The Matches

The ground was hard and cold as ice. He felt it all on his face. His eyes were blindfolded. Fortunately, his mouth wasn't gagged. His hands were tied by a metallic knot which was rubbing against his skin. The air was stale, rotten. It was the smell of death.

He was still in the graveyard. He didn't know why the creatures didn't kill him. He then assumed that Kera and Lunukin were alive too.

A slow and careful sound of steps approached him.

He didn't say anything.

Kera and Lunukin panicked. They started moving in a convulsed way, to get read of their chains and be free.

Unexpectedly thay stopped. Almost immediately.

He felt her hands being freed. Then an anthropomorphic paw took the blindfold off.

He saw them but now they felt different, they looked different.

All their savagery was held back, to show them that they weren't a treat.

They were looking at them.

Someone with a curious look, another with despise and another with suspicion.

Seven creatures were standing there, in a semi-circle.

One of them, probably the old one started talking.

"Wev wonnt hurts yout. Butt wev wannt ton knows iffy yout ared withs theym " said him with a calm tone

The three prisoners were confused. They didn't expect to hear words spoken by such feral monsters.

"Who are them? What do you want from us?" shouted Lunukin, clearly scared

The elder didn't answer.

There was something oddly familiar about him.

"You…We don't know who they are. Why have you attached us?" asked Kurban, without escalating the conversation.

"Theh attackkers. Theh enemyw. Ared yout spiees?" asked the creature again

"We know nothing of your enemy. We've been brought here from Haguel almost a year ago"

One of the younger abominations moved forth. In his hands was a piece of white fabric.

He put it in front of them.

"Theym" told them while pointing at a symbol on it.

Lunikin and Kera didn't show anything when they saw it.

Kurban recognized it. Grievous memories came in his mind.

"Yout. Yout knows theym" exclaimed one of their inquisitors while shaking his paw toward Kurban

He didn't say anything

"I'm going to tell you what I know. After you're going to tell us who you are and grant us a safe way out" negotiated him then

The creatures looked at each other. It was like they were taking a choice with telepathy.

The elder tilted his head and rotated his eyes toward Kurban.

"Wev ared thes keeppers off thiss graveyard" started him

"Why do you eat the clones' bodies?"

"Beccause wev needs theym tod staye alieve. Wev ared nott likey youd. Wev ared thes mutantes, the errores. Thes cityd doesy nott wants youd too knows abbout us"

"Why? I just know that there're people who believe you to be a legend. They call you…Shax" recalled Kurban, while thinking about the little statuette Tithon got from his lover

"Wev ared calleed Shaaxes beccause theym dos nott wannt youd tos knows whod wev reallye ares"

"What are you?"

The elder came closer and looked Kurban in his eyes.

Then he got the truth.

Kera and Lunukin understood it too.

Kurban was speechless.

The old mutant moved back and pointed his paw on the symbol drawn on the fabric.

"Wev needd youd to frees uss of theym"

"Do you know where our co-workers are?" asked Lunukin

The mutant pointed at the symbol again.

A green Hummingbird on a red background.

The light was starting to come into the tunnel as Pyramus was moving out of the piercing. The carriage started slowing and gradually halted before the track's end.

Pyramus got off the vehicle, got his bag and walked in the light.

The sun was scorching and the clouds which were standing in its way, were vibrating. He found it unsettling.

A strong scent of sand and sweat reached his nose.

and the clouds which were standing in its way, were vibrating. He found it unsettling.

It was nauseating, at first. Then he adapted to it.

Not far from him there was a gate guarded by two masked figures.

He went there and was blocked by them.

"Present yourself" shouted one of them

"Pyramus Wayward"

"Welcome home, sir" shouted them both as they opened the gate.

He went through and gave his bag to one of the people who started coming toward him.

They were looking at him like it has been ages.

Someone was moved by happiness.

A sense of hope was showing in all the people around him. People who were being sheltered there and wanted to listen to him, to know if there was still anything to hope for.

A masked figure, bigger than the others went through the crowd and reached him.

