The Rubbles

The dancer was moving like a seductive snake, shaking her limbs, and drawing invisible designs in the air.

The music, electrical and fast-paced, was guiding her movement.

The retropunk clothes she was wearing were tight and remarked her curves. Shapes he used to know like his own.

"Isn't she beautiful, mate?" asked one of the Whiskers who went out with him that evening.

It was one of their days off.

"Surely" told him.

Then the music stopped, and she left the stage, after looking at him.

A soothing music started playing in the background.

"Anyway, how is the job research going commander?" asked his friend

"I'm not your commander, not anymore" said Fanon with a bit of sadness in his voice

"Don't worry. Things will turnout well, as they always did"

He sighed

"Well, regarding your question. So far no one wanted to hire me because I've worked for the Supreme Leader. It has been almost three months like that"

"That's true. It seems like she is removing everything, and everyone related to him" said another one

"What if she was right about him? What if he was really manipulating all of us?"

"Why would he? He united the city and expelled every Hummingbird in the city. I think that she felt threatened by him"

"He doesn't deserve to be in a cage. We should do something about that. In the end he was the one who gave us a purpose. We can't move on with our life just like that"

"What should we do Fanon?"

Suddenly the music stopped.

The people in the bar looked uneasy. Someone made his way into the premises.

Whispers started being exchanged between the men and women at the tables.

"What's happening?" asked Fanon to the bartender

He didn't answer his question. He appeared frozen and frightened.

Then they saw the reason why the place was tense.

"We're looking for Guels who are still illegally living in the Hara" announced the guards chief.

Every person was waiting. Waiting for them to get out and for a Guel to show himself.

"If, the Guels in question won't come out, we will have to check everyone here. Would you like that?"

Silence.

"Is it you? Or maybe you?" was asked to the people

Suddenly an explosion shook the customers and the guards.

"What was that?" was asked to Fanon

"I don't know. Come with me" as all the group stood up and went to the door.

The guards were already outside, defending themselves from the attacks of people who had their face covered by balaclavas. Their cars were in flames.

The air was thick and grey, due to the large use of smoke bombs and tear gas.

Civilians were running around scared, screaming.

Fanon and his group managed to help some kids and old citizens who were trying to run from the chaos and blood.

"Give the city back to the people. Give the city back to our Supreme Leader" was chanting a crowd of people.

"What should we do commander?" asked one of his friends

"Fall back. Gather at my house in two hours"

The others nodded and started disbanding.

Guards Dragonflies were flying over them, patrolling and marking the individuals who were considered a threat.

The purple gem in the sky felt closer, like someone who was watching over them and waiting. An invisible Titan hidden behind the clouds.

They were all gathered there, looking each other in the eyes and bringing their opinions forward.

The meeting was proceeding well. Both parties were trying their best at avoiding any kind of escalation. It wasn't easy though. Centuries of war and battles couldn't be cancelled.

"We're trying to help each other achieving our common interest: taking back the city from Lady Gehenna. You should consider Pyramus offer" stated Kurban

"Wey trusst hims butt whatt abouts they outhers" said the Shaxes' King

"If you truly trust me, you should consider my partner proposal. We've had our fights in the past but now, now we're talking about solving both our issues" remarked Pyramus

"Iff soy, whys dos nott yous speaky, Hummingbirds?" was asked to Gluskap, who was still feeling a bit hurt, even though his wounds were recovering fast.

All the people present there were waiting for him to say anything.

"I…I must be honest. We've always thought that you were on Lady Gehenna's side. We wanted to save the exiles and we assumed that the one who didn't make it were killed by you"

"Whyy?"

"We were scared by you. We…I still don't know what you…are. Mutants, defective clones or…"

Pyramus stopped him but he noticed that something wasn't right about him

"Howw doy yous knows abbout thosey conceptys?"

"I've observed you while I was in isolation. You're too clever and too anthropomorphic…"

"What do you mean when you say clones?"

