at Orion's chest, Orion not making a move to stop him, and allowed the boy to vent his sorrow. He allowed him to cry for a minute, and then slowly put his arms around the poor boy, letting him at least feel safe. The boy sobbed harder and harder until he seemed to almost rock the tent and Orion's chest was soaked. But he allowed the boy to gradually calm himself.
He laid the boy's head down and though he did not smile, Garret felt a strange power in his gaze, almost as if Orion was projecting something into him that gave him a sense of peace, despite the recent events.
"You may sleep now Garret. As long as you are with us, those men will not come within even a mile of you. That is a promise."
"A promise..." the boy gently murmured, and his tear filled eyes closed, sleep finally coming upon him once again.
Orion quietly stood up and signaled the other two to come with him. They exited the tent and saw that many of the brotherhood had gathered nearby, hearing the boy's cries. Many of them also had a look of concern upon their sweating faces. Orion addressed them in a quieter tone than his usual command voice, not wanting to awaken the boy sleeping the sleep of the dead behind him.
"We will go about tomorrow as planned. The only difference is that Jason will take the boy tomorrow to a place of mortal authority and allow him to plea his case. For those going into town tomorrow, have fun, but stay on alert. The fact that these events are happening around us is something to be wary of."
There were some nods and glances back at the tent, but the training had died down for now. The whole camp had seemed to have sensed the distress of the poor boy, and had quit training in order to not awaken him.
"Jason, you may sleep in my tent tonight. I think the boy should be able to get as much sleep as he can."
"Yes sir."
"Tomorrow, you will take him to the...oh what are they called...the 'police station' and see if you can get him any aid there. Then you are to return here immediately, after reporting to Darren that all had gone well. But if any trouble occurs, and you cannot get him to a safe haven in the town, then just get back here immediately."
"I'll take care of it my lord. I won't let anything happen to him."
Orion gave him a gentle squeeze of the shoulder before heading off, most likely to brief Darren of what was expected of him. He would be leading the second "vacation" group.
Jason entered Orion's tent and found a sleeping bag had been moved in for him. From the images put into his head by the story of Garret, he would need some sleep...
-Morning-
Jason had been up for an hour, taking exercise with his sword when Garret awoke. He opened the tent flap and was no doubt fascinated instantly by the sight of some boys training. He looked with wonder at the flash of metal, and the skill in maneuvering. He seemed mesmerized by the way it flowed, like the boy's fought and sparred, yet seemed to share the same mind, the same skills. Almost as if they were one fighter.
He felt a hand placed on his shoulder, and looked up to se Orion looking down on him. He had a small smile on his face, and he was dressed in a loose fitting shirt, with the same pants and combat boots as those around him.
"I see you are awake. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah...better than I have lately."
"Very good. Breakfast is being served. Go and get something to eat."
The boy utterly annihilated his food. He had been given extra servings, due to his condition, but anything they out before him was consumed in a minute at the most. Jason, standing a ways behind him, whistled in amusement.
"Don't choke there. I don't wanna do anything even related to the Heimlich Maneuver."
Orion, eating nearby, chuckled. After breakfast, Orion summoned Jason over, and quizzed him on any last minute questions or concerns.
"I am quite ready Lord. As I said last night, nothing will happen to him while I watch him."
"I know that Jason, but you must realize that should you come into trouble, there is no telling where the brothers in town will be. They could be miles away from you, and you could be in dire need of help."
"If I need help to protect myself from a couple of gangsters, then I deserve to be strung up." Jason said, a grin spreading on his face.
"Careful Jason. A true hunter and warrior never underestimates his opponents, no matter how wild and uncoordinated they may seem. Recklessness will kill a warrior even more surely than an enemy sword."
Jason's grin shrunk and he slowly nodded, realizing that he had fallen into overconfidence. Orion had taught him many things over the years, but he was still young and prone to hubris. He would need to get over that...