"Colonel Wayward, finally you're here. We need you in the upper levels" told him

Pyramus nodded and went after him

After moving up to the top floor, they arrived in a large room with a bunch of chairs around a table. Three people were seated there, and three seats were vacant. When he reached his seat, all of them stood up and greeted them.

The masked guy who brought him there removed his guise and put it on the table, in a circle with the other masks. Pyramus did it too as she sat down.

"I thought that the plan was to wait and prepare for the next decade. Why did you anticipated it?" asked one of them

"There were complications, and my cover was compromised Captain"

"Where is our Leader?" asked another one who was characterized by a long grey beard and short hair

"He's going to be back. Things aren't going well in the Hara"

"Like last time?" said a young lady

"Similar to it. We hope not to flunk it this time. We're running out of options"

"We still have all the time in the world" joked the girl

"I'm not so sure about that. We're running out of Ankh's vials"

"Do we need to raid the Shangri-La again?" asked her

"Probably"

"I don't think that it will be necessary" stated Pyramus

"Why?" asked an old woman who didn't speak so far

"Because this time we can go for the head"

"Could you explain it to us, please?" asked the man who brought him there

"Major, do you know that now all the Whiskers are stationed at the Hara's gates?" asked Pyramus

"No, why would they?"

"Because there has been the first death and Lady Gehenna doesn't want to jeopardize her leadership and status"

"Wait, are you telling us that Haguel is undefended?" asked the young woman

"More or less…yes"

"So, do you intend to move all your forces from Zerzura to Haguel? The Shaxes are still attacking us, I don't think that's the best idea"

"Yes, and I think that they're manageable"

"About that, we raided them weeks ago. We freed other people who were being kept prisoners," said the Marshall

"Where are them?"

"Bring them forth" instructed him

Someone moved behind them, in the dark. A group of people showed themselves.

They were scared.

"Who are you?" asked Pyramus

"Just…just workers from Haguel"

"How did you end up in Drekavac?" asked the captain

"We were…exiled here for treason"

"Who did it this time?" asked the old woman

"He was called…. Ti...Ti…" started one

"Tithon Ikuinen. The bastard killed one of us"

The people at the table weren't impressed.

"Him. Again. It can't be," said the captain

"I knew about it. The Leader told me that he was going to do it. Where's Perteklinis?" asked Pyramus

"Who?"

"Do you mean the guy who wanted to get back to the city with the kid and the old fart?"

"Where are they?" asked the Marshall

"We don't know"

"Alright. Thanks for your help. Let them stay in one of our shelters" commanded Pyramus

They were then brought away by the guards.

"Could we afford another raid on the Shaxes?" asked the old woman

"We can do it, but our forces still have to recover from the last"

"I'm going to lead it" stated Pyramus

"You're too important. We can't lose you in battle," said the young girl

"It needs to be done. Perteklinis is more relevant than you think"

"Why? Is it just because you say it?" asked the captain

"The Leader told me that"

"Alright. We're going to prepare the troops and leave as soon as possible. I think that we can dismiss our meeting" stated the Marshall

Pyramus stood up and moved away from the table. He went to another room, which was more illuminated and reached the balcony.

In front of him there was the infinite sea of sand of Drekavac. The desert felt different from Zerzura's walls. It felt more alive to him. More alive than the city itself.

The bell ringed as he entered the shop. An old system to notify the owner that customers were in his abode. He was still in his uniform, untouched and spotless. The Antiqua Larva was huge, probably one of the biggest stores in the Hara. There was anything there, from old cars to museum relics. It was a place which was meant for collectors and such.

"How can I help you, Commander?" asked a little guy with big eyes, messy hair, and an unlettered beard.

He was walking aided by a short wooden can.

The Commander knew that he was one of the oldest men of the Hara. He didn't know why but he never cared about it.

Mabdil handed him a picture of the mask which was found in Wayward's apartment.

"Nice mask, it clearly is a rare piece. Are you looking for it?" asked the elder

"No. I would like to know who bought it"

"Why? I grant to my customers all the privacy I can provide. Why should I change it?" objected the owner

Mabdil felt bored.

