The Land Below our Feet III (Legacy)

REBELLION

-So, you said your father died because of the ban… How is that? – Dahro suddenly asked as he reluctantly put on the peasant clothes that the boy had thrown at his face a moment before.

The two teenagers crouched in the back of a dark alley while they hurried to swap their garments for the ones that Kai had just extracted from a sack concealed behind an inconspicuous pile of junk.

-He was just trying to protect us… Me and my mom – Kai distractedly whispered back, sliding a pair of old boots on his feet, then jumping back up – Queen Elande´s men were trying to blackmail her, and had made some nasty threats. So, he gave them the access they wanted to the gun factory where he worked.

Taking a cautious look around, the local boy then grabbed the stolen case and ushered the Xiblenean Prince towards the busy street, where they soon blended with the oblivious multitude.

-Father poisoned himself when the Crimson Guard caught him – Kai spoke over the loud cacophony of noises, his muffled voice barely reaching Dahro´s ears through the vendors´ eager calls and the general bustle all around – They couldn´t get his confession, but they still had my mom…

Dahro´s senses were overwhelmed by the different images and smells that were inundating his brain all at once while Kai pushed him purposefully among the sea of unfamiliar faces and sounds, the words of his guide playing in the back of his mind as he absorbed the wild spectacle that Lowland´s gate was.

-They made her talk in no time, and then they threw her in jail once they were done with her and didn´t look back – The boy continued saying as he steered him by the arm towards an old, grey building at the end of the narrow street they were walking on – I was born and raised in that awful cell…

-You were born in prison! – The Xiblenean repeated in surprise – And they say that we Xibleneans were ruthless… How cruel is that?

- Believe it or not, that was supposed to be a kind gesture – Kai bitterly remarked, spitting forcefully on the filthy ground – They didn´t want to separate me from my mom at first, so they let her keep me in there instead… As if keeping a baby in that unsanitary hole was any better than ripping it off her arms!

They reached the rickety entrance of the dilapidated construction as Kai finished saying that sentence, and he promptly shoved him through the swinging doors to be welcomed by the incoherent ramblings and strong body odor of a handful of drunk men scattered around the lugubrious interior of the dingy tavern.

None of the present patrons gave the two boys more than an apathetic glance as they quietly crossed the threshold and strolled directly to the back of the room, where the Lowlander boy pushed a curtain out of their way and began descending a long flight of stairs.

-Anyway – He casually resumed his tale as their steps echoed down in the shadows – That humanitarian gesture of theirs would come to an abrupt end the day that mom got sick and passed away in that moldy dungeon when I was eight.

-That sucks! – Dahro sheepishly blurted out. His hand blindly grasping for Kai´s shirt in the darkness as they both went down the seemingly endless spiral staircase.

- Yeah, it does – Kai sighed, his voice echoing somberly around them –They sent me to a children´s home after that… It was filled with war orphans and kids that have had it even worse than I had… That´s where I met Elhyna.

-Who´s that? – The Xiblenean tried asking him, but his question got buried under the growing roar when they finally reached the bottom, and the distinct noise of an assembled congregation reached their ears with crescent intensity as they carefully advanced towards the far corner of that enormous basement they had ended up in.

Dahro could clearly hear the multitude of fervid cheers and whistles coming from the other side of another drawn curtain, long before Kai proceeded to pull it aside and reveal an improvised auditorium that housed roughly a hundred people, all cramped in that hidden underground space.

He found a small stage strategically positioned in front of the raging mob, where a tall, athletic woman preached passionately in a thunderous voice.

She was dressed in rudimentary armor with a worn-out leather breastplate and chipped shoulder protectors, but the fierce look in her dark eyes and the determined inflexion of her voice still conferred her a dreadful enough front.

-I was a little child when the white monsters came and slaughtered my entire family while I cowered behind a tree just a few feet away from the home they burned to the ground! – The woman ardently proclaimed – I was petrified with fear and couldn´t even move one bit, and I have regretted it every single day ever since!

-You are a survivor, Elhyna! – A young man in the crowd shouted, firmly shaking his head – One of the very few that are left… Don´t you blame yourself, girl!