Orion then smiled and waved them off.
"You know what to do Jason. Garret could not be in better hands than yours."
"Yes, lord Orion."
And with that, Jason nudged Garret toward the town, and the duo departed.
-Thirty minutes later-
Jason led the way, Garret following behind him. He had occasionally glanced back to make sure that the little black-haired boy was following him directly, but so far, Garret was like a tick on a dog. He never strayed more than five feet from his back. He noticed the fear in Garret's eyes as they walked, almost as if the little boy was thinking that danger lurked behind every tree, rock, or stump.
He thought back to the horror story that Garret had told. He had always knew that there were some mortals that made monsters seem like Santa Claus. What frightened him was wondering just what horrors had this boy seen or experienced, and at so young an age. He seemed to act like an abused puppy, which was exactly what he was, beside the "puppy" part. What could drive the youth out of something so innocent, and then instill such fear and helplessness?
They reached the outskirts of town, and Garret actually walked up to him and took his hand. Jason was startled by the sudden move, but he did not tear his hand away. If that made the boy feel just a bit safer, than he was content.
"I am going to take you to the police station. There might be some cops there that will be able to do something for you," he said to Garret.
"Okay," Garret replied, his voice still full of unease.
They passed through several neighborhood areas, and then reached the downtown area, where there was significantly much more hustle and bustle than the neighborhood, yet nothing compared to the bigger cities. But the sight of so much public gave Jason a boost. Surely, nobody would try anything in front of all those people. Finally, they were approaching the station. Strangely, there was no one in the area, though Jason had caught wind of something.
Ever since they had entered the downtown area, three men, all wearing overcoats despite the nice weather, had been tailing them from a distance. Judging from the way they moved, they were attempting to appear nonchalant, but the hunter in Jason knew that they were waiting for the chance to strike. And now that they were in a deserted area, they might just get their chance.
But he did not do anything that would have scarred Garret. He would not make any sudden moves unless there was simply no other option. He noted several alley ways nearby, and was prepared to duck into them in case of pursuit, in order to narrow the playing field. And as he approached the station, the charade stopped. Garret had finally noticed the men, and he suddenly held Jason's hand in an almost death-grip.
"Jason...I know those men...they work at that place...!"
Garret pointed at them, and the three of them seemed to realize they had been caught. The police station was still about a hundred feet away, and if these men were armed, then they would never get far before they took several bullets each. There was only one option...the alleys. Jason leaned down and tried to seem like he was simply whispering nonsense into Garret's ear, but Garret heard differently.
"Garret...I know our scared...but when I scream the word, I want you to run as fast as you can, and follow me into those alleys, alright?" he asked. He could almost hear Garret's heart beating with fear, and he nodded, his little eyes wide with fright. Jason swallowed and counted the seconds.
One of the men drew a pistol...
"NOW!"
The two bolted to the side, just narrowly avoiding the bullet that one of the men fired. Jason thought he felt it whiz past him, but he could not take his mind off making Garret run faster. The poor boy's malnourished and abused body just was not capable of much speed. And even as Garret ran, his legs seemed on the verge of slipping out from under him. And unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.
Garret slipped and fell to the ground with an "oof" of pain, quickly followed by a cry of terror that tore at Jason's usually stoic heart. Jason immediately bent down, and that may very well have saved his life, for at that moment, a bullet passed over his back, directly through the space his upper body would have been if he had been upright. But he had not time to contemplate this, as he grabbed Garret and flung him over his shoulder. Then he continued running, the gunmen in hot pursuit
He crossed over into the maze of alleyways, and turned a corner, spotting some trash cans directly next to the opening. He dropped Garret, much harder than he would have preferred, and forced the young boy to look him in the eyes, Garret never showing as much fear as Jason saw in him now.
"Garret, stay here. Whatever you hear, do not look, okay? Can you do that for me?"