"I mean…"

"You appear to know more than we thought" said Kurban

"When I was co-chief of Security for Lady Gehenna, I've overheard a lot of discussions…"

"Hows cann wey trusts yous thenn?"

"I didn't stay on her side because I agreed with her actions but because me and my brother wanted to be a step ahead of her. We had to"

"This is true" said Pyramus

"Ok but I want to know more about this clones matter" insisted Kurban

"I think that we should get back to our discussion"

"I agrees. Pleasse proceedy"

Gluskap looked at Kurban with altered eyes.

"It wasn't even my idea. My brother, Malsumis, forced me. He told me that it was the only way to take her down. He never cared about the 'Birds"

"He is just saying that…"

"Please, Py. Let me finish" whispered to him

"My past actions and choices weren't well thought but it has never been my intention to wage a war against your kind. If we're here, right now, is because I didn't listen to the wise ideas of my partner and instead wanted to face the enemy alone. What happened next wasn't foreseen. I concluded next that my brother should've sold us to the enemy. And now we're here, without a home, stranded in the desert. I…we're asking you to consider our peace offering and alliance. At this time, we need as many soldiers as possible to face the army the Supreme Leader has built"

The Shaxes King looked at the elders and nodded.

"Wey wills conssider yours propposal. Meanswhiley yours meny cans sttay insides"

While the gathering was disbanding Kurban went beside Gluskap.

"What were you saying?" asked him insistently

"I think that Gluskap needs to lie down for a beat. Give him a rest, please" said Pyramus while helping his boyfriend reach his spot.

Kurban was looking at them with an inquisitive sight.

The pod opened. Steam was coming out of it. A creature fell on his feet. It was fully formed but weak, trembling like a stem in the wind.

Hector, Janus and Gadreel were looking at Cressida, who was in awe.

Her creation was there, trying to stand up and frightened.

"You're beautiful, my daughter" said her while caressing the hardened skin.

"I will call you Resheph, like the shield of Ebla"

Cressida looked at Gadreel and Janus while tilting her head.

They understood and took the specimen to her chamber.

"But…Cressida…why have you created a mutated clone of yourself?" asked Hector who didn't understand her joy

"She is the next step of our evolution. She is what will be left when we won't be here anymore"

"I…thought that you wanted to repopulate this city with people like us"

She looked him with a disappointed face and brought him to the lab, where there were all the pods

"Do you see them?"

She accompanied him by one of the pods.

He saw one of his own inside it. Younger and stronger.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes…I mean, yeah. But they can't be perfect" joked him

"They are. They are not immortal though"

"Do you think that we'll be able to find Lud with the clones help?"

"I don't think…that it will be necessary. We need to rebuild the city first"

"Ok but him…"

"Would you like to join him?"

He shut immediately and went away. While he was going to his lonely spot, he saw a room where it looked like she was trying to manufacture food, but it wasn't what attracted his attention.

He saw Janus and Gadreel who were watching Resheph, who was looking around, trying to understand what was going on.

Janus had a switch in his hand. He pressed it and she changed.

What was a quiet and reasonable creature became a feral monster who tried to attack them, in vain. She was scratching the glass and growling. Her eyes were scarlet like blood.

And then noticed that there was someone inside the chamber. Cressida was sitting in a corner, looking at her daughter.

"You can stop it now" ordered her to Janus

The creature switched her behavior immediately and went to her mother, who gave her a hug.

"Are you ok?" asked Pyramus to Gluskap

"Better. Why?"

"You seemed…aloof during the meeting. Is there something wrong?"

Gluskap tried to look as tired as possible.

"No…nothing. I'm just tired. Being weak and powerless is hard to bear. We need to do something. Talking won't bring us anywhere"

They were sitting down at their spot. Pyramus was going to help him…

"Don't worry. I'm able to do it. My wounds are almost healed" said Tithon showing him his hand to stop him

"How do you know about the Shaxes? Tell me the truth now"

Gluskap puffed.