"I'm the Whiskers Commander. I'm asking that because it's a matter of security. Not just for me but also for you" stated him then

"We have a database with all the transactions executed since the shop's foundation"

"Alright, can I take a look at it?"

"Sure, just give me five minutes to set it up. Meanwhile you can wait here"

Mabdil was unsure about him. His hesitation made him uneasy.

"Go. Now" told him

The seasoned fellow turned slowly and with the same speed went in his office.

The light tinkling of a keyboard started filling the room.

One minute.

Just one minute.

Two minutes.

He started feeling annoyed.

Four minutes.

The tinkling was still on.

Five minutes.

"Is everything alright there?" asked him

"Yes, sir. The point is that there're a lot of files here…it's a bit messy, you know"

Seven minutes.

Little by little he started to feel tense.

Ten minutes.

Still tinkling.

"Fuck it" said Mabdil to himself as he moved to the owner's office.

As the little man saw him coming, he started tickling faster on the keyboard.

"Sir, you can't…you can't interfere…it needs time…you can't…"

The Commander knocked the man off the chair and put himself before the monitor.

He then gave an angry glance at the old man.

"Why are you trying to delete all the files?" asked him with calm anger as he stopped the process

"I…I wasn't…"

"Why?"

"I…I won't answer to that…I want a lawyer" stated the frightened guy

"Where is the mask?" asked Mabdil again

"I won't…. won't tell you…you can't stop them"

"Do you mean the Hummingbirds? Where is it?" again

"I won't tell you…anything"

Then the Commander pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed toward the old guy forehead

"Where?" with a steady tone

The old man was shaking.

"Alright"

The gun shotted and the bullet destroyed an ancient vase beside the owner.

"Ok, ok. Section Two, Year 2145, File 8"

Mabdil typed in the coordinates and the file appeared on the screen. Beside it there was a picture of the buyer.

He didn't look impressed.

"Are you going to kill me?" asked the owner

The Commander put the gun in his pocket and took a stack of matches from the owner's desk.

The old man breathed a sigh of relief.

"You and your people don't deserve Lady Gehenna's gifts" said Mabdil as he was going away

"What does it mean?" asked the owner as Mabdil left the store

It was late, too late. The other workers had already left the office. Only Tithon and Alastor were still there. Two medium sized desk lights were illuminating a huge map. It was the city's underground system of sewers and pipes.

Their intention was to find a way to build a subway system to connect the inner ring of Haguel with the outer. An idea which would have been hard to pitch because Gluskap and Malsumis ordained that everything which is below the city should be left untouched.

The decree was old, probably older than the city itself, because only a few knew about its existence.

"What's that?" asked Tithon to Alastor while pointing his finger toward a map's portion.

Alastor looked at it. He thought about it, to recall his knowledge.

The location wasn't set far from the city walls and looked like it was inhabited. It was large, probably as big as Alusta.

It wasn't clear if it was a big building or a small one.

It wasn't even the oddest thing. Two lines were parting from it, which was like "nowhere", and were reaching Alusta and Haguel's outer ring.

"It could be part of the old city; I don't know really" tried to explain Alastor

"Are you serious? Just that?" asked Tithon unsatisfied

Alastor looked at him with a confused look

"Are you hiding anything?"

"No…no. Why are you asking me that and why do you care about a irrelevant point in the map?"

"I was just curious. You don't have to…"

"Alright, alright. Just, we don't have to argue about that. It's out of our control, Probably Malsumis and Gluskap know more about that" deescalated Alastor.

They got back to work.

"What about doing one which connects the Hara to Haguel's outer rim?" proposed Tithon

"You can try but we already have a hard pitch for the brothers in charge. It's better not to get ahead of ourselves"

Suddenly a person came into the room.

It was one of the Whiskers which used to watch the firm during the night.

"I'm sorry guys but I must ask you to go home because we're way ahead of closing time. It's just a matter of safety" told them

Then they immediately woke up and stretched their stiff limb.