Garret whimpered and nodded. Jason forced a reassuring smile and then stood by the entrance of the dark alley. He lifted his jacket and drew his sword, taking comfort in the metallic sound it made as it was swiftly drawn from it's hidden sheath. He held it almost like a baseball batter, and waited for the footsteps to come closer...and closer...
Finally, one of the gunmen ran around the entrance, and Jason struck. His blade swept downward, and almost completely severed the man's leg. The man, apparently of Hispanic background, fell to the ground, screaming as the almost complete stump that was once his leg splurged blood.
The second met a similar fate, if a little less dramatic. Jason's blade finished it's arc of travel, and then he immediately stabbed it forward from the position his previous strike ended in, catching the second gunmen as he rounded the corner as well. The blade found it's place in the base of his neck, and Jason was splashed with a little spray of blood. The man gurgled and fell, dead before he even hit the ground.
The final pursuer was not quite as stupid as his companions. He hugged the out wall of the alley that led by the one they had sought shelter in, and so there was some distance between them. He also had his handgun fully pointed out, but that turned out to be a mistake in such close quarters, and Jason took advantage of it. As he rounded the corner, he lashed out, knocking the gun to the side just as it fired. Jason felt a burning sensation in his abdominal area, and found that the bullet had skimmed his mid-section, about five inches below his armpit. But he did not let the pain distract him from deliver a powerful thrust into the man's gut. The man screamed as the sword tore into him, and he collapsed, the gun dropping.
Jason stood above this one, the only one with at least a chance of surviving. The man looked up at him with fear in his eyes and his lips quivering in pain. Jason reveled in the fact that this man was the one who was scared now, and not just the poor boy seeking shelter behind the trash cans. He stood over the man and held his sword just below the man's chin.
"Why are you chasing this boy?" he asked, indication Garret.
"He's a runaway..."
"Away from what? What did he do that you would chase him so viciously, and it seems, even to kill him?"
"He would tell everyone about us..."
"About what! Tell me, damn you!"
"The operation."
"What operation!?"
"I..I..can't tell you! He'll kill me if I do!"
Jason knelt down and grabbed the man's collar, lifting him up with a surge of his strength from being a brotherhood member. The man seemed surprised at this, and he gasped and shook his head in disbelief.
"He'll kill you, you miserable little shit! I'll kill you!"
"You might as well...I can't talk about it..."
Jason contemplated the words for a moment. And then he came up with a different approach.
"Let me say this, you little worm. If you do not tell me where this little operation is, then I am going to make a hundred cuts into your body. They will be done very slowly, as to allow you to feel the pain of every single one of them. And then I am going to hack off each one of your limbs and let you watch yourself bleed out, feeling every painful second. Unless, you tell me exactly where this little operation is, and what exactly it is in the first place!"
The man seemed to understand the honesty of this threat. His eyes bulged out, and his heart quickened, which was not good for someone with as bad a wound as he had.
"It's in the woods somewhere...on the edge of town...there is virtually no one in the area...so it goes undiscovered..." he began to fade out, almost as if the blood-loss was getting to him.
"What is it! What the hell goes on there, damn you!" Jason roared, but it was too late. The man had passed out from his injuries. Jason snarled a curse and dropped the man, not caring if he injured him further. He heard a rustling, and then, before he could stop him, Garret peeked out and saw the bodies.
The man with the nearly severed leg had also seemed to have died, and he lay there with his eyes closed, his mouth still open. Garret saw the wound and panic shot through his eyes. He saw the man with a fresh sword wound in his neck, his eyes staring ahead straight and dead. And the man passed out beneath Jason, Jason standing over him. his sword stained with their blood.
"Garret..." Jason began, but Garret had already turned to run down the alley, panic at what he saw and what Jason had done flooding into his heart and mind. Panic had taken hold, and he sought to run away from it all. Jason hurried after him, and managed to catch him.
