holding more stars and a small, three pronged weapon.
Where had he gotten that?
The woman sees Altair, bellowing in rage, and comes at him swinging, blows which the trained Assassin dodges with ease. She kicks and he lowers his body, raising his pronged weapon at the same time, her shin crashing into the sharp, unyielding metal. She screams and drops, holding a now gaping wound in her leg. She curses at Altair but he kicks her under the chin and she goes limp.
Unconscious, not dead.
The crowd has mostly dispersed, scattering in all directions into the desert, leaving everything in their camp behind.
Altair whirls from his defeated foe and stalks directly toward me, eyes blazing. "What in the name of the gods is wrong with you!" he roars, grabbing me harshly by the shoulder.
"Hey!" I protest. "Take it easy!"
"This is the least I should do to you!" he retorts, beginning to drag me back tow ard the canyon mouth where we’d been hiding earlier. A small, completely cloaked figure emerges at our approach. I sigh in relief to see that Traylor is safe. "Get over here, Traylor," Altair orders. "We have to leave... Now !"
"Way to go, Juno," Traylor quips, mocking applause. "What was that all about anyway? There wasn't really a spider on me, was there?"
My mind is the opposite of blank, a thousand million excuses flitting in and out of focus. The truth is, I really don't know why I snuck off to join the silent vigil. I really don't. I just...
"These people were mourning their dead," I finally come up with. "They're the first people we've seen outside of Krakelyn that aren't Children of Mutanity. They had no agenda other than sharing their suffering, easing each other's pain. I needed to be a part of that. I..." I pause, tears welling then spilling down my face. "I haven't grieved for Jude yet."
The floodgates open.
The last thing I'd said was the truth.
I hadn't grieved yet, creating an emotional dam inside me, waiting to burst.
I love you, Juno Quinn …
Jude's last words to me, again.
I break down and cry, leaning against a nearby boulder as my legs turn to jelly. I feel Altair's close looming presence and tu rn, hoping to find some comfort or at least some empathy from the man. But all I'm rewarded with is a cold, hard stare.
"We don't ha ve time for this, Juno," he says. My heart freezes, anger swelling. "Your little stunt will soon alert other Children within fifty wheels. We have to move. If we're lucky, we can stay ahead of the rumors this incident is likely to spread." Altair pauses, eyes downcast. "But I don't think we will be that lucky. Not now. We'd need to travel at racing horse speed and– What? What is it?"
I'm smiling now, my eyes having fallen on the area around the fallen spire. "Actually," I say, "I think we can do better than a racing horse." Altair and Traylor both follow my gaze.
"No way," Altair says. "Our goal is to remain anonymous, not bring more attention onto ourselves."
"Do you want to stay ahead of those rumors or not?" I retort with a smirk and a head tilt.
Altair sighs and Traylor lights up excitedly, seeing that the man has acquiesced. "Are we gonna get to ride in one of those Forerunner machines?" he asks with childlike glee.
Altair just stares at the tall, green machines with the ir heavy scoops on the front. "Bloody ashes," he curses.
14.
"The old world is dead," Blaine says, his black hair strea ked white under the harsh spotlights the Children had acquired from nearby Apollyon. It's stifling under the canvas pavilion, where a crude wooden platform has been erected. "Embrace that fact and you will do well in the new," Blaine continues, gesturing theatrically to the three individuals kneeling before him on the stage.
One of the individuals, a man, looks up at Blaine with a smile, admiring the leader's charming charisma and flamboyant air. When you look at the man, you almost can't see the pulsing tumor that nearly swells his right eye shut. You
Where had he gotten that?
The woman sees Altair, bellowing in rage, and comes at him swinging, blows which the trained Assassin dodges with ease. She kicks and he lowers his body, raising his pronged weapon at the same time, her shin crashing into the sharp, unyielding metal. She screams and drops, holding a now gaping wound in her leg. She curses at Altair but he kicks her under the chin and she goes limp.
Unconscious, not dead.
The crowd has mostly dispersed, scattering in all directions into the desert, leaving everything in their camp behind.
Altair whirls from his defeated foe and stalks directly toward me, eyes blazing. "What in the name of the gods is wrong with you!" he roars, grabbing me harshly by the shoulder.
"Hey!" I protest. "Take it easy!"
"This is the least I should do to you!" he retorts, beginning to drag me back tow ard the canyon mouth where we’d been hiding earlier. A small, completely cloaked figure emerges at our approach. I sigh in relief to see that Traylor is safe. "Get over here, Traylor," Altair orders. "We have to leave... Now !"
"Way to go, Juno," Traylor quips, mocking applause. "What was that all about anyway? There wasn't really a spider on me, was there?"
My mind is the opposite of blank, a thousand million excuses flitting in and out of focus. The truth is, I really don't know why I snuck off to join the silent vigil. I really don't. I just...
"These people were mourning their dead," I finally come up with. "They're the first people we've seen outside of Krakelyn that aren't Children of Mutanity. They had no agenda other than sharing their suffering, easing each other's pain. I needed to be a part of that. I..." I pause, tears welling then spilling down my face. "I haven't grieved for Jude yet."
The floodgates open.
The last thing I'd said was the truth.
I hadn't grieved yet, creating an emotional dam inside me, waiting to burst.
I love you, Juno Quinn …
Jude's last words to me, again.
I break down and cry, leaning against a nearby boulder as my legs turn to jelly. I feel Altair's close looming presence and tu rn, hoping to find some comfort or at least some empathy from the man. But all I'm rewarded with is a cold, hard stare.
"We don't ha ve time for this, Juno," he says. My heart freezes, anger swelling. "Your little stunt will soon alert other Children within fifty wheels. We have to move. If we're lucky, we can stay ahead of the rumors this incident is likely to spread." Altair pauses, eyes downcast. "But I don't think we will be that lucky. Not now. We'd need to travel at racing horse speed and– What? What is it?"
I'm smiling now, my eyes having fallen on the area around the fallen spire. "Actually," I say, "I think we can do better than a racing horse." Altair and Traylor both follow my gaze.
"No way," Altair says. "Our goal is to remain anonymous, not bring more attention onto ourselves."
"Do you want to stay ahead of those rumors or not?" I retort with a smirk and a head tilt.
Altair sighs and Traylor lights up excitedly, seeing that the man has acquiesced. "Are we gonna get to ride in one of those Forerunner machines?" he asks with childlike glee.
Altair just stares at the tall, green machines with the ir heavy scoops on the front. "Bloody ashes," he curses.
14.
"The old world is dead," Blaine says, his black hair strea ked white under the harsh spotlights the Children had acquired from nearby Apollyon. It's stifling under the canvas pavilion, where a crude wooden platform has been erected. "Embrace that fact and you will do well in the new," Blaine continues, gesturing theatrically to the three individuals kneeling before him on the stage.
One of the individuals, a man, looks up at Blaine with a smile, admiring the leader's charming charisma and flamboyant air. When you look at the man, you almost can't see the pulsing tumor that nearly swells his right eye shut. You
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