They put the map away and cleared the room.

"Have a good night," said the Whisker to them

They waved their hands while leaving him

After getting down to the ground floor and walking out of the building they started moving in opposite directions. The street was dimly illuminated, and no one was around. It was kind of scary and creepy. Like a ghost city.

"I was thinking that if you want, you can come to my house and finish our task. What do you think?"

"It could work for me, as long as it is business related" answered Tithon

"Just chill, man. I don't understand why you're such in a rush to be promoted"

Tithon didn't answer immediately.

He didn't trust him. He took a leap of faith then.

"My fiancée is there, and I have to reach her"

"That's sweet, I guess that Lily will appreciate it" stated Alastor

Tithon didn't continue the conversation, but he showed his agreement with his face

"Do you love her?"

"Absolutely"

"Does she love you back?" asked Alastor

Tithon wanted to say yes but last time she felt her a bit distant and cold

"She…does…loves me too" answered Tithon

He felt uneasy saying that

An uneasiness which didn't pass unnoticed with Alastor.

The screen was on. Its electric blue light was lighting up Lilith's face.

She was laying on her bed with the PC on his laps. A large smile on her face.

He was video chatting with Tithon. A recurring habit which kept them linked, even though they couldn't be together.

They were speaking since that afternoon.

She was a bit tired, like him.

"What are you going to do now?" asked Tithon

"Don't know. I'll probably update my agenda for the coming week. What about you?"

"I must finish me and Alastor's project. I think that a couple of hours will take to end at first part, which is the hardest"

"That seems cool. Why don't you go to Alastor's and complete the task together? I think that you work better together"

"I'm not sure. I'll give it a try, but I don't want to bother him"

"Don't worry. To me he seems like a guy who would be open for it"

"Maybe you're right Lily. Anyway, I have a question?"

"Shoot"

"When I'll move to the Hara, will I be able to meet your mother?"

Lilith didn't answer immediately. She was looking for the right words to tell him.

"Hey babe, are you still there?" asked Tithon

"Yes…yes"

"Is that a 'yes' for meeting your mother?"

"Don't know Ti. I'll think about it"

Tithon didn't know what to say but felt that she was a bit annoyed.

"What do you fear?" tried to understand Tithon

"Nothing…just."

Her mother then appeared at the door with her usual clothes: a large black hood which covered all her body.

She turned her head toward her.

"Is she there?"

"I have to go Tithon" said her annoyed

"Wait, just five minutes"

"I'm sorry Ti. Bye. I'll call you soon"

"I love you, Lilith" told him to her

"Me…me too Ti. Good night" said her as she closed the PC.

"Is it for real or you're just kidding?" asked her mother

"Mother, don't ask such questions" cut her short

"I hope that you won't forget your main purpose with him"

"I know. You say it every day and it's a bit boring"

"How you dare to use those words with me?"

"Please…'mother'. I share your genes, but it doesn't mean that I have exactly like you. Or should I be like my sister?"

"At least she knows what her place is. A thing which she took from me"

Lilith didn't answer. She just shook her head.

One of the butlers approached them and bowed.

"There's someone for you, my Lady. Should I introduce him?"

"Sure" said Lilith's mother

They both waited as the Commander Mabdil entered the room.

"Why are you here?" asked Lilith

"I want to tell you both that I've found out the identity of our mole"

"Who is it?" asked the Lady

"The co-chief of security"

"Which one?"

"My Lady, you already know his identity. It isn't the first cycle that we have to deal with him and his brother"

"What are we going to do then?" asked Lilith to his mother

"Should we capture him like the other times or…"

"Kill him," said the Lady

"Are you sure…about that?" asked Lilith speechless

"I think that you should do it, Commander"

"With a squad of Whiskers, right?"

She didn't answer.

"Right?"

"After that but it will be your responsibility. Less people know about it, the better"

"But…Lady Gehenna…"

"What?" said Lilith and her mother

"How will we replace him?"

"I'll manage it" told him Lilith