Garret screamed in fear and beat against Jason's chest, but Jason held firm, holding Garret tight against him. Garret cried and cried in the fear of what he was now in, and Jason whispered soothing words to him, trying to calm the poor boy's mind.
"Garret, calm down. I had to. They would have killed me and taken you back to that place."
Garret continued to cry, and then he looked up at Jason, his eyes filled with tears of fear, and his little lips quivering.
"Who...who are you people?" he asked, as if the question had just now occurred to him.
"I...I will let Orion explain that to you. Come on, it's not safe here. Camp is the only safe haven for you right now."
With that, he led Garret away... away from the source of new nightmares to come...
-A little later-
Orion paced the tent as Jason divulged what happened. He was still covered in the man's blood, and his face was still bore some droplets that had sprayed from one of their throats. He thought that not bathing and immediately reporting to Orion would have helped prove his case, seeing the result of this latest incident. Jason only paused to take bites out of the ambrosia to help his wound.
Orion listened to the report of what may be taking place outside town, and he stopped pacing when Jason described how he got the information. He looked at Garret, who was clinging to Jason's side as he spoke, and gave the boy a reassuring smile, if only to calm his nerves.
"Jason, this report is quite disturbing. It would seem that whomever this boy was forced to work for, he desperately wants him back."
"If he is not recovered, he could get an account of what happened to the authorities. That alone is enough reason to pursue him from one corner of the world to another," Jason replied.
Orion nodded.
"You did well Jason. Even if you were trying to not attract attention, your actions may very well have saved Garret."
"Thank you lord...if I may make a request?"
"Certainly."
"Do you think you could spare some time to explain what exactly we are to Garret? And, well, explain just who you are?"
Orion looked at Garret, who seemed encouraged by the question. He looked at Orion now with childlike curiosity, and Orion could not help but chuckle at the smile spreading over Garret's face. The saying that there was nothing like the smile of a child to brighten a day was very well conceived.
"Of course Jason. Go get cleaned up, and leave Garret here. I will tell him everything."
Jason gave Garret a reassuring squeeze, and then left to attend to himself. Orion walked over to his bed and sat upon it. He indicated a stool nearby, and Garret picked it up to carry it over in front of Orion. He sat upon it and looked up at Orion's face, gazing into his powerful eyes.
"Garret, do you know the legend of Orion The Hunter?"
"Momma sometimes told us stories...and I think she told us that one..."
"Well, as you know, my name is Orion...and so there is something you should know about me before I say anything else..."
-Hours later, that night-
The boss was not having a good day...again.
First there were the two that got arrested. That was bad enough. But now, hearing the report from his top guard, as well as recent news reports, three of his men now turned up dead in some alley. The first two were bad enough, but this?
He growled deep in his throat, and he crumbled the paper cup in his hand. He never before had been so embarrassed, so humiliated, than he felt right now. He had taken pains to choose his men from as top class and skilled as he could, and now this was happening. Just what had he done to deserve this!
"I swear to god that I am going to make you pay!" he shouted to no one in particular. He felt he was shouting to whomever had done his much damage to him so far. This was more press than he ever wanted. And if people kept looking into these kinds of things, then they might find something he rather have kept hidden.
Right now, he needed a release...and then fate seemed to smile on him. A knock at his door was heard.
"Come in."
One of his guards entered, a grin on his face.
"Sir, we have her ready. She is in your room, awaiting your pleasure."
"Is she as I requested?"
"To the letter, sir."
"Thank you. At least something has gone right today. My thanks."
"Pleasure to be of assistance, sir."
The boss left the room and walked down the hall of his luxurious house, old style classical music emanating from his room. He pushed the door open slowly, the tension in him almost too great to control. And when he saw his source of amusement for today, he felt that this moment had actually been the most perfect so far.
A young girl, about sixteen or seventeen, lay upon his bed. Her mouth was gagged, so he wouldn't need to hear her pleas or any such thing like that. It would not do to have his pleasure complaining. Her curvaceous body was dressed in only small, pink lingerie. She looked at him with such pleasurable terror, and she cried out against her gag. He walked over to her struggling form, and put a finger to his lips.
