Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 

 

            “Another glass!” demanded the purple homunculus.

            He’d been drinking so much he had forgotten his own name. His only sense of identity was his purple short messy hair, eyes, and lining on his exoskeleton along with his attire. He had a gold ring on his left index finger with the insignia of a horse. On both shoulders he had thin black capes falling on his sides with a vaguely imprinted serpent on each. He was wearing a black armor wrapped around the outer edges of his torso with a shell covering his chest, and black jodhpurs. The only other distinguishing factor was the fact that for some reason it was okay for him to be carrying a handgun beside each thigh and sword by the back of his waist.

            The bartender approached him with another glass. He had the face of an old man, which meant that he was probably young and poor. Even drunk he knew only poor people bought old vessels and poor people could only afford bad crystals. The lifespan of a bad crystal rivaled a dog’s lifespan.

            “How old are you?” he asked the bartender.

            “Twelve…” the bartender answered.

            “A shame you’re going to die soon. I like you. You’re the best server I’ve had all night!”

            The fury being restraint was more than apparent on the bartender’s face. “I’m the only bartender you’ve had all night, my lord Knight.”

            “Knight? Is that what I am?” the Knight asked dumbfounded by his own status.

            The bartender sighed and shook his head. Without bothering to acknowledge his last comment he left to attend another. The Knight scanned the bar. It was dull and rather cheap looking, not to mention all the people were old and ugly. He looked at a tiny mirror by a wall and looked at his own features. He looked no older than a seventeen. He smiled at further realization that he was rich and special amongst these ugly people. Suddenly he began to question why the old ugly people surrounded him in the first place.

            He looked around and found the closest thing to a young looking person. A girl sitting at a table with the face of a mature woman maybe on her late twenties or early thirties. She was surprisingly pretty. Blonde hair, gold eyes, and soft delicate features. Her exoskeleton was lacking though. Only one hand had anything at all and only as far as half way up her forearm. She had a small top only covering her pleasing firm breast, and latex leggings with heel boots, which were also part of her exoskeleton the Knight noticed.

            The Knight approached the blonde woman stumbling on the way. Finally he crashed into the seat right in front of her and greeted, “Hello. Sorry to intrude but you’re about the only descent thing to look at around here. I figured we could relate.”

            Her initial reaction was surprise but it quickly became disgust after his words. “So one Knight turns out to be a traitor and the other is a drunk. How do we sleep at night with such watchful eyes looking over us?”

            It took him a while to process what she said before responding, “You know who I am?”

            “Who doesn’t? You’re in just about every other screen attached to a building.”

            He smiled. “So I’m famous too? How did someone like me end up in this shithole?”

            She stared him up and down in blatant disgust, “Your guess is as good as mine. You’re about the last person I expected to see here. I didn’t know the rich visited the poor. I’m sure there’s plenty of fancy places you can have expensive drinks at.”

            Everything she said went in one ear and out the other as he gazed deeply into her eyes. It was like a golden fire was burning inside them. “What’s your name?”

            “What’s the point of telling you? Not like you would remember in the morning anyways. You’ll probably never come down here again since clearly these people are too ugly for you to hang with,” she said in a mocking tone.

            “You’re one to talk. My mother used to be the head of one of the most prominent Homunculi construction companies. I know cheap crystal when I see it and that golden fire in your eyes isn’t cheap. You belong here about as much as me.”

            The woman rolled her eyes. “I bet your mother was. A nice young boyish face and vibrant lining like yours can’t be afforded in these parts. Not to mention the golden ring on your hand. Clearly you know rich when you see it. But get one thing straight. We’re nothing alike. I grew up here with the rest of these people you look down on, Knight. This is where I belong.”

            The Knight burst out laughing. “You’re a feisty one. What’s your emblem?”

            “Don’t have one. I discarded mine long ago.”

            “And you got no name you’re willing to give me?”

            She rolled her eyes. “Why are you still talking to me?”

            “Why haven’t you gotten up and left yet?” He countered.

            “I sat here first.”

            “I’m a Knight. I sit wherever the f**k I want,” he said with an audacious smirk on his face.

            “How did the people ever vote to knight you?” she asked in a condescending tone.

            “Ask them. They voted for me,” he replied in a cocky tone.

            “I bet if anyone actually knew you they’d probably hate you. I don’t know how anyone could love a disgusting slob like you who eats his own glorified s**t. I bet even your own family must hate you when you’re not around.”

            The Knight yanked her wrist and pulled her towards him crashing the plate and cup in front of her. The entire bar went silent and looked in their direction. He whispered in a menacingly, “Talk about my family again and I swear I’ll shoot your head off on camera for the whole Ark to see.”

            Whatever fire she had in her eyes diminished in an instant as she shied away from his eye contact. She trembled as she struggled to find her words, “I’m…I’m sorry. Please let…let me go.”

            He pulled her closer and grabbed a handful of her hair with his other hand and lifted her head so she was looking at him in the eyes. “Holy s**t, you actually said please. Well while you’re being polite, I’ll ask you again! What is your f*****g name?”

            “Bridget…”

            He released her with force slamming her against the back of her seat. “Disgusting…who names their kid like a human?” Suddenly he came to a horrid realization. “Wait…my mother f*****g did.” He stood up with fear in his eyes. “You’re not my sister are you?!” He took out one of his handguns.

            Bridget’s eyes opened in horror of what he might do. “What? No! I have no brothers and sisters.”