"I've already told you the truth"

"You considered them a legend. How is that possible?"

"I…I was wrong, alright"

"Ok, but how do you know about their existence?"

Gluskap knew that he would've continued.

"Well, Lady Gehenna had one in his house. I've seen it once. I think that it was a 'she' because Gehenna used to call her 'daughter'. Just that"

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I didn't think that it would've been relevant. It was still a monster nonetheless"

"So, you didn't know about their nature? You were in my same position. You considered them animals, nothing more"

"Exactly"

Pyramus smiled and hugged him.

"Thanks for being sincere, Kap" said Pyramus while kissing him

Once his partner finished, Gluskap put a hand in his.

"About that, Py. Do you happen to know where my relic is?"

"Relic?"

"It's like rounded metallic stone with a symbol on it. Do you happen to have it? Because I had it in my pocket when I came here and now it isn't there"

Pyramus understood and took it out.

Gluskap looked at it intensely.

"May I have it back?"

"Mmmm…sure. What is it?" asked him while getting it back

"It was given to me and my brother when we were young. It's a paperweight made of titanium with a symbol on it which represents me and my brother"

"What does it mean?"

"For an ancient, extinct civilization it meant freedom and conjugality. It was called…"

Kurban appeared in front of them, unannounced. He looked bothered.

"The Shaxes wants four of us and two of them to march toward Zerzura tonight. They want to help us find any 'Bird who survived the ambush"

"I'll go with you. Have they thought about our proposition?" said Pyramus

"Yes. They accept the peace, and they intend to help us with our common issue"

"Great" exulted Pyramus

"I should come with you"

"I don't think so. You're unfit. Kera and Lunukin will come with us" cut short Kurban

Gluskap didn't insist.

"Prepare yourself. We depart in two hours"

Gehenna was watching the riots from his safe and protected floor on the Aokigahara Tower. She never wanted to see her creations hurting each other. She was worried. She was feeling a mounting pressure on her spine.

Her deadlines, her obligations were her burden. She knew that there wasn't much choice. The fate of the planet was on her shoulders.

"My Lady, we have an issue with our antennas" said a scientist who was standing a couple of feet behind her

"What issue?"

She was moving toward him

"S... someone is…jamming the…signal"

The scientist was sweating and trembling

"Explain"

"We…are unable to…contact the…asset"

She was in front of him. He turned his head down.

"And?"

"And…the transmitter for…your side project…is malfunctioning"

"So, you came here telling me that, instead of solving it yourself?"

"Y…yes...my…Lady"

She walked past him and went toward the elevator.

She went in and looked at the scientist who was petrified.

She nodded and he immediately went inside the metallic nest.

She wasn't saying a word.

"What should we do? We can't go on like this" said one of the lieutenants who was sitting at the table in Fanon's house

"If we do anything they can arrest us. I can't go to prison. I've found a job which pays well, I do not intend to lose my freedom"

"Yes, until Lady Gehenna decides that ex-Whiskers won't be hired anymore"

"How can we free the Supreme Leader without our gear?"

"I say that we can attack the tower with our bare hands"

"Against guards armed like us.? This is madness"

"There's a solution actually" said Fanon and everyone shut up

"Our gear is still at the Academy. I think that we should start there"

"Alright but how do you intend to move all of us to the Tower when all the guards will be noticed by the alarm?" asked one of the lieutenants

Fanon was thinking about it. He was right, they won't have had enough time to reach the Hara from Haguel.

"We will use the Dragons"

"Commander, this is madness. We don't know how much are left there and, even if we're able to take them, their Dragons will overwhelm ours. We won't survive in a dogfight"

"I think that the people will help us" stated Fanon

"How?"

"I don't know"

"It's a gamble, too risky. We can't afford to lose men like that"

Fanon was staring in a void in front of him. His fingers were running on the table.