And an approving murmur erupted from the rest of the audience as they all clapped their hands avidly at the attendee’s statement.

-That is true, Haruh! – The young spokesperson agreed, winking graciously at him – And I am one of the few original settlers that remain.

She made a dramatic silence, deliberately eyeing them all with her piercing dark eyes, as she let the tense suspense extend.

-Most of you came to Lowland´s gate after the first war – Elhyna finally said in a slightly accusatory tone – You were never here to experience the horrors that those demons put us through… But I was! So, imagine my surprise when I saw those rascals walking freely down the street and was told that they were refugees now!

The young woman pointed her long index finger towards her attentive spectators and waved it energetically up and down.

-It was such a huge betrayal that I couldn´t even believe it at first – She claimed in an exaggeratedly affected tone – But then it dawned on me… Of course, they would protect them and let them stay! How can we expect anything different from a Commander that was spawned from the very entrails of that same vile race?

-That is kind of inaccurate… – Dahro called out matter-of-factly over the enraged turmoil that instantly followed the orator´s rant as he pushed his way difficultly to the front of the packed hall along with Kai.

-Shut up, Your Highness! – His companion strongly advised him, clutching his arm and leading him backstage while the commotion prevailed.

-All these years, they have been poisoning our culture with their devilish traits – Elhyna teased the already angered mob a little bit more – They´ve settled and spread among us like weed, they drink our wine, they eat our food, they even found their way into our court!

-They shouldn´t be allowed to be here! – An anonymous voice yelled at the back of the room, and a concurring clamor ensued.

-They steal our jobs and take our women! – Another one seconded –They should go back home where they belong!

-Yes… They lost the war, but they have still invaded us – Elhyna chimed in with a rotten smirk, raising her fist in the air for them to see– And they don´t deserve the mercy they had shown them... This is our land, not theirs!

The thunderous growl that erupted from the masses was enough to send shivers down Dahro´s spine. Making him feel a strange stir in the pit of his stomach, which he couldn´t quite decide if it was due to excitement or fear at the time.

-But don´t just take my word for it – The woman kept saying once the rumble subsided moderately, gesturing to another young man standing restlessly a few feet away, and summoning him eagerly to her side – This is Canek, he was only six when he witnessed those savages rape his mother before his own eyes.

Dahro watched as Elhyna gave the man an encouraging push and left him there, nervously addressing the notoriously juvenile audience with an initial low voice and a little stammer that became more confident as she stepped off the stage.

-Tell me you got it! – She demanded aloud as her sole greeting when she met with Kai and him behind the platform. Her question clearly aimed at the local boy, while she deliberately ignored the prince´s presence entirely.

Seeing her up close, it was evident that Elhyna was several years older than Kai. But that didn´t seem to bother any of them, as they engaged in a passionate kiss as soon as they were standing face to face, making Dahro roll up his eyes.

-I thought this rebellion was supposed to be about the firearm ban – The Xiblenean coughed, in an awkward attempt to call out for their attention and break them apart – I´m a little confused… Why are you guys talking trash about the Arganteans now?

-Because they´re the root of the trouble, kid – Elhyna hissed in contempt, redirecting her impatient gaze at Kai – So? Did you get it?

-I did! - The youngster exclaimed. Proudly handing her the case he held – We can take the warehouse down!

-Wait! Warehouse? What is this? – Dahro intervened, trying to seize the box but being quickly intercepted by the other boy – Why are you giving it to her? That´s mine! You said I could have it!

-And you will, my prince – Kai whispered into his ear as he pressed a sharp blade against his pulsating jugular – Once we´re done with it… But you got to let us have our fun first.

Gulping down, Dahro remained in place as he witnessed how Elhyna made her triumphal way back to the stage, holding the case.

-There you have it! – She bellowed, opportunely reclaiming her center spot as the sobbing man had just finished recounting his compelling tale – Canek might have been a frightened child back then, just as I was… But none of us are kids anymore, we can act! I say it is time to finally make those pesky pests pay for their sins! So, who´s coming with me tonight?