LaStirk was stressed. Her fiery red hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and she poured over field report after field report looking desperately for any sign of the adopted son. To anyone else she would have seemed a concerned mother on a fevered search for her beloved child. To those close to her she was a ruler looking to regain the one thing that she knew held back the threat of rebellion. Though those things were both true, to a point, the fact was she was a commander that had lost a weapon of mass destruction and needed to find it before it could be turned on her. She knew of the strength of the Azaacarian people. She knew the strength of Marley. She knew if Marley learned the truth of his origins, he alone would be enough to topple everything she had built. An army of similarly powerful beings would be disastrous.
She was startled by a runner entering her office and snapping to attention. She glared in warning and the runner. "What is it?" she said coldly. "My Queen, the invasion is under way" was the reply. Lastirk scowled "What invasion?" The runner looked confused. He had been sent by Prince Greyson to deliver this message and was not prepared for follow-up questions. "My Queen, the Prince, has begun his invasion of the slave slums." Lastirk jumped to her feet angrily slamming her hands on her desk. "He's doing what? On whose authority?!" Panic gripped the runner as he became aware of the trap he had been sent into. "Th-th-the prince is acting on, on, on intel that prince Marley is being held in the slums" he stammered. "WHAT!" she screamed and grabbed a random object on her desk and flung it at the runner. It struck him in the middle of his forehead, killing him instantly.
Greyson strode confidently into Trench town flanked by his cabal, looking at the buildings and people in disgust. People who saw them coming cleared the street, changing direction and running into houses. Those who were unfortunate enough to cross their paths were grabbed and roughly slammed into walls or killed on the spot. When the group reached the town square Greyson raised his voice. "You know who I am. I am looking for my brother. I know he is here. Bring him to me now and save all of us some trouble." He waited, looking around he saw fearful and defiant faces, mothers shielding their children with their bodies, but no one said a word. Greyson sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, the hard way it is...find him." With that his cabal rushed out in different directions. They kicked in doors and ransacked homes. They dragged people into the street smacking them around, screaming questions at them and killing anyone who dared to fight back. Screams filled the air as blood ran in the streets.
The noise of the commotion reached the High Priestess' tent. The trio looked up just as a man rushed into the tent in a panic. "What's going on?" Omnira asked. "It's Prince Greyson," the man yelled breathlessly, "He's tearing up our homes looking for Prince Marley!"
Marley and Omnira rushed out of the tent to find the whole town in chaos. People were screaming and running all over the place. Explosions could be heard in the distance as Greyson was firing off a weapon randomly. Omnira, recognizing the direction the explosions were coming from, looked at Marley wide-eyed, "He's in the square!" Marley simply nodded and rushed off down the street. He had only gotten a few feet before coming up on a large burly Rednasi. He was a whole head taller than Marley and wore the traditional Rednasi military uniform but with the sleeves missing showing off his massive pale arms. He had a young slave woman pinned against a wall and was laughing disturbingly as he ripped at her clothes. The woman squealed and struggled to keep herself covered while a young child sat nearby screaming and crying. Without thinking Marley rushed over and grabbed the man by his shoulder spinning him around. The instant they were face to face Marley delivered a slap to the man's face that drove him to his knee and caused him to spit blood. The young woman took that as her que to leave. She grabbed the screaming child, held him to her chest and ran 0ff as fast as she could.
The burly Rednasi growled as he slowly got to his feet and turned to face Marley. He looked his opponent up and down but did not recognize the prince without his uniform. All he saw was some impudent slave that got in the way of what he wanted. He would pay for that. He roared as he lifted his hands high and clasped them over his head ready to cave the smaller man's head in with his bare hands. Marley saw this opening and punished his mistake with a swift kick to the groin then stepped back. When his opponent doubled over in pain, he grabbed the back of neck and hopped up treating him to a crushing knee to the face. Blood poured from the man's shattered nose as he fell to his knees clutching his face, screaming. Marley silenced him with an elbow to the back of his head, putting him out cold.