Then he stood up.

"What, Commander?"

Fanon walked toward the window. Guards were on the streets.

"Go. I will tell you the plan"

"But sir, how can we…"

"Go. We're going to need every man for this mission" told him while getting them to the door

As they left, he went to the window to see if the guards were bothering them. Apparently not.

His head was running fast. The idea was still there. Growing.

He had a plan.

The sand was gently sliding under the vehicle's tyres.

The moon was looking at them, moving so fast toward the rubbles.

In front them was standing nothing more than smithereens, spread in the desert like casual stones.

Pyramus was silent. His eyes were wet.

"Do you really think that we will find anyone here?" asked Lunukin

"I don't know. It's hard to believe that someone survived the ambush and the explosion"

There were no corps on the ground.

The Shaxes meanwhile were smelling the air.

Kera was looking at them with a confused face.

"Why did you bring me with you? I'm too old for this" lamented him

"Ours Leadders wanteyd yous alll" told him one of the Shaxes

"Stopp they cayr" suddenly said the other

Pyramus slowed down and stopped.

"What? Are there Whiskers?"

"Yess butt alsoy 'Birdds"

They got off and started looking around. They disposed like a foldinf fan and scanned the ground.

It was quiet. Too quiet. Only the stars were there with them. A strange muted noise was ringing in their ears.

"Any of you know anything about the purple lonely star in the sky?" asked Lunukin

Most of them shook their head

"I…I think that…It has always been there, since I was born," said Kera

"Ok but, I mean, what is it? A star, a planet…something else?"

"Wey calls its Fenrisulfr, they unddying. Wey bellieve thats it's they reasson whhy wey exists, ass ours forebearrers saws its in they skys wheny it startedd shinings and they werre roamings freey ons this planets"

"Cool story. It sounds more like a legend, though" added Lunukin

"That's enough. Get back to what we were doing" said Pyramus, annoyed by the kid

"Yesss…you….yous….ares…ares…"

"Are you alright fellow?" asked Kera to him

The other Shax was experiencing something like that too

"What's happening?" asked Kurban worried

Kera went closer to one of the Shax. He had one of his hand in front of him.

"Buddy, everything will be alright just…" he didn't manage his sentence that the Shax jumped on him, beheading him

They were shaking their heads, like there was something inside it that was tampering with their mind

"What the hell? I thought that we were on the same side" said Pyramus altered

The Shaxes stopped shaking their heads. They were looking at them.

Not as friends or allies. As prey.

They charged and rushed on them.

Lunukin was downed by one of them.

"We can't hurt them. We can't kill any of them now that we have a deal" shouted Kurban

"You're right but how do you intend to restrain them?" asked him Pyramus while he was dealing with the one in front of him.

The Shaxes were attacking them with a feral fury. Kurban never saw them like that. It wasn't right. It wasn't like the time they seized him. Their intention wasn't killing at the time.

Lunukin lost hold of the creature who devoured him without mercy.

Kurban was trying to help Pyramus but now they were balanced, two against two.

"What can we do?" asked Pyramus without ease

Kurban noted that there were corpses there, under the sand. One of them, had his gun still in his hand. He didn't care if it was a Whisker or a Hummigbird. He rushed to it and ripped it off the dead hand. The Shax was behind him. It jumped on him.

Kurban fired.

Another shot went off.

Pyramus' attacker went down in front of him.

He looked at Kurban.

The gun was still in his hand.

"What have I done?" told him while throwing it away

Kera and Lunukin were dead, like the Shaxes.

"It was just…self-defense. I didn't want to kill. I never wanted to kill them. No, no"

"We have to go back, Kur"

"I don't know how to live with it"

"We can't tell that to them" stated Kurban

"It's an incident. We should do it"

"No. The alliance, the war is more important. I don't know what happened, but no one should know about it. Am I clear Pyramus?"

He nodded.

Kurban moved in front of him.

"No one should know about it. No one"