            “You’re right…my mother killed herself. She killed herself because of me. Because I turned in those f*****g orphans she pretended were my family…” he said to himself. He turned and saw the whole bar looking at him. “What the f**k are you all looking at?!” He walked towards the bartender and demanded, “Give me another f*****g drink.”

            The bartender looked at the last drink he offered that was left on the counter but then ignored it and served him a new one. The Knight grabbed the glass and drank his fury away until he forgot his name once more.

 

 

            Judas washed his face on the sink. He looked up at the small mirror over the sink to see the bags under his eyes in his juvenile face. Another restless night. It was becoming a bothersome routine of his. He washed his mouth hoping to cleanse the smell and taste of liquor. He heard a knock on the bathroom door but ignored it. The last thing he wanted to do now was face Breccia. He’d been so distant the recent days that he only felt comfortable when he was alone.

            He resumed washing his face and mouth while the knocks got louder and louder. “Judas, are you okay?” asked Breccia from behind the door.

            “Yes. I’ll be out in a second,” replied Judas.

            He finished up and exited the bathroom into their bedroom. Breccia was sitting on her bed browsing through her COM (communicator). “I’m out,” he informed in hopes that she’d be entering the bathroom right away herself.

            She looked up. “Finally,” she said. The tenderness of her big sky-blue eyes always opened up a weak spot inside of Judas. He hated it because he could never lie to her. But that’s also why he chose to marry her. “Where were you last night? You left in the middle of the night.”

            “I don’t remember,” he replied while avoiding eye contact. In reality he didn’t have to, he really didn’t remember, but the fact that it sounded like a bad excuse just made him feel like a liar.

            She stood up concerned. “You have to stop drinking. You’re killing yourself. And you’re a Knight, you have to uphold your image or you’ll be stripped of your title by the Imperator.”

            He turned his attention towards her again. She was still naked with only her exoskeleton wrapped around her calves and biceps. Her hair was short and combed to one side. It was dark as night, a color rare to almost every homunculi for the exception of those who dyed it, which was becoming a popular trend. He liked the way it looked on her though, it made her eyes pop out. Her beauty always helped him not beat himself up too hard. It reminded him that life wasn’t so bad.

            He went over and kissed her softly on the lips. “Don’t worry. I promise nothing bad will happen to me. I’m fine.” It was okay to lie about his feelings if it kept her from worry.

            She caressed his face with both her hands searching for truth. “No you’re not. And you haven’t been since you came back from Sector Three. Can you finally tell me what happened there? I haven’t asked because you’ve looked so troubled I thought it be best to let you work it out on your own for a while, but I can’t bear to watch you like this anymore.”

            Judas took a deep breath and nodded. He sat himself on their bed with both hands on his head. “Remember what I told you about my mother and her obsession?”

            Breccia nodded. “Yes. I know you blame yourself because she took her own life in turn, but imagine how much worse it could’ve been had the secret just gotten out on its own. You did the right thing by telling the authorities back then. Besides, as your duty to the Ark, it would’ve been against your honor to stay quiet.”

            “Yes, I know. I’m over that,” he assured. “But too many loose ends were left that day. Four of the six children got away.”

            “It couldn’t be helped.”

            “Yes it could’ve!” he shouted. “Had I spoken sooner or talked some sense into my mother none of this would be an issue today. It’s been ten years since and not one, not two, not three, but all four are still walking around. And one of them…one of them is coming for me, I know it.”

            “You’re a Knight in the Court of Royals, no one can lay a hand on you.”

            “Tell that to the Bishop’s daughter.”

            “That’s different. Someone in the Court of Royals was a traitor. No one could’ve seen that coming. What’s a human or messiah going to do to you?”

            Judas chuckled like a crazed person. “You have no idea…the things I saw in Sector Three. No human, no homunculi, no knight, not even the Imperator, could’ve done that.” He looked up at her with his frightened lavender eyes. “I’ve never seen so many dead bodies. Heads and limbs blown off. Blood everywhere. He even decorated them. He piled the pieces up like a snake and wrote in blood, Revenge is the only justice. He’s coming for me Breccia. He wants to get revenge for destroying his family.”

            Breccia hugged him against her breast as he pitifully burst into tears. “If he wants to take you away from me he will have to take the whole Ark down with him.”

            “No…it won’t be the whole Ark,” he mumbled.

            Breccia’s arms began to tremble. “What do you mean?”

            “The Imperator has assigned me with the task of bringing him to justice. She says it’s time I cleaned up my mess.”

            Breccia stepped back horrified. “But why? Why doesn’t she send the military? Hasn’t that demon caused enough damage to be considered a threat to the Ark?”

            “As long as he remains hidden, military action cannot be taken and the Tower of Sentinels won’t move. Besides, the Imperator doesn’t want to give the notion that he’s a danger to our order. She wants to bring him to justice tastefully to show that the Ark is as secure as people believe it to be,” he glumly explained.

            “That’s ridiculous! The Ark is one Knight short and she wants to send the other one to a death sentence.” So I’m already dead in your eyes.

            “Things are changing Breccia. The Ark isn’t the safe haven it once was.” He stood up and hugged her tightly. “When I leave on my mission I want you to stay out of trouble. Don’t do anything reckless and don’t trust anyone.”

            “Promise me you won’t get yourself killed.”

            “I don’t want to lie to you…”