Omnira had decided to follow Marley and had watched the entire exchange in awe. The Marley she had come to know over the past few days was a sweet and gentle man. The swift brutality he showed here was as shocking as it was terrifying. In truth she found herself more than a little excited by the whole thing. She wasn't sure if she wanted to fight alongside him or pull him into a building and have a different kind of tussle with him. She shook her head to clear the lewd thoughts then picked up a long stick and rushed after him as he disappeared around the next corner.
Marley darted around the corner and sprinted up the street. The next major intersection would take him to the square. He had to stop Greyson and the havoc he was causing. As he was running, he felt a presence behind him. He turned around just in time to see a slim Rednasi man wearing black cloth armor hurtling through the air toward him. Marley ducked and rolled allowing the man to sail clear over his head. As Marley got to his feet, he spun to face his opponent just as he was getting off the ground. The two locked eyes for just a second before rushing each other. The Rednasi assailant pulled a short sword and swung wide as he got close. Marley slid on his knees and laid back flat narrowly avoiding the blade. When they spun to face each other again, Marley was surprised to see the man propelled toward him with his arms flailing out to the sides. He took advantage of the opening, leaping forward palming the man's face. The sudden change in momentum flung the man's feet out from under him and drove the back of his head into the dirt, cracking it open like a melon.
Marly looked up and saw Omnira standing there, make-shift staff in hand, backdropped against the setting sun. She had caught up to him during the fight. When the Rednasi assailant turned his back to her, she planted her staff and vaulted herself into his back, feet first, mid sprint. That, in turn, had been what launched the man into Marley allowing him to end the fight. She now stood over him, smirking, striking a pose that she hoped looked heroic. Judging by the look on his face, it absolutely did.
Just then, another explosion rocked the two of them back to their senses. Marley and Omnira took off around the corner, they sprinted their way to the main street and skidded to a stop. There was Greyson firing off a large energy pistol, seemingly at random, laughing maniacally with a wild look in his eyes. The two looked around horrified at the destruction that had been caused by Greyson and his goons. Buildings, houses were in ruins or on fire, bodies were everywhere, screaming could be heard in the distance. This once peaceful hamlet had been turned into a nightmarish hell-scape. Omnira fell to her knees in shock. She had been very young when the initial invasion happened, but the similarities between this moment and that one brought that day back to her mind, as clear as everything else.
Marley watched Omnira for a long moment. As he did his rage rose and his eyes glowed blue. He fixed his gaze on Greyson and began to march forward. His face twisted into a sneer of rage as he picked up speed. He roared his brother's name as he reached full speed. Before Marley could reach his target, another man stepped in front of Greyson carrying two long hooked swords. He hooked the two ends together and swung them over his head in Marley's direction. Marley ducked the swords and dashed in close, he pulled his fist back and devastated the man's jaw with a massive uppercut. The man's head snapped backward, breaking his neck and lifting him off his feet. He was dead before he hit the ground. Marley barely had time to lift his head to find Greyson before his world went black.
"We have to do something!" Omnira screamed, tears streaming down her face. She could barely breathe. Her body shook as she sobbed. Raeni held her tight, rocking back and forth, fighting her own tears as they sat in the spot Marley had fallen. With Greyson and his people gone, people were coming out of their homes and hiding places. Many were crying for different reasons. Some were morning dead, others still trembled in fear, many were angry. They all felt violated. Their whole sense of peace and security had been ripped from them, everything they knew, everything they had built for themselves had been destroyed in a single afternoon. For many it was the second time in their lives they had seen this kind of devastation. Now they watched as the two strongest people they knew sat in a heap crying like children. The despair was palpable as the sun set on the ruins of Trench Town.
Raeni's eyes began to glow blue as she slowly rose to her feet. She looked around at the despondent faces that had gathered in the square. A cold wind blew as she began to float just high enough to be seen by the entire crowd. When she spoke, her voice sounded like a babbling brook and was heard clearly by everyone.
"My dear children, this day your hearts have been broken. Your homes have been torn apart. You have lived in servitude for two decades while your oppressors do not even bother to know your names. Lift your heads. Today, he who has been blessed by me begins his journey to fulfill his destiny as your savior. Very soon I will raise you from the dirt and you will again walk in the sun. Be encouraged, I am with you."