"Now, now, let's not have any of that shall we? Let us enjoy the night..."
The girl screamed against her gag and pulled against her restraints, but it was no good. His guards had seen to her being tightly bound, and able to put up no fights today.
"I always liked mine rather young," the boss said, beginning to unbutton his business suit.
-Brotherhood camp-
Garret had never before heard anything like what he was now hearing.
He never could believe that the stories that he had heard as a child, the stories of ancient Greece, the land of magic and myths, could have actually been true. He had always been told that these were mere stories, and when he brought it up, Orion had made the point that they had to have truth somewhere. And when he initially told him of the fact that he was Orion, as in the Orion of legend, Garret almost exploded with glee. His young mind had very little trouble accepting what he heard, once he was past the initial stages.
"Weren't you in love with Artemis?" Garret asked.
The question was an innocent one, asked from the mind of a child. But Orion seemed visibly pained by the question, almost as if he remembered something very bad. But what is was, Garret couldn't think of. The stories of Orion told of him being virtually fearless, and so what could have hurt him so, if were indeed the Orion?
"I still am, Garret."
"And so the gods really do exist?"
Orion chuckled. The enthusiasm of the boy was contagious.
"Yes Garret, they are. Did you not hear my first stories?"
"I heard...but this is so cool that they really are real!"
"Yes Garret...it is cool," he said. He was still getting used to some of the words this modern world often used.
"And so you really are the great Orion!"
"Dear me, have you not heard me? I have said several times that I am," Orion said. The boy may have been being slow to catch it, but the way he acted, so happy and cheerful, was something Orion could not allow annoyance to interfere with.
Garret had a smile spread from ear to ear. He listened to more of the stories and tales from Orion, now finally beginning to believe without a doubt as to their truthfulness. And as Orion went through each story, each one more heroic than the last, his face seemed brighter and brighter. Finally, he asked about Orion's own story, and if it really was truthful.
This time Orion showed reluctance to answer. The events of that day had overreaching consequences that had spilled into the modern world with violent and brutal results. And he may have redeemed himself to Artemis by saving them all from Nemesis...but he could not see himself as redeemed in his own. At least not yet. And so he was slow to answer Garret's questions about himself.
But answer them he did, even if he was slow to do so. Garret seemed to sense his discomfort, and he stopped questioning him, instead asking about some of the other, less popular things in the "mythology" of Ancient Greece. Orion cheered up and answered all he could, before realizing just how late it was.
"Dear me, it is now a late hour Garret. It is best that you return to you sleeping bag in Jason's tent. He is probably asleep right now, so try to be quiet."
"Awwww...can't I hear one more story?" Garret asked, his young smile beaming. Orion chuckled at the attempt to "cute" another story, but he had learned to get over this a while ago.
"I am afraid that it truly is late Garret. Please, return to your sleeping mat, and get some rest. Try to dream of pleasant dreams."
Garret nodded and left, a smiling Orion looking after him as he left. His mind wondered to Artemis and he wondered just what she was doing right now. Was she hunting beneath the moon, the graceful and beautiful creature that she was? Or was she sitting by the fire, tending to her instruments and gazing in all her wisdom at the world around them, a world familiar to her, but still relatively new to Orion.
He leaned down on his bed and focused on her image, determined to see her hunt through his dreams tonight...
Now you see why I am worried that I may have to change this to an M rating. Though this was pretty much the extent that you'll be reading anything violent or sexual, I want to be sure that I am still within a "hard T" rating. If not, then warn me, and I'll upgrade the rating as soon as I can. If it does change, I still won't be too graphic about anything, but I wont get any trouble then.
You all have been very faithful and I thank you all. Do not forget to leave a few words in a review, and I will begin the next chapter as soon as I can. Until then, Happy Hunting!